Comments By Chris L

In my Dry van days I took a load of Hard Seltzer from Rochester NY the Raleigh NC. This was my first long distance run. I shut down at the rest stop in Virginia on I95 some where between Fredericksburg and Richmond VA. I was lucky and got into a parking spot and this was around 8:30 P.M. I was awakened around 2:30 A.M. to the noise of someone banging on doors. It turns out the Virginia State Troopers were making trucks move that were "Parked" in the travel lane behind other rigs. The Troopers didn't care if the drivers were out of hours they made them move.

>Bump< The road test course in Syracuse NY you have to make a left hand turn from the outer turning lane. The tests starts at the NYS Fairgrounds parking lot you get on Interstate 690 heading east for about a quarter mile the you get off the Hiawatha exit. At the bottom of the exit are two Left turn lanes. My instructors at NTTS couldn't stress it enough that you had to make the left turn from the outside lane to compensate for your trailer off tracking. It's a automatic fail if you were to turn from that inside lane. When I took my road test I was sitting in the outer turn lane and another driver pulling a step deck pulled up next to me on the left inner lane when the light changed he started off and off tracked the car in the opposite lane had to back up so his tandems would clear. I took the turn wide so I would have room to react if the other driver moved into my lane. I probably lost a couple of points because my tires rubbbed the curb but I finished the test and passed. So all was good. I guess every examiner has their own judgement on which lane to turn from. I always go to the outside turning lane.

Bob I'm not sure how it goes in Washington state but as long as you test in any commercial truck that requires a Class "B" License you should be good. In New York if you plan to drive a school or passenger bus you must test on those specific vehicles otherwise any commercial vehicle should be fine to test on. When I drove School bus some of my fellow drivers would drive dump trucks during the summer break they didn't have to go through another "Road test" to operate a dump truck. Is it possible that another department in your village / town might have a vehicle that you could use for your road / skills test. Maybe reach out to a neighboring town/ village that could loan your department a vehicle for your test. Never hurts to have your supervisor reach out only thing you risk is getting a No. Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

Jared Congratulations on upgrading to Solo status. It's a great feeling when you head out the first time. Starting out on a dedicated account will help you get your feet under you and will definitely help you develop a rythem. Stay safe and keep the shinny side up.

I've been so busy as of late I haven't had time to post. As of March 18th I completed my full second year with Gypsum Express. My annual evaluation was positive and I got a 3 cent raise. I'm still on a dedicated account hauling coil but now I have back hauls assigned instead of running back to the yard empty for another coil reload. Total cumulative millage to date 192,675. I'm now focusing on getting a full year of experience on Flatbed then I'm going to look at moving South within the next two years we have terminals in Georgia and South Carolina. Momma wants to move to a warmer climate She is tired of Snow...lol.

First and foremost don't get yourself worked up. You provided two samples I assume that the first was rejected because you couldn't give the required amount. The second sample was accepted even though in your opinion it "Looked diluted" and the opinion of the person who collected the sample is a moot point! The only option that will count is the lab that tests your sample! If that specific lab rejects the sample you just give another sample. The big takeaway is you didn't refuse to provide a sample or were evasive. Just stay calm and good luck in your training.

The real question would be what kind of transport vehicle did Carol Bascome use for the Tigers that ate her first husband????

I drove School bus for 3 years before I upgraded. The most common school buses are between 46' - 48' in length depending on how many children passengers. So a school bus is a bit longer than your average trash truck. You just have to make sure you obtain a Class " B" cdl license with air break, School and Passenger endorsements.

Errol V wrote:

You are driving a vehicle that is 4x longer than the usual car. You'll often need more room around you to get safely down the road or around that corner. Keep this rule in mind:

I was here first.

Don't mind the people who don't know how to drive a 70 foot long car. You have a job to do, and are doing the best you can without crunching cars or telephone poles. One-finger or Boy Scout salutes ("read between the lines") don't help you and could lead to a driver complaint getting phoned in.

I don't even think the guy in the 4 Wheeler even saw me he just laid on the horn and booked. I always keep an eye on trailer for off-tracking especially when making a right hand turn. This past summer im Watertown NY a driver from R&L was making a right hand turn at a busy intersection his trailer off tracked and he ran over and killed a woman. I don't know if the driver was a Rookie or experienced but one thing for sure he didn't as G-Town says " Watch his Wagon" and a fatality was the result. That's why I always take a little more time and extra space when I turn.

Had to move into a loading dock so I didn't get a chance to finish my first post. So this right hand turn maybe if I was still pulling a dry van and my tandems were all the way up I could have cleared the corner easily but not with a fixed triple axel no way! I think that allot of people don't understand what it takes to make a turn and everything you are watching for especially off-tracking of the trailer on the turns. I'm sorry the delayed the 4 wheeler and extra 90 seconds NOT!! But I'll always do what is the safest course of action.