Comments By Matthew W.

How often do you have to wake up unprofessional drivers just so you can get out? How do you approach it or do you just talk with the truck stop attendant?

Here is the situation I'm in and i am dreading the morning.

If they just parked and I am leaving they get the air horn of "Wtf are you doing guy?" If I wake up and see something like that, I go beat on their sleeper and ask them to move when I am about ready to go. Generally as I am about to start my PTI so they have time to get rid of the sleepies and hopefully drive intelligently to a better parking spot.

Generally when people park like that they know they are likely to get woken up and asked to move. That doesn't mean some of them aren't rude when you wake em up, but only an idiot would park like that and NOT expect to get woken up before they're 10 was up.

Got to my home terminal and I see multiple pallets 10 or so, of chef boyardees spaghetti and meatballs, take as much as we want. I got me six cases in my tractor, 12 cans per case.

Was told it came from one of our trailers that caught 🔥, have no idea how, but free food😁😁😁😁😁😁

2 weeks from now, he'll never touch another chef boyardees spaghetti and meatball can again.

Thank you for keeping up on posting periodically about your experiences with Wilson. Been seriously thinking about driving for them as they’re one of the only companies to hire 21 year olds and one of the only “mega carriers” (if you can even call it that) that has a terminal where I’m planning to move to (Yakima, Washington). From Maui, Hawaii. Did it seem like their hiring process was more selective? Saw an interview on their Facebook page where the head of recruiting said they were one of the harder companies to get into.

They are a bit more selective in recruiting, for instance if you have a wife and kids they will caution and perhaps even try and talk you out of trucking. The recruiters aren't looking to put anyone they can in a truck here, they try and match you with them before bringing you down. That said if you're young and single and have a clean record you should be just fine getting in the door. Just remember getting in the door is 1/10 the battle, like every other cdl offering company youre expected to do your die diligence. This is gast paced training so come ready to do battle every day and put in the effort to show a can do attitude. The training period is as with all these companies you're very extended interview process. If you don't get up on time for the shuttle etc you're shooting yourself in the foot right from the start.

I would just add that it might help in your situation to call recruiters of potential cal companies you are interested and explain your situation to them first and then apply. This might help you get your foot in the door where you might have been initially discarded do to your homeless period. Also if you where still working during your homeless shelter period you might be good. I know Wil trans looks at your job history, but within reason. So if you're set on coming to work here call first and then submit the application afterwards. Also as the others said, do some more research and have backup plans lined up. Dont put all your eggs in one basket as the saying goes.

"Emergency Brakes" are actually spring brakes - usually on only one axle of the tandem set. When the air is applied to the Emergency (red) line by pressing in the trailer supply, it supplies air, that compresses the spring in the chamber and releases the shoes from the drums. The blue line, is where air flows to the brake air chambers to actuate the brakes when you hit the pedal (or apply the trailer brake/trolley bar if equipped).

By connecting the red line from the tractor to the blue line on the trailer, and pushing in the tractor air supply button - you are sending pressure to apply the brakes - ON TOP OF the spring brakes (which stay applied also, since you aren't releasing them by supplying air on red (emergency) gladhand connector on the trailer.

BUT - if the slack adjusters are broken or need adjustment - the brakes STILL won't lock...

Rick

Yea, this right here. If nothing is broke and your rails are just stuck you can use this to force a slide without having to find some rocks or something else to chock your wheels. If something is broke thats what you're supposed to be looking for in your pre and post trip inspection. I also do an inspection on my trailer when I hook up or disconnect from it as required by Prime. Even if your company doesn't require it though it's a good practice to be in anyhow.

More air?

Had this problem during my d seat training. prime road assist told us to put the blue line on red trailer port and release both breaks this gives the emergency breaks more air to hold the wheels. Also as suggested here by several people spray the rails with your favorite lube.

Or something, I forget exactly how it was explained. I just know it works, and doesn't require me to carry wheel chocks to fix tandems that wont slide.

Had this problem during my d seat training. prime road assist told us to put the blue line on red trailer port and release both breaks this gives the emergency breaks more air to hold the wheels. Also as suggested here by several people spray the rails with your favorite lube.

Why run with a lower fuel level in cold temps, Bruce?

Schneider wanted us to keep no more that 3/4 tank during that extreme cold last winter. The lower volume helped keep the fuel that was left to circulate warmer. They said it helped eliminate gelling.

First I heard of that, I'm a rookie and I dont know one way or the other on this on with my limited mechanical experience, however my company told me to just put antigel in every time I fuel below 30 or going towards the north in colder temperature months.

my company doesn't staff r/a on nights or weekends. I had to do my own research to get it solved, which I suppose I should be thankful for Google and the internet.

Yeah... THAT makes perfect sense!

(Who needs roadside assistance on nights and weekends???)

We'll, technically we hall Prime trailers so in a pinch I can use their r/a, but my company strongly prefers that we use our own r/a when possible. I imagine it's a professionalism/liability thing when it comes down to truck problems since its not Primes trucks.

I see a lot of experienced drivers recommend actually looking in your tanks during pti for this very reason, you never know when your fuel guage is going to go out on you. Also if one of the fuel vents cracks it will cause the excess fuel to always drain to one tank or the other. My trucks guage gets wonky at and below 1/4 as well, however since we should consider 1/4 empty its not a big deal as I am usually rolling into my fuel stop at or before this becomes an issue for me. Id make your company aware of the potential guagr issue and hopefully they will fix it.