Comments By andhe78

This post caught my attention being a local Buffalo driver. Weird that Tifft was closed, hate to ask, but you sure you were on the right street? A lot of Tifft down in the industrial area is four lane, and I know they have barriers on Laborer's Way. Plus, what truck stop were you headed for making that right onto Tifft, that's a bad way to get to Jim's. Might be time to upgrade your GPS.

Glad you made it out ok though.

It might be a misunderstanding of company policy. The fuel hauling company I'm with just dealt with something kind of similar a couple months ago. The policy for us is you can stop and take a paid thirty minute break if you can't get a break on duty during an eight hour stint. Really not a big deal as a fuel hauler since thirty minutes is easy to tie up at the rack or at your unloads, but we do have a couple longer runs that are over an eight hour drive and need the break. However, some drivers were misunderstanding (or pretending to misunderstand) and would pull over and nap for thirty minutes, even if they had just taken thirty minutes on duty to load two hours earlier, and expected to get paid for it. The company had to crack down, and we just have a five minute window to stop on duty now if we're not working. They don't mind if you stop for a nap, or to eat, or to smoke, etc., but you have to do it off duty and won't get paid for it, unless like I said earlier, you haven't gotten a break in eight hours and have to take one.

I get proper rest before I report to work, and have never had to pull over to sleep. Why would the company pay me to sleep at work? Show up to work ready and able to perform your job.

Totally agree. If I can't get the rest needed in my ten hour break, it's time to find another gig. The milking done on these hourly jobs is quite amazing.

Probably a local guy who pays for that spot to park his rig. Parks his personal vehicle there when working so the spot is available when he gets back. All the truck stops around here have several local drivers that do this.

I read your last post and was wondering why you never mentioned any of the flatbed companies that offer training.

TMC is very good.

I'd like to try one of the Edison Motor trucks.

I'm local in one the cities of totality. Took that Monday and Tuesday off months ago-they are talking millions of tourists, want nothing to do with that kind of traffic. Gonna be a fun day with the boy.

I hand deliver them to our billing department.

I'm a local driver in Buffalo, you'll find something. You've got some hurdles though-tickets, inexperience, and wanting a day shift-the tickets thing being the biggest problem. What school are you through? I'd talk to your teachers, I'm sure they've seen guys in your same situation, they're from the area, I'm sure they have a contact or two with some local outfits or even outfits that just don't advertise. I've personally seen brand new cdl drivers get local positions thanks in part to a glowing recommendation from their instructors-it's a way to help crack the door open. The dirty secret in local work is that while most companies prefer years of experience, if it comes to losing a contract or work due to a lack of drivers, they will take a brand new driver. I've personally seen that too-companies that advertise wanting five years experience but will take a new driver when push comes to shove. There are problems there though too-these types of outfits are not set up to train, so you will be thrown in the deep end and expected to figure it out.

I've got no hot leads for you-I know local outfits that hire new drivers but want no tickets, and I know local outfits that hire with tickets but want years of experience. Just don't know of any that will do both off the top of my head. My advice, you look bad on paper, so do everything you can to look good. Get all your endorsements, get twic and hazmat. Get your enhanced license to cross the border (quite a bit of local Buffalo work crosses the Canadian border.) Learn on a manual- many of the local fleets are not auto and probably won't be for years. Work as hard as you can in school so you can impress the heck out of your driving test interviewers. You may end up with a job that doesn't require any of these things, but can't hurt. And then, just apply EVERYWHERE! Drive around kenmore, tonawanda, niagara falls, etc., looking for companies with "hiring driver" signs out, look for signs on the back of trailers pulled by daycabs around the city and apply. Be prepared to be told no hundreds of times, but all you need is the right company looking for someone at the right time-it'll happen.

Those first two pictures-are trailers taller in Europe? (assuming that's where they are.) Both of those bridges are listed over 13'6".

We deliver fuel to a truck stop right next to an amazon distribution center-there's always dozens of owner/op box trucks swarming the area.