Profile For Errol V.

I finally found the original research on this. It's true, research shows that empty trucks take longer to stop. (Look at the bottom two sections of the chart.) ABS shortens stopping distance, but empty trucks still take longer.

NHTSA's Heavy Duty Vehicle Brake Research Program - Report Number 9

The loaded trucks weighed out at close to or actually more than 80,000 pounds.

Brett asks:

If masks can stop a virus, then why can't underwear stop a fart?

It's not the odor (chemicals of odor are not related to viruses.), but clothing, underpants and masks alike, are effective against bacteria.

Here the long answer, published in US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

Dr Kruszelnicki (Julius Sumner Miller Fellow in the Science Foundation for Physics at the School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia.) then described the method by which he had established whether human flatus was germ-laden, or merely malodorous. “I contacted Luke Tennent, a microbiologist in Canberra, and together we devised an experiment. He asked a colleague to break wind directly onto two Petri dishes from a distance of 5 centimetres, first fully clothed, then with his trousers down. Then he observed what happened. Overnight, the second Petri dish sprouted visible lumps of two types of bacteria that are usually found only in the gut and on the skin. But the flatus which had passed through clothing caused no bacteria to sprout, which suggests that clothing acts as a filter.

“Our deduction is that the enteric zone in the second Petri dish was caused by the flatus itself, and the splatter ring around that was caused by the sheer velocity of the fart, which blew skin bacteria from the cheeks and blasted it onto the dish. It seems, therefore, that flatus can cause infection if the emitter is naked, but not if he or she is clothed. But the results of the experiment should not be considered alarming, because neither type of bacterium is harmful. In fact, they're similar to the ‘friendly’ bacteria found in yoghurt.

The "The Great Barrington Declaration" has been discredited by all major health organizations from the WHO on down.

And the thousands who signed include:

"Mr Banana Rama", "Dr Johnny Bananas", "Dr Johnny Fartpants", "Dr Person Fakename", "Harold Shipman", "Professor Notaf Uckingclue", and "Prof Cominic Dummings". More than 100 psychotherapists, numerous homeopaths, physiotherapists, massage therapists, and other non-relevant people were found to be signatories, including a performer of Khoomei – a Mongolian style of overtone singing – described as a "therapeutic sound practitioner". The Independent (a British newspaper) noted that the false signatures put its claims about the breadth of its support in doubt, adding that several within the medical and scientific community were skeptical it enjoyed the support it claimed.

(Mic now placed under a Whoopie Cushion.)

(picks up mic againl

what I expect from someone that says asking questions is dangerous.

So you didn't read the part where I said doubt (translation: asking questions) is a good thing? Have you figured out that critical thinking is using doubt as a tool to find truth?

(Lays expensive mic carefully on a chair.)

The drug test that looks farthest into your past is a hair follicle test. This can detect weed use up to three months back.

Seeing as how a hot test result will mostly end your professional trucking career, stay weed free for an least 4-6 monthd before applying.

This does not stop you from getting those ducks in a row. Start here and study for the permit test:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Rather than write more paragraphs in argument - I'd love to but it really goes off the original topic - I'll just say this (it's not a famous quote but it is good advice)ñ

Live by, and use, critical thinking in your life.

Mic dropped, leaves room.

Brett asks:

For anyone who disagrees with this take, then I ask you to name one time in human history the good guys were the ones doing the censoring. Name one time in history when we said, "Yeah, it was a good thing they silenced those people and prevented them from speaking their minds or asking any questions because it made our society a better place."

No, as you pointed out. Truth will out. So "good guys" don't need to generally shut others up. On the other hand, people who shout out untruthful ideas in a public place do need to be muzzled as their ideas are hurtful to society.

We all know you are censored from yelling "fire!" In a theater. You can also be censored from saying "put ground glass on your sandwich! It's good!"

Now science generally agrees that viruses are not political, do not care whose body they infect. Science generally agrees that masks will prevent the spread of any virus. So experts like Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, CDC and any physician worth their Doctor License will do their best to recommend masking up to cut down the transmission of a dangerous and contagious virus.

Worried about doubting this? Science itself is actually based on doubt. What makes the sun come up? Why do most materials dissolve in water but not in oil? Why do people who agree on something seem to stick together? How do magnets work? Investigating these things is the foundation of science.

Any scientific discovery - medicine, geology, physics - is open to investigating by others (doubters!) to make sure it's right.

Example:

In 1989, two University of Utah scientists announced that their modest palladium rod had unleashed so much energy that a flame burned clean through their apparatus, through the lab bench beneath it, and even through the floor beneath that.

Those two scientists first announced their results not in a scientific journal but to the press. And when they did bring their evidence to scientists to evaluate, their colleagues utterly routed their arguments. (Both men ended up leaving the country, disgraced.)

So if you hear something you might doubt, ask about the source. Stick to accepted Truth. Truth does not get censored.

It will get harder to find a manual shift truck. All the Bigs are switching to auto shift. You might not have a clutch pedal.

Freightliner ≠ Volvo

Polio ≠ COVID-19

The long version: Understanding How Vaccines Work (CDC article)

Ditto

Above the Reply box are a bunch of blue buttons. One says "Photo". Then you can upload your pic. It automatically goes into your reply.

Bird-One's honest question:

I’m not sure how that would make sense that this vaccine wouldn’t make you contagious. It doesn’t kill the virus. It’s supposed to make the symptoms less severe right? So what would be the science behind someone getting the shot, getting the virus that has been said is highly contagious but than somehow not contagious? Honest question.

Any vaccine will not actually do anything to a virus. It's not like bug spray for ants. To your immune system, a vaccine looks like a particular virus but it's not dangerous itself. Your immune system then makes up those antibodies that do go after that virus (and actually the vaccine, too) and neutralize it.

I reread the Boston Herald article. (BTW, Googling results show the Herald is a conservative leaning paper, #3 in circulation there) Yup, cherry picking. In that whole article was only one mention that more fully reasoned:

[The Edgartown Board of Health spokesperson] said Friday if there is a cluster linked to last weekend’s 60th birthday bash on the Obamas’ nearly 30-acre Edgartown spread off Great Pond, it will probably be with the serving staff. And some of those workers usually cover multiple parties on the island.

So by reason of their job, they mix with many various groups.

Continuing the quote from Oxford:

But we know very clearly with the coronavirus that the delta variant will still infect people who have been vaccinated, and that does mean that anyone who’s still unvaccinated, at some point, will meet the virus.”

This article also says "Herd immunity" is a mirage. Careful about cherry picking.

Now get back in the truck and hit the road.

Still doesn't change that vaccinated people are still catching and spreading COVID and that the vaccine does nothing against strain variants.

Information source? (In my post I quoted an expert and there's a link to the whole article.). I'm not doing this to be political. This forum is called Trucking Truth, and I'm interested in keeping both the trucking and the truth in it.

Banks claims:

The crazy part is that the vaccine doesn't even work. At Obama's big birthday party, 60 people (that we know of) got COVID and 30 were fully vaccinated.

Note so fast, Mr Banks. Here's an article from yesterday's (Aug 13) Boston Herald:

The coronavirus is surging on Martha’s Vineyard like the heat — but it’s too early to tell if former President Barack Obama’s birthday bash last weekend is a driver.

“It’s too early to tell,” said Janet Hathaway, assistant to the health board.

Wait a bit before you say Obama's party was a Covid hotspot.

Bobcat_Bob suggests:

Maybe the wise* Errol can offer some tips since he is a instructor.

These days all the fleet companies are switching to auto-shift. No need to double clutch.

My "wiseness" says test in an auto-shift so you don't need to worry, and you should get that CDL. True, you'll have an "auto only" restriction, but trust me, that don't amount to a hill of beans anymore.

*Ha!

Here's a really short lesson:
Part 1: It's all about getting the tandem wheels in between the cones, and with a decent (not too sharp) angle.

Part 2: Then focus on getting the trailer aimed to go into the box.

Also: Pulling up is not a failure, it is an adjustment. There's a lot to know & understand about pulling up, I'm thinking about writing a short book on it.

As an OTR driver you will actually spend most of your time "indoors" - your truck.

A few years ago I delivered new trucks to dealers and had to unload the new power units outside in winter (think Fargo ND and Wausau WI in January). I wore basic mid-ankle hiking boots with thin insulating socks and thick spun (like wool) socks. No cold feet for me.

Not my boots, but these are the weather conditions.

If you are paid for hauling cargo but less than the 26,000 lb. limit, you should still log the driving time anyway, since that's your main job.

Kearsey, you have given that special love and care to your mom for several years. It can be stressful. And I'm sure you knew her Time was coming. But the reality of her passing would never be easy. She has moved to Glory, and you cared for her till her last breath.

Keep your beloved memories and tend to them in your heart. Allow the pain you feel to run its course. Your strong character and your faith will see you through. Only get back to carry on with your life when you are ready. After a day and a half since you announced your loss you have four pages of notes here. Here resides a lot of love. Bless you and take care.

Errol

Chris writes:

I’m really enjoying this Job I especially like when I can help a student overcome a difficulty mastering a skill like the Blind Side Off-Set Back. You can see a change in the student when the mechanics of the maneuver clicks - in and they master it. It gives me the same feeling I got when I was able to help a student master a skill needed to become certified as an open water SCUBA Diver. Their confidence level go’s up exponentially, my goal is to produce confident and proficient entry level professional drivers.

I second that emotion.

My passion in teaching the CDL course is in getting my students to the point they know the backing maneuvers are at least possible.

I'm up front with the students at the start and tell them they could get so frustrated they want to quit. I felt that way back in my Swift Academy training. I also tell them to use the pull up as a tool to make adjustments - there's no failure in that.

I'm glad to hear there's another instructor on board!