Profile For Grumpy Old Man

I didn’t say that I agree with it, personally I think the whole gender crap today is ridiculous.

But as far as bathrooms, I could care less, I’m doing my thing and leaving, and I don’t care who is in there.

I do see how women would feel threatened by men in the ladies room though.

Donna, the cab extenders make a decent outhouse in an emergency

Honestly if they can hit the toilet and not leave a mess I could care less which bathroom is used.

Same. Also, don’t try to hold a conversation with me in the bathroom. That is just weird.

I have heard some weird things coming from stalls. Lol

Congratulations

I will even grab a 30 to 45 minute nap. Just that short nap works wonders.

Congratulations on a milestone.

My question is how are they flipping you?

I get a pickup appointment, and delivery appointment, anything beyond that is up to me. I do sometimes have to drive at night to make that happen, but I have no set schedule. Are you saying all your appointments force you to drive at night for a while, then days, or are they actually telling you when to drive?

For instance yesterday I had to go pick up a load at 8 PM qnd have it back to the yard that night, finishing my run at 1 30 am. Today my load is from the yard starting at 10 PM and apt time time at location 460 miles out is 10 am.

That is 20 hours of sleep time on the second load. I don’t see the problem unless You are like me and have trouble seeing st night. In that case those night driving glasses do help a bit.

Also time for a nap in the middle if you get tired.

My question is how are they flipping you?

I get a pickup appointment, and delivery appointment, anything beyond that is up to me. I do sometimes have to drive at night to make that happen, but I have no set schedule. Are you saying all your appointments force you to drive at night for a while, then days, or are they actually telling you when to drive?

For instance yesterday I had to go pick up a load at 8 PM qnd have it back to the yard that night, finishing my run at 1 30 am. Today my load is from the yard starting at 10 PM and apt time time at location 460 miles out is 10 am.

That is 20 hours of sleep time on the second load. I don’t see the problem unless You are like me and have trouble seeing st night. In that case those night driving glasses do help a bit.

Pack Rat wrote:

We should make one: If You Are Into Drugs, Hang Around With People Into Drugs, Or May Be Asking For A Friend That May Use Drugs.....Please Wait Five Years Before Considering This Industry!

Drugs And Commercial Motor Vehicles DO NOT MIX!

I 100% agree with this.

It’s not about being clean for 3 months; it’s about staying clean well beyond that if truck driving is the career you want. A lifestyle adjustment, that for some might be significant.

To be blunt; I don’t want to be driving next to a truck with an operator who blew a joint hours before.

No tolerance.

I was at a Corcle K in Kittery ME. Walked out the back on the way to my truck and walked past a moving truck (household goods) and the 4 guys in it were smoking up a storm. I walked through a cloud so dense I hope I don’t take a drug test any time soon.

Called local police and they couldn’t have cared less. Said they weren’t sure it was illegal since weed is legal there. I assured them it was illegal to get high and drove a 40,000 pound plus truck through traffic. State Police did care but doubtful they could spot them as I didn’t know which way they went.

The HyVee DCs I've delivered to have TV, tables/chairs, occasional chairs, showers, wifi, free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, vending, microwaves, free showers etc. The sad part is if you aren't a HyVee driver, you'll probably need all that because you'll be there a while.

It's nice when the customers give drivers these things but its unfortunate they're there long enough to utilize it. I'm not sure how long you've had to sit there or how long drivers sit at our yard but the industry as a whole does a poor job of getting drivers loaded and unloaded. I wonder if that's why so many places utilize outside carriers rather than using private fleets. Our drivers lounge is 1 small table with a couple hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs and a vending machine. I sat at Sysco in Olathe for 4 hours yesterday on a hard chair waiting to pick up 2 pallets going back to the manufacturer in NJ and finally got told to leave empty by dispatch. Made it back after 15 hours (used 16 hr rule).

For no extra charge you get to watch the raccoons dumpster-diving at night. Good times

Now I'm jealous. Everything you listed sounds great, but I think that is best thing they could offer!

What is the 16 hour rule?

Not having enough hair will be an automatic fail.

Essentially speculative. When my husband drove for USX back in ... (heck between 03 and 05?) A gentleman who had alopecia (aurealis or something) got hired on with a few (maybe many?) blood tests.... and a few randoms.

Last contact they had was in 09 and he was still there.

I bet Brett actually knows Bo. To our knowledge, that was his first name.

A medical exception is one thing, but I was told I needed 1 to 1 1/2 inches of hair. Ended up growing a beard because my hair simply wasn't growing fast enough. If I didn't have enough to test, I would not have been hired.

My question is how are they flipping you?

I get a pickup appointment, and delivery appointment, anything beyond that is up to me. I do sometimes have to drive at night to make that happen, but I have no set schedule. Are you saying all your appointments force you to drive at night for a while, then days, or are they actually telling you when to drive?

Hair holds the info forever. Hair on your head grows about 1/2 inch per month, so 1 1/2 inches of hair will go back 90 days.

The hair on the rest of your body grows slower but falls out and is replaced. Body hair will show use up to a year.

This may well be. But over time, the material in your hair deteriorates and becomes useless to indicate drug use. Drug testing only uses the most recent 90 days. And Swift only looks at enough hair (in length) to check the last 90 days. I got this information from the medical examiner at Swift's Memphis office.

Most every company uses 1 1/2 inches, or about 90 days.

I have only driven an Auto while driving OTR but when I first started driving 30 years ago it was pulling grain trailers out of the field so the thought of not using the accelerator before releasing the clutch never occurred to me. It would work empty or on flat pavement but that is about it,

I took off on at least a 45 degree angle in first with no accelerator with 45,000 pounds in my box.

Using the accelerator while letting the clutch out causes the clutch to slip and jerk and will destroy the clutch.

Hair holds the info forever. Hair on your head grows about 1/2 inch per month, so 1 1/2 inches of hair will go back 90 days.

The hair on the rest of your body grows slower but falls out and is replaced. Body hair will show use up to a year.

Glad he is doing better, and congrats on the wedding

If it comes off my trailer, someone will need to unload it, unless they want to let me use a forklift. And pay me.

Hand unloading? Never going to happen.

So my wifes at cdl school same one i went to and i was taught and practiced to release the clutch on initial take off with no accelerator and let the governor do the work and they are teaching her to use the peddle and lots of them including her have had stalling issues in my experience that is because you didnt let the truck do the work any input on that i feel like they are doing her and the class an injustice idk maybe im wrong but its the way i learned and ive nailed it my whole driving career

I used the accelerator while letting the clutch out with my trainer. Once. The verbal lashing I received taught me the folly of that.

My company will reimburse parking so if I am going somewhere unfamiliar I will reserve a spot.

Massachusetts is impossible, I try to never have to stop there.

In NY there are text stops, little parking areas with no facilities you can usually find a spot at in an emergency

You're burning through that clock. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you're being paid by the hour. I always try to make a 34 hour reset on the road something that's personally rewarding. It could be as low-key as a nice walk or a nice meal at a restaurant, but do something that rewards you personally. You don't want to just sit and anxiously wait for the time you can get back to work. That's painful in my opinion, and goes against the whole idea of enjoying the adventure of this crazy lifestyle.

I’ll call my dispatcher tomorrow and see what works best for him. If I do get stuck in Maine I’ll rent a car and visit a friend, but they will probably either pull the loads from me or have me T Call (relay) the first one.

Grumpy, when the recaps start coming back to you is based on days not hours. After your eighth consecutive day you start getting hours returned to you. How many hours you get back each day is based on how many hours you worked on that day the previous week. Clear as mud?

Yeah, I just forgot I had a reset 4 days ago. It seems like it was longer. I’ve got 2069 miles / 54 hours since the 7th. I started at 5 pm on the 7th.

I’m going to run out of hours in Maine, it looks like.