Comments By not4hire

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on the subject. The issue I have with my truck is it doesn't idle when it's cold.

Any suggestions?

It sounds like you have something like Opti-Idle or some other setting in the ECM that needs to be adjusted.

Bored with freight? Try driving a bus. 😆 Just kidding. But seriously, what if you get bored with heavy hauling? See, I don't really care what I'm hauling. I drive dry van and have hauled John Deere tractors in there (a real tractor trailer), but...well, you can get bored with anything. I guess the real question is; what are you in this for? Then work toward that end.

Good luck!

My wife drives transit buses for a large city and drove 72-passenger school buses before that. I couldn't do it, especially school bus.

Lots and lots of duct tape...

I have done a reasonable amount of heavy haul and oversize; not all on the same load, but up to 20 ft wide, 20 ft high, 160 ft long and 160,000 lbs. I have operated multi-axle, multi-trailer combinations, operated winch, bed and crane trucks in oilfield hauling, hauled all kinds of constuction equipment, cranes, buildings, etc. One thing that seems to separate those that both enjoy and excel at heavy haul is both the ability and desire to solve challenges/problems and not get flusteered when things go sideways. Not knocking anyone, but if your desire is to simply have your travel agent tell you where and when, then heavy haul probably wouldn't be to your liking. If you get really bothered when a plan doesn't work, then you should look to something else.

IMHO, it takes a person who not only takes pride in their driving, but in all aspects of the job... especially planning. You have to have a reasonably high skill level, attention to detail, patience, confidence, ability to "think outside the box", etc. In many respects the most visual part of the job--securement and driving--is the easiest... it's just mechanics. This becomes even more apparent as you get up into super-load territory. Don't get me wrong, securement and driving are absolutely critical, but there is a WHOLE LOT more to the job.

I would look at a company like Mammoet (and their competitors). They are a world-class, professional organization. Sure they do a lot of flashy stuff, but behind the scenes they're like an army of ants. Sometimes there are hundreds of "ordinary" loads that go into crane or super-load moves. The opportunity for advancement and personal and professional satisfaction is very good and you can make a lot of money if you stick with it. I don't have any experience with ATS, although I am aware of them.

Rig moving companies are another good way to get a wide variety of challenging experience in a high-pressure environment. Typically you start out as a swamper and move up from there.

I don't know anything about Western Express' program, but I would NEVER lease a truck from or through the same carrier that I am getting all my work from. It is just bad business, IMHO. Note that a lease-purchase is not the same as a true vehicle/equipment lease from an external financial source, i.e., PacLease, Penske, your bank, etc.

I have leased, purchased and rented plenty of trucks over the years, but each of those is simply a different method of financing and is not tied up with a carrier and their operating agreement. None of the three methods is inherently bad or good and each has its place in the appropriate circumstances.

Just remember, big inverters draw big power and can deplete your batteries quickly under continuous use. My recommendation is to run the engine (or APU) when doing something like cooking a meal or making coffee. Then you can shut off the engine and eat your meal in peace-and-quiet while surfing the web with your laptop plugged in.

Yes, you can get inverters that plug into the 12v outlets. They get their power from the same source as everything else in the truck... batteries when it is shut off and batteries and alternator when it is running. So, yes, it will run down the batteries during use. Intermittent use should be okay and almost every truck in the last 10-ish years has a power disconnect that kicks in if the batteries drop below the threshold for starting the truck. What happens is it will disconnect all the power to the sleeper and other non-essential circuits. Keep in mind, though, that this is a "safety" device that may, or may not, be active in your truck, it may, or may not, be calibrated correctly and it typically is designed for when you are starting your truck in "optimal" conditions (no drag on engine, unclogged fuel filters, not -30 degrees, no additional parasitic electrical draw, fully charged and healthy batteries, etc.). These switches automatically reset once the truck is started.

As for plug-in inverters, although I have used them for many, many years, you have to be careful and I do not recommend them for constant, nor continuous, use. I have used them primarily to run a laptop and printer, charge batteries for flashlights and headlamps, etc. Nor are they recommended for high-draw appliances (more on this later). I recommend a maximum 300 watt inverter (more on this below).

Inverters are rated by wattage output. To determine what size inverter you need, you have to determine what the current draw is of any electrical accessories you will be plugging in. Every electrical device will have a tag that tells you what either the wattage or amperage (amps) draw is, plus the voltage. If it is amps you can convert it to watts by the following formula: Watts = Amps * Volts (this is a quick 'n dirty calculation, but since we're not designing a factory or machinery it will be just fine). W = A * V W = 7.5 * 120 W = 900 More than a plug-in inverter will supply. What if you have something like a microwave, or curling iron? Assuming you have something like a 700 watt microwave it should be fine plugged into a 900 watt inverter, right? Not so fast.

A couple more things to consider; 1) the "watt" rating of a microwave is typically not the true electrical draw (due to inherent inefficiencies), see the tag on the back / bottom, also 2) anything with a motor will have an initial spike (motor start-up) that will exceed the noted draw and so you want to factor that in. For safety and performance I would typically add 25%. So, going back to the aforementioned "700 W" microwave, let's say it really draws 1000 watts. 1000 * 1.25 (plus 25%) = 1250 watts So, in this case, 1250 watts would be the minimum recommendation, but 1500 watts is better (produces less heat, lasts longer, etc.)

Now, the other VITALLY important thing to know is the maximum amp draw of the circuit you are plugging your inverter into. In most cases, if it is a 12 v plug-in, it will be 10-15 amps. This is limited by the manufacturer based on the components (most importantly, the wiring) used in construction. EXCEEDING THE MANUFACTURER'S LIMITS WILL PUT YOU AT RISK OF BURNING YOUR TRUCK DOWN... LIKELY WITH YOU IN IT. So, DO NOT put a bigger fuse in the circuit. To find out the amp draw, if not listed, use the following formula: Amps = Watts / Volts A = W / V Assuming 1000 watts and 120 volts A = 1000 / 120 A = 8.3

So far so good? Not quite. Remember the 25% safety factor above? I would apply the same to the amperage calculation. The reason being is that if you have a continuous 10 amp draw on a circuit with a 10 amp fuse you will run into it occasionally burning out the fuse (or tripping the breaker). Especially as wires get old, there is corrosion, too hot or too cold creates additional resistance, etc. 8.3 * 1.25 = 10.4 amps I would recommend a 15 amp circuit.

Most decent inverters will have either a shut-off or alarm if you try and exceed the current draw for either the circuit it is plugged into, or the inverter output. However, again, it is best not to rely on this and to have the proper equipment and use it within its design specifications.

So now you're asking, "But how do I cook my dinner AND watch TV at the same time?" You don't. Well, you can IF you have a big enough inverter and it is PROPERLY installed. For anything over about a 300 watt inverter (big enough for a laptop or printer, but not big enough for a microwave, coffee maker, etc. Making heat takes a lot of energy). A PROPERLY installed large inverter will be wired directly to the batteries with wires/cables sufficient enough for the current draw (my preference is to use welding cables). There will also be a fuse in the line to the inverter (VITAL) and a shut-off switch.

Finally, a word on inverter types. You will see some inverters called Pure Sine Inverters. These are usually 2-3 times more expensive than your typical, "normal" inverter (aka: Modified Sine Inverter) you might buy at a truck stop or low-end electronics store. They are designed with better components and filters and produce "better" current (less noise, fewer spikes, etc.) I have never used one and I have never had a problem. However, if you have some expensive electronics plugged directly into your inverter (not via a transformer like your typical laptop or printer), or you're an audiophile, you may want to use a Pure Sine Inverter.

Rollover

Jacknife

In addition to be much more dangerous, a rollover is much more likely to end a driver's career.

Thanks for the replies! Does anyone log all their inspections, or just when something is amiss?

Are you asking about your RODS (driver's log) or the DVIR (inspection report?

If it's the RODS, ask yourself if the act of inspecting the vehicle is on-duty or not. If it's the DVIR, per 396.11(a)(2), you only have to prepare a DVIR for a CMV OTHER THAN a passenger-carrying vehicle if defects are noted.

Company policy may differ in that they want a DVIR prepared regardless.

I couldn't find a specific law about what the penalty would be if you drove on the road when it has been closed for high winds, but it's probably something like failure to obey a traffic control device.

Wyoming Statutes Title 24 Chapter 1

24-1-109. Closing or restricting use; failure to observe signs and markers; exceptions.

(a) Any person who willfully fails to observe any sign, marker, warning, notice, or direction, placed or given under W.S. 24-1-108 is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof by any court of competent jurisdiction, shall be subject to a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) or to imprisonment for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

The short answer: yes.

One reason for the creation of a particular law or regulation is that someone is abusing the current status quo.

If a driver is paid by the mile, isn't the obvious solution to just drive as many miles in a day as you can? "Sleep be d***ned, I need the money" is an attitude and choice that has killed many truckers and innocent people. So the FMCSA has come up with a rule that limits your driving to 11 hours in any 24 hour period, and not all at once either. You need at least one break to get that 11 hours.

Err... not quite.

It is maximum 11 hours driving after 10 hours consecutive off-duty. A driver may actually drive as much as about 13 hours in a day, depending on how "efficient" they are with their mandatory inspections, breaks, etc..