Comments By Steve B.

I knew I was running out of hours. I was hoping I was figuring something wrong and I would be able to run today - Oh well, prob right, get some extra rest it was a 3000+ mile week. So tonight I'll get hours back and should be able to do a full 34 after getting here yesterday afternoon. It was fun to watch the final 1/2 of the NCAA game in the drivers lounge. Lots to see, but I thought "Grandma's Place" was a better deal on breakfast this morning. This is my first time here...

That's what I thought. I'm using the new TRUCK PC - I trained on the Qualcomm. Not sure where I'll shut down tomorrow then and have to wait, the drop is anytime on Wed tho up until 23:59.

Overflow is a great place to park, more room? VERY cool you are out on you're own. It is a strange feeling. Very excited for you - keep up the good work!

So this is my 1st trip solo. I've been running pretty hard (Rochester MN, Northern WI, Rochester NY, Crete NE) and now i'm sitting here in KC MO. I started out on TUES last week. I only have 9:30 left on my 70. Am I correct that I won't gain back my hrs from last TUES until Midnight TUE (Wed morning)? I might be sitting on Tues with No hrs to run.

My first sat home, enjoying just being w/ my wife. cooking pancakes for children, going to help w/ jobs that have been neglected while away for 25days. I get a phone call from weekend dispatch asking if I can help them out. I'm new and feel very uncomfortable with what they are asking me to do (swapping trailers and basically baby sitting a load that need to live unload on monday). I asked some questions and ended up saying NO I can't swing it. I'll talk to my regular dispatch person on Monday afternoon about it, but feel bad I wasn't going to "take one for the team" yet my family time is important to me. When i'm out I'll work hard - no doubt about. Is saying no going to come back to bite me?

Even without an APU you'll be able to idle so that you're comfortable 95% of the time.

My new truck that was just issued to me this week will only idle if the Temp is above 80 and or below 15. there is an extra battery pack to run heat, ac, lights or anything you've got to plug in. Once the battery volts drop to a certain level you'll start losing power for those items that are drawing on the power. Now my trainers truck, only 2years older an international-mine is a freightliner, will idle if the volts drops. Usually it would turn on once a night for about 10mins, no longer than 20. the company is going away from the APU's because they caused more issues and were not cost effective. So no using a microwave, TV, plug in cooler, laptop, have your interior lights on and charge your phone. Its all about the money!!! and with diesel so expensive now... someone is going to lose out.

Editor's Note: We have some awesome resources for eating healthy on the road:

Forum Conversations Tagged "Eating On The Road"

Trucker Health - Eating, Sleeping, & Exercise

I'm looking for quick breakfast ideas, lunch ideas and when you're stuck at a customers (and have to stay b/c your hours have ran out) ideas.

With my trainer I lived on two high protein bars (15-20g) and 1 to 2 quarter cups of almonds, through the day. We would buy a meal at the end of the day. Now i'm on my own trying to figure out the options. I was able to buy a good cooler but NOT one that plugs in, too costly on my budget right now.

I don't want to be the trucker whose steering wheel continues to get closer to my belly! Who was it on this site who actually lost weight once they started trucking?

I'm home! After 3 1/2 weeks of being gone from family Wed night I dropped my 1st solo load at a relay yard and was told to go home. Get this, I only had 2hrs left on my 14 and the truck stop I was going to park at was a about 1.50 -- needless to say I got home as quickly and SAFELY as I could. So on Wed I was in a new truck to me and using the truck PC rather than the Qualcomm. I made it home and was parking the truck in the last space (yeah I'm a newbi and under pressure) when my 14 ran out - I slipped it right in and was golden.

So My training was a very long & exhausting experience. But not as long as other places, one reason I choose this company. This company is very strict, not everyone in the orientation class that started with us made it through. Once with the trainer the pace didn't slow down. After day one I was the driver for 97% of the time. We had to deal with tandems that wouldn't slide, actually had to take a trailer to a shop to get it fixed, bobtail back and p/u original trailer and have it live loaded. Had another trailer break and slept outside another shop until they could get the truck/trailer in to have it fixed. Found out NOT to trust the GPS (McNally 720) to get to a customer (Ashville, NC- winding narrow road) there was another more truck friendly route.

I made it through and "tested out" this past Monday! Had to catch a ride with driver to another terminal where I was issued my truck Tues evening. After some paperwork, meeting my fleet manager and getting a crash course on the truck PC I got my first load assignment w/o knowing that I was actually going to be able to head home after dropping at the relay point.

A lot of mixed emotions being home and knowing I'll be heading out again. But I have the weekend to enjoy my family and sleep in my own bed. Top buck w/ a trainer for almost two weeks got really old. Now I'll be able to experience sleeping alone in my own truck.

Thanks again for all the ENCOURAGEMENT from this site!

5 days out, 4 days driving 1668 miles. Been through the smokies 2x, through icy/snow near St. Louis, and the endless wait at a food wear house just to have our turn at the dock, then wait another 2hrs to get loaded. Paper logs suck (teaching us both paper & Qualcomm) - overall hard hard work. 7-8 more days until testing day. I'm I really ready for all this? Attitude check: confidence - I'll keep going one day at a time!

I'll be meeting my driver trainer in the "drivers lounge" at the terminal in the morning. The journey continues....