Profile For Spaceman Spiff

This is big. I'll line up my schedule to be tuned in for sure!

I dunno, get enough of these electric mowers in a "platoon" or whatever and you may have something. Imagine the turning capabilities.

Hey buddy,

One year will go by quickly. The important thing will be to get that drivers license as soon as possible, since the one year clock starts once you actually receive it.

Find a job that you can stay with for that time as well, keep all the paperwork in order and relationships in good standing. Part of truck driving is a background check that they will do on every driver that applies to a company.

Make sure to bring as much paperwork from Brazil when you move up here. The industry will want to know what you were doing for years, it's part of ensuring the applicant was not training at a terrorist camp and is now trying to get access to a huge truck to drive into something.

The most difficult thing you could do would be to take time off between working in Brazil and starting to apply in the US. Time spent unemployed makes the companies uneasy. You have to go through extra work to prove where you were living and what you were doing.

Btw OTR driving is a great way to see the world (US) and still make money!

Hi there,

When you say basic PPE what do you mean exactly?

For those reading, PPE has specific products it can protect against while still be critically prone to failure against other's. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) will protect against certain bases but fails against d-limonene (orange oil). Viton is a beast against almost anything except ketones.

The important thing for top quality PPE is to understand what you are transporting or will expect to be exposed to. Then work backwards, identifying the proper material that defends correctly against it.

As far as water cooled clothing, you need to reach out to companies like DuPont or better yet, the chemical manufacturers and get the list of protective gear approved for the products you're hauling.

In my haz mat courses, we always did suit scrub downs after exposure, not sure how feasible that will be but if a rinse station is available that would be cool. PPE should never be stored in the driving quarters.

Try looking into DuPonts Tyvek suits, or the monster, Tychem series. https://www.dupont.com/personal-protection/chemical-hazmat-protection.html They have databases in there to match chemicals appropriately to the suit series so again you will have to know the products SDS ingredients.

Best of luck!

One question at a time. Read the questions all the way through too! You'll do great.

Be nice to John Candy

Ok so after some checking at Prime, we basically just go by state regulations as noted in the post. However he stated it was between 400 and 600. Wonder where the 600 is.

I made 321 and 123 for this.

When attaching a trailer , 123. 1 locked kingpin, 2 landing feet raised and 3 hoses hooked.

For detaching a trailer, the opposite. 3 hoses detached, 2 landing gear feet down, and 1 kingpin released.

123 reminds me of building a project, and 321 is like a launch countdown. Launching off the trailer like SpaceX or something.

Still do them every time. Horrified to drop a trailer, yes it is an instant career ender. Glad you had the wherewithal to stop, WildBill!

Alright, according to some poking around online, the Energy Policy Act in 2005 gave federal guidelines for the APU exemptions that allowed states to grant a 400 pound credit to the maximum cap weight and axles. In 2012, Obama signed MAP 21 that increased the guideline credit to 550 lbs if desired by the state.

Note that there is a disparity between "exemption by law" and "exemption by enforcement policy."

BE ADVISED, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Washington DC, North Carolina, Hawaii and California do not recognize any kind of weight exemptions for APU.

I can't find anything specific to allowing that credit to float between axles of the tractor or trailer specifically. I would be cautious of being heavy on the trailer axles and claiming an APU credit though. Like everyone says, float the weight forward and burning the fuel off in addition to a 400-550 lb credit seems the safest option.

Source: https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/map-state-recognition-auxiliary-power-weight-exemption

As always, best to check for updates to these laws as you go state to state still.

Particularly enjoyed the adverse approaches to problem solving between the trainer's actions and Rob's inner monologue. Keep turning those miles and soon you'll just talk to yourself like the rest of us.

I was under the impression that APU exemptions don't exist anymore?

2,100 lbs. Wish me luck.

Strap life

1.) Truck stops. Mainly for showers but I rely on coffee to much and it never comes out right from the microwave.

2.) Loves if I can. Parking lots are a bit smaller but they have mechanics, always seem friendly and helpful, showers feel the cleanest and their fresh ground house blend is the right kind of buzz, almost like Chick fil A Thrive coffee.

3.) I try not to shut down at shipper or receiver. Mainly due to no coffee. But it means I failed in my daily goal. I try to offload in am, load same day and get down the line a bit before evening. I've found one or two places that have employee showers that I can crash after a short walk through a cool factory.

Feels like nothing but net from the three point line

Yeah it is just a .PDF emailed to you after you get off the scale. Seriously convenient and no one has to yell through the speaker to each other.

It did fail once at the TA in Ontario CA, but for the most part I would advise anyone reading to line that app up ASAP

Something to discuss with the fleet manager then. Tell them directly you would rather wait without pay. I'll be curious to know what they would do if it means your trainer can get another trainee and keep rolling so the freight can keep moving.

Delicious red onions

I ran those cross straps through the pallet after taking these tho

It seems to vary but consider this. I spent almost two weeks in the Campus inn not getting paid waiting to upgrade. Eventually me and two other drivers were handed keys to a rental car and drove to Pittston to get our tractors.

If it's bonkers at least it's paid bonkers. Definitely ask what time frame you are looking at tomorrow or soon. Getting some solo time will be awesome once you are in your own truck. Eye on the prize

My example... Live in a tiny house in the suburbs of San Diego. Before I left, I drove around the secondary and primary streets in my area looking for other trucks. I found three areas clear of signs, private entrances, etc and photographed them.

When I ask for home time, I let the dispatcher know about two weeks before I need to be there. I can do this from anywhere in the country because they have time to work me back to the socal area now.

Usually I don't get into San Diego directly, but they put me in the LA or San Bernardino county area. Then I can drive the truck and trailer all the way south. No cost to me.

I unhitch the trailer on the curbside in front of a storage facility on a main road that has a clearly marked parking lane. There are usually two other trucks there. I purchased a kingpin lock and lock it in. Then I drive the mile or so back to my house and just ease the truck back onto my tiny driveway.

If I'm visiting family on the east coast, I will get unloaded either NC or the DC area usually. Family is in the Roanoke area so I will drive from Raleigh or northern VA. Park the trailer at a warehouse my dad used to work for and apply the kingpin lock. Drive tractor to my parents house and park on the lawn.

The company will help you , just give notice early, not last minute.

And you're right, some folks get rid of their apartment and do a year in their truck or longer to stack cash. Maybe a storage facility to park your car in is an idea?

If you're in apartments, you'll have to find nearby street parking and make sure its clear of no parking signs etc.

Gotta say, I've been busier in the last four weeks than on average.