Profile For Deke

Can anyone clarify the belly strap regulations for me please.

I read it as anything 3 tiers or more needs a belly strap that is to be placed no higher than 6’ off the deck.

Am I misinterpreting this???

47000lbs of shingles. 300 miles

Hello All, Just stopping in for a quick update. I finished the 4 weeks with my trainer and all went well. I have been issued a truck and will run my first solo load tomorrow.

Take care and stay safe

It is actually against our company policy to turn on red.

How’s the weather over in Cuba?

Hi Parrot, It was wet!! Lol. All went well in orientation and first week.

I’m out with my trainer now. Spending tonight at a Lowes for a 7 a.m. delivery tomorrow morning. Picking up steel tomorrow in Tennessee for a Monday morning delivery in Alabama. I should finish this week with about 2500 miles.

I have three more weeks to go then back to Cuba for final week.

What's the toy truck idea?

Helps you visualize what is going on when you back.

Any updates?

Thanks everyone for all the support! I have been packing my bags tonight. I pick up the rental car tomorrow and leave for Cuba Sunday morning. I may start a new thread about orientation/company training if I feel my experiences warrant it or possibly help somebody. I will at least keep you all updated on my progress.....

Well, this morning in a cold rain, I satisfactorily completed the pre-trip, the backing skills, AND MY ROAD TEST!! 😄

What a relief. Next step on my journey; orientation with McElroy in Cuba, Alabama. I’m scheduled to start Monday the 29th....

If you are looking flatbed, I would recommend you give McElroy a call. They have been great to work with during my application process and they don’t disqualify you for being a stay at home parent.

Obviously I have no experience de-icing a truck trailer, but I have used power washers to take ice off equipment. Is there a Blue Beacon anywhere close to you? Depending on the temperature of where you are, Old School’s suggestion may be your only option......

Squeaky clean....

Best wishes and I look forward to hearing how things go!

I wonder if you get your physical somewhere other than Springfield terminal if they are going to push the sleep apnea issue as hard

My guess is since this sleep apnea issue as you call it comes from a DOT mandate, that no matter where you go, if you have a cdl or want to get one and you fall within the screening parameters, you are going to have to get tested.

Honestly, I don’t get this whole line of thinking that there is some sort of conspiracy to push a bunch of truck drivers into using a cpap that wouldn’t otherwise need to. Either you have obstructive sleep apnea or you don’t. If you do, you really want to get it diagnosed and get started with therapy because there are a bunch of other problems that can and most likely will arise from untreated sleep apnea.

If you don’t have it, then all you are out is the time it took to do the sleep study. I know Rainy struggles with her cpap, but I know many more fellow “hose nose’s” that really do well with their cpap therapy. If I could change things, granted I would choose to not have sleep apnea, but since that isn’t possible, I choose to do the best I can with my cpap and for me, it works really well. I won’t even take a nap without wearing mine. It does add a little to the logistics when I travel, but it is like anything else, you figure it out and make it work.

From everything I have heard and read, the trucking industry more than any other is really quite supportive of drivers who have apnea. So I for one am grateful for that.

I wish you the best, and no matter what the outcome, know it isn’t the end of the world. Stay positive and make the best of whatever comes your way.

Best wishes Kyle! Embrace the adventure!!

Yeah, dont hit the curb like I did when you exit I-65 at Raymond St........lol. I go back in a couple weeks to retest.

I worked for Global Van Lines for a short period in a previous lifetime....my early 20’s.....lol. I wasn’t a driver, I did the lifting, loading, unloading. The operation I worked for had packers that went in ahead of us so most everything was packed up in boxes by the time we got there. We would just have to pack everything into the truck. I seem to recall thinking the driver had a pretty good gig as most of them would stay in the trailer and instruct us in where/how wanted things loaded. A few would help carry things out but most of the OTR drivers that I worked with rarely left the truck. The driver paid us from his pocket so I guess depending on how hard he wanted to work would dictate how many of us “laborers” he picked up from the warehouse.

We did do a fair amount of military moves. Most of them we did were coming from overseas though so all their household goods were in large wooden crates.....Those were a pain in the butt on occasion because the contract required us to unpack everything if the customer requested. It could make for some long days.

Congrats lthel, enjoy your time at home.

I don’t know 🤷‍♂️ If it is the state that dictates this or just Pro-safe, the third party testing facility I have to use.....but that is what I am told, I have to do the entire test again.....

Indiana makes you take the entire test again. Pretrip, backing, and road test .....