Location:
Lenoir, NC
Driving Status:
Experienced Driver
Social Link:
42 years old. 5 kids 5 grandkids
Posted: 4 years, 6 months ago
View Topic:
Rookie Making Rookie Mistakes.
Grab trailer, drive 100-120 miles to shipper, arrive WAY early and then call about getting the light fixed.
I would have risked it because no one will know when that light went bad. Yea the last driver might have reported it but who is to say its not just a short that blew the bulb. Note it on the pretrip and roll out.
Cancel all that and do what you did if its a rear signal light........
Posted: 4 years, 6 months ago
View Topic:
What a Jerk some 4-wheelers can be.... but I never saw this before.....
Break checking anyone is a stupid thing to do.
With a camers the driver could have plowed through him and gotten away with it. With you as a witness would have worked too, but hard to say if another driver is going to take 30 minutes out of their day to save you from getting sued for all you have and ever are going to have.
Way to many people are me me me and it's only getting worse.
.02
Posted: 4 years, 7 months ago
View Topic:
TRUCKERS CLASH WITH REGULATORS
Right now the DAC is run like a credit reporting agency. If you find something false on your DAC the company has 30 days to respond. If they can't prove what they said is true then it gets pulled from the report. But that's not good enough for something as serious as failed drug tests.
To think the feds do anything in a timely fashion is almost ludicrous. Add in oversight AND accountability.... Psssssshhhhh.
You commentary is spot on Brett.
By the way, I'm all for the idea. Alcohol and drugs have no place in professional driving.
Posted: 4 years, 8 months ago
View Topic:
The New Generation of Truckers
Heard two drivers on the cb the other week arguing about "steering wheel holders". One guy easily won when he informed the other how he bet that he had ten years experience his first day on the job. I literally LOLed in my truck.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
A rookie truck driver's first week
They do have a scale on site so that helps.
And remember, if you get an overweight ticket that may be just the beginning. Because they'll more than likely do an inspection on the truck while they have you there. It's going to potentially cost you a lot of time and money getting a ticket for being overweight so don't make assumptions or hope for luck. Stop at the truck stop and scale it.
Exactly what happened to me. WAY overweight on my rears and they pulled me in for a level 2 which I failed due to the overweight axels.....
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Share your memorable moments....
Got a pretty funny memory for myself. I always grin when I think of this one.
Had to make a 90 degree right hand turn so I took both lanes. While I am waiting for the light to change a "lady" pulls up in the right lane behind me. I can see her cussing me for having both lanes. Light turns green and she proceeds to try to cut inside of my turn. I stop with her pinned between me and the curb until she backed up. Now she's really mad and cussing.
Get to the next light and she pulls into the center lane along side of me, rolls her window down and starts yelling at me about how I don't own the road. I politely said excuse me and when she opened her mouth again, I blasted her with my air horn.
I only wish I had a video of her jumping in her seat. I bet it scared her so bad she peed herself.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
45/90 sight side angle backing, how do you pros do it?
Robert hit my trick right on the head.
Kicking the tractor around a few degrees means a lot less space you need to start the trailer turning. A very valuable bit of information in small parking lots.
I don't drive my tandems as it is too far away from the rear of the trailer for my liking. I drive the rear of the trailer myself.
Good reply Robert....
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Rainy, I've had really good success with the Koolatron brand. I tried some of the others, but they seldom had more than a six month life in my experience.
I've had to put 3 fuses in my Coleman in a year. That's all that is wrong with them 90% of the time. For what I paid for it, it is well worth the money.
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
Take it from someone who unloaded roughly 100 trailers in the last year, summertime is BRUTAL..
I deliver to retail and don't have to put up with the general public. Another plus for slinging sticks.....
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
"Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine"
I forgot to add, the level 3 inspection I got was in Tennessee, about an hour and a half east of Nashville.
Is that what was going on in those old weigh stations? The had one at the 250 east bound and another at the 325 west bound this afternoon when I came east on I40.
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
"Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine"
Thanks for the heads up anchorman. I usually roll about 5-6 over and this being my home state may save me and rather large headache.
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
Walk in and yell ...... Hang them all! and you will be sent home for yelling in the court room.
You either get out of jury duty or a 30 day all inclusive stay at the counties finest bed and breakfast.
Win win if you ask me....
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
Just another low bridge strike after following GPS
I was in Michigan last year and saw on of those, if you hit this sign you will hit the bride ahead, signs hanging over the road. I thought to myself what a stupid sign because the bridge height is clearly posted on both sides of the road.
Now, I realize how much money the DOT is/could be saving.....
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
That video hits two of my biggest rules while driving in any parking lot. Swing wide as you possibly can and always try to turn towards the drivers side.
Swing wide and if you can't make the turn its easier to come out exactly the same as you went in.
Turning left versus right is the same principal as sight versus blind side backing.
.02
Posted: 4 years, 10 months ago
View Topic:
Make sure the windshield is cleaned inside and out.My truck and all the loaners I've had seemed to be prone to condensation.If you guys smoke or cook in the truck there is a good chance that could be your problem.
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
View Topic:
Liability on damage done to trailer
As someone who got an overweight ticket, I can tell you Errol's above statement is almost word for word what the dot officer told me as he wrote me two tickets for one overweight violation. One from the state of TN and one for Brownsville city. Yea, the city one shocked me too....
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
View Topic:
Alright, so I am in Conover, NC for two weeks
Watkins and Shepard seems like a good company from what I have read about them. They were on my short list when I got out of school. (didn't hurt that thier Conover terminal is only 30 miles from my house either)
Black Mountain is no joke with all those curves. Watch out for the bears as well. They like to sit all over that mountain.
If the Conover terminal is where you are going to run out of you are going to hate the I40 gorge much worse than Black Mountain...
Good luck to you and be safe.
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
View Topic:
"Lol. I would just add that flatbedding is extremely physically demanding, much more so than driving vans or reefers."
I think you ment to say, much more so than MOST jobs driving vans or reefers.
You can spend a week with me and make 30-40 stops and unload 2 trailers with 25-30k pounds of furniture if you want to try a driving job that is more physical than most driving jobs.
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
View Topic:
10 things I've learned in 4 years of trucking...
Doing furniture deliveries like I do, #3 is a must...
A lot of people see a day cab and pup trailer in the city and tell you " oh yea, we have deliveries by big trucks all the time". Me run in there with a condo and 53' trailer and get stuck.
Happened to me today in Brentwood TN. Called the cops to block traffic so I could get out of there.
I would add, to use the cops to help because if a traffic accident happens your in the clear.
Click Anywhere To Close
Posted: 4 years, 6 months ago
View Topic:
Rookie Making Rookie Mistakes.
Thats the risks associated with living on the edge like I do...