Profile For Amish country

I liked 6stringrhythms diary about going into LTL. It's what led me to this community. I just dont have time at the moment to hunt it down.

What's so bad about PA?! Seems like everyone tries to avoid it haha

Getting home for dinner with the wife and daughter. We have a saying "start late, end late". If get going by 4 am I'm getting home for dinner. 5 is a maybe and 6 is a no. Pushes me to get better every day and find ways to save time.

Check how your mirrors are, they ma ugh just need some adjusting. When I first started I had some difficulty linking up just straight backing. Realized I had the mirrors angled in to much and once I bumped them out it made a huge difference. One small adjustment can make a very big difference.

Agree with everyone else. Do a paid cdl training if you can and put the year in there. That way you save your money and can learn how everything works before starting basically on your own. Also, you won't have to worry about the equipment this way. If something goes wrong or you start out a little rough on it you won't have to absorb repair costs.

To throw another variable in here I get paid percent doing "local" work. Do 1-2 load/delivery a day and typically drive 400 miles average. The amount you make is very much defendant on your ability/efficiency with unloading and clock management. If you can hustle and get things done those 2 loads can add up pretty nice but it's tough for people to consistantly be at that point. 1 or 2 set backs in a day and your time is shot.

Coming up on my 1 year solo next month and I average around 1200-1300 gross a week and home every night. Start between 3-4 am and get home around 6 PM. Long days but it's not the physical work of unloading cases and I get to have dinner with my family 95% of the time. It all really comes down to what fits your situation just be prepared to work hard no matter what. Also, location plays a huge role.

When it comes to turns take as much space as you can. That's my feeling about it anyway. Never hurts to have more then you need, but having less can really screw you up.

After everything you've had to go through you deserve this. Once you pass you'll wonder why you were so nervous about it to begin with.

Brent R. and Joe, you still lurking? Just wondering how the new jobs were going for you guys. Interested in your experiences and the processes at the different companies and pays.

I have the garmin dezl 770. Like Jamie it has taken me down a road or 2 that I probably shouldn't have been on but weren't restricted. And mine doesnt like to take some country routes that are faster and ok to be on. Being local I probably end up in a few places you guys most likely wouldn't venture anyway.

Overall it has been great. Worth my investment in it already. The only thing i dont like is the suction cup at times. Itll be stuck good for a couple months and then won't want to stick worth anything for a little bit.

If I had the choice I'd switch mine to duals. You dont get the same traction with singles. When I'm empty they will lose grip on wet roads and they've been pretty bad in the snow so far. Like Susan said, blow a tire and you're stuck. At least with duals you might be able to limp it to a shop or at least save the rim.

Is the weight savings that significant? I've used both types on trailers and they weighed the same. Our Mack's run duals and they weigh very close to my my Volvo with singles.

Local companies do have you do a pti. When I did my road test it was the first thing we did for the truck and trailer. Tires, lights, fluids and brakes.

Just wanted to throw it out there that it isn't a local thing all around.

Congrats. I see then around a lot in the Harrisburg area. The tanks pull easy and you'll learn the system quick. I dont do food grade but I'm sure it's similar procedure and style of unloading. Interested to follow you to see what differences there are if any.

So final pay figures for 2018. From April through December with 1 month of training (paid at $750 a week) I was able to gross $40k. Not to bad for my first 8-9 months of driving. There should be no reason that I dont crush that number this next year since I won't have the lower training pay and know what I'm doing and more efficient with unloading and routes.

I have been extremely happy with my first company and as long as they'll have me and keep me moving I do not plan on leaving. I am home every night, making a good paycheck and generally left alone to do my job. For years I've been saying its "going to be my year" and never seemed to come around. I made changes this past year and ready to MAKE this my year.

Other then that I dont really have any updates. Same truck and everything and mostly the same customers every week. Winter hasnt been terrible here so far. If it gets to bad on the roads where I dont think I can safely deliver my dispatcher just moves it to the next day without any hassle. I essentially lose a load on the week and some money but getting home at night is always more important.

Thanks for following along and hope this continues to help someone.

My 2013 day cab shows a drive pressure of 57 psi for roughly 76k. 60 psi gets me around 78-79k. Obviously a different setup then you have but it gives you an idea. I know old school had a volvo. Maybe he will share what his reads.

Shifting is something that definitely takes practice. Just start slowing early to get your shifts in. Once you can double down pretty decent it will be a whole lot easier to get there. I dont really have advice for ya since I'm still newer myself a dont have to shift often anymore. Doubling down you drop your rpm a little lower then normal (800 vs 1000 for instance) and rev up a little more then normal to get the gear. Dont expect to be a pro at it your first week, itll take a little while to get comfortable.

Congrats on the new truck. Not sure if it will work the same but on my volvo if you bump the idle up once the idle shutoff warning comes on it will cancel it. Will stay cancelled until you hit the brake.

I deliver to a roofing tar paper plant in greencastle pa. Every flatbed has always tarped the load. Never understood it since the rolls are outside on pallets in the weather. All the respect to you guys. That's a long process that I'll admire from the sidelines while unloading mine.

I do dry bulk locally. What would you like to know? I haul mostly feed quality but have done pebble and cement/ash. Most dry bulk pay a percent of the load, typically 24 or 25%. So instead of mileage it comes down to tons delivered and how many loads you can run a day. I pull no less then 24 ton, typically 26-27 ton multiple times a day . You have to work the air pressures to unload the tank yourself.

Running local I am making $1200-1400 gross a week in my first year of driving but I work for that money. Days are long but that comes with most local jobs. I dont know of that many that haul otr cross country other then maybe Venezia. Your area may play a big part in it as well concerning quarrys or cement plants.

Just let me know what you need more info about and I'll do my best to answer.

Not sure if it's the same on Van's but our tank ABS is run through the service line (blue glad). If it's not sitting right and leaking a little it will cause the light to come on.

Anyone planning to come through PA today and tomorrow. They are closing the interstates at 1200 ahead of this snow storm and will lift the ban "when conditions are stabilized".