Location:
DERRY, NH
Driving Status:
Rookie Solo Driver
Social Link:
I was born and grew up in Russia, then came to Texas as soon as I could. Now we live in New Hampshire. My parents told me that when I was a few years old I would stop near every truck and say: "I'll get in the seat, and drive." Well, I am 50 now, and I have to say, that nothing changed - I still want to get in the seat and drive.
Posted: 1 week, 6 days ago
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I have been driving for NFI (Anheuser-Bush contractor) for a year now, and would like to share a few things in case someone considers working for this company. It is a relatively big carrier with several terminals, my information is limited to Merrimack, NH. NFI hires drivers with 1+ year of experience and after a short training (3-4 days) gives you a truck. Also they hire graduates without experience and place them in a 6 week program (pay is $200/day). Management is very friendly, all trucks (automatic Freightliners and a few Volvos) are under 150k, maintenance is done at the yard. All trucks and trailers have super singles. Schedule is flexible, all loads are no touch and most of them are drop and hook. The only minus I can think of is low pay: an average day brings about $250. Those who want to make more, can work on Saturdays (a $50 premium). Hooking 2-3 trailers every day and sliding tandems every time significantly developed my sliding skills - I can look at the load and distribute weight with 30-50 lbs difference on a first try.
Posted: 9 months, 1 week ago
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Do Roehl and others still use CRT testing? Carriers getting sued by EEOC.
I had this test on the first day of training with Roehl in January 2021. It was easy, there were a few women in our group, and everybody passed.
Posted: 9 months, 3 weeks ago
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How To Prepare For Driving School
Everyone has a unique set of circumstances, so what can work for one, may not work for another person. Speaking from my own experience, I would suggest not to overthink it and rather have a good rest before your school starts, so you can be in a good physical and mental shape. It is important to remember, that driving school is the easiest part in becoming a good driver. You will be taught one and only one skill at school, i.e. how to pass a test and get your CDL. The real training and learning will start later and most likely will be measured in years. Good luck!
Posted: 11 months, 1 week ago
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Abigail, trucking is no different from many other jobs, and in some sense even simpler, at least on a structural level - there is you and your truck, and there is your boss (dispatch, lead driver, fleet manager, terms may vary). Each one wants everything to work well, but as we all know, it cannot happen all the time. Problems exist, and your ability to solve them is always a huge plus for a company. As soon as you prove to be reliable, people will start treating you better.
Here is an example. You see that there is an option to change gears manually on your automatic truck. And you feel untrained in using this feature. I am sure that your truck has a manual somewhere in the cab. Reading this manual will answer most of your questions. Another solution is asking drivers at any rest area or truck stop, most of them will share their knowledge. Another solution is to use google. And then apply what you learned in practice. As you see, none of these options imply company's involvement, and that is exactly what many of them like.
Posted: 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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Name one thing I typed that isn't reality, Audrey.
You typed "Audrey" which is a women's name, and I am Andrey :-) That was a joke, people do it all the time with my name, I am used to it.
Now to the point. You said that legal consequences are possible. Do you know and can name any real lawsuites when a driver didn't disclose his heart attack?
PackRat, I am not saying that it is OK to make false statements. But life is much more complicated than any set of laws. I think that if someone made a mistake and didn't cause anyone any harm, there is no need to apply the full force of law.
Posted: 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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I see your poor advice continues.
If you find my advice poor, why don't you give a better one instead of scaring a person with fantastic scenarios?
Posted: 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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I would tell the truth next time. No need to make a big deal out of it, since you are not driving and it is only on paper. You can tell that you didn't notice that question first time. We are humans, and humans make mistakes.
Posted: 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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I was trained and got my CDL with Roehl, and my experience was just the opposite. Roehl takes training very seriously and gives you literally everything you need to learn and pass the test. Unless there are some paperwork or personal attitude issues it is very difficult to be sent home by this company. Are you telling the whole story? Which location were you trained at?
Posted: 1 year ago
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I am working on improving tools that a large number of trucks/fleets use in the industry. What those tools are, is irrelevant
I think you are wrong. Just the opposite, what these tools are is the only thing that is relevant, at least for me.
Posted: 1 week, 4 days ago
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Massive Layoffs At UPS A Big Win For The Union!
Unions are evil, and my opinion has nothing to do with "anti-union propaganda." (The only propaganda I had been exposed to in the Soviet Union was a pro-union one, anything else was punished.) Any unionized economy is doomed for a very simple reason: unions destroy the very idea of value, making people believe that they can get more money and work less. The truth is the opposite: one has to work more to become richer. And counting other's money is the last thing that can make you rich. To tell the truth, I simply cannot understand how American private businesses allow unions. Asking for a raise is OK, but demanding it? I see it as an insult, and when insults are left unnoticed, they tend to grow into ugly problems.