Profile For beeman

I wasn’t going to post again until after Christmas but since these two questions are fun ones and today is Christmas which should be a fun day (among other things) I post them now.

I play ETS2 and ATS. I am betting each and every one of you know those ‘games’; probably some of you play them. However I have read through some posts on Steam and the SCS forums as well as Reddit that those games can provide some useful training or, if not exactly training, then at least some insight into driving a big rig. A feel for making wide turns and backing up got mentioned more than once. What are your thoughts? Any of you have personal experience with those games and RL truck driving you could share?

Research tells me a big rig will rock a bit when people have sex in the sleeper. True? If so how much rock and roll can you get. Since I assume make of truck, model and suspension would make a difference this would be with a Volvo 860 with upgraded suspension; how upgraded I don’t know, I’m not that deep down in the weeds yet.

Since I just mentioned Volvo I will ask a third question on my list. Is there a segment of truckers out there that frown a bit on Volvo trucks and their owners? ‘American truckers should drive USA trucks’ kind of attitude?

Thanks guys. I need to focus more on my purpose of coming here, specific questions. I do have some. But that can wait till after Christmas. But for now I would like to pass along a Christmas eve tradition of mine that some of you might find of interest. Later this evening (pacific time zone here) I will listen to a 30 minute story on the radio; been doing the same thing for twenty plus years now. The story is called The Shepherd, written by Fredrick Forsyth (The Day of the Jackal being his biggest claim to fame) and read by Al Maitlland, great radio voice. Set in the fifties it is about a jet fighter pilot, stationed in Germany, who is flying home for Christmas with his family. He develops mechanic issues over the north sea. Saying anything more would involve spoilers. It has been broadcast every Christmas eve since 1979 on CBC radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) It use to be a one time event, tune in at 6:30 pm Christmas eve or wait till the next year. Now with the internet you can stream it anytime during the holiday period. You should be able to find it by googling ‘the shepherd cbc radio’ although CBC can have some odd restriction for anyone connecting from beyond our borders. Hey, CBC is a publicly funded operation so it’s bound to have some oddities. Having VPN would make it easier, just connect to a Canadian server. Anyway check it out. It’s a great story read by a great storyteller. Merry Christmas to all of you.

Thank you for the comment RealDiehl.

Interesting you mention stereotyping and a good place to start because it is something I deal with in the second (maybe third) scene. My driver, lets call him Joe for now, meets a woman at an event that most people wouldn’t think a trucker would ever be found at. She makes a comment, “Wow, a trucker that likes (fill in the blank)”. “Who would have ever thought.?” Or “What next?”, I have several versions. Joe is somewhat offended at the stereotyping. There are a couple of others like that with some of her friends.

I also try to deal with sexism a bit, general sexism not just whatever might be specific to trucking. Joe’s sister starts trucking school mid way through. Their father was a trucker, retiring or had a stroke, not sure which sub plot works best but Jane has a truck to drive when she earns her CDL. A couple of previous flashback scenes have shown her, her brother and father in his rig more than a decade earlier. Dad teaching his son to drive at some abandoned warehouse. A series of events ends up with the daughter showing dad what she can do. :) She’s sixteen or seventeen.

Greetings everyone

New to the site which means new to the forums as well. First post. Love the site. Information on truckers and trucking of a kind that is exactly what I need.

I am not a trucker nor will I ever be. I am a 68 year old self-employed semi-retired journeyman house painter. My wife and I work together and, as I am wont to say, ‘we have only killed each other three or four times during all the years we worked together’.

I venture onto this site for trucking information. Brett has some terrific information on this site; articles and forum posts on every aspect of truckers and trucking. Just what I need. I need that information as research for a TV Christmas movie script I am writing. Trying to write. Full disclosure here; I have never had any meaningful success in my writing efforts. Writing has always been a hobby for me, nothing more. However I really think I have a plot and characters that could be a winner this time.

My main character is a trucker and I want to get the trucking details right. Simple as that.

I will leave off now. No questions yet. Just wanted to see if any of you might be willing to offer advice and information as I need it.

Take care. Drive safe and best of the season to you all.

beeman