Comments By Hammer St. James

Added hazmat and tankers to my endorsements over the weekend. Now I'm X-Rated!

Tomorrow, I begin the weeklong 44 hour refresher course at a respected private truck driving school. The course consists of mainly backing and some road work. There is only one day of classroom that covers logging and HOS.

Then it's orientation at Swift on June 8th in Columbus..

Ha - cha-cha-cha

I received exciting news today. First, the funding for the refresher course went through today and I'm scheduled to begin the weeklong 44 hour class on the 26th. Due to the holiday the office people involved are taking extended holidays and there was a chance that the paperwork wouldn't get processed in time. I used my charm and charisma and the necessary documents got pushed through. .. Otherwise, i would have had to wait 3 more weeks.

Secondly, I spoke to the recruiter at Swift and my orientation in Columbus, Ohio is definitely a go. There was a question about a previous misdemeanor/probation but after speaking with their investigation dept earlier this week and the results of my background check I'm cleared to attend the June 8th orientation. I asked the recruiter if there was ANY chance that I'll get sent back home. He said that the background check they do is VERY thorough and as long as I don't do anything stupid crazy I should be with a trainer at the conclusion of orientation.

Besides, you aren't doing this to make them happy. You are doing this for you and your life, gotta make your own choices and mistakes sometimes. Good luck.

Like Jimi says, "I'm the one that has to die when it's time for me to die... So let me live my life the way I want to".

Regarding cb radios:

Compare this to drag racing- how fast do you want to go? (or in this case how far out do you want to modulate). If you just want to monitor channel 19 for what's a few miles ahead of you any sub $100 radio will get you there. The Cobra 29 is the classic trucker radio that stood the test of time.

More watts and more bells and whistles like echo, single side band and a fancy chrome case jack up your out of pocket. Not really necessary to just get the smokey report.

What I believe is even more important than the radio is a quality antenna. Wilson and Predator are fine examples.

One aspect that is often overlooked is proper antenna tuning. Invest in an SWR meter (standing wave ratio) and tune that whip to as close as 1:1 as you can and you'll transmit and receive with the best of them. One SWR meter that I recommend is from Radio Shack.

73's!

Would think about bringing my acoustic if I get out on the road, but I'd be concerned that the extreme summer heat or winter cold would be bad for it if I'm away from the truck for a few hours. Any suggestions for this?

This would be my concern as well. Just the change of seasons play havoc on the setup; humidity and temperature whacks out the neck angle and intonation. The constant humid/dry - hot/cold over time can't be good for a fine instrument .

My advice would be to leave the Gibson at home and pick up a cheapo axe for the road . That's my plan.

As an avid motorcycle enthusiast I'm glad to know no one was hurt or worse. I have friends in TN that ride the dragon often.

Thanks for the insightful replies. When I get in my own unit I'll feel more at ease with my Galaxy dx99v tuned up with a 50 watt swing...

Even though I do have my ham tech ticket the radio is "illegal" because it modulates on both 10 & 11 meters.

I was just wondering what if any extent the DOT cared about it (ya know, the federal good ol' boy network)

73's! :)

In this day and age this scenario can become a reality. Say for example: You have a delivery appointment in a major metropolitan area. You make a turn and discover an active civil disturbance just ahead (rioting & looting). What do you do?

1) slow your speed and continue through the ruckus hoping they are smart enough to get out of the way

2) increase your speed through the mayhem disregarding everything in your path

3) stop and risk becoming the next Reginald Denny

Illegal as in an 11 meter transceiver that exceeds 4 watts. Or even more specific; a 10 meter radio modified for 11 meter band.

Does The Man hassle you about an "illegal" radio during an inspection?