Comments By Daniel

The part of the truck where you sleep/chill, how big is it usually speaking? Is video gaming even possible in off time? There enough space?

Yes; You have plenty enough space for a TV/monitor, console, microwave, etc. all at once.

An APU/inverter is likely needed, depending on what you want.

My thinking about the speed limit is that I have the understanding that there is a 5 mph buffer. Since trying to keep exactly perfectly steady on an accelerator isn't humanly possible....even on cruise control there are variances when you encounter uphills and downhills. So any reasonable person or (cop) shouldn't fault you if they clock you doing say 63 in a 60...because were only human and we need time to be aware of the subtle increase in speed and make the proper adjustments. However a more than 5 mph difference should be detected easily by a driver.

Anyway, my experience also tells me that there is alot of people who drive 10 mph or more on a regular basis because police scanning the highways are for the most part not often. If you say traveled say 10-15 miles back and forth from your (old non trucking) job on a major highway you would maybe encounter a cop once every 20 times and more than half the time you saw them they already have someone else pulled over for whatever reason. So to get to my point is that as a cop I would not waste my time with a 5-7 mph law breaker because there will always be someone coming along doing 10 mph or faster in addition to a higher dollar amount fine that comes with it. Plus it allows the cop to on occasion to act like a good guy and say "I clocked you doing 72 in a 60 but I'm ONLY going to ticket you for going 65. That way you really can't complain about the 65 because you know you were going faster than that, maybe not 72 you think but certainly at least 65. So you don't complain or "fight" the ticket and the cop appears to be the "nice" guy. In order to do this you have to be going more than 10 mph. Do people get tickets for doing exactly 5 mph over speed limit and ticket for that exact speed, im sure they do but I think its very very rare and usually happens by those ego-driven small town cops that are desperate for money for their borough.

However, You have to be careful, with a tractor trailer, if you staying with the flow of traffic and everyone around you at the moment is going around 5-10 mph over. Any reasonable person(cop) if given the choice would pick out the tractor trailer to pull over rather than a "4 wheeler" due to being more dangerous at that higher speed.

There is no "buffer". The speed limit is the speed limit. A cop can pull you over for doing 1mph over if he wants to. Will he? probably not but there is no "buffer"

That's actually quite incorrect. Perhaps you should brush up on your law books.

Texas law is greater than 10% (10.0000...1% over is illegal; 10% over posted is not illegal).

Simplified: 66MPH in a 60MPH (6MPH faster) is perfectly fine.

One of my class mates called them up for a pre hire. He was ecstatic about the brand new fleet with bells and whistles however he didn't like their 30 cpm starting pay for newbies. Maybe the miles are decent? Don't think anyone here drives for them.

Ya that does seem low but if the miles are there maybe some pay raises every so often? It's hard to say. I am going to call them tomorrow and see about a pre-hire while I finish school and see what they can offer me if anything at all. Schneider offered .41 CPM this morning which was outstanding!

CRST pays $0.33 CPM after ~6mo (split pay). I generally average 5k miles every week. Pretty decent pay. ~$600+ every 7 days.

Okay, so once again, I thank you all for helping me through this. I really mean it. And once again, sorry it is taking me awhile to catch on. But, I think I got it. If I want to work in a different state, move to that state, get a driver's license in that state, then apply for trucking jobs in that area.... I cannot (cannot is a most unusual conjunction of words) get a job in a state other than Indiana, because I am limited by the licence I currently have.... Well that is doable too. I can survive for a short while while I do relocation on my own... So, I will now consider where it is I want to be, locate there, and go from there... If I am still confused, please let me know.

Straight from the military: "If it sounds good on paper..." I was homeless when CRST hired me.

Papers say otherwise, but, hopefully you understand the meaning. A P.O. box works great. You can update your new WA CDL 90 days after "moving." This way it's the best of all worlds.

Good luck, and thank you for your service. :)

Hey Daniel I drive for crst to.... What's your truck number... I'm 4681... Been with crst 10 months...

Current truck is a temporary O/O that I'm being kicked out of at Riverside. Truck number is: 101660.

Previous trucks:

4743

6166

4463(?)

I'm just out of Richmond, CA. Load to Riverside due by Monday(?), is what Scott B. said.

Who's your FM? :) Saxon I hope!

Knight has both manual and Automated Manual transmissions in their fleet. Most of the newer trucks that they are purchasing have the Automated manual transmissions.

These new transmissions that you refer to as "automatic" are still manual gear boxes but instead of the driver changing the gears the computer does it. I drive a Volvo with their proprietary "I Shift" automated transmission, and it works like a champ. You can also set it into the manual mode so that you control when it shifts whether up or down.

IIRC: Paddle shifters. At least for non-semi-trucks.

Computer controlled shifting (no clutch). Person controlled shifts (with a paddle).

Miss Red, in cold slushy conditions, when you stop for a bit, DONT set your trailer brakes because they'll freeze up and be hell to break loose. There will be water on them, because your wherls are warm. The truck sits and that water will freeze and your brakes won't release.

On your tractor, make sure you have power going to both drive axles. Take off slow and easy and use your mirrors to check that your drives are actually turning.

it's a preventable thing that just takes attention that many rookies haven't been taught.

Sort of related: Make sure you aren't parking on water... Ice under the tires makes for a rude awakening when trying to drive off with your load at 07:00. Lol

I second that. My trainer (not going to personally slander Joseph; Although he does belong in a mental facility) NEVER showed, nor let me back the truck up once; I was also on his truck for 2 extra weeks (free of charge to him). To top that off: I might have done partial paperwork (see: Qualcomm messages & protocol) 3 times total.

I was then put in a truck with a complete imbecile for 2 weeks, then it got better after I got a new co-driver (who I remain in contact with monthly).

Definitely thrown to the wolves with CRST! Thankfully I'm a fish out of stones in a river. :)

I'm from Texas, so: The white stuff I find fascinating (and elevated ground levels period).

Hey sometimes you have to do what it takes to get the load there.

Including driving with defective equipment, am I right?

On another note, I spent last night in Chemult, OR. The place was iced up, especially the parking lot, its no wonder his tires locked up.

I just came from (near) Portland, OR. I agree that it is pretty bad up there, and in Yakima, WA.