Comments By ChosenOne

A tip, if you are going to get a TWIC, do not ap[ply for your TWIC at the same time. Go and get your HME clearance first. Once your HME is approved, you can go online and add TWIC without visiting an office, they will use your picture from your HME, and you will get a $20 discount on the TWIC. They will mail your TWIC to your house. If you get your TWIC first, wait until cleared and apply for your HME, the discount is only $19, ever dollars counts. Keep your receipts, both are tax deductible.

I was told at the Arleta DMV you have to wait 2 weeks after you received your permit before you can test, but can add endorsements anytime, even the day before, or day of your skills test. If you really want to know, call the Commercial Licensing Section in Sacramento, they are the ones who the local offices call when they have questions. The number is 916 657 5771, press 1 for english, then 5 to be transferred to the Commercial Licensing Section. I had some issues with getting the right Office to process my tests for my Class A CLP, I have a Class B CDL already and only certain DMV Offices can process my application, they knew what the issue was, and were able to explain why, and verified they had my HME Clearance from TSA. You can get your HME Clearance in Cali before you take the HazMat Test, it is electronically transmitted to DMV from TSA, it only shows up to the DMV folks, and when you test it hem shows up on your license as an endorsement.

Being retired I have MasterBadge and a CCW Endorsed ID, accepted everywhere. I did some contracting work in the side last year. Every company I worked at had a no weapons policy, the only exception being on-duty law enforcement, and company security personnel. Your best defense is be aware of your surroundings, and if your gut tells you it is not a good place, keep going. Most Companies own the truck you are driving and can search it just because, you may not like it, but all anyone has to do is drop a dime and call. Most places you visit will have a no weapons policy and by entering you, your vehicle, is subject to search. Where I go to school is next to a DC, they do random searches of trucks going in and out. My 2nd day at class they found a firearm in a cab, they called LAPD, the driver was arrested, and the truck was towed. I am guessing there is an open at Southern Refrigerated.

Technology being what it is, drive near any border, you don't even have to cross, they do xray the truck as you drive through. There are a few states that have been discussing using the technology to xray trucks as they pass through scales on drug routes. Then you have Canada border crossings, and entering Ports and Military Installations.

I rarely carry these days, I doubt I will when I am OTR, I don't go to the range often enough to stay proficient, and trucks with thin fiberglass walls just don't stop anything from going through it, you will have an adrenaline rush, you miss, and who knows where the round will end. The most effective and safest firearm in a dense area is a shotgun, but that would be a bit obvious.

Go with your gut, get a cargo strap and run it through the armrests between the doors, keeps the doors closed so you should not have to worry about anyone getting in, except through a window, and my size 9 boot will leave a nice imprint in your forehead.

The link did not work for me. I did find it here: Hydrogen Cell Toyota Prototype

I wonder who will end up paying for hydrogen cell refueling stations? Will the oil companies do it? I am trying to find the article from a few years back, a Scandinavian country has a highway where the Government installed the refueling stations, and the cell technology is pushed there.

I will wear jeans, t-shirt when on the road and button up or polo shirt at a customer. Boots, or tennis shoes/Sketchers. Sketchers has some comfortable shoes that won't break the bank and look somewhat professional. I would wear my Clark's, but I am not sure I would be let in the gate with them on. My Grandfather made me promise to never wear a wife beater without a real shirt covering it, no shorts, and he said under no circumstances will I be allowed to wear flip flops except in the shower, and not to and from. He said if I did he would come back from the dead and haunt me for the rest of my life. He said there are enough unprofessional drivers out there another one is not needed. He added corduroy, while normally frowned upon, can be worn on Sunday if attending services at a nearby house of worship, but they should not be worn if utilizing the traveling services at the truck shop, then a clean shirt and jeans are in order.

I just did the offset, and this is what I did.

1 - Turn the wheel all the way to the right or left, depending on which offset you are doing. Do not look at the cones until step 5. When I look at the cones it messes me up, so I try and ignore them as long as possible.

2 - Backup until the trailer is at a 45 degree angle, stop.

3 - Turn the wheel back the opposite direction as far as you can.

4 - When you start backing as soon as you see the side of the trailer in the mirror, stop.

5 - Draw an imaginary straight line from the cone and back straight until your rear trailer tire closest to the cone is parallel to the imaginary line and stop.

6 - Turn the wheel hard and start backing, as soon as the trailer starts heading for the hole, start straightening out the truck.

7 - Finish with a straight backin the rest of the way.

I was taught this in the military back in the early 80's. You may want to look at the trailer, there may be some hidden marker. When I did this today I found there was a rivet in the trailer that when I turned and it was over the frame of the truck, it was the 45 degree angle I needed. I want to thank the folks at Great Dane for placing the rivets in a strategic location to assist in the offset backing.

This week has been just amazing, straight backing, check, left side offset, check, right side offset check, shifting up and down check. Now the problem, I have driven trucks with 5th wheels before, it has been 32 years, but as they say it is like riding a bike. The instructor said I need to slow down, while he likes to see progress, there is a minimum number of hours they require, and to stay certified as a Post Secondary, they have to follow the curriculum. So he said the rest of the week will be backing, I can choose which I want to practice on, I just need to finish the hours off for it. He said not to worry, it is a good thing, and at some point I may need additional time on a driving skill, and he said I will probably be ahead of schedule for each module anyway. He said to make sure I pace myself, even if it is slower.

I have done a lot in the past. I worked as a Shell Station pumping gas, servicing, tires, driving a tow truck, etc. I have not seen a real service station in years, now the attendant sits behind a counter for the most part. I remember when they put in the self serve island.

Next I enlisted in the Air Force, maintained nuclear weapons, looking back at it, they must have had some real trust, sending a couple of 19 year olds out to target, and work on them.

From there I went into law enforcement, in 1998 was involved in a traffic accident, took 2 1/2 hours for them to get me pried out of the car, I still remember hearing them talking when they first arrived, they said I was most likely dead, and to start notifications, they had the Chaplain at the house, just waiting for confirmation, but eventually they were able to get to me, see I was still alive, and get me out. My wife and kids were taken to a trauma center 53 miles away, in patrol cars, lights and sirens. She said after they arrived, I was still not there, then they heard the helicopter and saw me being unloaded. I was medically retired 2 years later. They said I should not be chasing 15 years old over fences anymore. I had punctured both lungs, broken more than a few bones, bruised things I didn't know you could bruise, but thankfully my back and neck were saved from any cracking or fractures. I was in the hospital for 2 months, then rehab, and finally home. I remember the accident like it was yesterday, hope to never repeat that again, probably won't turn out so well next time.

My next great adventure was IT. I started out at desktops, went to servers, networking, databases, architecture, then management for a Fortune 50 company. I oversaw multi-million dollar sales and implementations, I never thought making so much money was even possible, then last year came the layoffs, and my number was picked. Having no degree in this day and age really diminishes your ability to even apply, let alone get an interview for an IT job. After months of applying, the unemployment ran out, and we are living on our savings and medical retirement, thankfully we saved a few dollars for a rainy day. Then came the big question, what to do for my next great adventure.

Not finding a position due to the lack of a degree, the State advised me strongly I needed to apply at my local JTCC. I applied, took tests, and asked me what I wanted to do. I could not see myself in an office, or the same office day after day, I have traveled the last few years weeks at a time. I remember spending summers with my grandfather, and sometimes uncles traveling with them when they were OTR. I remember how much I enjoyed it, so I asked about it. Now I am in school with a WIOA Grant. Next will be, what company, then more training, then if all goes well a truck.

I agree you need to reduce your tax liabilities. Every dollar counts, I have used the same Tax Attorney for years to prepare my returns. He says you should not be getting much back at the end of the year, your tax person should be able to tell you what adjustments you need to make to your withholding. As he says, companies hate when you deviate from a standard, S0, M1, but there is not rule that says you cannot make adjustments to your withholding a few times a year, why let the Government have it all year long, change it and get it now. He also said, if you are buying T-Shirts, buy the ones with e company logos, those are tax deductible, same with any piece of clothing, if it has the company log it is deductible. Doing laundry on the road, that is deductible. He said while the IRS loves receipts, laundry mats don't print them, so keep it as detailed as possible, business name, address, etc. He also said if we go to a flat tax, all of this goes away, so get while the getting is good.

It has a been a bit since I updated this. The first week was all CBT's, FMCSA Regs and HOS, and Cali Specific Reg's and HOS Exceptions. Talk about a way to confuse someone, if you are Intrastate this applies, but if you are Interstate forget those rules, use these. Good news is, I tested and passed both, now that is behind me.

This week is shifting and backing week, I have 3 days (Mon, Wed, Fri), 2 hours each day behind the wheel scheduled. I thought I would need longer, but 2 hours is long enough, and since you are 1 on 1, the time flies. He said he has no worries about me picking up what I need to for the test, he said I will find myself bored at times as we have a minimum numbers of hours I have to have before I can graduate, and I will prbably have the skills I need before then. Today was introduction to shifting and double clutching. I did so well, we started on Wednesday's straight backing for the last 10 minutes.

The truck is a 10 speed, and in an hour I was up-shifting and downshifting going around the block. It is an industrial area with a lot of truck traffic, but everyone was patient, no stalls, no one honked at me or gave me the finger. Now that I had the pattern down, it was off to the big lot, which is a distribution warehouse parking lot, looks like a football field in length (Probably less, but when you are backing down a long alley, it seems like it is). You drive down to the end, put it in reverse and straight back while correcting for what seems like an eternity, with the clutch out, no braking allowed until you reach the imaginary dock/cones, and in high reverse. Before you know it you are aiming for the cones. The reason they have such a long straight back, I was told one day I will be in a place where I have to backup, and will be a long backup, and he said you get the feel for corrections, and there were many. The good news is, I didn't jackknife or have any pull ups, but it seemed like the cones were a mile back. Did that 3 times and ended between the cones each time.

Wednesday is more straight backing, and if I nail it at least twice, we will go to offset backing.