Comments By Mr. Curmudgeon

Met a driver tonight in Dekorrah, WI. Sometimes a simple act of kindness makes a huge difference; putting on your reflective vest and spotting the corner for a guy trying to parallel park around the curvy landscape wall without hitting anything.

If any of yall are with Werner, and i know there are some, well, Don Roth is an example of how we should all treat each other. He used my line on me when i thanked him "We are all in this together". Just my little sermonette for the night.

Most of the big companies, I believe, pay a flat scale without regard to domicile.

My outfit bases hourly pay (yes, Im ROTR paid hourly) on the cost of living indexes for their various terminal domiciles. I make more per hour than a driver with my same time in grade who resides in an area with lower col. I dont know about the stops and miles folks pay structures, but suspect its the same flat scale with increases based on longevity.

It's always more challenging when we're dealing with multiple personalities.

Sounds like my dating history. Before I met My Beloved, Mrs. Curmudgeon ...

Its good to be a rescue dog...

Im currently doing Regional OTR Intermodal and Van (not at the same time )

Ive done (lotsa!!) van and some temp control. It's all freight to me. Go there. Pick up the load. Do what needs done. Deliver the load. Get another one. Each has its own processes, expectations, pros and cons. Do them all if you can. Get good at one, then try something else out. Variety, as they say...

And you can guarantee that your ability to woosha your way thru that mess was noticed in a positive way. Staying a team player is gold in this industry. Good Job!!

Ian, an option for you might be to try to get on with an outfit that runs lot spotters. Lazer, Shamrock, some orhers in chicago area. Not sure if they'll hire ya, but it may be worth a shot. They may be willing to take a chance, but the insurance companies call the ball on a lot of these decisions

If you do get an interview, my suggestion (for the little it may be worth) would be to explain what happened, acknowledge that you messed up, and don't go into any rationalization or defensive posturing. It will likely make them think you're a high risk candidate. You can see the responses here when people read into it. Potential employers are going to be much more critical, but quietly so.

Good Luck.

Jamie, as I'm sure you've been told, expect an acclamation period, and try to keep an open mind about the treatmemt / mitigation options.

I'm a CPAP apostle though, spreading the gospel of "get your REM sleep back" whenever I can...

Wow, so many different possible outcomes. "Todd" you were in the military. When you asked how to communicate with people in this industry without hurting feelings, put yourself back to an E3, dealing with an E6. Remember how you dealt with your ncos, and your company grade officers. That should help put you in the proper frame of mind. If you constantly use the term Sergeant, or sir at the end of each sentence after basic (insert the appropriate title for whichever Branch you served in), you know eventually you're going to get your cheeks handed to you. Informally, of course, since you "were simply trying to be respectful".

Truck driving is just like every other job on this planet, and yet very unlike most of them. Employers will look for reliability, the ability to work as part of a group cooperatively, work ethic, reliability, work ethic, notice a trend?

Being a professional driver, however, requires a bit more. It requires a willingness to do what needs to get done to accomplish the mission, safely and within the bounds of policy and law. It requires the ability to work collaboratively with people who just don't get that need. It requires people able to Verbal Judo their way through the day, while dealing with difficult, sometimes almost impossible, people and situations. It requires someone willing to put the mission over their personal comfort.

Many of us on this list entered the field as a second career, after doing something else for quite some time. The suggestions, advice, and indeed some of the criticisms , come from viewing the situation through the lenses that were developed over time. The best piece of advice this former MP, and multi-decade supervisor would give you, is unlearn anything you had previously learned, and go back to the basic training mindset where you, and all the other people starting out, are ranked 0 newbies. Adopt an attitude of humility, and be chill.

I wish you good luck as you move forward in the process, should you choose to continue.

$150 admin fee?

Place probably has drive in doors on the other side of the building and this person forgot to GOAL.

Big Scott, I think, actually, he forgot to STOP.

Michael, this may sound like a dumb?, but do you have the cab curtain closed? I have park smart opti idle on mine freightshaker, the climate control in summet sux if i dont clise the curtain twix sleeper and cab.

Also, if your system has the temp range, make sure those are adjusted properly.

Nothing worse than being too hot when the clock is running on the 10 hr...

Rainy, I have chronic sinusitis, and experience your situation frequently as well. Something I do when I'm congested before Racktime, is put just a dab of mentholatum beneath my nostrils before putting on The masks I guess it's kind of the same thing as what's the teenagers do when they go to a rave. If you are using the nasal pillows, I don't think you can do that, the manufacturer recommends not putting mentholatum inside the nose anymore. I grew up doing it as a kid, so maybe that's why I've got the sinus problems? But, the mentholatum seems to help clear the sinuses enough to breathe. Cesar not inexpensive, but the dental Appliance may be an option for you, but not sure.

G&D Integrated, six months experience required. Will hire auto restriction, all the newer units (purchased in the last 3 years) are autoshift, and we are on a give year replacement cycle.

Don't have photos yet. Our company just purchased a bunch of new trailers, many with the Meritor inflation system. The lamp is mounted inboard of the rigid aluminum corner post, and on a sleeper cab with fairing, is not visible in the west coast mirror. At night, there's enough light coming from the lamp to let you know of a low-pressure condition, during the day you do not see it.

While the Meritor is a great tool, it is not foolproof, and like any system, can fail to operate properly. Inter trip inspections are still a great idea.

And, it probably doesn't need to be said, but if you are blessed with an interaction with the person of the unusual hat, you're feeling just dandy, "Fit as a fiddle, Officer!" Telling them you're fighting the flu is an invite to an out of service

The photo is the facepiece I use...

Guess the photo would help..

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have been a CPAP patient for about 15 years now, from my previous profession carried over into this one. When I had my sleep study done I had not gotten REM sleep for probably close to ten years. I had somewhere around 30 incidents in my first hour of being asleep.

They set me up with a nasal mask, adjusted the pressure, and I slept like a baby for about 5 hours. When they woke me up at 5 a.m. to kick me out, I stayed awake and went to work 3pm to 3am, ended up on overtime and then had court, and in total ended up not going to sleep for 29 hours. When I laid down to try to go to sleep, I couldn't. My body didn't know what sleep, real REM sleep, was.

I have a ResMed Air 10 which follows me everywhere I go. In the truck, on vacation, visiting friends where there's a possibility I'll have something to drink and stay overnight. Anytime I anticipate laying down for a nap or an overnight, the mask and machine are with me.

It will take, possibly, a couple of days to get used to it. It is the best sleep you will have had, especially if you snore, or are drowsy in the midday. I have a full beard and mustache, and the nasal Comfort gel mask works very well for me. The only points of contact are my forehead and around my nose. My wife has the nasal pillows, and is happy with those. She tried the dental Appliance, and it was extremely uncomfortable for her. Others we know have used the dental Appliance with good success. The photo is the facepiece I use...

If you do have sleep apnea, getting something to mitigate the apnea will make a huge difference in your overall health, well-being, mindset, and level of fatigue. I am a huge proponent of sleep studies for people that score on the apnea questionnaires.

Good luck! Be sure to allow yourself several days to acclimate to whatever options the Physicians recommend. The life you save may be your own.

Another up side? You can put your head under the blankets to fully cocoon, without worrying about suffocating. Handy on those nights where the sleeper is just a touch chilly...

It's outrageous, but a reality that has to be dealt with.

Dealt with? Yes, indeed. With group counseling! Off the wall to wall variety.

Brag 1; Selected for the most recent trainer class. After a lengthy hiatus from training, it's a feeling kind of look putting those old familiar jeans back on.

Brag 2: in an effort to maintain my new-found positivity, I am choosing not to vent....

I'm an old man, had it took me a really long time to come to grips with a new way of doing things. Ashley, you say you've made some mistakes , and have come to grips with that. I will take that statement as face value, because I suspect you are from a generation which seriouly believes in a more conciliatory and gentle method of discussion.

Many of us here are older school than that, where bluntness is seen as a positive character trait. That said, I don't think anyone on here reach the level of vitriol that you will hear on the CB at any given time.

A felony fleeing and eluding police is, in my opinion, as bad as a DUI on your record. When you combine that with the stolen motor vehicle components, I don't know that many companies will consider taking a chance on your employment, for a very long time.

The advice given here, to look at schools that are paid for by the trucking companies, is sound. You can speak directly to a recruiter, and get a definitive answer on your acceptability to that particular company.

Good luck to you, they are mistakes, and learning from them and moving forward is important. You may be qualified for hire by a company, but certainly don't spend your personal funds taking a chance, $3,500 is a lot of money

Peace.