Comments By Ray F. (aka. Mongo)

Was talking with him on the phone yesterday. And he said I needed to check in.

I have been solo for 6 months. I just gets a bit difficult to find the time when you are running hard. But I hope this makes the young whispersnapper happy.

I hope everyone has a good thanksgiving. I will be on home time for it since I have been on the road for 2 months.

I think the best thing for you to do would be to talk with a recruiter at prime. Most of the driver's I know are like me and we did our time on active duty. Got out to various careers and then got into trucking.

Would be easy enough to ask a recruiter about it.

I can't speak for other companies but I know how prime did it for me. When i was in the PSD phase I had to document how much driving and backing practice I did daily. Then a weekly call to my FM. Then it was up to my instructor to decide when I was ready to be able to test out. Then for the tnt phase it was 30,000 miles with my trainer. Then an upgrade to solo.

I started PSD feb. 14th, TNT mar. 24th and upgraded to solo may 14th. I'll let someone better at math figure out the times.

I know I am far from an expert on HOS but this is what I do. On days I only drive I will drive for 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. Then take my 30 min break. Then drive til I have 1- 1 1/2 hrs on my drive clock and park. this helps me a week later when I start my recaps. plus I will have a p/u or delivery or two in there that will burn into my 14 hr. daily clock and also help me out on the first 70. After your first week out there you will be working off of your recaps unless you take a 34 hr reset. So clock management becomes important. It was real tough for me to figure out at first but i did it. The longest I have been on the road in one shot was 7 weeks. didn't take a 34 any where in there and stayed rolling everyday.

I always try to get as close as possible to a shipper/receiver the night before if possible as that helps you out also. I know there are more experienced drivers here and I am sure they ways of doing it right. I just know what I do and what works for me.

Trucking is not an easy lifestyle. And just to burst your bubble a bit more. You won't get rid of the headset. Since as a professional driver you have to have a hands free device to talk on the phone while driving. But i do understand where your coming from. Before I became a driver I spent 14 years as a correctional officer in the Oklahoma DOC. I went from being surrounded by people to being completely alone once I upgraded to solo. talk about your culture shock. I keep in regular contact with several drivers though.

I know there is a drop yard in Fontana the prime and several other companies use. I have been there several times. They even have a bobtail section for parking your tractor when you go on your home time.

You get used to it. In fact I developed problems with the reefer unit I was pulling. When the motor on it shut down and didn't sound right it woke me up from a dead sleep. Like was said before you get used to the background noise fairly quickly.

My trainer would have clubbed me like a baby seal if I would have nosed into a parking spot. Lets take last night for example. the only spot I could find at the truck stop I was at I had to blind side alley dock into. Now I ended up having to pull forward about 4 times and got out and looked about the same. took me about 5 min to get into the spot. And I had traffic trying to come from both directions. But it all worked out and those ohter drivers either found or made a spot, or they just ended up going somewhere else.

I always get out and look just to make sure I am not going to hit something. I would much rather see drivers get out then be a super trucker and hit someone and tie things up for couple of hours while the police come and do their thing.

I try to do the same thing as old school. Tends to be a bit harder got us refer guys though.. I am sitting at my receivers parking lot about 13 hours before my appt. Time. All I have to do now is take my receivers 10 hour break. And when I wake up just walk my bills to the guard shack and get a door assignment. Won't have to start my clock til I get my next load assignment and hit the road.

I will throw my two cents worth in on this. I try to drive 9 1/2 to drive10 hours a day. That way I have plenty of time rolling back to me.

Shippers and receivers will eat up your 14 hour daily clock but it doesn't effect your 70 hour clock provided you go to off duty or sleeper status when you get there.

As far as miles go for me. I run at 57 most of the time. Did 564 today in 10:10 and that was in the mountains of pa. And yes it was in a prime truck. Have to make the fuel bonus you know.