Comments By classA

Brett, in regards to the 34-Hour Restart in CA - I had lots of On Duty Hours burned waiting to be unloaded (actually waiting to be called in from the street to be unloaded at a facility), Qualcomm froze up which subsequently resulted in my getting lost (well, taking wrong turns) that wasted Drive Time in getting back on route. Additionally I had driven hours at 35 to 45 mph through the mountains in Oregon and Northern CA with a weight of 78,000 lbs. Once I reached Fontana I had a little of 10 hours of Drive Time left on my 70 hour clock. And since there is an OC there with free showers and other amenities I decided to make the most of it and do a Reset while there! (Rather than have to do it somewhere that I would not have those benefits.)

And as far as the rest of your responses - Excellent advice which I will heed. The "early" part is already part of my routine. I always try to arrive at pickup and delivery locations early. In fact, I'll drive the most of my 11 hours the day prior to an appointment to arrive as close as possible to my delivery point for the next morning. That way, I can wake up and be there in a short drive. And I see you point about the ETA and PTA. From a logistics perspective I can appreciate that insight. In short, I need experience with this aspect of planning. Your insight is most appreciated!

ClassA there's a few things here to mention....

Great people to work with, but rather irritating when you "need" to speak to someone personally ......

Dispatchers much prefer you to use the Qualcomm, not the phone. A dispatcherwill typically handle 50-75 drivers at a time. They can't handle that many drivers if they're constantly interrupted by phone calls. When you send messages in over Qualcomm they're received just like with email so the dispatcher can pick and choose which situations have the highest priority and deal with those first. So try to avoid using the phone for dispatch. Other areas of the company like safety or human resources it's fine to use the phone, but not with dispatch. Keep dispatch over Qualcomm.

Thank you for the explanation, Brett. I can appreciate that understanding of the situation and it clarifies how I can best utilize the process.

GuyJax, I've been hanging out in this forum for about seven months. You have pretty much condensed my picture of a rookie's first year into this one post.

My first few weeks solo were horrible as I learned the relationship between Hours of Service rules and making money. ClassA is on the right track!

Thanks, GuyJax, for your insight.

Thanks for the encouragement, Errol V. And thank you, GuyJax!

Since I run teams I can answer that Simply yes. Teams are treated like kings at almost every company. Newest trucks. Priority dispatch. Basically they get the loads before solo drivers. Teams are jumped ahead of solo drivers when it comes to getting a truck fixes.

In our truck we do roughly 6500 to 6800 miles per week. 3250 to 3400 a week if you spilt it. We even it 7000 miles a few times.

The reason teams are treated better cause they are able to run non stop without having to shut down for 10 hours.

My understanding exactly.

Thank you for the affirmation.

Give it time. Things will start to improve. This topic is the exact reason why we always say the first year is the toughest in trucking. It takes time to build up a reputation of being a good driver.

Also to another point you made.... If the only reason you got into trucking if for the money then you will be disappointed the first year. Your first year, if everything goes extremely well, you will make between 28k and 32k. That's pretty standard. The 2nd year will see you close to 38k to 40k.

Remember you are completing against millions of drivers out here for money and they have more experience than you. You can't expect to make what a 10 vet makes in one year even if your making the same mileage pay. Just won't happen while your new to the industry.

This may not have been what you wanted to hear but you needed to hear it all the same. Be patient and things will come together. The world's worse thing to do at this time is to start questioning your company this early. You can have a sit down talk with your dispatcherand let him know how you feel. You can tell him you want/need more miles.

Thank you, guyjax, for truth!

Give it time. Things will start to improve. This topic is the exact reason why we always say the first year is the toughest in trucking. It takes time to build up a reputation of being a good driver.

Also to another point you made.... If the only reason you got into trucking if for the money then you will be disappointed the first year. Your first year, if everything goes extremely well, you will make between 28k and 32k. That's pretty standard. The 2nd year will see you close to 38k to 40k.

Remember you are completing against millions of drivers out here for money and they have more experience than you. You can't expect to make what a 10 vet makes in one year even if your making the same mileage pay. Just won't happen while your new to the industry.

This may not have been what you wanted to hear but you needed to hear it all the same. Be patient and things will come together. The world's worse thing to do at this time is to start questioning your company this early. You can have a sit down talk with your dispatcher and let him know how you feel. You can tell him you want/need more miles.

As a whole, Freight is down year over year but not a ton. Freight is also down from April to May. 2014 was a ton of growth in the industry. I have been getting a daily email from JOC.com that has a pulse on that kind of stuff. It cost a ton of dough to get full access, so I just read the headlines and synopsis.

Hopefully the more experienced drivers will be able to help you out on the other questions.

Thanks.

I've seen several articles recently along the same lines. Something to it!

It is almost like a relaxant to my mental perspective to sit here and read the posts of real people in the trucking industry. I've just returned home today for the second "home time" since beginning with Schneider. Great people to work with, but rather irritating when you "need" to speak to someone personally ....... yet all you get is the automated message, "when you look at your fifth wheel, do you think green?" or "all associates are busy assisting others, please hold and we'll answer as quickly as possible".

Although I have only been OTR about a month I have learned how the system works I suppose. You schedule your ETA later than you will know you'll be there (simply so if worse comes to worse you can be either on-time or preferably early). And when it comes to those pesky questions that you need to confirm with someone about before proceeding ........... just take the initiative and make the decision. After all it is "my" responsibility and "I" am the driver calling the shots during the game (so to speak). And when it comes to those 14 On-Duty Hours, use them each with care! Not to mention those precious 11 Hours of Drive Time. People on the road (other than truck drivers) generally have no idea about how their driving affects these commodities, do they?

Over the past two weeks I have logged about 3,200 miles (about 1,600 a week). Where is the 2,300 to 2,500 per week that the recruiter assured me? The word I have been getting from the DBL Room is "freight is slow". If freight is slow, why are there so many trucks on the road? Or is it because there are so many trucks on the road? Or is because I am still a newbie have to prove myself?

During a 34 hour restart in California last week, I met with some people that I attended orientation with in Fontana. They are driving team (together as long-time friends) and making good miles! Do teams get more freight moving opportunities?

Here's the deal. According to the ledger book, my earnings as a driver currently is less than I could make working at a call center. Bottom line, it is all about the money. I really do need it. Not looking to get rich, but I am looking for some type of consistent, sustainable wages.

Any ideas?

Or is it just the way it is?

Before I go back out next week OTR, I hope to spend some time just chilling here and letting myself relax. And wait until I tell you about my time in lower LA after Qualcomm literally froze! But for now, I must go. Supper at home! Already had that long, hot shower!

Sincere inquiries here, so honest answers are appreciated. Thank you.

I do run from Sacramento to Portland once a month or so it seems. One word of caution if you run that route often..... Watch out when your near Weeds CA. From Weeds to the Oregon Stateline can be some awesome winds coming through the mountain valleys.

Anyone that runs that area can tell you. It can be bad at times.

Thanks for the advice, guyjax. I do remember some signs along that way on the South side of Klamath Falls about dangerous winds for the next 14 miles, etc. That is a beautiful area running alongside of Upper Klamath Lake though!

I'll keep those cross winds in consideration the next time I am through that way. I'll admit that I didn't really give it much thought (even after seeing the signs) as I drove through there last time. I could be routed through there today even!

No DVIR Required the past couple of days and it's a new journey!

I've been trying to relax and enjoy a short bit of early home-time while the experiences of my first 6 Solo Days OTR keep stirring in my mind. While I often had to step up to the plate and take action without much time for thought, I now realize that I had read about many of those things weeks earlier here from someone else's experience. Their words as well as my CDL training came to my aid. And those 6 days went by very quickly as did my Hours of Service! Many thanks to all of the experienced professionals here at Trucking Truth who openly write of the truth of life as a truck driver.

Anyone considering a career as a CDL OTR driver, I encourage you to read and re-read the articles here at Trucking Truth. The wisdom of those here can help you prepare yourself for what may be ahead for you (especially if you are OTR).

I am the first to admit that just over a week ago I was literally on-edge as I drove a 53 foot trailer through some very tight two-lane highways in Portland, OR. And that was my very FIRST solo driving experience! I was assigned a tractor at the OC where I had my first meeting with my DBL. I spent the night on the yard in it and then got up early the next morning to bobtail just a few miles from the airport to get my first empty trailer. Did I grind any gears? Yes, I did a time or two. But I have found that each time I drive the same truck I have a "feel" for the gears, clutch, acceleration, etc. So, each drive improves. But the I-5 Corridor as well as Highway 97 from CA to WA offered me so many opportunities to transition from one gear to another! And I even had to add extra drive time for planning since at 74,000 lbs. I ended up running in 9th, 8th, and even 7th a couple of times!

By the way, is there any type of driver's education course for those who are NOT driving a 75 foot tractor-trailer at 80k? You experienced drivers understand this, right? I mean, here I have just spent 20 minutes going up one hill at 35 mph and as I am going down the other side just getting the truck back to up 55 mph (the legal speed limit for three axle rigs is 55 MAX in OR and CA) for a short stint before going up another one, a truck pulling a camper passes me ....... and then slows down! What? It caused me to have to engine brake and then immediately begin to downshift. Does that make anyone else upset? That person needed a driver's education course regarding tractor-trailer operation. Next, I ended up losing so much speed that I had to shift into 6th gear at the apex of that hill. That one move by the truck pulling the camper cost me probably 30 minutes of drive-time. And those drive-time hours are precious! Of course, the relatively easy drive on I-84 through OR along the John Day River was the relaxing leg of that particular journey. There are thousands of huge windmills lined across the hills in that rather obscure area. The most beautiful part, honestly, was when I came to that long-needed light on the hill in Biggs, OR (it was a Pilot Truck Stop and I had been driving for hours).

Now it seems almost too easy at times with the Qualcomm Navigation tool. Mine has the voice of a woman who knows it all (literally) or at least thinks so ...... "you are off course, proceed back to the route" ..... but doesn't consider that I can't just turn the rig around anywhere and the voice keeps on chiming the same thing ............. : ) I wish Qualcommette could have heard me when I was routed down some little two-lane highways below Sacramento, CA where I later learned that I could have been ticketed for using it! Yet, I still felt some sort of satisfaction just knowing that she was NOT always right! Of course, later that afternoon, she began to chirp at me again about my remaining drive time ...... for a couple of hours! It seemed to increase my blood pressure every time I hear it as I was down to my last 15 minutes of drive-time with NOWHERE to stop! Then when I was down to 7 minutes of time there was a Rest Stop! I made it! It was in the middle of nowhere with very little light and a train track nearby with a crossing (the train blared the horn each time it would pass by). But I actually slept really good that night after a quick post-trip, brush of my teeth using bottled water, and some short time with my wife on the phone. At the end of my required 10-hour break, I was back on the road as the sun was coming up the next morning. And once again I found myself driving for hours on end until I arrived early near my delivery location, got a great parking place in a nearby truck stop, had some tuna with crackers, and was asleep before dark.

During my short-time out I found myself lonely, emotional, angry, happy, peaceful, content with existence, upset with existence, frustrated, tired, sleepy, hungry, needing to relieve my kidneys most desperately, and even forgetting about my body at some points.

Life OTR certainly takes much energy out of you, but it almost seems to give it back at the same time.

Tomorrow I am supposed to be heading out for a couple of weeks this time. Already I am tired, but also excited!

Again, if anyone reading this is considering this as a career, read about it in the lives of others here before you begin. I think the biggest part of control needed is the mental aspect. Because you have hours and hours of time to think!

Time now for me to get supper prepared for my wife and a cherished night at home!