Comments By Dan67

I work what my company calls "Short Haul". Its basically local work paid by the hour, but with a stubby sleeper. I think Prime Inc calls them a lightweight sleeper. I start and end each day at my terminal in Anderson SC. My shift normally starts at 5am. But according to customer demands my day can sometimes start at 3am for the week.

My longest day was a few weeks ago. I had to come in at 3am. In all, I spent 18 hours on the time clock for my shift. Got an empty trailer from the yard and went across town to get a load of refrigerators. Delivered them to Atlanta GA. Dropped load, hooked an empty. Drove to Gainesville GA for a 5 hour live load. Dropped the load at my terminal and hooked an empty. Back to get another load of refrigerators and deliver them to Saddlecreek warehouse in Greer SC. Dropped the load, hooked an empty Back to get another load of refrigerators and stage the truck and trailer back in Anderson SC for the next days delivery. I was able to go off duty status and do a split while in Gainesville GA. When I was finished for the day logged sleeper birth. Left truck, drove home.

Yes, there are drivers out there that will pull that pin just to screw you over. Get into the habit of doing a good walk around the truck before you get back going. Another think you can do is set the trailer brakes first then pull forward a tiny bit to put pressure on the 5th wheel. Then set the tractor brakes. Even superman would have a hard time pulling that pin handle.

Coming back up from Atlanta today I encountered a bad wreck involving 4 semi trucks in Commerce GA. Traffic was slowing for lane closure and road construction. Truck 1 in left lane was slowing. Truck 2 in right lane stopped. Truck 3 slammed into the back of truck 2 and into the side of truck 1. Truck 4 slammed on brakes and hit the left shoulder guard rails and median hard to avoid truck 1, 2, and 3. Heard on the CB radio from a guy at the time it happened, driver of number 3 was playing with his phone and it cost him his life. Driver 4 was also distracted with his phone. This is a very dangerous profession, take every measure you can to ensure your safety while driving. Stop reaching for stuff. Stop playing with electronics. Just drive defensively and use those mirrors, because your life does depend on it.

This site is devoted to helping new drivers getting into the industry. A majority of the members driver employer owned trucks. The trucks are equipped to specifications demanded by the companies for safety and efficiency. Like the truck I drive, a 2023 Freightliner Crapcadia. I have a stock radio that is AM/FM/XM+Bluetooth. It is linked to the trucks safety systems that mutes the radio when in reverse. And if the side radar detects objects, it mutes the radio and gives an auditable alert. The same thing happens if the Lane Keep Assist activates.

I start very early in the morning and I've hit many animals over the years. Had a dear leap onto the highway right into the side of the trailer, then getting rolled up under into the rear tandems getting obliterated. Had dear run out in front of the terminal gate and get hit just hard enough to knock it on its butt and not hurt it or the truck. I've hit dozens of bats with the air deflector on the cab roof, it sounds like a gong. You know they are bats because birds just don't fly at 3~5am. Oh and, at least a billion bugs.

This sounds like a planned event to force the unions into striking so that Yellow can shut down and avoid the WARN Act violation from mass layoffs.

I am thinking this is a BS posting. Majority of states will charge you with reckless driving for going 25mph over the posted speed limit, and add the "super speeder" notation increasing your fines and putting you at serious risk of jail time. The 119 in a 55 is 60mph over the limit. In South Carolina that by definition is reckless driving and is a criminal charge. It would also have your license suspended for 30+ days. Jail time of 30 days. Around $500 in fines. If you received two reckless driving convictions in such a short time your license would be automatically suspended for an additional 90 days.

If this is a serious post, do the world a favor and don't get into a commercial driving profession.

Kiss In Atlanta GA, December 1983

I've been seeing a LOT of trucks pulling 'Super Ego' trailers in the past couple years. I think they are growing to be something along the same lines as Landstar.

Stay away from super ego holding. It is a scam company that has hundreds of complaints with the BBB in just the last 4 month. There is one class action lawsuit on them at this time for wage theft.

Have you tried Werner yet? They have a large Home Depot account and that's not bad for a beginning driver. Its where I started and ran for one year. The have hubs in Columbia and Savannah. Its run durring the week and off on weekends regional job. You take loads to all the Home Depot stores in the area. Some are drop loads, double drops, and some are live unloads. Backhauls are usually from local vendors to take back to the major distribution centers. The stores are not super hard and they will improve your backing skills.