Comments By Chief

I hear ya guys. I learned how to drive big trucks during the winter in Wisconsin back in '89 and then ran all over the midwest and northeast so winter driving is no stranger to me.

Slower is better in nasty weather and if it's too bad to drive then stop. If a company has a problem with that then I shouldn't be driving for them. Fortunately my current company gives its drivers a lot of latitude so I do not anticipate any problems there.

How was '89? I wasn't born yet.

LOL. It was the year of my first marriage AND divorce and I remember the winter being particularly cold and miserable. And to boot I was driving an '85 International cabover. Now that sucked!

Actually it was the winter of '88/89 but most of my driving was in '89.

I hear ya guys. I learned how to drive big trucks during the winter in Wisconsin back in '89 and then ran all over the midwest and northeast so winter driving is no stranger to me.

Slower is better in nasty weather and if it's too bad to drive then stop. If a company has a problem with that then I shouldn't be driving for them. Fortunately my current company gives its drivers a lot of latitude so I do not anticipate any problems there.

10-4 Ernie and thanks. It looks like the nasty wet stuff isn't going to hit my route areas until late Monday/early Tuesday so I should be up there by then with a nice heavy trailer behind me after that.

Good deal. Always better to have a heavy load behind you when the weather gets nasty. It is more stable that way unless you get foolish and do something stupid......

Ernie

I have plenty of patience and have absolutely no problem with a Prime truck passing me

Hey that's great Troy. Congratulations. I sure would like a chance to do some skid training someday.

10-4 Ernie and thanks. It looks like the nasty wet stuff isn't going to hit my route areas until late Monday/early Tuesday so I should be up there by then with a nice heavy trailer behind me after that.

Yeah same here. I think 100 miles is about the furthest (sp) I've ever bobtailled. We run our dedicated tanks back home empty all the time so empty runs of 1000+ miles is common with those. And I agree. Empty miles pays the same as loaded so I'm all over those dedicated runs!

Leaving tomorrow morning to bobtail from FL to WI (approx 1000 miles) to pick up a high pressure trailer (empty)and return it to FL. That wasn't going to be any fun to begin with and now with bad weather moving in over the next two days it's really NOT going to be any fun getting up there.

Good thing is I'm getting paid loaded miles for the run up and back!

I use the RM 520. It can give you up to two route selections. I always pick the one that is closest to the route I have already decided on based on the atlas and Google maps on my ipad. The GPS by itself is not reliable in my opinion. Too many times it has tried to route me to a street that is truck restricted. One time it put me on a LA highway and I find out just before crossing a bridge that there was a 15 ton weight restriction on it. So why did it even put me on that route to begin with? (And yes, all the truck parameters are set correctly). Sometimes it will try to route me around something that is not a restriction. A good example is the 285 around Atlanta. I haul a lot of hazmat and when I go around the eastern side of Atlanta the GPS says I have committed a hazmat violation and it shuts the routing off.

There is no replacement for a good ole paper atlas and directions from old timers. I also use Google maps to verify my routes, get in really close on small roads and check out my delivery or pick up points in satellite view. That's saved my butt a couple of times from getting into a stciky situation.

The thing I do like about the RM GPS is that once my route is programmed I can look up all rest areas, travel centers, or specific truck stops among other POIs on that route. That allows me to figure out a good stopping point based on what I want in real time. No more guessing what rest area or truck stop I will probably be near when it is time to start thinking about stopping for the night (or day depending on when you drive).

Michael,

There are many variables that determine 'average speed'. To say 55 x 11 = 605 miles per day is a misnomer. It doesn't work like that. First of all you can't physically spend 11 hours (actual drive time) at a constant 55 mph. Acceleration, deceleration, traffic conditions, weather, road type and conditions, tractor HP and overall condition, type of trailer and cargo plus others all go into 'average speed' determinations.

I'm pretty much right there with ThinksTooMuch. My typical distances covered on a drive day (drive day means all driving, no shippers or receivers, most of the duty time is driving) is around 600 to 620 (and that's about 9 1/2 to 10 hrs driving). Although my truck is governed at 68 I rarely exceed 63 (by choice), slower is less stressful and better for me. I also drive a tanker so acceleration and deceleration takes more time and room for me (due to surge and slosh) plus I need to take turns, curves, on-ramps and off-ramps slower than other trucks. So all of this affects my 'average speed'.

On days when I have to spend time loading or unloading my 14 hour clock tends to run short first which cuts into my 11 hour clock which ultimately means less time available for actual driving. So you don't always get to drive 11 hours.

Yes Celadon is a company, they are based out of Indianapolis, IN they are growing fast and in the process of adding tankers and flatbeds to their fleet.

Celadon is adding tankers and flatbeds?

So the course of action is to study for your D rating and pass those tests. Then with the D rating, I can obtain a CDL permit that will allow me to enroll in a school (or company schooling)? Can a person get a D rating without a road test? Were you able to use your GI Bill for schooling?

A class D license is just a regular ole car driving license. Many states refer to it as a class D license. Some states, like Florida, call it a class E license.

In order to get the CDL permit you already have to have a regular license AND you have to pass the general knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicles written tests. This is the requirement for Florida and I imagine for many other states, if not all, as well. The CDL permit allows you to drive a combination vehicle (semi-truck) while in training as long as a person with a valid CDL (instructor) is in the truck with you.

I did use my GI Bill to pay for my CDL school. It is school dependent whether or not the GI Bill can be used so you would have to check with the school itself. Most do offer it.

Harry, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, but when you get in school they will probably have cones set up to help you see exactly where you need to be putting the truck while practicing these maneuvers. Don't worry if you run over the cones at first, we've all been guilty of killing a few cones during our training.

Hmmmm....I did step on a cone once during training

Hi Steven. Welcome to the website. I am also retired military, same year 2006, just a bit younger ;).

I know this to be true for active duty military. Is it also true for retired? Do you have a Military Deferral Certificate from the state of Illinois? I would advise contacting the Illinois driver license office to get the straight dope from them.

Regardless of what state you go to school in you will be required to have a CDL permit. Typically, you must have a valid class D license to get that permit (after you pass the tests of course). After you have completed training and passed the road test portion your class D license is converted to a class A license ( or B if that's what you tested for).

My situation: I am 59 years old. I am retired military. I retired in 2006 and am presently working as an Assistant Manager at an auto hobby shop. This is an MWR facility owned by the government. I am located in Germany. I am thinking of venturing into this field as it has always fascinated me. Here are the things that I think may be a problem and some questions.

- My present stateside driver's license at face value is expired. However, the law for Illinois states in the case of military personnel stationed overseas, the license remains valid until 30 after returning to the USA. Will this be a problem in securing a CDL permit? Also, I do not want to live in Illinois, so I will need to set up a new residence (I am leaning toward TX - no state income tax).

I'll just throw in my two cents worth. Between the HAZMAT information provided within this website and the CDL manual for your state, in my opinion, you will be fine for the HAZMAT test for that endorsement without the extra schooling. It's really not that difficult. It's more a matter of what you're more comfortable with.

We are working with a recruiter that is not associated with a company.

Interesting statement. If this recruiter is not associated with a "trucking" company, what is he associated with? A CDL school? What is his vested interest?

I only ask because typically, a recruiter either works for a trucking company or a school. I've not experienced what you are describing.

From bees in Florida to sheep in Montana. That was a weird turn.

So here I am sitting at International Paper in Cantonment, FL waiting to load tall crude oil. Problem is a horde of bees has taken up residence on the loading platform so plant safety has shut it down. I wonder if my company can charge detention due to bees

Good deal G Man! I've been considering May also. Keep us updated on how things with them turn out.

Freightliner is marketing a pretty nifty fitness system for Cascadia and Concord model tractors.

I can post the link if no one minds or you can check it out out CDLLife, then Health & Fitness. FIT system.

I'm sure the other manufacturers or some other aspiring entrepreneur won't be far behind for other makes of trucks.

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully I can get a chance to check one out personally before decision time comes.