Profile For Noob_Driver

I have a 2019 Cascadia with the same setup and our food selections are very similiar.

Main complaint I have is with the fridge mounted on the floor and the front opening door is it is easy to miss something when emptying the fridge. My truck normally sits all weekend so in the summer the battery management system shuts the fridge off sometime Sunday afternoon when temps are in the 80s- 90s. Came back to work one Monday with a very funky yogurt container in the back. Now that things are cooling down some it has still been cold on Mondays.

The KW T-680s I trained in at Millis had the drawer type fridges which I like a lot better.

Really?????? Im not a fan of our drawer fridges. I run out of room really fast and the freezer section is useless. It more of a super chill section. Maybe i need to rethink how i pack it.

I just bought the smaller one and have yet to open the box. Its just sitting with the rest of the stuff on the spare bunk. Ill look forward to seeing anyones recipes because i need to start eating healthier and any tips would be appreciated.

Perfect example!

Satelite view shows a decent amount of room for an almost 45 degree back those trailers might be an issue but they might not be there.

Reality:

Looks like they did some construction and theres a building in the way now .

Millis truck in front of me didnt have the room for a 45 after trying. His back end hadnt cleared the first trailer so he had to do a 90 then over steer and come back to blind side it. With lots of goals and pull ups. I expect to do the same in a few minutes....... Hopefully not hours.

All great ideas.

I usually start with a satelite view then get angry when i realize they recently put a dumpster or something else in the way i wasnt expecting. Then while stomping to the shipping office angry i take my time and plan everything out in my head looking at the space available. Then get angrier when shipping tells me im in a dock on the other side of the building i didnt notice on satelite view and repeat that process.

Just another quick hint while stalking angry look at lines if your blessed enough to have them. Sometimes they are lined up with the bumper on the dock and sometimes not. Its good to know where your tires should be and helpful knowing beforehand.

Man those dang john deer nails. Toughest part of any load we haul are those blocks and nails.

Not to mention lazy drivers not taking all the nails out of trailers and leaving it for the next driver. Ive had to pull quite a few nails out of the floorboards in the few months Ive been solo. I did make the investment in a 48" pry bar that has made life so much easier on John deere runs. Now if only John Deere dealers werent giant mazes winding around tractors and other implements to hit a gravel dock wedged between tens of thousands of dollars of lawn mowers and tractors.

I got a load to the menards dc in Plano illinois that my dispatcher apologized for because he knew there was a 90 percent chance i wouldnt make it in time. It was a drop and hook. And i literally ran out of hours at the guard shack checking in. I messaged logs and asked if i could drop the trailer and she said no i had to take my 10. So i literally parked for my 10 within rock throwing distance of where i dropped the trailer the next day. She said with prior systems it wouldnt be an issue but the QC is integrated so well it can literally tell when you pull the fifth wheel and it would be flagged as done off duty putting me in violation.

Did you take the mandatory logs class? they are allowing us off duty drive for yard stuff. but that means we need time to get out of customer

I took notes, Kearsey.

I understood this to mean, if you arrive early or have to wait on a door to become available, switch to off duty. Then you can use pc to travel to your door to get loaded when your door is available.

I was told never use PC to move a load forward to its destination even in a DC. See different rules everywhere!

Had this happen while parked at the yellow line after fueling at the Loves in Hubbard Ohio. Driver to my left not paying attention and didnt check his mirrors. Ripped off fender mirror front grill the hood was useless. Took off the front wheel hub as well with his tandem rims.

Every company seems to have different rules and regs on this apparently. Ive gotten the ok to use yard move at all customers whether a drop and hook or live load. Ive also got the ok to use it when fueling. Whether at a terminal or a truck stop, for example if i take my break at either I can yard move to the pump but i need to use the note fueling from the pull down tabs. And once i get to the pump i have to switch to on duty fueling. I actually got a message from our logs department about this. I yard moved at a terminal with yard move "fueling" as the note and forgot to switch to on Duty fueling drove maybe 25 yards and parked and realized i forgot to go on duty fueling and quickly switched to on duty fueling for 5 minutes. She caught it and knew exactly what i did. She said fueling is time stamped and gps stamped and she can see i fueled at a different location then my logs stated..... By 25 yards!

Also any time we do yard move we HAVE to give a reason, fueling, drop and hook etc. And it has to be noted in the log. Also not sure how your system is setup but ours kicks you to the drive line after exceeding 20mph.

Looks like ours at Millis. If you ever see a millis driver putting around a shipper/reciever or a truck stop at 5 mph just know they're trying to stay off duty ans dont curse them out.

Yard move is a bleessing it saves your drive line but it will eat up the 14 hour clock so make sure you go off duty with it. Ive gone yard move to get to a door a few times only to realize an hour later i was on duty.

Here's what it looks like.

Ive seen a few suggestions like Petes to start over and that might be for the best. I know a guy who was at our school in Richfield Wi had similiar issues and just decided to start it over although he already had his cdl. The pressure on him during class was almost non existent in his words without that looming test 3 weeks away and he did very well. He was setup with a trainer day 1 of class and was able to have several face to face convos with him in the three weeks of class. Not sure of your previous situation if there ia a school note but its something to think about.

If i remember correctly you were in wisconsin so ill recommend Millis again as well as Rhoel.

If you pick up a dropped trailer at the relay location (we'll use Columbus, Ohio for example), count on nothing to go right:

The trailer will be at the drop lot down the street, not the actual terminal address.

The tandems will not have been adjusted to the correct area.

There will be no scale ticket.

There will be two torn mud flaps to replace.

There will be one brake light to replace.

There will only be a single BOL sheet, so you make a copy when you find a copy machine somewhere.

The trailer will be dropped low enough that your rear drives touch the nose of the trailer.

It will be a 45,000 paper load that takes 10 minutes to crank up because your truck does NOT have the airbag dump switch (so we can save the company extra money. So what if you had a heart transplant!).

Good times this morning!

I seem to get the opposite. We fortunately have the air bag dumps and Ive gotten to use it maybe twice while coupling. I seem to always back under beer loads that need to be lowered. Did it yesterday twice and once this morning. I also always pickvthe wrong fuel lane and it also applies to my regular driving. Banks, fast food places with 2 lanes, toll booths, lines inside stores are my biggest enemy ill always manage to stand behind coupon lady at the grocery store or the guy buying $200 worth of lotto tickets. God forbid he buys quick picks, of course you penciled in 200 lotto sheets.

Of the trucks I've driven that are "auto" the volvo is hands down the smoothest ride and backs without bucking unless I intentionally slam my foot down. Even the 2011 that's about to get retired from the fleet is pretty smooth, but the 2017 Kenworths we have seem to lurch and bounce around when trying to back.

I can concur on 2017 kenworths. My t680 is brutal i get nothing nothing nothing then BOOM! im doing zero to 60 in 4 sec. Sometimes i get a crawl and perfect though, i honestly have no idea. God forbid i hit a big crack or a pothole and have to give it a bit more pedal. This week has been perfect though. All decline docks so far and i find its much smoother to glide down in neutral feathering the brake.

That's funny you say you got up at 1 Mr Noob. I got up at 1 in Trenton to roll at 2. Burned 2 hours 45 minutes at the brewery, most of which sitting in a line of 30 to get out. Went in bobtail even.

Seems most of the complaints were knee jerk reactions that I've heard and read. One real draw for people to Millis, was that it was family owned and mostly everyone is treated like family. Alot of fear about detached corporate ownership.

2:45 min wait to get weighed at 2am????? Thats crazy. Ive never waited that long at trenton miller. Was the guard staff short staffed?

Just found out yesterday afternoon. Still in shock. Everyone with Millis is. Also very worried seeing some of the stuff online regarding Heartland with average miles and their hometime structure. We were told day to day wont change it will be operated the same but who knows.

Noob... this kind of thing happens all the time. Don’t panic, and DO NOT believe everything you read. If you are a productive driver for Millis; same will hold true in the future.

Many times,...acquisitions of this sort can actually benefit the drivers. Stay committed.

You’ll be fine!

Im in the same boat as Pete. I dont have the experience to just walk away and find another job. No mattter what happens i still want at least a year in with my first company before I even think about leaving. Let me tell ya though Ive seen terminal rats mentioned a few times on here in threads and boy let me tell ya they come out of all the dark holes during a merger. I was at a terminal when the message came accross the QC yesterday afternoon and the place filled up like 50 spot Loves around 4pm. All the guys hanging out in the lounge all evening. I woke up at 1am to start my day and there was still quite a bit in the lounge complaining.

Just found out yesterday afternoon. Still in shock. Everyone with Millis is. Also very worried seeing some of the stuff online regarding Heartland with average miles and their hometime structure. We were told day to day wont change it will be operated the same but who knows.

They definatley load and unload fast. The problem is getting to a dock. I always seem to get a 2hr or so wait to get to that point. Wierd you mention that pete, since ive been back from hometime its been wisconsin to rochester with beer and back with paper for awhile and all of the sudden its an 8k lb john deere load to nc. Feels wierd back there climbing these hills. Not complaining at all though.

Im through Indiana quite a bit and their rest areas are great! Love the spaces open signs thats a huge help. My favorites are the trucks only lots on 90. Wide lanes, dark and quiet. I sleep like a baby there. I live nearby in northwest indiana and everytime i drive by i think about opening a food truck and parking in there since theres no services.

I did the same technique with a full sleeper in school. Just watch for the midddle point of the landing gear where the two beams meet and go a little past. While your in class you shouldnt be worrying about getting out and looking like you wiill on the test so I would suggest that. Watch your mirror until that point then get out and look at everything. Your trailer should be lined up with the lane you want. Now just get back under your trailer and get out and look again. Then slowly wrap it around that cone.

Dont be ashamed to hop out of the cab and look at whats going on. If your at home cutting your grass you dont just assume the lawnmowers working you check your work.