Comments By Mike H.

I think you handled it fine.

What I'm wondering is, are the realities of this job starting to catch up with your student.

You had some doubts with him being young and having a young family, enough that we both sat down with him and gave him the " this is what you're in for, are you sure you want to do this" speech

I would sit down and see where his heads at. Maybe he was just being lazy and putting things off till the last min... Maybe

I would just make sure he's still committed to this.

I have just probably had the worst, most frustrating night ever.

To begin, I went home for the weekend but since they couldn't fine something going to iowa I left the truck at the terminal and rented a car. Ok, so I planned on starting back to the terminal today ( Monday) around 9 am. My wife gets up, gets ready for work around 8 am and says " oh, hey could you do a couple things before you leave?" Soooooooo I don't leave till noon, no problem. So, I'm toolin down 35 south by Kansas City when the phone rings, it's my dispatcher. " hey, where are ya? " Kansas City, I said. She says" oh, you're not at the terminal? " Then I told her about the honey do list " ohhhhjj ok" Alright, good to go. Get to springfield and unpack my gear, then dropped the car off at the rental place and walked back. I could have waited for a taxi, I should have waited for a taxi, but I decided to walk. Not. A good. Idea. High heat, high humidity and I'm dressed in jeans and a black t shirt. It was the most miserable 3 mile walk I can remember.

Now, if you think muleing 3 miles in the burning afternoon is bad, keep reading.

Ok so I get back to the terminal and see what they have. They have something coming in from Georgia headed west. Ok cool, be here by morning I know I need fuel so I ask if I can get some" nope, systems down, but there's a fuel station just down the road. " Ok, so I go for it.

25 feet I only needed 25 feet

Ok well, close enough, I'll get a fuel can and put some in the tank

Go in the store, get a fuel can, pre pay for some fuel and head back out..... Nothing. I wait 5 mins and head back in and see whats up Oopppps , they put it in the wrong pump.

Ok so now it's on the right pump and I start getting some fuel in the tanks. So I start to crank it and nothing plus my batteries are dead. Yay! >:( Ok, so I start up the apu and get ahold of road assist

Finally, a fellow trucker helps me out and says " did you pump it?"

Blank stare

" on the engine, did you pump it?

He's trying to tell me something, I know it

Well, looks like you have to pump the fuel from the tank to the motor by hand when you run one of these things dry. # 162 of things they didn't teach me in trucking school

He also have me a jump start

So, i pump some more fuel in, head back to the terminal, grabbed a shower and a 44 ounce Sierra must.

I'm now in my bunk with the ac set on " ice age" mode. Life is good

I've run into several of those types, at fuel islands, or drivers lounges or restaurants. I just smile and nod.

I do this because I know something all those knuckle dragging, know it all 20 year super truckers might not know.

They're on the way out.

I've heard so many times " I'll never use electronic logs, if they make them mandatory, I'll quit" Good , because I'll haul your freight, and I'll do it legally. You need to make that box your friend, not your enemy or it WILL work against you.

And I've heard horror stories about this company or that company and so on. Trucking has a bad rap, and we've earned it and that's a good thing because it means we can fix it

Now, when I first met Daniel at instructor training I thought " someone needs to throw this kid a sammich" but you seem alright to me.

Keep doin what you're doin, take care of your students and don't worry bout the beufords out there.

Hehehe. " office plankton"

That's good

What MG is talking about here are called mnemonics. It's a memory tool that's used all the time in aviation ( example, your pre landing checklist is GUMPS. Gas- selected tank is fullest, Undrcarrage-gear down, Mixture-full rich, Pump, fuel pump on, Switches,- landing, nav and strobe lights on. )

I haven't come up with any for trucking yet, but as previously stated, routine, routine, routine. The same way everytime, everyday.

Habits I've developed are 1. Anytime I leave the truck, I always do a walk around when I come back. This includes checking the reefer temp, reefer tank, door seals and lock.

2. When backing I always roll the windows down and turn on the hazards. I also always check my right mirror when I'm backing to catch anything that might be moving on my blind side. When I have the trailer in front of the hole I always get out and look

3. Wipers on, lights on. This is a law in some states. I also turn my lights on during overcast days.

4. Cruise off during heavy traffic or construction areas. Also, cruise off during winter conditions.

I was going through the driver door and fuel area pre trip with my student. When he got to the drive axel I heard him say " hey,that dosent look right" I take a look and sure enough, the driver side, front drive slack adjuster is hanging upside down. Fortunately they had a repair shop at the loves we were at. No damage done, the c clip that holds those things on broke off or fell off.

I always thought Russian tea was made with vodka instead of water?

Been there since at least last year

Thanks everyone, the flames give her 10 extra horse power but prime derated them

No flame stickers give it 100 more hp and 50 extra torque LOL.

Lol wouldn't matter , they would still be derated.

Thanks everyone, the flames give her 10 extra horse power but prime derated them