Comments By Big Holli

Alright I was just was wanting to make sure I wasn't expecting something crazy.

Hey folks I was just curious about what kind of home to work ratios are y'all guys doing? I am married with two kids, and me and my wife are comfortable with me working 22days out a 30 day month. So that's 8 days off. Was just wanting to here what y'all married folk do.

The first time I drove a stick was at school. I had never driven a Manual truck before. But some reason I learned fast. And i miss it. Hauling tankers I thought having an auto would be smother ride. It's not. The transmission shifts like a new guy is slamming gears. Don't even get me started on how it handles hills.

Dang. Me and my fellow team driver got to the terminal Monday morning. To take our truck, move our stuff in. Truck was not clean, still had the other guys tools and what not in it. We were supposed to just hook up to a pre loaded and hit the road to new jersy. We grab the first set of paper work, go ride the yard, no trailer. Go back to dispatch. The trailer is still at the plant, not loaded. Wait a few hours and then the second set of paper work is ready. It was rescheduled. Now the 3 rd trailer is the charm, dispatch says we can unload no matter what time we get there. We get there at 1830, the plant is closed, they stopped taking stuff at 1500. So we had to find a truck stop and sleep. Which is a real waste of a team set up, in my opinion. The next morning we unload. Dispatch calls and says they got a truck broke down in Virginia, going to the plant we just left. As we are driving down there to rescue the load, I notice the lights on my control panel are out. My engine break comes on and off by its self, and my air horn is inop. So now we are waiting at the international service center. Hope next week is better. I am not impressed at all with internationals and Mack trucks. And plus the fact that it's an automatic really sucks lol

I called the Texas state police and the Louisiana state police (where my liscens is from) and confirmed that no points where taken for a written warning. I could have argued with the officer. But honestly he seemed to want that. And My hours were slowly ticking away. So I was nice took the ticket and left.

It seems like the papers were in neither place...passenger seat or door pouch. Big Holli, where were they?

We had the papers in a clear pouch next to my seat on the floor board. Within arms reach. When the trooper was walking to the passenger side , my trainer grabbed the paper work and had it all ready on his lap by the time the trooper got up to the window. I get my own truck Monday and will be putting a pouch on the driver door. Even though he still wouldn't have been able to see them. His exact words were " I should be able to see them as soon as I climb up. " It seemed to me that he wanted to argue. I just said "yes sir you have a good one" And yes it was a Hazmat load.

Well me and my trainer were driving back from Odessa TX. Cruising along when all of a sudden a state trooper is behind us. Pull over and he says he is going to do an inspection. I said sounds good. My trainer had all of the papers ready to hand him should he ask me for them. He checked the whole rig. Didn't find anything. I did exactly what he told me. And when it was over he said " y'all are good to go, I am giving you a citation, a warning, for not having your papers visible when I got to your truck. " I said " thank you stay safe" but idk where I was supposed to keep the papers. If they would have been in the door he still couldn't have seen them because he came on the passenger side. Does any one know if a warning is points on my license? I had everything ready in arms reach.

First night with a trainer. Met up with him at 2200. Hauling a tanker from Houston to Roanoke TX. About 280 miles each way. Hope to get out of this training phase as quick as possible. But so far so good.

Congratulations! What kind if freight are you going to be hauling? I know there's a Service Transport in Texas that does a lot of liquid hazmat. Are you going to be pulling a tanker, or is this a different Service Transport?

Thats the company I am going with. Hauling tankers. Going to be team driving with a good buddy until they open up owner operators again.

Congratulations on a job well done. Tell me how was Coastal driving academy

I liked them a lot. If you talk to all of the instructors and other students and make the effort to learn then you will have no problem. I went from not knowing anything about trucks to being able to drive one and back it up with ease.