Profile For IDMtnGal

This was a month ago in Rawlins WY. Wind gusts were 40+ mph. According to the weather channel calculator, it was -62°!! with the wind chill.

Laura

Who is the company? Most all Idaho companies pay layover pay to their OTR/Regional drivers.

GLS (sister company to Giltner) is small and does treat you like family, giving cpm raises regularly, layover pay when sitting, detention pay, etc.

So, next company, you need to ask about pay and accessorial pay BEFORE you commit to going with them.

Laura

Message on Friday from my Dispatcher:

During winter, 1900 to 0000 is a good time in Kingman AZ or Fernley NV. I prefer just doing it 2x a month, but since I pass through the yard at least once a week, I'm doing it every 10-12 days. It does keep the salt and sand from eating the paint.

Four or 5 days after a wash:

Laura

Pacific Pearl,

My run to the Port of Oakland CA has me running once east and once west every week. Those drivers that are inexperienced do slide off the road and do get caught up in packs, so do get in wrecks.

The vast majority of drivers that are unsafe by driving faster than the POSTED Variable Speed limits are drivers that have been out here for quite a few years. Listening to them on the CB, they feel they know the roads and the posted speed limit is too slow. However, when it's posted 45 or 55, there is a reason and when drivers blow by me, I generally see them off in the median or barrow pit a few miles ahead of me.

The Metro trailer had passed me about 8 miles earlier doing 65 in a 45. There are 5 trucks in this wreck. PackRat was 3 miles ahead of me and warned me about the different wrecks. Another truck that blew by me a couple miles back ended up going through the highway fence out into the field a mile ahead of me. He was doing 68 in the 45 zone.

Laura

Actually I-80 has been pretty much closed since Thursday. They opened it up briefly and those 2 fairly large accidents happened shortly after and shut the road down again.

MM 261 and 266 Accidents

Laura

What place is this?

Laura

San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge

Ryan, You are correct. Below is the view the next morning. I was at the Port of Oakland to drop my can.

Laura

1. I was also lied to about job opportunities and a hiring freeze of people in South Florida

Who lied to you about what? Many companies regularly put a freeze on hiring in FL, especially southern FL. Right now many companies around the US have slowed down hiring experienced drivers let alone students.

2. If I was a felon with a couple with a couple of DUIs in my past (and didn't live in South Florida) I would be driving right now.

Maybe and maybe not. A friend had a couple DUIs and had to wait for 10 years before he could get hired again. He also gets turned down by quite a few companies still and it's been over 15 yrs since he straightened up.

3. If I was a drug addict and stopped for a while I could get in a truck. If you tell them you stopped using drugs but you won't pass a hair follicle test they will work with you.

You are so wrong, especially companies "working with you" regarding the hair follicle test. You fail that, you are pretty much done as a driver. While FMCSA doesn't use hair follicle testing, many companies do and you fail that, you are history with that company and many others. All you have to do is type hair follicle test in the white search box above and see how many people have posted about it and they can't get a job.

4. My time has run out.

Run out for what? You put in a couple applications and you are done? Only if you want it to be. Could the Suboxone keep you from being hired by every company? Maybe or maybe not. Could your suicide attempt keep you from being hired? More than likely.... it's still recent. However, You don't have a clue because you haven't applied everywhere yet.

5. Common sense has left every area of this world.

What common sense are you talking about? Generalities like this is what makes your post appear to be whining and shows you really know nothing about this career, even tho you say you researched it.

What place is this?

Laura

My last 3 trucks did not have a CD player 😡 I have about 150+ audio books I would like to listen to again.

I'll probably put some on eBay and box some up to give to a VA nursing home.

Laura

How many years experience do you have driving?

You do realize that the price of trucks are up, even the used ones and that freight is slow and not paying well right now.

There are a couple guys on the forum that are 00s and they should be along within a day or so.

If the company is out of Idaho, that's a fair wage for your first year. I have driven for Idaho companies except two, this one and basically the same company but under different ownership. When the investors folded, the original owner started up the one I'm with now. They start all new hires at 54 cpm, regardless of years of experience and everyone gets one cent raise in January and July. They are in West Jordan Valley UT and require two years experience....so not much more than what many companies in Idaho pay.

The company I got let go from, a sister company to Giltner, has raised their wages from 42 cents to 55 cents over the past year. When I was let go (covered the driver facing camera), I had just gotten a .02 cent raise two months earlier.

Idaho companies do not pay very well compared to other States. I believe it's because it's a "Right to Work" or at will state. If it's to make money, I would talk with them about getting a raise that is at least 50 CPM. Let him know that Idaho companies are trying to be competitive with out-of-state companies and many have raised their rates. After I got fired in May, I talked with a number of companies in Idaho and most were 48 cpm to 55 cpm for experienced drivers.

I saw you sitting in Idaho shortly after I left out from my home time around Christmas. I didn't zoom in to see where you actually were. Where are you living in Idaho?

I live in Buhl, a small town south of the Snake River and west of Twin Falls by about 15 miles. The husband and I moved there in October 2008.

Laura

First time I've ever seen these and saw 2 in the same lot where I dropped my container at Cargill in Fort Morgan CO:

Wouldn't work on my cans. 😉

Laura

This video is done by John Seidl, a 23 yr DOT/Federal Inspector and Instructor.

Just copy and paste this YouTube link and listen to it. There are 4 valid reasons for Personal Conveyance:

https://youtu.be/4ODK3595Xa8

Laura

Update

I have had my CDL for about 6 months now.

No restrictions whatsoever with the new rules.

I went through my local trucking school. I took night classes for 6 weeks. I passed with flying colors. Even with good vision in one eye only i had the highest scores in my class.

it feels good to finally have my CDL!

Congratulations!!

Did you get the job with the local excavator?

Laura

Why is this a question? If you are not driving you can take pics, etc.

This is a new person that has a month of drive time under their belt. They are thinking of doing things legally and to them this was a very valid question.

PJ's response is actually the more valid response than yours. As we used to say in the Air Force, the only stupid question is the unasked one. I'm glad they are thinking about what's legal and what's not legal.

Laura

My company is doing fine. The Japanese are still buying lots of beef and pork.

Laura

do your pretrip!

It's TERRIFYING how stupid, and lazy some of the drivers are that we share the road with.

Michelin shows all kinds of different tire wear on the link below. Might want to save it to use in the future

Michelin Worn Tire Explanations

Laura

Sorry, my mistake, the rest areas are closed, I-80 is open with chain controls. Looks like a big crowd came to the show.

I-80 in Wyoming opened today although it was closed to high-profile light traffic due to the winds. I'm fairly heavy so I was going to go across until I got a phone call from my dispatcher. I was in western Nebraska and they told me to go to Cheyenne, head south on I-25 to 70, to 15 and head south to Barstow, across to Bakersfield and up to the port that way. I asked why because I'm short on recap hours...this route adds 235 more miles, and they said because Donner was getting hit and would be for a couple days. I'm so glad I don't have to chain up on this trip. I've done it three times already.

Laura

If that's still there on my next trip out there, I'm stopping to check out the cargo and the damage close up.

Have you had a trip back that way, and if so, was the truck still there?

No PackRat didn't go back that way. He's up in Minnesota with his truck in the shop. I came back from Oakland that way a few days after I posted and that truck was gone.

Laura

Thanks everybody. I decided not to go with prime, or be an owner operator. A couple years late, but I’m going to the community college this spring. As my New Years revolution. The material on here is great. Thanks every one for your input. After thinking about it for years, I’m doing it.

Go through the links again that are posted above and see why we don't recommend community colleges or local training schools. In this tough economy where companies are laying off drivers because freight has slowed, you really need to go with a company that does training. Then you are pretty much assured of having a job when you get through it. Going through a community college is no guarantee that you will have a job, only that you will have your CDL.

Laura