Comments By tripletdad

Anyone have a recommendation for a cb shop in ohio along i70 or eastern Indiana? I got a new truck and it's not got cb wiring or antenna.

Did she pay you back for the egg rolls though?

This is yet another true story of my encounters with Terminal Rats. It is entertaining, so I share it with you all.

Not too many weeks ago I found myself stuck for a day at our terminal in Olive Branch, MS. After entering the drivers lounge area it became obvious that we had a Terminal Rat in the room, and she had several new drivers sitting enraptured with her incredible advice. The kind of advice that tells these fresh young drivers who have just barely figured out how many wheels are on an eighteen wheeler, "if you expect to get anywhere with this company you have got to keep your driver manager on his toes by treating him like this:"

"Always refuse to take any loads that are less than 1,000 miles."

"Every time they ask you to help them out, tell them it's your job to help me out."

"Keep them thinking that you are going to fire them and get yourself moved onto somebody else's driver board."

"Do not ask politely for anything. Always demand that they send you on the best loads."

"These dispatchers view kindness as weakness. They only respect strong drivers who demand it."

"This is probably about the twelfth company I've been with, and with each move I have been able to put myself in a better position."

The only thing bigger and bolder than this girls mouth was her ego and personality, and maybe her... Well, never mind, I am trying to be nice. She was a piece of work, and she even demonstrated for all of us to see how you handle your dispatcher because he called her during her discourse to these young drivers soaking in her wisdom like water into their sponge-like minds. She basically told him that he'd better get her a decent load in the next few minutes or she was going to park that #@*! piece of junk truck he assigned her and take one of these great offers she had from several different companies who "know how you are supposed to treat your drivers."

I was just remaining quiet, but taking it all in. I didn't really want to Start A Fight like I almost did once before. I was looking over a menu from a Chinese carry out place and I made a call to them so that I could get a meal delivered to the terminal. During my phone conversation with the restaurant, the Rat over heard me ordering and shouted, "Hey order me about four egg rolls, and I will give you the money for them." I acknowledged her request (more like a demand) with a head nod, and proceeded to order her four egg rolls. I waited both patiently and anxiously for the food to arrive, because I thought there might be some relief from her constant comments if she was required to be chewing and swallowing her food. Finally a muscular looking oriental man, who appeared more like a mafia boss than a delivery driver, showed up with our food. He handed me the bag and then drove off with my generous tip without so much as a smile of gratitude.

I went back inside and handed the rat her egg rolls. I started eating my food, and after a few minutes the rat starts choking and gagging. I looked at her and she was all red in the face, gasping for air, and looking down at the half eaten egg roll in her hand. She then started into a tirade about how she couldn't believe I ordered her "Shrimp egg rolls, when she clearly stated that she wanted Plain egg rolls." I simply ordered egg rolls, which is of course what she told me to do. It turns out that the rat was allergic to shell fish, and we had to get an ambulance over there to get her to the hospital. I mean it got serious really quick. I began to get concerned that she was going to die - it got that scary!

I am just not good with rats. Even when I try to be kind and helpful to them it seems to turn out badly. Fortunately the woman was okay. I stayed around until the next morning just to make sure she was okay, and to make sure she didn't know any of my personal information. I could just see myself getting sued by a rat. Imagine that, a rat suing you for poisoning them. I would have never lived that one down.

Oh well, I am still learning out here. One of the lessons I have learned is to stay away from the terminal rats if you possibly can!

Ill try to post more often here. Ive always got the best intentions, lol.

Hey, yeah it's been a while since I've been in here. I actually ended up not going with kllm. I went with a smaller company instead and I'm happy with everything. Triplets are great, as are everyone else. They're all set their moms house this week for spring break so i miss them and it's made my house quiet.

Just your friendly reminder to never get complacent. Finishing up and was pulling into the terminal lot. There's a big yellow bollard protecting the keypad and RFID reader. It's tight and I always watch my mirrors. Except for this time. Blown tire, destroyed wheel, a little bit of paint transfer on the trailer, and an uncomfortable phone call with safety dept followed by a few days of waiting for the official result. I should add that I had just switched to this company after passing my one-year mark with my starter company. Happy to say they just told me to be more careful. Verbal documentation, no written warning, still happily employed, and that was the end of it.

Oh, MAN!

Sheesh. I'm sorry for your dang experience/incident; glad it 'ended well!'

It's been a WHILE; how goes it ?!?!? What/who IS the new company?!? KLLM? I recall you started with Millis.

How are the triplets? The other 3?!? My youngest turned 18.. YAY! (NOT, lol..) How'd you fare in this fun 'weather' as of late? (Did that mitigate your circumstances, in any way? Wouldn't surprise me... it sucked.)

Safe(er) going forward, man!

~ Anne ~

ps: YOU said BOLLARD! (So many peeps don't know the term... hehehe! Pride in the Buckeye Tide!)

Just your friendly reminder to never get complacent. Finishing up and was pulling into the terminal lot. There's a big yellow bollard protecting the keypad and RFID reader. It's tight and I always watch my mirrors. Except for this time. Blown tire, destroyed wheel, a little bit of paint transfer on the trailer, and an uncomfortable phone call with safety dept followed by a few days of waiting for the official result. I should add that I had just switched to this company after passing my one-year mark with my starter company. Happy to say they just told me to be more careful. Verbal documentation, no written warning, still happily employed, and that was the end of it.

I think it's a great career, or second career like it was for me. I only wish I'd skipped college and done this years ago.

Well, after a year and two months, I've left my training company and gone to what I hope will be a long term company. I started with Millis Transfer. Great company, thorough training and nice equipment. I've signed up with KLLM now. Seems like just as nice of equiplwnt, and more opportunity for true otr, as opposed to just east of Mississippi. They do offer a lease purchase, but I'm going as a company driver, at least to start. I'm getting a $0.20 a mile raise. Anyway, just wanted to check in here. Havent been on here in a bit, and I'm at the hotel for orientation right now.

Congrats!

Hi! So I’m looking for some recommendations. I came here a year a a few months ago and read, asked questions, and basically immersed myself in this site. In the end, I found a great company, did my paid Cdl training as recommended here, and fulfilled my contract. Fast forward to now.

I’m over a year, 100,000+ miles, and I’m wanting to get into a more long term type of position. I’ve talked to a few companies and keep getting the same thing. My speeding ticket will prevent them from hiring me.

2 years ago, I bought a fun car and I got a speeding ticket. 26 mph over the limit. It was before my Cdl. My current company was able to overlook it, despite it being less than a year old at the time. Now it’s an issue with the places I’m looking, which tell me I’m maybe looking in the wrong places.

Here’s my requirements. If anyone knows firsthand of a company that could do this, please let me know.

1-I have automatic only restriction. 2- other than the speeding ticket, my record is pretty clean. I have one ticket for improper child restraint where my son was in a booster seat and the trooper thought he should have been in a full car seat. No point. I have one non preventable accident in the semi. I stopped at a as red light. Care behind me did not stop. They were cited, And it was classed as non preventable. 3-id like regional or home daily position. I’m in south western Ohio. So I’m close to Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.

I’ve checked with R&L locally, as well as old dominion, saia, and variant. Variant would hire me. More money, but I’d have to be out a minimum of 2 weeks which I’m trying to avoid.

Thanks for any advice.

Nothing to add, but I just about got backed into while sitting in a dock today. Guys truck looked like he had just pulled it out of a field last weekend and put it on the road. I was in the door being unloaded and here he comes backing at an angle and came about an in charge or two from hitting my sleeper. Gave him a friendly air horn toot and he stopped, then pulled up and got it straightened up. Was apologetic about it and that was it. I would hope that my company wouldn’t count something like that against me either.