Comments By Kiwi303

Got myself a Class 2 job in Christchurch today.

For those of you who aren't in NZ, (all of you I guess!) I'll just give a run down of the NZ system again.

NZ truck licencing works on a graduated system, Like your C - cars, B - Box trucks, A - Tractor Trailer 5th wheel, only here we have 5 classes, not 3 (or 4, D to A, as in some states) . AND, you can't jump from Car to 5th wheel truck in one jump like CDL-A school over there... you first need to go through the smaller sizes before arriving at the bigger trucks.

Class 1, the basic car licence, like the US D or C licence. Drive a motor vehicle up to 6000Kg gross combined mass, including a trailer up to 3500Kg. Most people have this, it covers most house busses and campervans, though heavy busses and horse trucks may need a Class 2.

Class 2, once you have your Class 1, you can then get a Class 2, A rigid box truck up to 18000Kg, including a trailer under 3500Kg, OR an articulated 5th wheel truck under 12000Kg. There are two ways to get the Class 2, depending on your age. Under 25 you have to pass a theory test and get your Class 2L, the learner licence, and have the 2L for 6 months before passing a practical test where the tester takes you around a city/country route and assesses your skills. For those over 25, you can get the 2L and wait 3 months instead of 6 months, or do a Class 2 Full course, a 2 or 3 day course covering ogbooks, fatigue, heavy vehicle dynamics, maneuvering and practical driving time. Once you pass the course you can get the Class 2 immediately without waiting.

I did the course and picked up my Class 2 without waiting out the 3 months my over 25 status gives me.

I've now a Class 2 driving job, The trucking company I have been hired with has a subcontracting role with a furniture removals company in addition to the normal metro delivery fleet. I will run a couple of weeks as packer/labourer on a furniture removal box truck, helping the driver pack/load/unload the truck, then while he is in hospital having surgery I will take over as packer/driver and someone else will ride along as packer/labourer assisting me. Once the regular driver is out of hospital and recovered enough to resume his normal duties, I will shift sideways from the furniture removals truck to the normal metro delivery fleet running pickups and deliveries around town.

Once I have 3 months down from my Class 2 licence, I will be sitting a Class 4 theory test for rigid box trucks over 18,001Kg to get my Class 4L and either waiting 3 months or doing a Class 4 full course, dependent on cash flow :P Again under 25 have to wait 6 months, not 3.

With the Class 4 I can then shift sideways again up the ranks in the company from Metro class 2 2 axle and 3 axle trucks up to regional deliveries in 3 axle and 4 axle trucks.

Finally after 3 months with my Class 4, I can then get my Class 5, the CDL-A equivalent, letting me drive 5th wheel semis and Truck and Trailer units with trailers over 3500Kg.

So this Class 2 job is the first step towards linehaul. Sometimes looking at the US system, where you go from car to semi in one step I wonder how much of a difference in quality of new trainees it makes for?

40mm! what do you use an AckAck cannon on?!

Those ARE wasps... not just LOOK like wasps.

Even more of an appetite suppressant, their sting in a paralytic, not a lethal toxin, so that large spider is still alive but unable to move. Once it's back in the wasps lair, that spider is going to be either A) sealed up individually in a cell and an egg laid in it's guts, or B) dumped in a big pile with other spiders and an egg laid in its guts. Once the egg hatches, little baby wasp has fresh dinner right there on hand and gets to dig through the spiders innards, munching all the while.

Mother nature is a lot more cruel than the whimpering bunny loving tree huggers would want us to believe.

Fonts, no problems, but I still hate those little floating bars with the FB, Twitter, Mail, Printer, etc on them that are to the left and top right of the screen...

I hope to be a able to post something here soon.

two job interviews tomorrow, I got my Class 2 last week.

I'll be driving a rigid truck under 18 tons. As experience and time on the seat allows I will be getting my Class 4, rigid truck of over 18 tons, later yet with more experience I can then get my Class 5, 5th wheel or truck n trailer units.

Graduated commercial drivers licence here, much like Lerner, Restricted and Full for the Class 1 car licence. You can't just go from Car to 5th wheel rigs in one step.

Money isn't the problem though...time is. It's just a matter of taking the time to setup the designs and decide where and how I'm going to sell them. There are a million websites that do that sort of thing, I just have to put in the time to get it setup.

Delegate!

On snow they tend to float on top of the snow where as the traditional tires will sort of dig in a little providing better traction.

Probably why you never see them on the Ice Road Truckers tv series.

Surprised that no one has mentioned the Western Star. Although not a regular fleet truck with the exception of some vocational applications, it is one tough truck with lots of room. Oh and for those that like the classic look, this one fits the bill.

Big in fleets here, and even bigger in Australia... I saw a comment in a trucking magazine here that in the recent downturn, if it wasn't for Aussie buyers they'd be closed and gone.

Did you ask this over on Truckersforum.net? Duck or Injun or someone answered it there.

I saw the yellow 10-5 sign just past the 13-3 sign, and in the shade of the bridge. it could have been a bit better placed to be more visible, but by the time the white 10-5 sign just before the bridge was readable I doubt it would have been possible to stop in time.

He should have been paying more attention, but the sign makers could have placed the yellow warning sign a bit better.