Comments By DoubleCutter

So six states are teaming up, but only five are patrolling?

******There needs to be a reform in the distribution of wealth. Don't ask me how - it's not a simple problem. It's gigantic. But it's unsustainable. I think 2008 was nothing more than a shot across the bow. What lies ahead will be another Great Depression if we don't change course.

*******

Brett, the ACA (Obama Care) is going to result in a huge redistribution of wealth. There are no easy answers for these economic problems, because often, what one person or group considers a problem, another group considers a solution.

Old School, I live in metro NOLA, and I've seen many, many flatbeds loaded with those aluminum billits. There must be a lot of them coming into the port.

Do you try the chargrilled oysters? Its where they grill the oyster still on the half shell over an open flame while brushing on a butter, garlic sauce. I hardly ever eat them raw anymore and just get the grilled.

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I've kept up with your adventures/ misadventures and I've always wondered about that.

Dylan, under the drive hours you were told about the Maines school, it would be impossible for all four students to get 100 hours of pure drive time. Four drivers at 100 hours each is 400 hours. If the school is open 10 hours a day, five days a week, it would take eight weeks for all of you to drive 100 hours each.

I guess it would be possible if they ran the truck 24/7, but that's not probable.

At the school I went to, there were 4 of us students and we got there at 7AM and ended at 3PM. On some days we would do 1/2 day class and half day driving. On those days we would each drive maybe 45 minutes to an hour. On full driving days we each got about 1-1/2 hours driving. It was a six week class, 240 total hours (class and driving), so there was no way we each got 100 hours pure drive time.

You will also spend a considerable amount of time behind the wheel practicing backing. I would say that I spent more time behind the wheel backing than actual driving on the public roads.

BTW, I saw a Maines truck unloading this morning at a Wendys in LaPlace, La.

Has anyone heard of this company? They pull all kinds of tanker products and and seem to own a lot of other company's. I am waiting a couple months so I have the (X) endorsement and TWIC and everything before I put in an application and start making calls. As always it's better to talk to the drivers than the recruiting staff. any information would be much appreciated.

They have a terminal in Reserve, LA, right down the road a block or so from the Schneider terminal. I see their trucks along I-10 in southern Louisiana all the time. But then again, you can see every tanker companies' trucks along I-10 in south Louisiana and SE Texas. It's a hotbed of tanker activity.

Congrats Jeff.

I figured if you gave this a little time it would work itself out. That's why I told you to take chill pill and relax.

Good luck and keep us posted on your adventures.

Ya know Jeff, I think you are starting to get paranoid about all of this. "Someone in the company has it in for me", or " a guy that was pampered all through orientation". If you start all of these accusations with this guy you are dealing with, he is going to think he's dealing with a physco with a persecution complex. This would hurt your case instead of helping it.

And don't tell them about a bad back, that would be a surefire way for them to send you back to their doctor and pry into the reasons why you have a bad back.

I can understand your anxiety about this situation, but you need to take a chill pill and jst wait to see how this plays out. It very well could be a temporary shortage of trucks. Plus it is the holidays, so things don't get done as quickly as usual.

Don't let this naw at you to where it ears you up.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Would be interesting to know how many bonuses were given to drivers and not management or office workers.

I was told today that if all your experience is driving automatic transmission trucks that manual transmission trucking companies will not hire you. Has anyone experienced this or heard of this?

"Almost any prescription meds will show up "

Brett, I don't think this is correct for the hair tests that the trucking companies do. If your prescription is in one of the five classes of drugs that are mandated to be checked by DOT, then yes it will show up. But, for instance, if you were taking acne meds, those wouldn't show on the analysis that the trucking companies pay for. For them to screen hair for every possible drug would be cost probibitive.

At least this is my understanding of it. If I' m wrong please correct me.