Profile For GLA

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Old School, what does all that mean?

QLA, I thought it was clear. Maybe it's the "MT" part that is confusing?

"MT" is Qualcomm lingo for "empty."

Does that help you understand what I was saying. If not, speak up and I will try to elaborate.

Thanks Old School. I am not in school yet, so the acronyms go by me. "MT" was the issue. GLA

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Old School, what does all that mean?

Relying on rumor, opinion of marijuana users, second guess opinions about marijuana testing, or the "expert opinion" of Uncle Harry who knew a druggie that took drug tests, is like relying on the same type of information about which trucking company to work for. Those of us who live in Colorado have concerns about second hand smoke. My son and I love concerts. Guess what we run into? Clouds of second hand smoke. Not only are we breathing it, but we are also covered in smoke. There is very good information from credible sources on the internet about all of the above. If a person takes the time to conduct credible research, they will be able to see through the opinions, hearsay, hysteria and outright hyperbole that have been presented in the course of this thread. Here is a link to start your research. http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/drugtestguide/drugtestdetection.html P.S. Please don't drink and drive. Please don't smoke and drive. And for the love of God, please don't do opioids and drive.

Brett, your CDL training course is amazing, and if anyone would like to know about why his course is so good: http://success.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/256

Read the book, Mindset, by Carol Dweck. Potentially life changing information. Best of all, it's research based.

We had a Budweiser truck make its maiden voyage here in Colorado about a month ago. Made it in stellar fashion. Lots of regular drivers weren't very excited about it. Something Cujo'ish about a 18 wheeler humming down the freeway un-attended, even if there was a fella in the cab.

More like "Christine" IMO

Oh yeah, yeah.😜

New article on self driving trucks; very interesting as I would see it as a benefit during the long open road stretches. We currently have the self driving Uber SUV's here in Tempe, AZ. I see them quite a lot and they are pretty impressive; they stay back and away from bicyclists etc especially here near the University where it very congested.

I know it's probably a long way off but the Technology is coming.

Embark Self Driving Truck

We had a Budweiser truck make its maiden voyage here in Colorado about a month ago. Made it in stellar fashion. Lots of regular drivers weren't very excited about it. Something Cujo'ish about a 18 wheeler humming down the freeway un-attended, even if there was a fella in the cab.

From the manual "Adjust turning and braking to conditions - Make turns as gentle as possible. Do not brake any harder than necessary, and do not use the engine brake or speed retarder (they can cause the driving wheels to skid on slippery surfaces)."

If the engine brake can cause a skid, how in the world can I control my downhill speed? When I exit Eisenhower tunnel during a snow storm my car is usually at 25mph and I am hard pressed to keep that speed all the way down.

How do you keep a truck at that speed?

1. Stay in a low gear. Do not upshift. 2. Frequent, brief, and G E N T L E application of the brakes. Do not let you speed creep up more than 2-3 mph before braking, and use as little brake as possible to bring it back down. One technique I've found useful is to use only the outside "pinky toe" corner of your foot on the pedal. Using less actual foot will help keep you from inadvertently tromping down on the pedal and breaking traction. 3. Lather, rinse, repeat until the weather and roads are clear.

I like that "pinky toe" idea. It's useful in my four wheeler as well.

The idea is never get to a high enough speed that you need the brakes when it's slick. So keep it slow and when you get to a hill slow down some more before your actually going down it... then slow down some more for good measure and to pxxx off the people behind you

Why? Because it's not their license your worried about.

My motto always has been and will continue to be, you drive yours. I'll drive mine. I've seen too many wrecks on that mountain.

From the manual "Adjust turning and braking to conditions - Make turns as gentle as possible. Do not brake any harder than necessary, and do not use the engine brake or speed retarder (they can cause the driving wheels to skid on slippery surfaces)."

If the engine brake can cause a skid, how in the world can I control my downhill speed? When I exit Eisenhower tunnel during a snow storm my car is usually at 25mph and I am hard pressed to keep that speed all the way down.

How do you keep a truck at that speed?

The key phrase is "adjust to conditions". Really important. First off, your approach speed to the downgrade needs to be greatly reduced. Second use your gears to control speed (lower) without application of the engine brake. When applying the service brake finesse and control is required. No jerky movements or abrupt adjustments. Smooth and steady. Like most things with driving a large vehicle, you learn from experience and repetition.

Number one criteria for snow driving; if conditions warrant shutting down and waiting it out; don't hesitate, err on the side of safety. Shut down at the nearest safe parking spot.

Hmm, maybe that's what I mis-understand. I thought downshifting to a lower gear is what engine braking was all about. Is the "jake brake" something else that gets applied?

From the manual "Adjust turning and braking to conditions - Make turns as gentle as possible. Do not brake any harder than necessary, and do not use the engine brake or speed retarder (they can cause the driving wheels to skid on slippery surfaces)."

If the engine brake can cause a skid, how in the world can I control my downhill speed? When I exit Eisenhower tunnel during a snow storm my car is usually at 25mph and I am hard pressed to keep that speed all the way down.

How do you keep a truck at that speed?