Comments By Solo

I guess I may be ahead of the curve. I had those hard lessons learned here in my first 4 months. Especially w/ that Navi-DON'T GO!

I run marathons for fun, so I have NO problem setting that brake and taking a walk. That's how I maintain my 160lb figure I tell people.

Have been Solo flatbedder for TMC for 4 months now and my lowest take home (after taxes) has been $1339.32 and my largest week (after taxes) has been $2202.49.

I'm staying in the $1500-$1600/wk after taxes range as an avg.

If you take my gross pay and just divide it by ALL miles (not including tarp and bounce pay), it works out to $.55/cpm

If you take my gross pay + tarp pay + bounce pay and divide it by dispatched miles, it jumps up to $.65/cpm

If my suspension gauge is over 70psi AND my trailer gauge is over 60psi, I'm hitting a scale.

These 2 metrics and 1/2 tank fuel put me right around 79k gross.

Starting from this past Sunday heading from Iowa -> NE -> SD -> ND -> MN -> IA -> MO -> AR I've only seen 2 open Scales and was pre-pass on both.

Lets' see what the rest of the week brings.

I bought a Sleeper Number Varicool topper, and it's MUCH better than the factory mattress. If I knew I was going to be in this truck for an extended period of time, I would go the route Rainy did and get a proper mattress and shoe horn it in the side door.

I'm too new to really provide you any insight. That being said, I do find myself getting faster with securing/breaking down each week. The key is to find a method to your securement (and breakdown) and fine tune it. Repeat it. Become more efficient at it. Don't keep going back and forth (each side of the truck). Work down one side and then the other. For tarps don't work all 4 corners. Work one end, fold it up the middle, then work the other end.

I've been OTR 4 months now and only 3 of my loads have been untarped...but I still feel I'm leaving a lot of time on the table w/ regards to my securing and breaking down, but I DO see time being shaved off, so I'm starting to finally be consistent and subsequently a bit more timely.

As for securing different types of loads...well, I'm probably not the best one to ask. TMC by default exceeds DOT requirements, and I exceed TMC requirements...it's just what makes me feel comfortable knowing that if something happens to the freight I'm hauling, then the trailer and tractor are going w/ the freight because it's not just falling off my deck due to poor securement. Does that come at a time cost? Sure does...but I've not had any loads shift, that's for sure.

As for backing? Ha...Ya, again...I'm too new. It's a struggle. Maybe one month I'll start to feel like I "get it", but the spread axles are just tricky to me. I GOAL A LOT and pray that with time, I get better.

I really believe it's all in the set-up and unfortunately, during my 5 weeks of OTR training, we didn't really practice backing. Did I back? Sure. A lot. But I just did what my trainer said to do vs me trying to figure it out. Time is money...trainers like money.

During my 3-weeks orientation, we just practiced the 3 types of backing maneuvers to pass DOT test, but didn't really explain how they would be applicable...and if anything, I've paralleled a HECK of a lot more than straight line back and off-set thus far... but should have REALLY spent time doing truck/rest stop backing maneuvers at both orientation and OTR training, since both of those are what cause the most preventable accidents for TMC per safety, but yet that's not their focus.

It's going to be a lot at first, but it does get better. People told me that ahead of me starting, and I didn't believe them but I am finally beginning to breath a bit more easily.

Grats! I for one would appreciate the year in review.

Be careful with UPS as "real addresses". I tried that route and was denied in TN. They do not accept UPS "Real Addresses" for the purpose of residency, so make sure you find out what your state approves of or not.

I've been homeless for nearly a year now and set up a legal residence via a mail forwarding service in Sioux Falls, SD and it has been perfect for my needs. I have a " Real ID compliant" DL/CDL from SD and my W2 from TMC shows my "legal address" and thus I do not pay state income tax, since SD doesn't have any.

I feel guilty, but I left my moms a day early this weekend to get to my Tues am consignee.

I just couldn't get any sleep in that dark/cold, and for all intents and purposes COMFORTABLY soft bed. I just tossed and turned all night Friday and Sat.

Hit the NB 75 KY welcome center last night, and Slept my butt off! dang I had some catching up to do. Even fell BACK asleep for a few more hours after eating some cereal and having a cup of coffee. My truck just gives me the sleep I need.

TMC's FM's sent out a similar message as well.

I'm marked as a "Runner" and thankfully haven't been slowed down by anything real or perceived.

O/O can have whatever color truck they want.

If the "TMC" says Operated by above it and is in a flat matt gold, then that's an O/O truck.

Company Trucks have that multi-colored "TMC" on the door and does not say "Operated by" on it.

Also, Peterbilt...for whatever reason, can't get us black 579's fast enough, so they are shipping us white ones to hold us over. I'm not sure of the logistics of that, but it came up in TMC's pvt fb page as we thought we were having white trucks put into circulation, and that was the answer we received. That goes for dedicated Day Cabs as well as Dedicated and linehaul Sleepers.

We simply asked "Why not just paint the white ones black and ship them", but I'm guessing it's just not that easy.

I'm currently grossing 1800/wk as a company driver. I can't believe that there are O/O's making less.

That's criminal but reinforces where I'll be staying as it pertains to company vs O/O.

Great post / question.

That is my plan as well. Being single, no kids, put all my crap in storage and ready to live life on the go.

Good luck with your plans and remember, it's all what you put into it !

I had my truck in for its first service this past weekend and took the opportunity to clean out the rest of my storage unit and made 2 deliveries to the salvation army.

After being on the road I got to thinking about how each month I'm paying for something to store stuff I clearly don't need since it would be in my truck if I did. Then got to thinking about how I would be paying for stuff I'm not using, and should I need it down the road, I'll just replace it should that time come, versus spending money each month and ultimately buying the stuff over-and-over again each month by way of paying storage fees.

Now if I could only get rid of my car. It's a lease so the dealership won't take it back early. Even offered to pay them the balance in full. Nope. They want it back in March 2021.

Solo said: "I don't 1/2 ass anything."

Except your drivers seat!

Today wasn't SO bad.

I focused a lot on those above exercises more than just my usual subconscious act of doing them already, and it actually seemed to help.

But ya, I'm a small dude...something these seats weren't specifically designed to support, haha

When they remove Engineers from trains and pilots from planes, I'll start to be concerned. Until then, this is all left-wing BS, imo.

Will it happen? You bet.

In my life time? No chance.

Some companies pay a “clean inspection bonus”. The higher the inspection level, the more you make for no discrepancies.

TMC pays for clean inspections and $100 per clean Hazmat inspection.

One driver got his first inspection and happened to be under a HM load. After his clean inspection, he called Safety to inform, and Safety said if he got another clean inspection, he would double the bonus, so he pulled into another weigh station and asked for an inspection since "it's my first HM load, and I want to make sure everything is correct".

Needless to say, there's a cap now on a given day.

Was behind 1 today as well.

They also added their "Gold Membership" for truck-specific routing stating in the forum (within their app) that Silver Members only receive car specific navigation to which I asked why on earth would people PAY to use an app called TRUCKER Path for car specific directions when google maps work JUST fine for free.

I'm still waiting for their reply.

For the predictive parking info, which is pretty much worthless.

More than just predictive parking.

You will get different navigation between free, Silver, and Gold.

Solo, when you do something you do it all the way. I like your style!

To a fault even, I don't 1/2 ass anything.

All or nothing.

They also added their "Gold Membership" for truck-specific routing stating in the forum (within their app) that Silver Members only receive car specific navigation to which I asked why on earth would people PAY to use an app called TRUCKER Path for car specific directions when google maps work JUST fine for free.

I'm still waiting for their reply.