Profile For USMC AAV

Hey Papa Pig,

Ok, so first off, I dont work for McElroy but I know a bunch of guys that do, and if you read this thread from page one you will find out every question you asked probably several times over. That being said, the guys I know that work for McElroy all say they like it and I rarely see them ****ed off cause the company has done them wrong. There are quite a few McElroy truckers on here who can fill you in on all the details that makes McElroy a great company to work for. If you are looking to get into Flat-bedding this is one company that I would recommend cause their school, and flatbed program is top notch and their trainers I have met on the road all seem to really know there stuff.

I get these updates when they are posted and as always some good information even for us veteran drivers.. Keep them coming, they are a good read every time

I love the fact of being out there and do a job well. I get praise from my carrier dispatch and the company I work for by doing the job and making a good first impression. Maybe its the Marine corps in me but I love the travel and the "ME" time. Being a driver does like many other professions have its up and downs but as time goes on you realize that these are a time to learn and hopefully become a better driver for it. I've been doing this for a while now and I love the scenery. Those beautiful views at sundown that many screen savers on computers around the world show people everyday. The scenery is outstanding and being on the road lets me appreciate it instead of driving a desk!!

It is possible, but not in the way you might think.

Many local distribution companies (like beer delivery) will hire drivers without a CDL. They train you and pay for the CDL, BUT there is a catch. You must complete a year of service with that company. If you quit before your required amount of time, you will get fined and or sued. A friend of mine did that in Raleigh North Carolina. He did the CDL training with a company and was required to compete one year with them. He fulfilled his obligation and has been with that company for three years now. He knew a guy that did the same thing with him and then quit 2 months after he got the CDL. He was fine $3500 dollars and had to pay the company back. The company took him to court and he lost big time. The situations are becoming more rare though but some companies still do that.

Some major carriers also do it as well, but all have the same obligation of required driving

I'm going to throw this out there, because I worked for a carrier that did in fact use driver facing cameras. I worked for them for about 2 years and to put it plainly, the camera was only facing towards the cab for about 6 months. After that it was facing outwards. The reason for the change was because the carrier had developed a sense of trust, both in my ability as a driver and the way I drove (defensive). Now on the other hand my brother drives for company that uses driving facing camera's also, however their camera is not on unless their is a sudden hard braking! (being cut off, etc) Many of the companies use these camera's in an intermittent cycle so they come on once every 15 minutes for about 5 seconds. Also I must add, that these camera's are only activated when the truck is in motion!! So when your tractor is turned off, the camera is not on!

If you want to find out the specifics, ask your DM. Don't just assume that the camera is always on

I got pulled over once cause the trooper wanted to check my chains to see if they were in fact tight. Oddly enough there was chatter later that day that the troopers had pulled several over for that reason limit, after someone has a 45k coil with about 28k of restraint. Mine, were as always good to go. However, others weren't as diligent in making sure there loads were done the right way.Also I will note that if the trooper does find something wrong, it is a good bet that will look for other things not up to spec

Yes, Yes it does!

We are all slaves to Master Freight. Master Freight is a cruel, relentless master who constantly is cracking his whip. LoL!!!

Eating healthy and getting exercise is not entirely impossible. The big thing that many truckers get into is a developing bad habits. What I do is this; When I get my 30 minute break I make sure I walk around location where I am parked at. I make it a point to not shop in truck stops, but instead whenever possible load up supplies if you go near a walmart. I stock up on canned chicken breasts, soup stock, and mixed vegetables and lots of assorted fruits. A Crock Pot is literally my go to for cooking in my truck. I make a basic low carb meal and let it cook as I go about my driving for the day, when I m done I have at least 2-4 meals that I can store in my fridge. I keep the things I need to be able to cook in my microwave also. If you flatbed, then you will get some exercise over and above what the vans and reefers guys get cause you have to strap, chain and tarp a load.

Hope this helps

I ended up going to Maverick. They had a slot open to do OTR glass which ended up working out perfectly, After three months I was able to slide into a dedicated glass position, which means nothing but glass except for the occasional racks that had to be taken to different glass production plants around the country and canada.

I was going to say the same thing but Rainy beat me to it. There is a huge u-haul place down the road from where I live that has room for semi parking (granted you have to pay for it), but the one advantage to this is it is behind a fence, under very bright lights with an on-site security as well. The fee for parking there isnt that bad, they gave me a discount rate because I only park there every two weeks or so. sometimes they will cut you a break

What about a self storage place? Life Storage has parking spots and my local manager would work with me if i asked. however i do.have a locker there.

but it might be cheaper to pay for a spave there by the month and not worry thsn pay at a truck stop.