Comments By classA

I have a big decision to make in the next few days !!!!! Do i take a local Schneider intermodalposition or a brand new home depot run with Schneider. Been going back and forth all day, any type of advice on either of these accounts would be great

Chris

I've been with Schneider for 3 months. They "need" drivers. I've changed divisions twice and am about to do so a third time. You just need that DBL and Account Manager approval. This seems to truly be a driver's market, so you may have some flexibility.

By the way, I've carried the Home Depot trailers. I was frustrated upon arriving at a warehouse in Sparks, NV to have the shipper tell me that I needed to drop the empty trailer I was carrying in the open parking lot, then couple to the loaded trailer in the bay door, move it out to the lot, and then couple to my empty again only to put in the hole where I moved the loaded trailer from. Of course I then had to recouple to the loaded trailer, go in and get the shipper to come out to "seal" it. Afterwards, I drove down the block (literally) to another shipper who broke that seal, loaded more items onto the trailer, and then sealed it again. Eventually I dropped that as a Relay at a lot. Later, I spoke with another Schneider driver and was telling him about the incident. He immediately said, "That must have been a Home Depot trailer. That account always has you do that."

For what it's worth, most of the Trainers at the Schneider facility in Fontana, CA were former Intermodal guys. And the Intermodal are generally driving "day cabs".

Even after reading and preparing here for life on the road it's a h*ll of a reality check when you get out there and see how demanding it is, ya know? It's not difficult at all for you to imagine how many people do not prepare themselves properly and are completely overwhelmed by the demands of this career. A lot of people that could have had a great career in this industry never even made it through training when the realities smacked them upside the head. I'm glad you're hanging in there!

Keep at it and keep learning every day. Try like crazy to enjoy yourself as much as possible. I agree with your assessment of running team though. I think it's terrible but others love it. Find your niche out there. For everyone that wants to drive a truck there are great jobs perfectly suited to your needs. In the beginning you have to be patient and take what you can get, but soon enough you'll have the experience to land the job you're looking for.

Indeed. I appreciate your insight, Brett. "Try like crazy to enjoy yourself as much as possible ............" That, sir, is the key that I need to get a grasp on. And I will probably never run Team again. That just isn't for me either. (Thank you, sir, for the "Title" insertion.)

Although as C.S. stated, if you are in it with your life partner and make some financial gains with it, then it can be good. That sleeping thing is still tough as my body simply doesn't agree with any synthetic substances (except McDonald's fries occasionally).

As always, this is a very encouraging community with the truth of trucking.

Well, we started a day early on our driving. The good first....I can straight back and parallel park decently. Shifting? Thought the tranny was gonna fall out. Instructor taught us how to float the gears. I can go up through the gears ok, downshifting??? OH MY GAWD I am a stumbling bumbling rank beginner. Need help and or tips from the veterans here.....PLEASE.

I, too, had issues with downshifting. What really helped me is I went to www.eaton.com and found a PDF user manual for the Eaton-Fuller 10-Speed Transmission and read it. Then, when I would drive, I could visualize what was actually happening when I'd shift.

OTR Realizations -

I just returned from 3 weeks of travel as a team driver. Having experienced both the team and solo driver OTR roles, I can affirm that each deserves great respect for their work. However, the team driver must be especially commended for their ability to adapt to a constantly moving truck. Over the past few weeks I have only been able to sleep maybe 2 to 3 hours straight at the most during any given day. And that was because I literally passed out from exhaustion. My co-driver described it so well, "It's like almost going to sleep and then having someone punch you in the shoulder each time you are about to doze off."

My co-driver and I realized how to manage the 70-hour clock so that it will continually be replenished every 8 days. But subsequently we also realized that regardless of how we worked the 70-hour clock, we still could not make any more money. One hour is approximately 50 miles. 11 hours of driving is approximately 550 miles. Drive less, get less miles. Drive more, get more miles. Drive less, get more rest. Drive more, get less rest. Either way, you can only go so many miles in one hour. It was disheartening to know that there is certainly a defined limit to how much money we could earn even as a team. Basic math.

Let's be honest. Trucking is just like any other career. The advertisements glamorize the money, the home time, or whatever else marketing deems inspirational (the psychology of advertising is to manipulate the thinking of the public and stir an emotional response). But when all is said and done, there are still only so many hours that can be worked on any given day. And there are only so many miles that can be traveled in any hour. I recently had a tight backing situation in lower Los Angeles, CA. It took about 30 minutes to get backed in to the appropriate dock door. After I finished I walked to the dock and asked the dockworker, "I get paid by the mile, so how much do you think I just made backing this trailer in?" He affirmed understanding as we both chuckled. Not to mention the time it takes to get through some of the mountain passes. Remember, the pay is "per mile", not hour in most cases. If it takes 1 hour to go across a 15 mile pass, you are paid for 15 miles (@..30 per mile or whatever the rate is for your gig). I cannot imagine how one earns a livable wage during the winter months when snow and ice cover the road. The chaining and unchaining as required in the Rocky Mountains certainly requires many Hours of Service.

I've actually been disappointed with the money I've earned so far (although I had a realistic expectation). If you take the hours I've worked (driving, coupling/uncoupling, inspecting, trip planning, etc.) and divide them into the paychecks I've received, it turns out that I've been making about $1.00 an hour. That isn't even minimum wage! And the work literally drains the life from your soul. Days away from the solitude of home, family, loved ones, regular showers, relaxation, meals, etc. is very taxing on your being. It can easily be seen in almost every driver at a truck stop. The lack of facial expression coupled with the slow gait is almost zombie-like!

In the team scenario, you drive 5 hours, stop for the 30-minute DOT break, fuel, etc. and then drive another 5 hours (example of time only). Then it is time for your Post-Trip and your co-driver's Pre-Trip. They start driving and you have 2 hours (by DOT regulations) that you can actually sit up front and not be in the Sleeper Berth. After that, you must (by DOT regulations) get in the back and bounce around for at least 10 hours. Afterwards you have to start the process all over again ......... every day ............ never ending ........... over and over and over. And here's the kicker with team driving, the employer expects this every day. I understand why. They make more money with the truck moving. At least as a solo driver, the truck does shut down for 10 hours!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not bashing the career. As most of you know, I'm still a rookie and I am just learning how to work the system. But I wasn't born yesterday and already I see the truth of the trade. Truck driving is obviously one of the most honorable professions out there. It is very demanding work every moment. It requires mental discipline, patience, physical endurance, and many other qualities that must be experienced in order to be truly learned.

Thankfully I have had the benefit of reading Trucking Truth prior to ever becoming a driver. I didn't expect to make a lot of money in the beginning. In any job, one must start at the bottom generally and then work the way up the ladder (pay scale and otherwise). Likewise I do see where it can become a lucrative career over time. I have friends who actually make good money and they are home every night or every weekend. They worked for it though.

This web site has helped me prepare for the reality of the work. And accordingly it has helped me prepare for what can be expected. I'm going to succeed, although I probably won't be a driver for the rest of my life. But I am already a better person because of it. That is the OTR realization that I have so far.

Thanks to all of the experienced drivers here for their insights!

Congratulations!

I currently work for Schneider on the West Coast. The Company is good to the drivers and honestly, in the short time I have been with them I have not heard even 1 driver complain about working there.

And medical most likely should not be a problem for you. It is all basic standards. Pick up a crate with weight in it up to your shoulders, squat underneath a simulated truck trailer frame, push and pull a fixed object to simply measure your ability to do so, etc.

Again, congratulations!

Thank you, Old School.

The truth of your post stirred encouragement in me today.

As a rookie I have learned many things about the Truth of Trucking. Some of it has been rather trying. Especially this last week. And the last few days bouncing around the LA freeways had about discouraged me greatly.

I should be on my way home today, but I am sitting at a Company OC in French Camp, CA just beginning a 34-hr restart so I can even go towards home. The last few days alone I have driven literal thousands of miles to, from, and in the LA area.

Spent hours calculating ETA and NAT for loads that never happened pimarily due to no empty trailers.

All the while I have been reminding dispatch where I am, what my HOS are available and how important it is for me to get home. And what do they do? Send me repeatedly to LA for 3 days only to learn that what they wanted to do in theory was not possible. I could see it, why couldn't they?

Thankfully, since I could see this coming 2 days ago and as you stated,, already had determined in myself that I was going to honor my end of the agreement - drive to meet their needs. Even though it had cost me HOS, made me miss my scheduled home time, and been very frustrating, I have stuck it out. And I actually now feel better.

Now, to remembet it the next time I am sitting for the biggest part of 2 days at truck stops awaiting an assignment.

Likewise, I will have to remember my commitment to my meetiing the financial needs of my home.

Thank you again.

Everybody knows about Qualcomm's potential to err when it comes to some navigation issues. It might tell me that my destination is on the left in a quarter of a mile when I am looking at it on the right in front of where I am then. It is a great tool however when you use it as just that .... a tool to assist you in reaching your destination. Recently I experienced a Qualcomm error that really took me by surprise. Unfortunately it occurred while I was driving amongst much freeway construction in lower Los Angeles, CA.

Here I was having just completed a 34-hour restart to put a full 70 hours of time into my on-duty bucket. I had showered for 3 consecutive days and filled my belly each day with solid food (and some cholesterol). Likewise I had drank much coffee. The sun was beaming warmly onto my bright orange truck as I flowed with traffic along the interstate. Watching my mirrors and constantly taking a glimpse at the Qualcomm Navigation screen I was headed for what appeared to be an early arrival at a delivery. Suddenly I noticed that the little arrow on my Qualcomm map wasn't moving anymore and the miles were not counting down, nor was the time. It had stopped working! What? "Not now!", I thought. This had never happened to me and the only thing I could think of was to touch the screen to attempt to get it back to working. Guess what happened? It started back working and chirped, "You are out of route, proceed back to the route line behind you." What?

I started looking for somewhere that I could stop and get my bearings on my location. But it was 8 am traffic with cars all around and "nowhere" to stop. I saw another truck getting off at an exit and thought, "If that truck can go there, so can I." All the while hoping for a large lot or somewhere to stop, turn around, etc. As for that truck I'd seen exit, I do not know where it went. The next thing I knew, I was on these little four or six lane streets with nothing but two lane side streets coming into them from either side. Scanning for the best option to stop I decided to turn onto a two lane street that had a store on one side and an open lot on the other. My intent was to turn into the open lot, but once I had turned I realized that there was a post about the size of a telephone pole that was literally going to prevent my trailer from turning through that lot! I had already committed though, so I continued slowly attempting to use every inch of room available to steer that trailer through that opening. Then, I hated it, but had to completely stop. I obviously wasn't going to make it without damaging the side of my trailer. What could I do? Immediately I scanned the traffic, turned on the 4-way flashers, tapped the horn, and slowly began to crawl backwards.

The gap between the trailer and that pole opened up and I could see that the back of my trailer was about to enter the street that I'd just turned off. In front of me there was a car parked on the side of the street that I was able to squeeze past as I noticed a lowered pickup with really dark tinted windows sitting in the street waiting on me to move. I simply held up my arm for a brief wave and quickly shifted into 2nd as I began to pull forward. Thankfully the pickup backed up enough for me to get by. The little two-lane street merged into a 45 degree intersection with two other streets which looked big enough for me to turn around. And it was ...... barely. I got back to the street where I'd came from, stopped and hit Reroute on the NaviGo. "Building route .......," it chirped at me.

After that 15 minutes out of route, I was finally back onto the plotted course towards my destination. Remember I had selected "Reroute"? It took me back where I was, but then turned me off the freeway again onto a two lane side street and the next thing I knew it was telling me to turn around in a little walkway between a divided four lane street. Another 15 minutes ............ and I was finally back on the freeway.

I still arrived within my delivery appointment window where I sat on a side street for over 2 hours waiting to be called into the site yard. All in all, it had been a really educational morning.

A few days later I was talking to another Schneider driver who told me to never hit "Reroute", but rather go back to Home and then search the address as if just starting. He said that way it wouldn't take you to a turn-around route. When I get the opportunity, I will attempt this. It makes sense to me that it would be a better option.

Anybody here know?

ClassA I hope you're still out there. I had the same concerns you had in your original post. I had a face to face and phone conversation with some folks. Then I got some good info from a rookie driver

Thank you, Steve L.

Im considering a team otrjob and was wondering how often are you able to realistically shower. also, for teams if you wake up in middle of night can you expect to easily pull over to use a restroom. Im worried there wont be one near by or my partner may expect me to hold it until his next planned stop

I find the following very helpful -

Extremely short hair, baby wipes, and a large, empty Coffee Mate creamer bottle. Pilot and Flying J showers are a nice treat realistically once or twice a week. But I have found that the baby wipes (unscented) are very helpful to maintain clean.

Hang in there Class A, I've got a feeling from your post that you are going to make it!

Thank you, Old School. So, it is all normal! And with the help of everyone here, I believe I can make it!

I am establishing the being early part as part of my "signature". And I definitely want to be a "go to" guy. And my thoughts on taking the initiative, being proactive on making decisions is confirmed by you. I just need to get the experience. Thank you.

Does the Sleeper Berth time not count against your On Duty/Drive Time even if you've already started the 14 hour clock?

If Sleeper Berth will stop that clock ......... I can work that!