Profile For NaeNaeInNC

In just under three years, I have used my TWIC card once, during work. However, the numbers on the back, are also able to be used for the "trusted traveler" program when you fly. I didn't notice a change in the small town Podunk airport I flew out of last, but it is good info to know.

I had a "gentleman" just today, try and talk me into thinking my Mega Carrier job pays exactly 💩 and how I would be sooooooo much better off as an o/o like him. Keep in mind, his truck looked beat to heck and back, and the trailer is from a company that I have seen some *stellar* examples of DOT violations from.

As stated, be VERY cautious about who you get information from. One of my female friends drove for Melton, and was mostly happy there. She left over I think it was glass?

Yeah, different trucks back differently too. I couldn't back up my trainers Pete in TNT to save my life. It was frustrating, because I nailed my test in a FL. Now, at almost three years, I know intellectually what I was doing wrong, but until I hop in another Pete, I won't know for sure.

Hang in there.

I don't necessarily think it's your past history that is the sticking point. Location, location , location. I think that your location is making it more difficult, in this already difficult scenario.

You are getting callbacks, which makes me think it's moreso where you live.

Old School is correct, that they will still be able to uncover your conviction, which would make it an automatic send home due to the lie, instead of the actual conviction. Could an expunged record help "prove" you have changed your ways? It's debatable, but they don't just hand out expungement as easily as a guilty verdict. Still hoping you find something.

Congratulations 🎉

Yep. Have a well thought out solution before you ever have to have the conversation. It makes FM's life easier, and I usually get close to what I wanted/needed how I needed it to happen. Far too many people in every day life miss the Forrest for the trees.

The reality is that we are paid in a piecework world but our HOS were designed for an hourly world.

Carriers get the best of both worlds doing this. It means that we have to play both sides of the coin. We all in reality, preserve our clocks to some extent by doing things work related off duty. But, the carrier's nature is to have the driver do everything and anything they can without getting compensated for it. It's not personal, just business.

Given that, I orchestrate and massage things such as that I get paid for any activities I do to the extent that I reasonably can. There is always a balance to be maintained.

So in that aspect, I'm going to look to log time or arrange it that the truck repairs are done while on a load or getting done with a load. The company on the other hand will attempt to get all repairs done and things that the driver needs to facilitate on the drivers personal time. That way they avoid costs.

It behooves the driver to know ahead of time when your B service is up, your DOT physical is coming etc. Then you can be proactive in scheduling to your benefit, while also being productive. IE:

"Hey, I've got hometime coming up, but I'm going to be in a Tibetan monks shrine for the week of hometime so I won't be available. Let's go ahead and do my DOT physical tomorrow in between this load and the next one."

This way you can possibly position yourself for some extra pay or at least a favor in the future, instead of fighting the company, you're redirecting their will and for all intents and purposes being a great employee.

This is a mirror of the unspoken, unwritten polices that the carriers use to cut costs. Your simply using them in reverse to increase your revenue.

If you come out and boldly announced that there's no way in hades that you're going to do stuff on your own time, you'd just come off as petty and confrontational. Just as the company won't bodly announce their intent is to get you to do everything they can without paying you for it. They wouldn't have very many drivers left if they did. So they manipulate and we redirect and arrange as I like to call it. Individual results may vary.

I had to "Move" from Montana to North Carolina to make working for Prime an option. With the exception of the comedy of errors in getting me "home" to Montana this time, (twice a year) it's just easier to park the truck at the SLC terminal and run a rental car home. Usually my FM has 30ish days notice when I need to be in Montana, just to make it easier to set me up for "close enough."

This time? After three customers refused to take my empty, for various reasons, the trailer is sitting in the grass in my father's yard. Wilson used to let us drop there, but they had to go and sell out to Ashley, and they say NO too. It's been raining all week, so I'm hoping that hooking at a 45 degree angle and pulling towards the fire hydrant will be sufficient to get it out of the yard.....

Where I "live" in NC is actually a bigger PITA to get me home time, but with the number of contracts we have that go to or come from NC, it's considered "acceptable" to them.

Ditto what every other post has said.

I would also add, use Dry erase markers on your windshield so you have critical information, and your "last mile" turn by turn info. GPS has a nasty habit of going down when you need it the most. (I shape my route on GPS, and it freaks out at 4 major cities every time)

Example in photo. It's there if you need it, but easily looked beyond

I just *love* the Prime bashers. I am by no means a Kool-Aid drinker in blind support, but they have been dang good to me. I have far exceeded my 1, 3, and 5 year goals, and I'm only approaching my third anniversary (May 6th.) As has been said, always critically analyze what is said around the smokers bench. I have yet to meet anyone at "the bench" that wasn't trying to spout a load of cow pies.

The bottom line is, it doesn't really matter whose name is on the door, if you are a lazy and shoddy driver, you won't wind up being trusted, and will box yourself into minimal pay.

Hell, I'm crazy as it is, and by week 10 of solid running OTR running recaps, and only accidental 34s under load, I'm sick of myself, sick of my truck, short tempered, and quick to voice my opinion loudly, and colorfully.

You haven't even driven a circle in a truck yet. You don't have enough information to determine if that long or a hitch is even an option for your own mental health needs.

Mega carriers usually have a system set up to be able to have specific mail held for a driver in their terminal. I pay just over $1 a week to have a mailbox at the main terminal. It's way easier to swing through there, than trying to get "home" to either Montana, or where I "live" in North Carolina.