Profile For Joe H.

Try Super Service

I was trainging with Schneider bulk and my trainer fell asleep in the jump seat. He forced me to drive when I was fatigued and I drove off the road and hit another truck. No injuries, no fatalities, hundred dollar fine. What company will hire me with that on my record?

The number and size of rest areas needs to be increased especially in Pennsylvania, the East and Northeast. The Mid-west, West and South are pretty much ok? West coast can be full up at night especially around and in the big cities. Someone needs to do a study and make a report on which States are deficient in rest areas. Paper logs allowed truckers to make adjustments when they're out of hours and no parking spots left in rest areas or truck stops. Being blocked in a rest area at 4:00 am by 4 or 5 trucks who cut off the entrance to the highway is unacceptable too. Have accident statistics increased or decreased since electronic logs took over? I would guess its still about the same as paper logs, but maybe I'm wrong.

Just be aware that after you get your CDL and finish your training, you have to pass a timed simulator test within 3 trys otherwise you go back out on the road with a trainer for another 30,000 miles. Good luck.

What was strange to me was that I had explained to this guy that I was going to do the things he wanted me to do, but I was going to take it a little easy on myself because I was still recovering from the surgery that I had just gotten for this job. I got the tarp up and set it on top of the six foot tall coil just like everyone else did, but he decided that I showed weakness the way I did it. I got sent home again because of this guy who was clearly exercising his authority, and not one person at TMC was willing to go against the comments that he had put in his report, for fear that if I ever got hurt it would come back on them.

hey Old School, sorry to hear about your hernia stopping your TMC bid... I'm planning to go with TMC soon and want to know the total weight of the tarps they require drivers to lift? Also what's the best way to prepare for it?

Thanks for the reply, but just wondering what you mean by "mental challenge of load securement"? I'm planning to go flatbed soon and want to know about your checks and balances when securing a load. What are the important points to watch out for?

Tough call, can you take the Chrysler run on a trail basis? Then change to OTR if you don't like it? Not sure if you do the Chrysler, could you get out and go back to the Detroit-Canada dedicated? Ask your driver manager and get some answers.

Sounds like your training on flatbed, or are you pulling dry box?

Most of my experience is with dry van and tanker. I know I'll have to go out with a trainer.... Which companies will hire me considering my 1 year off?

Old School, Bret and Buckeye Cowboy! Thank you for your encouragement and advice. You're right, "persistence is my best friend" huh. I was approved by Prime last week and passed my learner's permit last Saturday. Going to start in July after I move from where I'm living now. My question now is Prime offers refrigerated, flatbed and tanker options... I heard flatbed is slow in January-February but pays a little more per mile. I'm ok with refrigerated, but tanker and flatbed sound more interesting. My recruiter says I will get in a refrigerated training truck faster than the others. Can you advise me on the pluses and minuses of the 3 options and how to choose?

Ok thank you for the tip on Celadon, and I'm back on track with Prime now too, looking at Roehl.

Ok thanks for the advice. Swift let me go because I had too many little things like going acroos the corner of a customer's lawn or backing into a customer's yard fence, trailer broke a branch off a tree and I got cited for that too. But I never had any moving violations or accidents whatsoever. But after Swift, I bounced around between 4 companies. Then was out of it for about 6 years like I said. Central Refrigeration said no to their training school, Prime was hopeful, but is not contacting me after 2 or more weeks, and Swift said no to rehire for their school ever after their 5 year exemption passed. England school's terms are no good, so anyway I see what you're all saying about just having a CDL is not enough. Can you suggest any other schools?

Got my CDL license 10 years ago, but last year lost it when I renewed my driver's license. Had not used my CDL for about 7 years. Now since I had almost 2 years of driving experience in 2003-2005, I will prepare for the exams on my own again, get the learner's permit, rent a truck and trailer, and pay the examiner's fee for the pre-trip, driving, and backing exams. I don't want a pay for the school again, and trucking company schools are balking to hire me and retrain in school, so I'm just gonna do it on my own, get the CDL and get a job. At least that's the plan..... The only problem I see is how to get experience driving over the road before I take the pre trip, driving and backing tests.... Thought to visit some truck stops nearby and ask around for someone who might take me on for a while... not permanent, just enough to gain confidence before the tests. You know, let me drive some and so on, at least let me practice doing the pre-trip with their rig. I will have the learner's permit by then so its legal with someone who has the CDL in the passenger seat, right? Please advise. Appreciate it. Thanks.