Comments By EricGuvNC

I hate signing things, but if it's the only way, I will look into it. Thanks.

Missed that part.

You'll be SIGNING THINGS, A small BOOK of Things In ANY Orientation!

You'll also be Signing:

Papers for a agreement for CDL TRAINING, because it's a CONTRACT. For a Drug Test. For a Physical. For a Class A License. For Shipping and Receiving Paperwork. For a D.O.T. INSPECTION. For a Overweight Ticket. For a Company to get permission to see your Driving and Criminal Records (as well HireRight and P.S.P.). For a speeding ticket or other Driving Infraction. For the Receipt at a Truck Stop or other location Before AND After Repairs. PLUS You'll be REQUIRED to show Your License pretty much everywhere to Back Up Your Signature.

There are "Trade Offs" in Everything! Costs to Everything! ANYTHING, NOTHING and SOMETHING are the only (seemingly) FREE items.

What If, Why, What For, I Don't Need To, I Ain'T Gonna and Not My Problem are phrases for not following through.

Remember: There's NEVER TIME to do it Right BUT There's Always TIME To Do It Twice (or Thrice) and Warehouse work is full of it!! - - - - - CHEERS!!

John H.,

Nice Avatar! It appears of Australia or New Zealand (mudflaps up front).

I went through a Truck Driver Training School in latter 1998. It WASN'T FREE. I did some research yet nothing "popped up" claiming FREE so I went the Paid route. I did get a Pell Grant, so that helped a little.

There are Colleges that advertise Truck Driving Courses. Company Advertisements regarding Driver Training.

I've NEVER seen ANY Construction Companies, as a example, offering to Hire potential Dump Truck Drivers/Equipment Operators without Experience. Heavy Equipment Operators is another avenue some many folks have explored.

How's your CRIMINAL RECORD? This has a MAJOR BEARING upon even getting INTO TRUCKING. Any questionable Misdemeanor convictions since 18? Recent D.U.I./D.W.I./O.U.I./O.W.I.?? Drug Charges/Convictions? Vehicular Accidents whether or not at Fault? Points on License?

Do you LOVE Alcohol? Other Substances?

Just Checking, because I was unaware of a D.U.I. being a problem regarding Trucking and I had to wait 7 years (August '91-August '98) from conviction date BEFORE applying to ANY Freight Trucking Company. I had a CLASS A License before December '98 and I still have it because I quit drinking Booze, June 4th, '92. - - - - - Do Some RESEARCH at this Site! Check out TRAINING OPTIONS! Get PREPARED Mentally! - - - - - - The World is full of "What IF?"

The TIME to discover IF you would not like Trucking is in ORIENTATION because you're not fully committed!!

Just like working in Warehouses, NO COMPANY starts ANYONE at the Top (unless, possibly, one buys 51+% of the company), you had to "work your way up". Same in CLASS A & B Trucking. Get the 1st INCIDENT FREE YEAR, then see where ya wanna be. Might well be where you are then, might not, you'll never know till you arrive, IF You Choose To Do Such!!

BE EASY ON SELF BUT STUDY WITH PERSEVERANCE!!

Thanks 4 Yur Tym! CHEERS!!

Merge FAIL In Construction Zone (caught on Traffic Camera)

One thing to NOT do when 40 Ton Wheelin': Causing a PREVENTABLE!!

Cecelia,

Not ONE DRIVER to now has mentioned working INSIDE 53' Trailers with NO A/C or HEAT. INSIDE Temps are much HOTTER in Summer, and Winter is Much COLDER, yet you'll also be Sweating in Winter.

Example: it's 112 degrees F. including humidity, in, say, FLORIDA, yet in the Trailer it'll be 125+ degrees F. and you're only at the 2nd of 5 stops and it's 10:30 a.m. There's NO VENTILATION in 53' Dry Van Trailers (even the so called "ventilated" trailers) and a fan at the back blows in about 3 feet and it's not close to you.

Sound like "a good time"?

If so, you're on the Right Track. If Not, Just Say NO!!

You'll have plenty of opportunities inside Trailers at MANY Shippers/Receivers to get a "feel for the environment".

This post has been for the BENEFIT of Cecelia......Thanks B-2-U-4 Your Time! CHEERS!!

Got a little bored and tried to see if I couldn't find the place this occurred. KJ please correct me if I'm wrong, this is Southeast of Paducah.

if this indeed is the corner I can see what you mean about a blind corner...HOWEVER, you were clearly going too fast. You can see the signs warning you of a turn, and if you were following GPS you'd see a tight turn is ahead. You even said had you hit the brakes you'd have hit the car. That's admitting you're going too fast. Having your trailer run over some grass (had you been correct about the ditch being level with the road) instead of hitting a car is the right move. BUT you never should have put yourself into that situation. Had you been going slower you would have had more time to react. I'm not sure how getting out to look around the corner would have helped you with traffic coming at 45 mph, by the time you climb back in the truck there may be cars there weren't when you looked. Be prepared to own up to it and explain to a potential employer what you learned from this and how you will avoid it in the future. Truck rollovers are ALWAYS preventable and they're extremely serious. I wish you luck.

Rob. T.,

EXCELLENT RESEARCH!! That Curve looks almost exactly like a entrance/exit road in Cheraw, SC., to Carolina Containers. Same style, right turn in with a driveway/road to the left in middle of turn. - -There is too a invisible ditch on that road, but only ENTERING.- - ___________________________________________________________________________

KJ,

Even at NIGHT with HEADLIGHTS, that invisible Ditch isn't.

Just like a Load is a Load, a Rollover is a Rollover regardless of what Natural/Unnatural circumstances (hidden Ditch) are involved.

SLOW IS SAFE!! 4 WHEELERS HAVE BRAKES!!

Could have been in Mountainous Terrain (NC., PA., KY., VA., W.VA., AR.) and there are many spooky, winding, STEEP 2 lane Truck Roads.

- - A Rollover CAUSED BY (SUDDEN) HIGH WINDS is NOT Driver Error unless there were Statements made by the STATE warning HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES of Potentially Dangerous Winds, etc., like have been and will be Nationwide and the MANY DRIVERS that Chose/Choose to IGNORE WARNINGS.- -

Sorry Mate, 3 Years (MAYBE a bit Less) before a Company will possibly accept you for Training seems right.

Thanks ALL!! CHEERS!!

Empty miles: 156 app time: 8/11 4pm ET

Loaded miles: 451 app time: 8/12 5am ET

Total miles: 607 (My GPS is showing 630 miles)

So I am thinking about leaving truck stop around 12pm today thinking it will take me 3 hours to reach loc 01 and I also have to stop for fuel and washout.

I am guessing that I can leave shipper by 6pm and at that time I will have 8 hours drive time left. I hope I can cover 451 miles in 8 hours depends on traffic and road conditions.

So I can reach there by 2 am and by then there won't be anytime left on my 14 hour clock.

Factoring just LOADED MILES, 451/8 = a average of 56 mph and that's inconveivable. Factoring TIME for 1st leg including Wadhout and Fuel, you would NOT have a remainder of 8 hours in your Factoring. Figuring, using Logic, that the Load ACTUALLY LOADS at the Load Time AND takes no more than a mere 2 hours, load delivery time is highly questionable however as state above, you would have LESS THAN 8 hours to SAFELY travel 451(+) miles (and that goofy 1/2 hour "break") AND that NO ONE can consistently drive 8 hours at a set speed, therefore unless having arrived at Shipper as stated by Turtle, such Load isn't feasible.

This has been of MY OPINION and merely reflects Logic. Thank You For Your Time. CHEERS!!

GREETINGS ALL,

I've been Clean & Sober since June, 1992 and a Commercial (Class A) Licensed Driver since November, 1998.

D.U.I./D.W.I./O.U.I. Check Points have been for Decades and while I anymore rarely see any such events, I'm sure they've probably become a bit stringent (but I'm just guessing). I've NEVER been through such a Check Point in any vehicle bigger than a Class C vehicle. My LAST DUI conviction was August, 1991, and of course it's permanently on my Driving Record and has caused little conflicts with Trucking Employers mainly in the L.T.L. realm.

--Schneider stated in 2008 that the conviction would be a problem with their Insurance--

I've known about some folks in early to mid 90's that had such restrictive devices in their personal conveyances and some folks found ways to side step the devices and drive their conveyances, yet they were not drinking or otherwise intaking of mezmerizing substances.

I'VE NEVER HEARD ABOUT OR HAVE EVER SEEN SUCH A DEVICE (INTOXALOT OR IGNITION INTERRUPT) INSTALLED IN A CLASS B OR A VEHICLE and hopefully will never view such device. Such has NO PLACE in TRUCKING!!

CHEERS!!

Blindside Backing is much more FUN in Rain at Night whilst wiped out. Daytime Blindside is simply another ADVENTURE regardless of "available room". Such merely EMPHASIZES GET OUT AND LOOK!!

Pull Throughs are for Double Pups and Newbies, in MY opinion.

C'MON MAN, get a grip!! CHEERS!!

GREETINGS RAINY and OTHER DRIVERS,

In '02, I, for 8 months, drove for a local O/O leased to P.T.L. (Murray, KY) and in the beginning (about 3 months) I Picked Up/Delivered both H.M. and non H.M. After the 3 or so Months, I usually arrived to Shippers to receive TEAM loads (that I learned when sending Loaded calls) with impossible SOLO delivery times, therefore "Pass The Load". P.T.L. then was known as Pay The Lady (as the owner and wife were divorcing), Pass The Load, Park The Load, Pay The Lumper, Pass The Laugh, Pathetic Truck Line and other creative bits.

I usually swapped trailers with O/O Teams or if I hooked a dropped Loaded trailer, there were things wrong and usually had to sit and wait on repairs OR just transport reasonably "safe" (questionable Brakes) Trailers to another Local Location and Drop (for some other unfortunate Driver). - - - - >>Times of Loading and Unloading interfered with REST and SLEEP, like today! DIRECTIONS: >>Qualcomm messages to Drivers that were significantly INCORRECT as to updated ADDRESSES, like Today! >>Pick Up and Destination Points were OLD (as much as 6 months) and either abandoned buildings OR another Company wondering WHY I was there, like Today! >>Directions (usually) from opposite direction of travel so WE Lost and Forlorn Drivers ended up on Snake Trails, Goat Paths, Dead Ends and sometimes, Residential Communities, like Today! >>This was when WE had no "cell phones" or "g.p.s.", when Truckers were defined by their PROFESSIONALISM and ABILITIES as in [B]REAL TRUCKERS!![/B] Few of US remain and we're TIRED OF THE HOSTILITY from many "newbies".

>>I ONCE spent 24 hours at a Shipper in Northern MD and, the next day, P.T.L. Dispatch offered a mere $50.00 which I refused and offered a not so humorous descriptive idea of where to place it. That incident was minor. Ford Motor Company Factory in Missouri was far worse and once on the property, they "held" the trailer hostage, for 2.5 days, then were hostile when I wanted to leave EMPTY, like MANY S & R Companies today!

I've MANY TRUTHFUL STORIES of MANY ADVENTURES in Ground Transportation and shall continue a bit later.

Thanks For Reading1 CHEERS!!

GREETINGS Michael B. and WELCOME ABOARD!!

Whichever company YOU CHOOSE needs to satisfy YOUR requirements.

When I decided to begin in Trucking in late 1998, I chose a Private Driver Training School, then went Company hunting. I've ONLY done Flatbed and Dry Van.

TALK TO COMPANY DRIVERS because not all single recommendations are consistently truthful and not all in house Company Training programs deliver enough Training. Find those Drivers with 5, 10, 15+ years at your choice of company.

Find out the needed information BEFORE agreeing to any Orientation. Recruiters are paid to FILL SEATS and will tell you what you want to hear, regardless of Truth. NEVER believe most of what is said by a recruiter. TOO MANY Students (and there will be more) have stated "But my recruiter told me.......add whine here......"

A "simulator" is no trainer (we had some in High School in the 70's for Driver Ed and were worthless) and it might "prepare" one for driving yet "preparation" is not Experience. The ONLY WAY to get Experience is to be in the Driver Seat of the specific Vehicle(s).

Some Companies seemingly force the Team thing, yet many do not after the Trainer certifies or eliminates the Trainee. *certify = GOOD JOB! Your Truck is waiting! / eliminate = go away or not trainable. C. R. England states such forced to lease AND team issue on all their Trailers: Lease, Train, Drive Team and people keep a waiting line. Unless you're financially comfortable, do NOT sign anything regarding Lease To Own until after at least 2 years O.T.R., and then, well, Your Choice.

Have ALL DUCKS IN A ROW as a good amount of Students in Orientations get the BOOT. U. S. Express for example has eliminated (and will eliminate) many Students during Orientation for various reasons. ANY Company has the option for any number of reasons.

The ONLY DRIVER SHORTAGE is QUALIFIED and EXPERIENCED Drivers.

Trucking is not a "employment solution" for those otherwise non employable people although MANY keep giving a go.

YOU'LL DO WELL!!

Keep The Shiny Side UP and The Greasy Side DOWN!

There Is NO LOAD So Hot It Has To COOL OFF In A Ditch!

DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!!

NO Lot Lizards!

Thanks 4 Yur Tym! CHEERS!!