Comments By AJ D.

Volvo 780 with workstation setup. About as close to having an RV-Style sleeper as it gets. Best setup on the road. The new I-Shift transmission are the smoothest out there. Downside of Volvo is their PARTS NETWORK - though they have been improving on that area.

KW T680 with workstation setup. Smaller sleeper by a few inches. Second best setup on the road.

I'm looking at "full-timing" - so my consideration is a sleeper that I'm going to be spending near 100% of my time in.

Rick

I haven't heard good things about the Volvo power plants. How about you?

Keep it rolling , baby !!

Western Star... With a 3406E or C15..... Enough room to live comfortably, tough as nails and enough umph to pass other trucks going up hill while wide, tall and over 100k gross. Did this last summer pulling a 80k piece of an asphalt batch plant.

I have seen quite a few Western Star's so far... I didn't know much about them. Good to hear they are strong trucks...

TDI is a good outfit for what they do. They move you through fast, but their main goal is to find you a job. They are very good at it. If they feel you will be a good trucker, they will make sure you get a CDl and a job.

Good Luck!

I went to TDI in Christianna, TN

Great stuff !! lol

There are many of us who have come to this industry after leaving a long, prior career. I was a recording engineer for 25 years until the computer sent me the way of the buggy whip. The biggest adjustment for me was the noise. Coming from decades in a sonic cocoon to a very lively and loud surrounding was massively stressful to me. It wasn't whether or not I would get a headache that day, it was how bad!! lol

Keep focused and you will do fine. Good luck!

I'm shutdown at a Love's at I26 / Newberry , SC to reset my 70 clock. I ran out of hours mid trip ! ... completely snuck up on me... lol lesson learned. ... looked at the 70 hr countdown everyday ! Lucky for me, Roehl wasn't able to find a relay driver, so I am able to sit just long enough for the 34 reset and head out to Knoxville, TN and still make the new appt. time ... perfect. I hate dealing with hrs coming back off a spent 70 clock ... I usually need close to the 11 driving each day...

The run prior to this, took me from upstate NY, where there was easily 3-4 feet of standing snow on the ground , to Jacksonville, FL, where I actually got a bit overheated !! lol The trees were in bud, flowers were out ... amazing ... Spring is almost here.

My headaches have all but disappeared. Partly from dealing with the stress better and completely recovering from that sinus infection from hell I got in Roehl Phase II... man, that was a long, hard stretch. But I'm stronger for it.

My backing and shifting are still progressing well. I'm also able to do a bit more personal stuff at the end of each day, when before, I was so exhausted , I would try to eat something and go straight to the bunk. Rinse and repeat...

I'm starting to look at other trucks, shop around the truck stops and generally enjoy life out here more. It takes a certain personality type to thrive out here and I feel it suits me well. Being away from the wife and farm is the only hard part now. But the die is cast and we are finding our way.

carry on....

I ditto everything six string said. I brought a well stocked tool box. That has saved my butt 3 times already. This keeps you rolling = $$

Glad hand seals mini mag light for looking at things at a distance - king pin locking bar , engine parts , etc... I have a head lamp also fuel filters oil / washer fluid / coolant anti-gel in winter the standard - bulbs , fuses, safety gear

that is the bare min....

A perfect load ... roll on !

I heard they have or are going to do away with the 1-5 twice in the reset rule??True or not

yes... that rule is temporarily suspended. Now just 34 consecutive hrs off duty. Stand by for more from the feds...