Profile For Dan F.

Actually, three years ago Florida instituted a slow poke law for the left lane.

And regardless of speed limit what I said is true it is not a person‘s responsibility to intentionally hold back traffic, that is the job of law-enforcement.

If you go over to I 75 near Ocalla you will see people getting pulled over on a regular basis especially heading southbound from Gainesville area by Florida Highway patrol.

I don’t usually head down to the area that you drive in so I’m not familiar with the issues in your local Waze area but I do know if the state did in fact make The slow poke law.. I don’t advocate for anybody to drive dangerously especially aggressive driving. I also do not advocate for anybody to pretend they are line Forssman and force others into a dangerous situation by pulling out in front of them at a slower speed than the person who is in the left lane is already going.

If you were in the left lane and the truck is behind you then you are impeding the flow of traffic. It does not matter what the speed limit is. It’s the police job to enforce the law , not civilians. So if they’re trying to get by you just move over. There is a reason that states like Florida are now ticketing people in the left lanes for impeding the flow of traffic.

Singular rate of speed does not hurt people or create risk(within reason). Differential rate of speed does.

Sorry Dan -but there is NOTHING IN FLORIDA LAW - that says you can VIOLATE THE SPEED LIMIT and people who are OBEYING THE SPEED LIMIT can be cited for "impeding traffic".

Not really sure where you get this from.

NOW - typically (and it varies from state to state) you are "impeding traffic" if you are going 15 miles OR LESS - BELOW the posted speed limit. Some states even post the Min/Max speeds on a limited access highway.

This still doesn't excuse truckers from acting like they are on a NASCAR track and are trying to "draft" the car in front of them. 1 "car length", behind a 4 wheeler @ 60MPH. Tailgating like this - is considered a "serious offense" that can get a CDL SUSPENDED. And I see it ALL THE TIME around here.

Likewise - while we of little patience would PREFER that people in the left lane not do 65 in a 70 - it is NOT ILLEGAL, just DISCOURTEOUS. It is also not "impeding traffic".

Fl Statute 316.183 (2) "...The minimum speed limit on all highways that comprise a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and have not fewer than four lanes is 40 miles per hour, except that when the posted speed limit is 70 miles per hour, the minimum speed limit is 50 miles per hour."

So - even if the person was doing 55 in a 70 - they are still legal (even if you want to crush their skull).

Fl Statute 316.183 (5) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

And as long as they are adhering to 316.183(2) - they are "in compliance with the law".

Personally - I drive my POV at 9mph OVER on the interstate, since cops rarely waste their time grabbing anyone slower than 10 over (I also run a Valentine One and Laser Jammer, but I digress).

I have been known to call into FHP dispatch, and follow (obviously) drunk drivers until they get pulled. I've also called safety departments of companies, to report REALLY DANGEROUS operation of CMV's (and typically provide video when requested).

Commercial Vehicles operating dangerously (company or O/O) - give the ENTIRE INDUSTRY A BLACK EYE. And the public SOON FORGETS how important WE ARE (like every single thing, on every single shelf in their stores - GOT THERE ON A TRUCK), when they witness truckers driving like a-holes.

And we get that A LOT here in Ft Lauderdale - especially the guys hauling containers out of the port.

And I am not the most patient person in the world. I am quick on the flash high beams & horn, at someone going too slow in the hammer lane. But, my patience (or lack thereof) aside - me wanting to do 74 in a 65 - doesn't give me ANY MORE LEGAL RIGHTS to that lane - than the guy that does 65 in a 65.

Rick

I hate that place and will never go there( that pilot ) . What I do is after I arrived at the shipper or receiver, I can usually head to Oak Grove if I can’t park on the property.

One of the big deals about APU’s is that you really need to get them serviced at dealerships that charge $140 an hour. So when all of the sudden my fuel intake tube in my fuel tank got clogged or broken they couldn’t fix it but it took them several hours to figure out the problem.

Labor is one of our bigger costs because they just sit there scratching their head and getting paid while doing it or sitting on their cell phones and you’re not allowed in the shops (especially dealerships) to ask why they are texting thier girlfriends instead of turning a wrench. In this particular case rather than use the same hole and replace the part that goes into the fuel tank they decided to drill a new hole and Off the old part.

If you find honest mechanics they are worth their weight in gold especially if you can leave your truck with them while you’re at home.

Rob you are so spot on. It always happens when you really don’t want it to, or so it seems to me. I have went to customers over and over where things went smooth as silk, then that one time you figured it would, it doesn’t. Just part of the job.

I ended up sitting until 630 before I could hit the road. When I get in for paperwork some of our drivers were acting like this job is the worst due to it. Drama queens lol. Everything in life has pros and cons. To me needing to occasionally wait on loads due to such an increase in volume going out doesn't even come close to outweighing what I love about this job. I'm on pace to make more money this year than I ever thought possible without a college degree since that's what's engrained in our heads as kids.

Yeah sometimes it’s like that, this Thursday I took my APU in for a service that should’ve been two hours and a couple hundred dollars but turned into $1800 and losing an entire day which impacted the next load to the degree that revenue for the week dropped by 30%( on top of repair).

OUCH! I give you (and other O/O) credit I'd lose my mind dealing with the financial side of repairs whether it's the shop or losing out on revenue for the day/week. What caused the repair to be much more extensive than you expected? Didn't you just have the APU worked on not long ago?

No I’m not saying it’s right to crawl up somebody’s ass, what I’m saying is it is not a persons job to intentionally block traffic in the left lane. I see it all the time speed limit 70 in a car doing 65 moves into the left lane and then gets right next to a truck and just sits there blocking traffic.

I've been known (in my personal vehicle) to "impede" traffic by doing the speed limit (70) while passing a long line of trucks doing 65. I disagree with your arguement Dan if I interpreted correctly. Are you implying that a truck has the right to be within feet of a vehicles bumper to bully them to moving over?

I'm not ashamed to admit I've called other companies about their unsafe behavior. Example, I called a mega carrier in last month for not maintaining their lane while speeding 10+ through an active construction zone. I've also called 911 watching a truck weave all over the road nearly going into the ditch in the middle of the night.

I'm not out here to get drivers in trouble or ruin their livelihoods but I have absolutely zero respect for those engaging in such unsafe behavior. Call me a snitch or what have you, I don't care.

Today 21 November are you still near Fort sill? I’ll be returning back down there today after I get a shower (Delivered there this morning then drove up to Oklahoma City and then find my next load is right there in Lawton where I just left).

If you see this in time let me know and I’ll give you an address and show you around my truck.

Yeah sometimes it’s like that, this Thursday I took my APU in for a service that should’ve been two hours and a couple hundred dollars but turned into $1800 and losing an entire day which impacted the next load to the degree that revenue for the week dropped by 30%( on top of repair).

When it comes to the money in my business I micromanage everything and watch every dollar because I have goals.

I personally choose to use a CB for a couple of reasons but I do understand why people turn them off. I turn mine off anytime I get near Memphis for instance.

Things like the original post, are the number one reason for me but a close second is being able to get off somewhere before getting stuck in traffic

Then there’s a third reason that I didn’t think too much about when I first started using a CB in the truck, and that was being able to communicate while moving when you see something wrong with another truck or someone seeing something wrong with your truck.

This week I’ve pulled next to three different trucks for three different reasons and none of them had CB’s

One of them was their fuel caps was off

The other two were blown tires on their right side of their trailers.

So if another driver pulls up next to me and shows me a CB Mike I would at least know to turn it on if I were them.

It is also paid for itself in the amount of time I’ve saved over the years not getting stuck in traffic.

If you were in the left lane and the truck is behind you then you are impeding the flow of traffic. It does not matter what the speed limit is. It’s the police job to enforce the law , not civilians. So if they’re trying to get by you just move over. There is a reason that states like Florida are now ticketing people in the left lanes for impeding the flow of traffic.

Singular rate of speed does not hurt people or create risk(within reason). Differential rate of speed does.

All of the safety department people I know will look at this worse than an accident . Nobody is ever fired for one time heartbreaking event in any company I’ve ever heard of and I can tell you the head of safety at national definitely wouldn’t have. In fact what Jill would say is that a pattern had to be established for them to legally fire you, which if you’re owning up, you might wanna do completely because firing without an accident requires a good deal more proof than one heartbreaking incident.

One of these days I will shoot video of going into the caves. I’ve been to a bunch of them almost all of them in Missouri.

I hear there are some in Illinois, that I haven’t been to yet.

They are nice in the winter when it’s much colder up above😁

If you are joining the service to become a truck driver, you will learn that military driving is very different and nothing like OTR driving as a civilian. There’s also the chance that you may like the military enough that you decide to stay a while.

If you’re joining the military because you like the military itself don’t let the idea of driving a truck limit your choice of jobs in the military.

Loving to travel may not be enough. You have to decide yes or no before you start because it is a big commitment. This isn’t just a change of job, it is a change of lifestyle which for many is much harder than any of the regular skills you will be applying.

Anything worth learning isn’t going to be easy.

You are very nice people here, it will tell you don’t quit. I’m not one of those people. I’m going to tell you you made a huge mistake.

Your mistake was not doing research first and learning that this is a commitment and as a commitment you either do it or you don’t .

So you either man up, and take the bad with the good or you find something else.

Trucking is not just a job where you hold the steering wheel, it is a lifestyle and the lifestyle is not easy on everybody, and this is where your big mistake was not talking to people and learning this first.

I started learning about the trucking industry several months before actually getting a CDL.

One of the first things I learned is that your first year is going to suck no matter what and so will training and it’s there you have to make the decision do you commit or not.

If you’re going to do this, do it safely and do it with a real commitment that no matter how bad it gets you can go to bed get some sleep and then approach the problem again tomorrow. Otherwise you’re too dangerous to be on the road, not because of lack of skills but because of lack of decision making ability.

Umn no.

I pay fuel.

Lol. Why do truckers care about the price of fuel. It's called fuel surcharge. Truckers don't pay for fuel, shippers do.

Price of fuel goes up, fsc goes up, rates go up, cost of business goes up and it all ends up at price of the goods or service.

Receipts will always have amount paid, item paid for(or service rendered). They will also have a physical address of that location and name of company. They also require dates. If the name of the business and the address do not match then you do not have to pay regardless.

They cannot kick you off the property either for nonpayment if they fail to provide a real receipt with the above requirements. If the police to show up you tell them that they did not provide a receipt, and ask them if they are empowered by the property owner or if this needs to be reported to the IRS. Scammers will not call the police. Stupid people may call the police not realizing they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Law is very specific. Any transaction must provide a receipt upon request for any item good or service if payment is rendered.

There are only two choices and if you have less than five years experience in the last three are not accident free you only have one choice really. You either be a company driver or an o/o. You should not even consider becoming an owner operator unless you have five years experience with the last three, being incident free.

If you’re not smart enough to have started working on your credit score, being out of debt, and having money saved up in the bank, then being an owner operator is not for you.

A lease is much worse than being an owner operator. You earn way less per mile, you still have the vast majority of the legal liability, you’re still responsible for maintenance, fuel, and Insurance in most cases.

Lease operator never thinks about ALL THE COSTS.

You should be saving at least four cents a mile just for tires. Do you know how many people don’t even know that.

Let me give you an example about a horrible company called Landstar (my opinion based on my dealings with them in their double brokers) Landstar will pay registration. You are on the hook for

The $7000 is if you attend rails training program in Marshfield Wisconsin. For the purposes of the school technically it is a separate company. The loan you’re getting is to pay for that training. You must abide by all of their rules even at the hotel they have you stay at, to include no firearms. We had a dumbass bring firearms in his personal vehicle to training and was subsequently released.(many years ago for me).

I was in Joplin last week talking to a guy who’s in his mid-80s and still driving( o/o ) He only does about 50,000 miles a year and since his truck has been paid off for about 15 years he’s been able to take it easy.

Obviously you can’t take it that easy at a big company because they have to make a large portion of money to make the truck payments, but The idea is still the same

National carriers is owned by national beef. Beef loads are top priority and I have had to deadhead 500 miles for a beef load before. They have a terminal in Irving Texas and it is tiny with a few amenities. They drive Kenworth T680s. They Install inverters. They have APUs or in some cases kims(A type of auto start). If you are getting a beef load from Dodge city Kansas or Liberal Kansas you may get a reset waiting for your load. Miles is dependent on how you run, where are you live, and how you deal with the planners and fleet managers. On the weekend I would pick my own loads sometimes if I was in the terminal at Irving by talking to Richard Ross. I am one of those guys that does a 10 hour break and then gets moving, And communicates before I even take a load what issues may arrive based on pick up or delivery times.

Since Lauren, Al love, And a few other seniors there left, I don’t know how things go anymore.

Don’t lease from them, like has been said previously. They are not a lease purchase anyway(straight two-year lease with no equity built only)

The head of safety is a tiny little woman that goes back-and-forth between Texas and Kansas named Jill. She is also the head of safety for national beef and she’s not someone you want to lie to. The next in line for safety is John O. (A fair guy but strict)

One of their biggest benefits was at the time they paid well and they ran into Florida(possibly not a concern for you).