Comments By sculpy

Thanks for the replies. Figured i'd have to go verbatim to be safe, just wondering why it's officially more complicated than it has to be.

So, this has been bothering me ever since I did the High Road Training program, but it seemed too trivial to waste a new thread on. Now that someone's talking about tread depth, here goes!

Is there something wrong with saying to the examiner "a sixteenth of an inch" and "eighth of an inch"? 2/32s and 4/32s are redundant because they're the same fraction and a mouthful to boot. What's the reasoning behind that notation and is it a mandatory recitation?

Thankyou for the video Ms. Miyoshi! Definitely needed to see just how much space there is in a lightweight. I think, personally, I'd need that extra footstep of space between the bunk and seat to preserve my sanity on the road! Certainly some tight livin' you've got goin' on there.

Congratulations Big Ben!

I cant believe a Company that sucks so bad, treats so many People so well!

Well that statement just perfectly encapsulates one of the main philosophies at this site, doesn't it? The drivers with the best attitudes and work ethic will always get the best treatment, regardless of the company. Just another example of the veracity of a different phrase I believe in; "you make your own luck."

Just wanted to say that i'm loving this thread. Extremely informative for a hopeful like me. Thank you all for your contributions, and keep them coming!

I'm going to start a file organized alphabetically by topic and fill it with hints like these so I can review it with my training materials.

Congrats on upgrading to solo Miss Miyoshi, good job! What made you want a lightweight rather than a condo? I'm starting to consider trying out for Prime, but one thing that gives me pause is their reported preference for assigning lightweights where possible to all but flatbed drivers. Your truck looks absolutely gorgeous, but it looks like you have next to NO storage space! I have trouble imagining living on the road for weeks at a time with even less space than a regular sleeper. The CPM is fantastic, but I'd need somewhere to stuff my clothes and food, too! What made you make that choice?

Hey Lee Boy, i'm in S. NJ and have been looking at schools here too. Depends if you're willing to lay out cash up front and not be indebted to a specific company for about a year. This site recommends staying with your first company for at least a year so you're not seen as a job hopper, so having to stay with them to pay off your training and CDL shouldn't be an issue.

But if you want to go shopping for more options with your CDL, consider a private school. We don't have that many options in S. NJ though. I looked at Solomon Smith, who have quite a few schools in the area, but other members here (and elsewhere on the internet) have left poor reviews about being stuck at those schools for months because they don't have enough instructors and trucks for all their students, and they end-up spending hardly any time practicing behind the wheel. So i've been considering Bradway in Vineland. It's more expensive (runs about $4000) but from what i've read their owner is more intensive about turning-out better students, and their classes are much smaller so you get the proper time behind a wheel.

Although, with Rainy's (and many others') very good reviews about Prime, i've been wondering myself about whether I should try out there instead! Tough choices.

Thank you all for the advice! I suspected as much as having to use the whole road anyway, I just wanted to hear whether drivers preferred to make the dock on arrival or to put the effort in to arrive with the consignee on the left. Now, do you wait for the left lane to clear for a few hundred feet, or just play chicken with oncoming traffic in your big rig?

Oops, that'd be driver's seat on the LEFT. Won't make a very good trucker if I can't tell my rights from my lefts, right? :p

Hey TT, i've just been trying to imagine the various situations i'll have to face once I get on the road, and one thing just keeps coming back to bother me.

So i'm aware that blind-side backing is discouraged where possible, but how do you veterans generally deal with situations in cities or urban/suburban areas where your shipper or receiver requires a dock/back right off the main road? Our driver's seat is on the right, and we drive along the road on the right to our destinations, so I realized that any time you're in that situation where you arrive at your consignee and they're basically on the street, you're immediately (to my mind) put into a difficult decision. So correct me if i'm wrong, but won't you always either have to:

a) Stay on your side of the road and attempt a blind side into the dock or; b) find a way to turn around to make it a driver-side back, but then be forced into driving into and setting-up directly into oncoming traffic to start the maneuver?

Am I thinking about these situations right? If not, what have I missed? How do y'all deal with setting-up backs right off a main road? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!!