Comments By Woody

WOW, Just, I cant think of any other response other than Wow, Incredible luck for all involved that nobody appears to have been hurt....

i don't think it appears that no one was hurt. I thought that when watching it on the news but this clip is longer and shows more if you watch closely. At the end of the video keep an eye on the rear trailer. Someone hits it pretty hard.

I drive doubles most of the time and often with a single axle truck. I keep even more space than I normally do (which is a lot) in winter conditions and will pull off in a heart beat if it turns to ice. As Ralph already stated by the time most people find out it is ice it is too late. This is why it is important to keep proper distances and that includes trying to manage the space behind you.

Woody

I've been using the weather channel app for some time but would like to go to something different. Suggestions?

Jacob I would only be concerned if you had said you were not nervous at all. You SHOULD be nervous!!! This is a tough career with a lot at stake for you and everyone on the road with you. Being nervous or having the jitters shows you understand this and are taking it seriously.

Everyone that I have ever spoken to had the nervous feelings when they were starting out, it is normal.

Woody

Glad to see it worked out Valky. For any other members that may read this thread I will comment on the slow response by the recruiter.

While the holiday season may be slowing down some response times even more it is very normal to have trouble getting in touch with a recruiter. It does not matter what time of year or which company your dealing with. Recruiters are slammed with applications so you must be persistent when calling for answers. I bugged the heck out of mine when I was starting, often calling multiple times a day until I got lucky and reached the recruiter instead of voicemail.

And just to be clear a good or bad experience with a recruiter is no indication of how things may be when you actually work for the company. The best indication will come from speaking with drivers that work for said company, and probably more specifically drivers that are happy with the company. I say that because as you all no every company out there has a ton of drivers ready to tell you what is bad when in many cases it may be the drivers themselves. A happy driver is doing enough things right that he can probably give you better and more honest information in my humble opinion.

Woody

I totally agree with Brett, probably just the time of the year. If you really want it just stay in contact with them and you will get in.

Woody

I agree with all the numbers unless you go into Linehaul. You can make 50,000+ even starting out in Linehaul. In some cases considerably more.

Well it's official I completed my first year in trucking this week so I'm changing my title to experienced driver

That being said I still learn something new all the time so it's really I'm just more experienced than I used to be. A big thanks to Brett and all the posters here that helped me get started. The things I have learned from being a member helped set me out way above the curve and made my first year much easier. Still very challenging so I can't imagine what it would have been without Trucking Truth!!!

Woody

I haven't even started school yet but reading your post I find it hard to believe your trainer gave you a hard time on any of what you mentioned. Curious to see what the exp. guys say.

Since my odometer just clicked over for my first year I can now post as an experienced driver

I can say the comments by his trainer does not surprise me in the least. I had what I considered an EXCELLENT trainer and received the same comments. Just watch how most truckers drive, their definition of safe driving is nothing close to mine. I will never forget a couple of my trainers comments. Both were in heavy traffic. The first I had worked myself into a perfect smith system position with plenty of room around my truck. There was a large group ahead of me and a large one behind but no one even close to me. His advice? Speed up and catch up to the pack! I ignored him.

The second we were on a three lane highway I had decent distance in front of me with a clear view in the middle lane. He tells me to move to my right so I did. Once there he pointed out the slow moving semi in the middle lane a little ways ahead and said you have to look far enough ahead to get around those guys. My reply was I would have stayed where I was because now you put me right behind this dump truck and all I can see in our lane is his tailgate.

I am 46 years old and have not had an accident or even a ticket since I was 20. One of the hardest things for me while with my trainer was having someone try to tell me how to drive. I'm not talking about how to handle the truck, or take corners, or back up. I'm talking about basic safe driving practices.

My trainer also hated the fact that I drive the speed limit. He said I was the first person he ever trained that he never had to say slow down. In fact it was always speed up. In my third and final week after I was pretty comfortable with him we were driving down 76 in PA. I passed a sign and just as I went for my turn signal he asked what the sign said. I replied trucks in left lane as I was moving over. Just a short distance later was a speed limit sign. I asked him what did that sign say and he never commented on my speed again lol.

It is one of the many things you have to figure out how to deal with when your training. its a fine line between following instruction and doing something you know is not as safe as it could be.

Woody

Good luck on the rebid 6, I hope you get something that fits what you need. Our bids came up a few weeks ago. There was still a couple available when it came to me but I decided to turn them down and try my hand at the extra board. For me I have found good and bad on both sides. I am not high enough yet to get a turn so I would have had another lay down. It was nice knowing what time I had to start but I did 3 lay downs a week which had me in the truck at least a few hours every day. I also live about an hour away from my terminal so if I can get out for 2 or 3 days at a time it saves me gas money. Doing a turn bid where I live now would be tough on me both driving back and fourth after the long work days and feeding the gas tank.

I really missed being OTR and going to different places so I was hoping the extra board would be a little closer to what I enjoyed about trucking. So far I am much happier. I get to drive more during the day than I used to and I am in a lot more states. We are the same in that at most I am out for 3 beds and back on the 4th day, usually quicker than that. I can now take a couple days in a row off which is nice LOL.

Woody

There are actually quite a few bridges in the Northeast that are arched or slanted in such a way that you have to go under a certain part of it to fit, otherwise you'll hit the bridge. Sometimes they're marked that way but most of the time they're marked as being too low. I've seen bridges where one side of the road was like 13' 10" and the other side was like 12' 6". If you knew that you could go under the low bridge on the wrong side of the road. But it certainly confuses the heck out of someone when they see a sign on their side that says 12' 10" and then they see a dry van make it easily under going the other way.

I will never forget the first time I saw one of these signs. I was driving and still with my trainer coming down I believe 76 in PA. I look up and see a sign that says 12'6"

After tightening my butt cheeks and going under the bridge I realized it was an arch and the number was to the lowest point on the shoulder. But still totally freaked me out LOL.

Woody