Comments By John P.

Good luck an be safe

Thanks for the reply, Brett. I guess I should have elaborated a little more.

Yeah, I guess so!

That explanation offered a whole lot more than just "the recruiter bad talked other companies and Roehl has a family atmosphere". I'm glad to hear it. We look forward to following along as you go through your rookie year.

Hi it good that you want to get the miles / km. But look arfter your body to .. there no re runs in life

Keeping the wheels turing and the doors closed leads to more miles.

It also leads to various health issues... I for one am getting tired of reading that line. I am the type who prefers to stop as little as possible so i can either maximize my miles or get shut down early enough to get more sleep and have a better parking spot. That caused me to develope adema in my feet (swelling due to retaining fluid) because I was not stopping and taking enough breaks. I would go 250-300 miles before stopping and then that would be my 30 which I usually didn't even get out of truck for, then I do another 250-300 to complete my day. When my feet got so big they looked like water baloons I went to doc... they were afraid I was having a blood clot or something else more serious and sent me to er. I ended up having to take 9 days medical leave because of it. I still have the problem but not as bad and I can manage it, but I also have to stop about every 2 hours and walk around.

So this "keep the left door closed and keep rolling stuff" yeah that's bad advice. I stop for about 15 min every 2 hours or so (obviously limited by truck stop or rest area availability), 3-4 times a day is not going to kill your miles.

Good luck

Wow, this has been a busy week. On Tuesday and Wednesday (days 2 & 3) we watched Training videos on general knowledge, combination vehicles, air brakes, doubles & triples, tankers & hazmat. We also took practice tests on all of the above. Our instructor wants everyone to get their CDP before the week is out so that we can get on the practice track. Mrs. B and I went to the DMV today and passed all of the required elements, plus all of the endorsements except school bus, which we decided not to take. We’re now CDP holders! Five of the ten in class now have permits and we started driving the track tonight and got to work on shifting on the 10 speed Internationals. Felt really good after a 30 year break. Excited to be returning to the road as a team in a few weeks. Stay tuned and we’ll keep everyone posted as we keep on trucking!

NOT sure if it the correct thing to do but if it your last week keep your head Down, an wen your on your own do what you Think is best for you an the Company your with ,,

I'm on my last week of riding with my trainer but I've got to say it's been pretty frustrating.

Here's why...

Go to CDL School and learn how to drive

Go to orientation with my company and get told a slightly different way to drive and how to tarp and strap loads (flatbed)

Get with trainer and throw everything out the window and get told another way to drive and use straps etc.

Like being told to coast through turns in neutral and select a gear afterwards which I know is wrong. Or being put on the clock later in the day after I've been up for hours, which I'm pretty sure he does so I can drive after he can't and in order to get to our receivers faster or earlier and get more loads. Or the few loads that were suppose to be tarped but we didn't tarp. What's a trainee, fresh to a company to do? A few more days and I'm done...any thoughts?

good luck an good info

Personally I like the flexibility. If I get tired I stop for a nap. If I'm hungry I stop. No one cares when I do something as long as I'm safe and early for appts. If I want extra.personal time before my next load I tell dispatch. No big deal.

In the beginning I did feel exhausted but that passed. Especially when I started napping for an hour or two in the middle of my drive shift. It breaks up the day. Running a 2500 mile load is less tiring than doing short loads. Often with short loads of 400-500 miles you can spend both 10hr beaks at the customer with broken sleep of waiting for a door...getting in the door...then loaded...getting out. Despite what dispatch sometimes thinks...this is all done on my break. Once rolling on a long load, I can stop or drive as much as I want.

Weeks differ, days differ. I've had 20hr days which legally are only supposed to be 14hrs. ....but then I've had 150 mike days where I could catch up on that sleep.

To me it is totally worth it. I have no "boss" watching over my shoulder...stop as little or as often as I want...and even get a thank you and good job from dispatch once in awhile. Totally different from the hell hole I spent most of my life at.

Also keep in mind it is more of a mental job than a physical one. The most exercise I get is winding the landing gear. But you need to be mentally alert at all times. You need to focus and not zone out. You need to anticipate the every move of idiots on the road.

If I kept my stuff strictly to a 24" rolling luggage, a day sized backpack, and a micro sauce sized ****pit and a dinner plate sized griddle. Would I be ok in a lightweight you think?

I know you never drove a lightweight. But I'm fearing prime won't let me get a full sized truck even if I asked for my fiancee and I to live over the road in the truck. I've heard fullsized were limited to trainers, and teams.

We both want to live together otr as a couple team (she navigates and I drive) full-size or not we both are doing it we just wanted to get your opinion on it if you could please.

She wouldn't be joining me until my 6 month mark because I want to get a handle on driving a truck with as little worry and as quiet as possible.

I asked Prime for a full size truck and got it with no questions asked. They don't hassle you at all about why you want one either.

Don't knock the man for trying to show what can happen and I wish him all the luck

Now believe me i asked all the right questions and for 2 months they called me making all these great promises. Makingvit sound too gd to be true.

Moral of the Story:

If it sounds to good to be true, IT PROBABLY IS!

Please dont let this discourage you if you plan on a lease purchase.

I DISAGREE, please let this discourage you!

But as brett and most say. Its not worth the hassle to make the same money.

Don't say we didn't warn you!

Hi it could be you have run low on def ( ad blue) that can make your truck run low on power ! Or it do on the trucks that run in Europe just a idear

I don't have one of those, unfortunately, but doesn't it have a display screen? I think there's a page that shows any fault codes so you can see why the engine light is on.

hi wen you do pass an you look back at the time in the Classroom the insruktør who give you a hard time smile .. Scream shout be happy . ,, has the next chapter is the open Road an what ever you think Would happen Will an more .. Good Luck an Well done for not giving up

I was suppose to test out today jan 8th but we got snowed out I wish I had completed it Im tired of worring about it my downshifting sucks and I think im goig to fail the road skills portion

steve j

You never know until you try it not your age . It Will be what you think of the life of a trucker ie the long time away from your famley etc . If that not a problem then go for it . (I am 55 an drive All over Europe /scandinavi so to old !! No Way) wish i could be out there With you Good Luck an hope you Tel All how it go

I want to get my cdl and drive OTR, I just turned 49 and I am ready to start a career that I always wanted to do. So am I to old?