Comments By Bruce K.

I agree with Susan and PackRat, totally unnecessary. I never even thought about that because "why"??????????

Yes using the Jake in wet and slick conditions increases the chance of a jackknife. Think about what a jackknife is: the trailer is moving faster than the tractor and basically pushes the truck out of the way.

What does the Jake do? It slows the truck from the tractor back using the engine against itself. Thus slowing the tractor first and creating a situation where the trailer is going faster than the tractor. Wet conditions make it much more likely to break traction and end up jacking.

Using the service brakes to descend a grade is fairly simple. First make sure you are in the proper gear for the safe speed of decent. When you reach that speed brake until you are 5 to 10 mph below it and then let off the brakes. Rinse and repeat until you get to the bottom.

Remember prior to the late 50s trucks didn't have Jake's, but still had mountains.

Big T, that is really great info. Especially the comment on what causes a jackknife . I learned from that, thank you.

$175 per day and no benefits?????? McDonalds is looking like a better career opportunity for you, especially if you can make it up to assistant manager.

Chris, as far as your legal history, I can't say how that will be viewed by trucking companies. What I can say is that if trucking companies only hired drivers who never made mistakes in their youth, then there would be a critical shortage of drivers. Just keep your record clean from now on and you will be fine. Any company that you apply to, and shows interest in hiring you, will probably bring you in for company training. That is a good thing. Just keep pursuing your dream and acting responsibly and it will work out for you.

Jake, Errol is spot on. Just go through your progressions and don't skip gears. In Wisconsin, stalling is an automatic fail. I never started in first gear, rarely in second, third gear most of the time. There's a technique called "idle shifting" that I was taught in Schneider training that I used, you go from second to forth without using the accelerator. Maybe someone else can elaborate on that. Also, most CDL examiners are pretty lenient about shifting, especially downshifting. They know the new drivers are not going to get through the test without grinding some gears. (Unless you draw some hard a** examiner like the lady in Beaver Dam, WI).

I wish I could tell you more, but I got put into an Autoshift before I mastered a manual.

Up here in Wisconsin the state government has a history of robbing the Transportation Dept/ Fuel taxes to cover deficits in other areas. I don't know if other states do the same, but my guess is that they do. The Federal government probably does the same. And the infrastructure PackRat mentioned suffers.

Ron, what Old School said is sound wisdom. But let's say you have already decided to take one of the two jobs. Do the math and that extra $100 per day adds up to a lot of money over a years time. I'd go for the higher pay. How do you like those apples? Lol.

Bernard, I love guys like you that have a few disadvantages and yet still have a positive attitude and a humble spirit. By all means, if you get a CDL you will be able to find a job. Comparing truck driving to what you make working at McDonalds is a complete misrepresentation. As a rookie, I was on pace to make $50,000 my first year. Keep in mind that if you drive OTR, your living expenses can be drastically reduced. That's a whole topic all by itself. So that $50,000 or $60,000 or whatever, goes much farther. And it sounds like you have the qualities needed to be very successful and happy as a driver. Keep us posted as you progress!

In the 12v plug. Switch out the 2amp for a 10amp and you won't have any trouble with it. At least until you drop it out of the truck and crack the shell lol.

I bought a Coleman 12V cooler in April. It conked out 2 months ago. Just got around to calling Amazon to arrange a return. They told me the company won't take it back because I've had it too long. I thought Coleman made better stuff. Might be a fuse in the cooler. Anybody know where the fuse is located? I can't find it. Thanks.

Big T: Thank you!

Marc, the orange tractor trailer is the one you're training in, right?

Nope! Howard said it never really shifted right after you were done training on it!

Marc, I got a huge amount of amusement from your comment. I never saw that truck but I assume Schneider owns it? Can you get some history on it? Say Hi to Howard for me. I trained with Howard and I thought he was an interesting character. I developed a bad habit of looking down at the shifter handle quite a bit to be sure of the shift pattern. One day, Howard tells me "If I see you looking down at that shift pattern one more time, I'm going to have them put your butt in an automatic." I said "Are you serious?" Howard said "Damn right I am." I never looked down again and the rest of my training was all in a manual. As soon as I got my first truck, it was an Autoshift. Oh well, worked out for the best.

I bought a Coleman 12V cooler in April. It conked out 2 months ago. Just got around to calling Amazon to arrange a return. They told me the company won't take it back because I've had it too long. I thought Coleman made better stuff. Might be a fuse in the cooler. Anybody know where the fuse is located? I can't find it. Thanks.

I took a sleeping bag instead of a lot of bedding. Brought one medium sized pillow and used a pillowcase for my laundry bag and it doubled as a second pillow.

Marc, the orange tractor trailer is the one you're training in, right?

Loa, you'll get it. Just power through the extra studying, not everybody gets everything the first try. As for catching a double or triple at a truck stop, good luck. Those rigs don't go into truck stops very much. I never saw one parked overnight that I can remember. Maybe at the fuel island.

BTW, my dog likes your dog.

Here's my take on recaps. I understand the math. Some drivers like to drive everyday so they limit their daily driving to 8:45 hours a day so they can keep rolling every day. That's fine because it's their style. Others like to use up their 11/14 everyday and then take the 34 hour reset. It's a matter of personal preference, but I decided I liked my 34 hour reset.

No way. Never seen triple 53' trailers. Are you sure?

You can't go wrong with Roehl, as long as you can pronounce the name correctly. Solid company, solid training, lot's of help and guidance for new drivers. Of course, it's a Wisconsin company, so it would be to your advantage to be a Green Bay Packer fan if you aren't already. Lol. Go Packers!

Ok, here's my educated opinion on pressure treated wood. I won't buy any that hasn't been stored inside a lumber shed and kept dry. I just hand picked up a load of PT lumber that had been stored inside. Was it tarped on the truck? I don't know, but at least it wasn't stored outside. The load was all 2X10's and 2X12's. The water content is so high that it is difficult for me to handle 12 foot lengths by myself. So, I'm a strong proponent of tarping those loads. Put that in the "for whatever it's worth" department.

James C: You came to a great place to get sound advice. So, that's a great start. What caught my attention is your statement that "I hate most people". I think you have to work to change that mindset to be successful in any profession. Truck drivers spend a lot of time alone, but they do interact with others more than you might think, especially in the training phase. If you can't get along with other people, it will be a liability as a trainee and driver. I would certainly encourage you to pursue driving and get out of that cubicle torture chamber, but think about developing your people skills at the same time.

I hope I can join this conversation even though I'm not an experienced driver. But I love a challenge and getting my CDL and going OTR for Schneider, was a very satisfying challenge and something I'm proud of. Now I'm working on a different challenge, but I know I can come back to driving when I can no longer swing a hammer. (Except a tire thumper). I met quite a few new and interesting people, saw parts of the country I'd never seen before. I really enjoyed the mental aspect of trucking. Anybody who thinks a driver is just a steering wheel holder is greatly misinformed. It takes a lot of brain work to do everything involved with driving. The top tier drivers are all students of their profession and teachers also. Pretty cool way to make a good living!