Profile For Papa G

I just spoke with the California DMV about transferring my Louisiana CDL to their state. Sheesh! Those folks are pretty proud of their CDL status. Turns out I will need to take a new physical exam, show up at the DMV office with the form DL51 from my exam, retake all of the tests (General, Air brakes, Semi, Double/Triple, Tanker, and Haz Mat) before they will transfer my License to California. My question is this.... Is the testing for California so different that I should be studying their booklet exclusively, or can I just review the High Road Series (which is what I used successfully the first time I tested)?

Who makes the best mattress for trucks? Any suggestions?

Does anyone have information about transferring a CDL from Louisiana to Texas. Process, costs, testing (Especially Hazmat), etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Yeppers, real SPAM. I might even splurge and buy the bacon flavored type. Mmmmmmm, Bacon! As for long term teaming, well that remains to be seen. Our company requires two months of teaming as a Phase II type of training. So they put two rookies out there.... So I guess we can screw up twice as much. I am lucky that I was able to team with a known, rather than an unknown. We have been at it for 5 days and it appears we will get along just fine. However, both of us want to go solo once our required two months is up. But hopefully a lasting friendship will be formed, and that's a good thing. We are learning things from one another. While he is driving I am learning about Hip Hop music (evidently the ***** betta have his money, and the Man must die). While I am driving he is learning about Jazz music (Cool Daddy-o, dig them crazy threads). Drive safe!

After a long 175 hours with my trainer (nice guy, but a complete slob), I have upgraded to a full paid first seat driver! Yippee! Now I can afford the Spam, rather than the generic brand! I am teaming with my buddy from CDL School in the brand new Freightliner our company issued us. With 2000 miles on the odometer, we've only had to spend 1 whole day at the dealer getting a stupid sensor repaired. Gotta love todays modern computer driven trucks! Right now we are on a load from Pennsylvania to Laredo, Tx. Yeee Haaa!

Yes. Instead of 10 hour break an 8 hr break

Dude, nobody.... And I mean NOBODY understands this! If u can fogure it out and utilize it.... More power to you!

Welcome Joel!

It will make almost no difference at all. About 98% of the various State CDL Manuals are identical. There are a few states with a few exceptions like maybe they calculate theoretical stopping distance a little differently or their steer axle weight limit is a little bit higher. But it's nothing that's going to hurt your test scores, nor will it hurt the ultimate level of knowledge you get from the program. Basically, the differences are pretty trivial. You can go through your state's manual to see if you pick out any differences if you like, but it's not necessary.

We've also gone beyond what the CDL permit testing requires and built a section on Learning The Logbook Rules and Understanding Truck Weight & Balance.

Here is how our program breaks down:

To Get Your CDL Permit:

• Rules & Regulations
• Driving Safely
• Transporting Cargo Safely
• Air Brakes
• Combination Vehicles
• Pre-Trip Inspection
• Driving Exam

To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but we highly recommend you get:

• Transporting Passengers
• Doubles And Triples
• Tankers
• Hazardous Materials

And two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road but the manual doesn't really cover it:

• Logbook
• Weight & Balance

Brett, you need to update the HOS where it talks about the 34-hour reset requiring two periods between 0100 qnd 0500. And also where ot says you can only do 1 34- hour reset per week. Cheers!

Anchorman, it sounds like you are very well versed regarding lease purchase. And thanks for all of the great information. Say a driver really wants to own his own rig, do you have any details regarding the other method of becoming an owner.... Which I guess would be to visit a dealership and buy a new or used tractor. I am new to this career, but already I see many owner/operator and owner/contract trucks out here, so there must be some advantages. Thanks.

I am not with Prime, but I am currently finishing my third week with my trainer. Bud mentioned Lease Op guys, so I wanted to comment. My trainer is a "Lease Op" guy and a pretty OK fellow. But he is definitely doing this solely for the extra income, and not because he has a desire to train new drivers. I look at this phase of my new career as a necessary evil. I am learning quite alot, but not because my trainer is "teaching" me. I'm learning by virtue of operating his truck for him while he talks/texts non-stop on his phone. I've never seen another human talk on the telephone so much. It's quite amazing. He speaks Patois, which is some kind of french dialect so I have no idea what he is saying.... But it must be pretty important. Meanwhile, his truck that he is working so hard to pay for is going to hell in a handbasket. Inside it is the filthiest pigsty I have ever lived in. Outside... i dont think it's ever been washed. Mechcanicaly.... Fuhget about it! Every day I ask f he would like me to do a thorough pre-trip inspection, amd his answer is always, "Nah, we'll do it later. Just add a pre-trip entry to the e-log and let's get going". In three weeks I have only seen him check the oil level once, and he was doing it with the engine running! Whatever dude, it's your truck. So, yes a necessary evil in order to further my career, but maybe you should shy away from Lease-Op trainers. I am learning alot of what not to do! Man, I can't wait to get off this truck!

Thanks for letting me vent.

Empty trailer,start in 4th gear,make your turn,find correct lane,then shift to 5th,while engine is screaming at 1800rpm. Safe drivers lol.🐎

Shift? Ooooh..... Shift. I read about those somewhere. The transmissions you have to shift yourself. How quaint. Mines an automatic.

The bottom line is to operate at a speed where you, as the driver, feel comfortable. Who knows, maybe after some time behind the wheel that comfort zone will change and you'll be blowing by me at 85 mph, blowing your horn, and flipping me off! LOL!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Romans and Country Men..... I humbly bring to you a dose of the real world.

I recently graduated from CDL school and signed on with one of the big start-up companies. I am into my second week of a four-week program with my trainer, and we are hauling some freight baby! So obvioulsy I am a rookie and as such, speak from a rookies point of view. First and foremost I want to say that while the job is hard, it is also interesting and gratifying... and I am loving it. However, and most of you may already suspect this, the Real World looks much different than the comfy little world of our respective CDL Schools with our kindly and helpful School Marms. For example:

In school we are taught that we should manage our speed based on the posted speed limits and road conditions so as to operate in a safe and responsible manner. In the real world..... HAH! Out here CPM (cents per mile) is King. As best I can tell, I may be the only person out here paying attention to the speed limit. Virtualy everybody is passing me. And sometimes these guys are not pleased that you are following the posted speed limit. Here is an example: "It's 2:00 am and I am travelling East on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It's lightly raining and foggy, and I am passing through a construction zone with two narrow lanes bounded by concrete walls-of-death and a posted 55 MPH. I'm traveling right at the posted speed limit and I see in my mirror a truck coming up behind me. So I hunkered down and focused all of my attention on staying in my narrow little lane so he could pass. This guy, a livestock hauler, comes barreling by me at a speed closely resembling 70 MPH. As soon as the end of his trailer passes my bumper he jacks over into my lane and flips a switch that ignites 3 rear-facing, bright-white spotlights completely blinding me! WTF! I mean... how DARE I be doing the speed limit through a construction zone at night in the rain and fog. What an a-hole.

In school we are taught it is very important to maintain a safe following distance, and that distance should be 1 second for each 10-feet of truck length at speeds below 40 mph (add 1 second for speeds over 40 mph). In the real world.... HAH! Many of the drivers on the road seem much more concerned with cranking as many of those miles as they can per hour, and I understand that. It boils down to making money, which I (and my creditors) am all for. But some guys out here are down right ridiculous, travelling at highway speeds 15 to 20 feet off the bumper of a minivan. What are they thinking...... "Hey, screw that soccer mom and those damn kids! If they wanted to be safe they should have stayed at home! I got money to make! YEEEEEHAW!"

In school we are taught it is very important to conduct a thorough pre-trip inspection at the beginning of your shift. So far, out here in the real world.... HAH! The very first thing my trainer taught me was how to make an e-log entry showing that a pre-trip was done, without actually doing one. Every day I ask my exalted trainer of he would like me to raise the hood and at least check the oil. The answer is typically, no we'll do that later. The weird thing is, this guy is a lease/purchase operator. This means he is working his tail off to eventually own this truck, all the time letting it go to hell in a hand-basket. I suspect, and pray, this guy is not representative of the industry norm when it comes to vehicle maintenance. He is a nice person and I feel lucky to have someone I can get along with, but when I get my own rig I will be running my show a whole lot differently.

So to sum up.... Out here in the real world things work a little differently, but you learn to accept and live with these realizations because overall the job is great. I intend to operate in a safe and responsible manner, and not fall prey to the feeling of "Screw safety! I have to make another $0.32!". In doing so I guess I will be part of the 10% I have been hearing about. Won't you come join us?! Cheers!

At 60 mph, it would take approximately 177 years of continuous driving to drive to the Sun.

How long would it take if stuck to the HOS rules?

You can buy a used 2011 Freightliner for less than the cost of a new Toyota Sierra SUV.

Sheesh! Sucks to be Patrick!

Hello. I am fixing to buy ~2 weeks of groceries. I figured I'd share my list.

I am working without a stove, oven, microwave oven, and anything else other than the mini fridge they provide.

I eat ~1lbs of food a day, to maintain a healthy body weight (~1.2k calorie in take). I tend to drink Monsters (bad habit; Love the flavor), Gatorades, and water. Occassionally, I'll grab a cup of coffee, chocolate milk, or soda.

My shopping list:

x1 loaf of white bread

x2 loafs of wheat bread

x2 1lbs of bologna

x2 1lbs of hot dogs

x1 1lbs of black forest ham

x1 package of cheese

x2 bags of frito lays chips

x1 jar of pickles

x1 box of saltine crackers

x1 container of iodized salt

x1 container of parmesean cheese

x5 1lbs cans of chilli

x5 1lbs cans of lasagna

x4 1lbs cans of chicken alfredo

x2 3lbs cans of ranch style beans

__________

Total cost: ~$60

Total weight: ~30lbs

2lbs a day consumed is ~15 days is ~$2/day.

That comes out to a grand total of: ~$120/month, ~$1,440/year on groceries.

But personally I cannot eat 2lbs of food per 24hr period.. I'd probably consume 50% - 70% less.

Which comes out to: ~$432/yearly bill on groceries for me, for eating good, healthy, and tasty!!

Any and all opinions are welcome! I do buy a wider variety. This is just what I am purchasing for the next two weeks, before home time. :)

What brand of chili do you use?

Having a small driving range at a truck stop wouldn't be a bad way to pass time, would it? Golf is about the most physically demanding sport most drivers would consider, just after darts, so that would work. You go take out your day's aggression on some golf balls before catching a meal and a movie.

I think Brett might be on to something here. You could take one of those reinforced carts that scoop up the balls ( you know, the one we're always aiming at) and put a big sign on it that reads "Weekend Dispatcher". Could be a moneymaker.

I am keeping a log of all the suggestions, so thanks everybody. Incidentally, i am at the Freightliner Service shop in Evansville, Indiana off of I-64, exit 25, and there is a golf course right across the street.

On the TT sure, the "help" Instructions are in a link when you click the Photo button on the "New Reply" section.

Yes, I saw that. But things are a tad different in the Ipad world. Not necessarily better, just different. I have downloaded a Google Pictures app, but can't quite figure out how to identify an "address" to import the pic. Oh well, the beat goes on,

Cheers

I am a new driver just learning the ropes and paying my first year dues. I enjoy playing golf, and if any of you experienced drivers, who also enjoy the sport, has any intel on truck stops that are near golf courses or driving ranges.... please share. Thanks!

Is there a method to upload photos directly from my Ipad?