Profile For Auggie69

His pup is laid over as were 2 different UPS trailers.

On Friday, January 15th, there was a blizzard in Western Iowa. I went thru late yesterday morning. The first accident I saw was a Prime Inc truck (to differentiate from the 2 Amazon Prime trucks I saw) on the off ramp exit 83. Just past that on the east side is a rest area where there was one truck trailer + 3 different pups with no trucks around.

Between that area and where it splits with the 880, there were 29 different incidents with 42 or 44 vehicles involved. There were nine cars and Pickups, 3 pickups with DOT numbers hauling campers and the rest were single and double trailer trucks. I got to a rest area east of Des Moines, looked at the 511 app and that area was listed as emergency travel only, so I parked for the night on Friday evening.

Laura

The roads look fairly clear in those pics. Any guesses as to the cause of the accidents?

Thanks guys! I enjoyed the challenge but would be ok with never going back. It was definitely one of those moments that make you keep your cool and think about what needs to be done before you make your next move. Thankfully there wasn't a whole lot of cars moving around during this, but there was street parking on that outer edge of the curve side of the street. Thankfully they were far enough back to not affect my turn. Due to them parking on the street only 1 car can pass through at a time.

Anybody that has to deliver to a college, call ahead. They most likely have a central warehouse that is completely different than the address on the delivery. Though Rob did get screwed on this one :) Nice job!

Thank you for bringing that up! When I chose this route I had actually looked up their website and found for campus deliveries go to the receiving center. I was expecting this

tight but nothing too outrageous. I planned to pull into the parking area from 38th and hit the dock depending on how much activity and cars were there would affect how I set up. Otherwise if I didn't feel confident I'd have the room needed I planned to back in off 38th and setup for a driverside back. Being 930am on a Monday i knew it would be interesting getting around campus.

When I got in to work and got my paperwork it had the address for the dining hall (where most colleges want food delivery) which is where I had to go.

Yeah, you foodies will have to back into places like that. Hospitals too. Though I've yet to be at a hospital cafeteria dock that I'd want to have a 48' or 53'. Had to deliver to a college dock just the other day. Guy tells me, "Oh ya, just had a 53' in here yesterday!" I get there with my 28' and say, "WTF!"

We often talk about why local driving isn't a wise choice for getting our careers underway. I thought I'd share an experience I had today in Rock Island Illinois delivering to a college there. The address for this delivery was 3435 9 1/2 Avenue Rock Island IL 61201. Google maps looked tight but the dang snow piles made it even tighter.

Original plan as I approached from the west (left) on 7th ave was to hook a right onto 34th and get in there. Problem is after I took the entire street to make that turn i noticed on top of the hill tree trimmers had the road blocked. I ended up continuing on 7th and eventually made my way back around and decided to turn down 30th this time and hook a left onto 10th follow it around the curve and get in. Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG!

I ended up needing to readjust a couple times for my tandems to clear a telephone pole on the curve, as the snow banks prevented me from riding against the curb in front of me.

knowing it was going to be real tight i had gotten out prior to getting up on the snowbank to be sure it was soft enough I'd be able to plow through it and there weren't any hidden fire hydrants or other obstructions. i had maybe a foot of room before I'd hit the side of the telephone pole. After a couple stressful moments I'd gotten through that and parked on 34th in front of the school then walked in to confirm I was in the proper place before making my next move, as well as assessing what I was going to do. Yep, right place time for my next turn!

once again I ended up taking out a snowbank after checking for obstructions and getting partially on the sidewalk as much as their snowbank in front of me would allow. I had only 3 pallets on me, so I wasn't concerned about tipping over. If I had more weight or the banks were higher I'm not so sure what I did would be a good idea.

Here's what the dock looked like

warehouse loaded pallets sideways and they only had a hand jack so I had to downstack 140 cases onto a new pallet so the pallet jack could grab them. The receiver told me the only way out is the same way I came in, but drivers usually come in the way that was blocked today. I couldn't hook a right out because of a hydrant and poles on the corner. I had to swing wide and shimmy my way out to avoid taking out signs. Once again I barely cleared that telephone pole and then it was a nice rest of the day. I had a few more pictures of the way out but for some reason its not allowing me to upload more pics. I was too focused to stop and snap pics thats why most are Google maps. The best part was that line all drivers hear at tight locations. "We get trucks in here all the time." I bet you do, it wouldn't happen to be that 28' PUP that just pulled out would it!?!?!?!?

Honorable mention of a Dollar General store i drove past at 2217 Rockingham Rd, Davenport, IA 52802 there was a pepsi truck in the lot when I drove by.

Maybe middle of the night it'd be alright but while they're open? Oh heck no!

Anybody that has to deliver to a college, call ahead. They most likely have a central warehouse that is completely different than the address on the delivery. Though Rob did get screwed on this one :) Nice job!

Got my CDL back in 2018 of November with no Endorsements. Worked in the Oilfield as Frac for a year and 3 months, up until January 21st 2020. Other Companies dont count that as experience because i wasnt driving constantly. I just want to do OTR and get experience. Werner, Cfi told me no, im sure the other companies i applied will also.

Please anybody know who can take me in for OTR?

https://careers.fedex.com/freight/jobs/25892-443458?lang=en-us&previousLocale=en-US

argh

Got my CDL back in 2018 of November with no Endorsements. Worked in the Oilfield as Frac for a year and 3 months, up until January 21st 2020. Other Companies dont count that as experience because i wasnt driving constantly. I just want to do OTR and get experience. Werner, Cfi told me no, im sure the other companies i applied will also.

Please anybody know who can take me in for OTR?

https://careers.fedex.com/freight/jobs/25892-443458?lang=en-us&previousLocale=en-US

Ya i realize now i probably should have taken photos before moving or not moving at all but she had already reversed out from under me by anout 100 feet so in my frantic between the traffic i was causing plus her screaming and yelling i instinctively moved out of the way in traffic the only thing i did do was reverse to the side of the road right where i got it so i can show where it happened at least. Though i dont know if this changes anything. Cause as i said she had backed 100 feet back from where it had actually occured

Can you post a Google Maps location of where this happened?

Hello everyone,

I'm curious if anyone has any genuine insight as to how many hydraulic hoses are on a refuse/garbage collection truck. Either front, rear or side loader.

Looking forward to your answers!

Thank you, JLee

I missed this question on the CDL test

;)

Great job guys!! I ended up making $100,869. Not too shabby for only having a high school diploma. I'm paid $30/hr for all hours (no OT except holidays) and it breaks down to around 58 hours a week due to roughly $10,500 in bonuses.

Total miles from January 1st to Dec 31st was 76,973 with 1,439 1/2 hours spent on the drive line. Comes out to roughly 53 mph average for the year but I do a bit of city driving as well.

I have 3 years experience driving, these numbers aren't something you'll likely see your first year especially if you're doing OTR while you get the hang of things but it is possible to break 6 figures in trucking. I'd highly recommend NOT getting into trucking strictly for the income because you'll likely be miserable.

Nice job. However, I'd like to see (not necessarily from you) gross/hours worked. I did about $72k this year without breaking a sweat. And took a Covid furlough. Still, a $100K gross would be nice :)

I don't see a truck stop as qualifying for a yard move because it's open to the public, and it is not a controlled-access environment. It's basically the same as any rest area inasmuch as literally anyone has access.

Disagree. A truck stop is a private yard open to the public. A rest stop is a public yard open to the public. You can rest in a rest area but you can conduct business and move your vehicle in a truck stop.

Barstow, Ft. Irwin? What a small world! I was stationed on the "Planet" from April 1991 to May 1994. I was a Squad Leader in the 87th Engineer Company, 177th Armor Brigade. Hell at the time Black Horse Regiment was still the "Guardians" of the Fulda Gap! Pretty much spent most of my time there out in the "Box" either emplacing obstacles or picking them up only to emplace them again. Had a Command Sergeant Major who's favorite saying was "If you don't like it here kiss the Coyote on your way out"! ....lol

I just missed you. I was there from June 1987 to June 1990. A Company Operations Group, Dragon Team, live fire observer controllers. You may have built the log crib at the top of Khyber Pass that the player unit pulverized twice each month.

We had a Sergeant Major who was adamant that every soldier had to meet Army guidelines for weight and fitness. Many of these almost 20 year folks had someone overlook these guidelines for far too long. Some of them were "Spec-9s" as one of my SFC's said. Sergeant Major said "These are the Army standards that you have to meet. And it's not that I'm not compassionate, I'll give you 90 days to comply and if you can't I'll give you a ham sandwich and road map."

Been to Irwin many times. Loved it!! Always ****ed off the OPFOR. But being in MI we could do that!

12/20 update; almost a 34-hour reset in Denver

I get my next load assignment Tuesday afternoon. A short Home Depot load going from Ogden, Utah to St. George, Utah. Pick up and deliver the same day. Some of you who haul loads for Home Depot, Menards, or other high volume, large corporate shippers may have more thoughts about hauling for these places. The BDC where I picked up has a very organized system where you check in, pull in the lane and bay where they load you, then pull out to strap and tarp. Not to dissimilar from other high volume shippers, but more professional in my opinion. Once I checked in I immediately went to the lane and bay. My load consisted mostly of lumber, with some other miscellaneous materials mixed in. And contrary to other places where the forklift operator gives no thought as to how the load will need to be strapped and tarped, this forklift operator spent time arranging the miscellaneous materials in the middle to make for easier strapping and tarping. After that, you pull out where they have plenty of lanes, with adequate space to strap and tarp. Overall, very good experience. As I said, very short run that I delivered by 1600 the same day.

And since I’m in Southern Utah, I know what is next. Charlotte, Pipe going to Anaheim, California. So close to Disneyland, I think I heard mouse farts while I was waiting to get unloaded. On the way down on I-15 southbound, I saw and accident that demonstrates the force of the “80,000 lbs of rolling death” that you hear mentioned on this forum. A dry van tractor-trailer had essentially “punched through” the concrete barrier dividing the northbound and southbound lanes. You could see a rectangular hole about the width of a semi in the top 1/3 of the concrete barrier. The tractor trailer hit a flatbed on the other northbound, just behind the driver wheels. The flatbed trailer deck rested flat on the pavement because all of the axles has been stripped off and were laying in the middle of the road. There could have been some of the dry van tractor trailer axles there as well. The dry van tractor-trailer was sideways across the entire road. All traffic was diverted onto the immediately adjacent off ramp.

I ended up making to my fuel stop, about 70 miles from the receiver, early Thursday and took about a 14-hour break due to the nature of Los Angeles parking and traffic. The experienced drivers know this but I assume that rookies, trainees, and potential drivers are reading this diary. Once you come through the Cajon pass, there are only a handful of truck stops in the entire Los Angeles area. So, its not like you can park 5 or 10 minutes away from your receiver. I had about 3 and ½ hours left on my clock, so I could have made it to the receiver, depending on traffic, but I might not be able to get back after I delivered. So, if the receiver did not allow overnight parking AFTER, I delivered, it was not wise to try to deliver that Thursday. All of this was moot, because when I called the receiver, they stopped receiving at noon and it was already 1300. So I would get up early and get there at 0600.

Surprisingly, the traffic was light all day long. I made excellent time to the receiver, arriving 20 minutes early, but had to wait a good hour and half to get unloaded. Then I headed north from Anaheim, to Vernon, California to pick up a hodgepodge of steel, that they were still loading when I get there. After I loaded and tarped, traffic was still flowing well at about 1600 in the afternoon. I got to drive through Barstow, where I spend three years of my life (Ft. Irwin actually), for the second time in two days. Brought back a lot of memories from what seems like another lifetime ago. I made it to the Eagle Landing Flying J in Nevada, exit 118. A great place for new drivers. The parking spaces and drive lanes are extra-wide.

Next day was just driving all day through pretty much my most favorite scenery the interstates have to offer. I-15 through Virgin River Gorge, then I-70 through western Utah. Because I only had to drive, I was in “tourist mode” stopped when I felt like it and took pictures of some of the beautiful scenery. Quite the enjoyable day.

I had wanted to see if I could squeeze in another 34-hour reset, but I couldn’t quite make it to Denver on Saturday. I ended up stopping short of Vail Pass and finished up Sunday morning. I still ended up having a pretty much full day off. Prime has a drop yard in Denver with showers and a small lounge. My son lives in Boulder, so I dropped my trailer and bob-tailed to meet him for lunch. On the way, I got a badly needed haircut. My pork ribs are simmering in my 3 in 1 Grillet and I’ll Zoom with my wife later in a little while. All in, pretty good week.

At my 4 month mark I have 43,499; averaging about 2600 per week.

Where did you go in Rockville, MD?

Thank you all for getting me to this point, virtual trainers, would not be here with out ya all, finally made it home and kids just want to sleep in the truck, funny ****

Sitting on my ass at home to celebrate New Years.

Gotta love LTL ;)

It shows Vegas has 4 open positions. I just applied to the training position in California. Might have to apply again to another one and to one in Vegas as well

You could try calling the Vegas terminal and see if they have anything there, sometimes it doesn't get put online right away.

If you are interested in LTL as far as I know all the other companies are hiring nationwide as well.

If you get the interview you may want to ask if you can transfer to another terminal. I know with FXF you have to wait 6 months to a year.

Glad for you Auggie! How much time passed from the moment you reported injury to treatment? Were you with Fed Ex at the time? I would curious to see if Sedgewick handle claims differently for different clients?

Hows your back now my friend?

I have been holding out for the company to step up. Something tells me when I get a lawyer, my employment with Schneider is over. I very much enjoyed working for Schneider bulk Ecolab dedicated.

Your time there may not be over. The lawyer will ask you if you want to return to work there or not. He/she will handle the case accordingly based on your answer to that question. If you want to return they will be a mediator until you are healed and back to work pending the company wants you back. If not, they will play hardball for your medical expenses, out of work pay and eventually a fair case ending settlement.

I went through this with a lower back injury many years ago. I wanted to return and company wanted me back but was physically unable to due to masonry work requiring constant heavy lifting.

It’s a shame that so many people have abused the system causing it to be this way. You shouldn’t have to fight when your proven to be injured. I wish you luck and hope you heal up and get back to work

Always wondered why Workers Comp lawyers advertised.

After reading your post, now I know.

That said, I was out for about 8-weeks due to an injury. Sedgwick managed the claim. Nary a problem. They kept in communication and I was paid like clockwork. They never bothered me about going back to work. That happened on my schedule and, actually, was quite glad to get back off my ass and working again.

Not my back but my arm. Sedgwick was great. They just managed my treatment and pay went without a hitch

FedEx Freight has the best training in the industry. You are literally one-on-one with a trainer for two months. After that depending on the needs of the center you may be sent on the dock and do road runs or just dock work or you may be sent into the City and work day shifts for awhile

I have been holding out for the company to step up. Something tells me when I get a lawyer, my employment with Schneider is over. I very much enjoyed working for Schneider bulk Ecolab dedicated.

Your time there may not be over. The lawyer will ask you if you want to return to work there or not. He/she will handle the case accordingly based on your answer to that question. If you want to return they will be a mediator until you are healed and back to work pending the company wants you back. If not, they will play hardball for your medical expenses, out of work pay and eventually a fair case ending settlement.

I went through this with a lower back injury many years ago. I wanted to return and company wanted me back but was physically unable to due to masonry work requiring constant heavy lifting.

It’s a shame that so many people have abused the system causing it to be this way. You shouldn’t have to fight when your proven to be injured. I wish you luck and hope you heal up and get back to work

Always wondered why Workers Comp lawyers advertised.

After reading your post, now I know.

That said, I was out for about 8-weeks due to an injury. Sedgwick managed the claim. Nary a problem. They kept in communication and I was paid like clockwork. They never bothered me about going back to work. That happened on my schedule and, actually, was quite glad to get back off my ass and working again.

I have been holding out for the company to step up. Something tells me when I get a lawyer, my employment with Schneider is over. I very much enjoyed working for Schneider bulk Ecolab dedicated.

Your time there may not be over. The lawyer will ask you if you want to return to work there or not. He/she will handle the case accordingly based on your answer to that question. If you want to return they will be a mediator until you are healed and back to work pending the company wants you back. If not, they will play hardball for your medical expenses, out of work pay and eventually a fair case ending settlement.

I went through this with a lower back injury many years ago. I wanted to return and company wanted me back but was physically unable to due to masonry work requiring constant heavy lifting.

It’s a shame that so many people have abused the system causing it to be this way. You shouldn’t have to fight when your proven to be injured. I wish you luck and hope you heal up and get back to work

Always wondered why Workers Comp lawyers advertised.

After reading your post, now I know.

This was at the 7030 Walmart DC last Wednesday night, about 1800. Brutally cold and windy. About 16” fell overnight. Nothing moved until the next afternoon...

Trailer bans on all of the major interstates.

Same spot the next morning...

So at that point how do they decide who is going into which door?

Thank you for all the input it is much appreciated. My previous career as a graphic designer just left me wanting more. I was tired of being in an office I was tired of managing people and the part of that job that was originally exciting and fun became not so exciting and fun anymore. As for FedEx they do offer a driver training program however they're a little wishy-washy on when it's going to start and if I'll even get in on the first run which could mean I could be on the dock working at forklift for another year or so. I am married but we are empty nesters and I think the being away from home part I realize although possibly difficult at times is part of the challenge and part of learning this career. And I do agree it's a lifestyle change I do like what having a CDL offers me in the future. my brother has been telling me for years to get my CDL because he said you always have a job somewhere. And the truck drivers are always needed somewhere. As far as prime it sounds like it's a pretty good company to work for I'm trying to read through everybody's personal opinions and get a good sense of what it's about. And there are pros and cons with every company the grass is never greener on the other side it's just different grass. Lol

Umm, there is no 'WISHY WASHY" on getting on with the Driver Apprentice program. If there is an opening, you apply and you get a start date. If you're working the dock, you continue till your start date.

For a list of Driver Apprentice openings: https://careers.fedex.com/driver/jobs?tags=FXFDA

I want to work for a trucking company that runs on only natural gas or electric. Does anyone know of any green trucking companies hiring in Columbus, Oh?

Gute Fahrt!!