Comments By Justin (Jakebrake)

Depends on the company mostly but usually it can be a significant difference a lot of the good paying companies won't touch you until a year i would also check local oilfield work if you want to do tanker work they usually pay good and if you're from the area they can get you home almost every night and work it like a regular job with 14 hr shifts.

I would make sure you some form of protection whether it be a bat or gun or pepper spray because a lot of times this type of thing can get worse i have a daughter and am married i know last time i caught someone hanging around I grabbed my gun and confronted them and have never seen them again. Sometimes a show of force is all you need to scare them off for good I hope the best for you and don't let that bus driver mess with you she is lieing through her teeth.

3 weeks is long enough for the school all they teach in school is th basics it's the training that counts the most after school you don't want 3 weeks of school and only a week with trainer that would bite you in the ass pretty hard so make sure they have am ample training time upon graduation for you as well. I would say nothing less than 3 weeks with a trainer especially seeing how TMC is a flatbed company.

I would stick it out until the one year mark and then take your time finding the right place but remember as well home every weekend is damn good home time in this industry and if your getting the miles I would think about sticking it out. A lot of these companies lie their butts off so i would be careful what you do as well.

Actually...

My mom and grandmother (both truckers) told me to beware of black ice. I don't suppose anyone knows of a way to spot it before it becomes trouble or any particular areas where it is prone to show up.

I understand it's called black ice for a reason but...still. Figured I'd ask.

Bridges are prone to black ice first well before it pops up on the road ways so make sure to take it easy on bridges also if you have fog lights keep them on at night if you're on a dry road and the road in front of you looks wet or shines from the fog lights it's usually a good sign of black ice.

Keeping the truck at idle works but here's what i do every winter i buy howes fuel treatment and use it every time I fill my tanks and then also carry this stuff called diesel 911 it degels your fuel if it does end up geling up. The idle trick works fine though I have worked up north in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,Michigan and Wisconsin for a while and keeping my truck at idle works fine for me.

I've been driving for a little while now but just figured i would make this thread some of the experienced guys could drop some suggestions and the rookies ask questions if they have them as well.

This is why I run paper logs don't have to worry about this ever.

I don't want to rain on your parade here but we all do It our own way and take different amounts of time to find our way of doing it best thing i can tell you is small corrections and remember only the pitiful and self righteous are laughing at you no one is born to back so just take your time and you'll get it

Go up the chain if they won't help you out then leave jobs and money come and go but your kids need you around this isn't an easy life as is but with those issues you need that stability I would check with some local yokel gigs around your area they usually pay pretty well to.