Comments By Eckoh

Horsepower is how fast you will hit the wall. Torque is how far you will take the wall with you.

neat quote but 100% incorrect actually

Horsepower is a calculation of work over a given time, it is not something that can be measured with a tool.

Torque is what actually moves the vehicle it is the force that turns the tires.

Just an FYI the equation for horsepower is torque multipled by RPM divided by 5252.

so for example 1450 (torque) X 1500(RPM) / 5252 = 414 (horsepower) Those are nor the real numbers of any motor just an illustration using numbers the in the world of semi trucks)

The whole reason horsepower was "invented" was for marketing. You got to remember cars (and trucks) replaced actual horses so they wanted something they could use as a representation of horses. Basically it was so the car salesman could go to the farmer and tell him that tractor can do the work of 20 horses and actually have real math to back it up.

Its one of the ways to can tell a real car enthusiast from just a can fan. When they talk about their cars power ask them at what RPM either number is on and peak horse power and peak torque are never at the same RPM in any vehicle. The real car guy will know the fanboy will look at you like you are an alien :D

You need air brakes general knowledge and combo vehicles. Prime required tanker because some of our freight is liquid in totes and the liquid sloshed around sorta like a tanker.

the totes (IBC containers) require tanker now, they changed the law in 2013 i believe.

It is true that 11x 7 = 77. Yes, my mistake was the maximum is 70 hours. And 11 x 6 = 66, giving you 4 hours on day #7.

Oops!

Eckoh makes a face:

cause hes bad at math :P

Oh yeah? I taught math for over 10 years. Give me a break! And you're bad at spelling: you forgot your apostrophe!!!

tis the interwebs!!!! spelling and grammar don't count neither does punctuation.

It depends on the company and how its setup IMO. I was looking at a company that had a min pay guarantee as long as you hit 2000 miles in the week. It sounds great 1100 bucks once you hit 2000 miles, however that CPM was 38 so once you hit 2000 you then worked for free for the rest of the week unless you did over 2900 miles.

With that setup it did not help your wallet to drive hard yet at the same time when you don't drive hard the company is not as excited about you.

Look at it from both angles and see if its a set pay regardless of miles or if you can earn more then the guaranteed pay and if so what does it take to do so.

The things you see...

I do enjoy my steaks with that aroma of antifreeze... Mm mm good!

that smell is not antifreeze :P

Like the others said there can be exceptions. Without knowing the company its hard to tell though.

I know when I was at MATS talking to recruiters there is often some wiggle room. Companies hurting for drivers can loosen the restrictions and some will some will not. Much has to do with the kind of experience you have.

Ugh I hate trying to figure out recaps.

Correct me if I'm wrong. You can only be on duty or driving for 70 hours in an 8 day period. Right?

I'm so glad my Treq figures all this out for me. Just a reason I'm grateful for e-logs! I don't have to hurt my brain...

yes without a reset you can only do 70 in 8 days.

Honestly just starting out IMO do a national thing. There is a reason most drivers HATE driving in the north east. Also if you want to really pack away the money i would suggest against the tiny truck, get with a company that has condos. Doing that you can get rid of everything else and litteraly live in the truck reducing bills.

I know that hard with seeing your kids but its just an idea. Also do not limit yourself to one company look at other options and where they can lead to. I learned how to drive in the Northeast, IMO its a great place to learn as the drivers are dumb as bricks and most the local roads are tiny so you learn how to actually drive and back the truck in poor conditions. However i say do a national thing as you then are opened to more options later.

Honestly i wish i was in a position i did not have to pay for a house, the amount of money i would have to blow on my car projects would be HUGE :D

Like i said its just an idea, and i hope you enjoy trucking :D

I too am also curious about the subject. I had no idea there were companies that did not allow inverters. Is it because they are seen as a fire hazard? How well does a 12v cooler work? Do they require ice or anything?

The 12 volt coolers work good. They basically keep the temperature about 45 degrees cooler than the temperature in your truck. They don't work as well as an actual mini fridge but they work fine, they're cheaper, and they're 12 volt so you don't need an inverter. They do not require ice, nor do they have an ice maker the way the mini refrigerators often do.

Almost all companies allow inverters. I know Swift has some sort of a policy against them but I don't know any other companies that do offhand.

Knight did not allow them when i talked to them at MATS, just an fyi

Wait Errol I'm confused! How can you drive 77 hours in 7 days? Isn't it 70 hours in 8 days?

cause hes bad at math :P Running over 10 hours each day when you add in even the minimum amount of on duty time you will be out of hours on the 6th day and need to rest, doing that you can drive more then 80 hours in the 8 days.