Profile For Brandon Kitts

Welcome to Roehl Chris Z. I did my training at Gary as well. Who is your instructor? Just listen to what they tell you and you will be fine. Most importantly learn the pretrip. That is what gets most drivers. The give you a script to learn for the test. It is up to you to learn that with your truck mates after they teach it to you the first time.

When you apply to Roehl, they just slot you where they need someone? Can you apply to a specific Division?

A lot depends on where you live as to what fleet you can join at Roehl. The big thing they are hiring for now is flatbed and reefer.

The big thing is take your time. If you have a CB in your truck turn it off when backing at a truck stop. You will receive far more negative feedback than positive.

Watch where your tractor is going when backing. It is easy to swing your tractor into something because you are concentrating on your trailer.

Roehl has a training facility in Conley Georgia but will also send you to one of the other sites if needed. Once don with training we have a few drivers that live in the Las Vegas area. One of the is actually in our heavy haul fleet.

Stopped at a rest area near the Imperial Sand Dunes in Baja California. The hill behind my truck is on the US Mexico Border. The other side of the hill is Mexico.

I parked for the night at the TA in Las Vegas. It's kind of sad seeing all the casinos lit up but closed due to this pandemic.

I gave up the house I was renting when I went OTR. When I take hometime I either stay in my truck or in a hotel. I didnt see a point in paying for a place to spend 1 weekend a month. I went through company training with a homeless army vet that decided to become a driver for a place to live.

Freight has slowed down for all fleets at Roehl. Last week they had 150 drivers without a load. I've been fortunate as my FM has a load waiting on me before I deliver the current one. I'm on hometime until tomorrow morning and she sent me a load Friday evening. A lot of our customers that have been open up to now are closing for a few weeks. A big customer for those of us on curtainside is Masonite Doors in Marshfield and they went on strike.

The good thing about curtainside is that I can haul our designated loads and most flatbed loads.

Just keep your head up it will get better.

I'm not with Crete but, my truck has an apu that runs hvac. I have. Switch I turn on when parked and when truck batteries get low it starts up and runs until they are charged.

I believe most companies have apu or epu on their trucks.

I had that backwards. I have an epu not an apu. Lol

I'm not with Crete but, my truck has an apu that runs hvac. I have. Switch I turn on when parked and when truck batteries get low it starts up and runs until they are charged.

I believe most companies have apu or epu on their trucks.

I asked my trainer last night since we don’t have it on our truck how do you check the brake lights on a trailer alone? I was taught many years ago to depress trailer parking brake, pull down the trolley bar, and walk back to ensure brake lights are working.

His answer: a chuckle and he reaches behind the seat and pulls out a small oak tree branch with a Y on one end that he cut long enough to put the Y on a cross bar of the seat and the flat ends depressed the brake pedal.

That my friends is just one item of what 35 years of driving experience will teach me. I think it falls under the category of “a truck driver always has to think on his toes and overcome obstacles on his own!”

My International has a light test button. I turn it on during pretrip and it cycles all the outside lights continuously until turned off.

Our trucks dont have the trolley brake levers either.

With flatbed and curtainside you will eat through gloves. I've got a $95 pair that lasted about as long as a cheap pair. Between bungee cords and straps sliding through your hands as you check them the gloves will get eaten.

Arizona 89 just south of Utah border. I stopped to check brakes before heading down mountain.

I just stay apprehensive at scale houses.

As long as I have a green light on the EZ Pass I will not be stopping at any Scale. I'm not falling for that trick. Lol

Even after you get comfortable with backing you will occasionally have bad days where the trailer doesnt seem to cooperate.

I was in Salt Lake City parked at a flying j for the night. Felt the truck rock but it just seemed like a windy night. Didnt even know it had been an earthquake until I heard it on the news radio.

Just wondering if running in a high wind area when empty,can you run with that thing open to cut down on wind presure.Or would the road wind just shred it while open .Thanks

No you have to have them closed. It's the same as an empty dry van. You just have to be careful and try not to run very far empty.

Congrats on your completion of Phase 3 and early step up to the Curtainside Fleet, Brandon! May that good momentum keep bringing you forward.

I'm looking closely at your new truck - does it load/unload from the side?

Yes the sides slide back.

We recieved a fleet message saying that until further notice Pennsylvania Rest Stops were closed and no parking allowed.

I completed my Phase 3 training on 03/13/20. During this phase you are solo and have a training FM. They only have a few drivers on their board so they can help with any questions we may have while on the road.

During phase 3 I hauled a lot of steel. Lol. I was able to see a lot of the country. My last two loads was from Indiana to Portland Oregon and then back to Marshfield Wisconsin. During this 45 days I drove 16267 miles and hauled 1,123,082 lbs of freight.

Upon arriving back to Marshfield I was switched to the Curtainside Fleet. I had requested this early on but was told there was a 6 month wait. I was then told that I had impressed someone with how hard I run so I got moved. At Roehl this is one of the best National Fleets. You make almost as much as flatbed but dont have to tarp.

I enjoyed flatbed but my bad shoulder didnt enjoy the tarps.

Below is my new ride. Stopped at an Amish Kitchen on my way to Salt Lake City!