All-Star Comments

I think you guys are a little too hard on JJ.

Rookie drivers think a lot of things that the old hands realize aren't necessarily rational. As newbies we are easily distracted by the details. We want to get everything right, but there seems like so many things going on at once. We're thinking about RPMs, road speed, proper rhythm and timing for the shift. It's overwhelming for some. The old hands can hear the way the engine sounds and shift easily without much thought. It's basically muscle memory for them. For new drivers it's stressful trying to put all those things together without being distracted from the myriad other things they are processing.

I don't think it's necessarily rational for a newbie to think he can go backwards better with one type transmission or the other. As PackRat says the geometry is the same. But... there is that clutch which is a distraction. It shouldn't be, but it still is. I've watched newbies wear out their knee when backing. Why? I don't know why they keep wanting to feather the clutch. Engage it and go - that's the way it should be done. For most new folks it's another distraction leading to additional stress.

As far as removing the restriction goes, there will be very few drivers who ever need it removed. Even Old Dominion has started ordering auto shift trucks now. The few who need to get it removed will certainly be able to get it done. It may be a little easier in some states, but each state will have a process to get it done. There will be schools and employers willing to take people through the process. Employers will do it because they need drivers, and schools will do it as a source of revenue.

Having backed a semi well over 10,000 times, I’d highly recommend NOT entering this type of account as a rookie. Commingling with 4-wheelers in tight parking lots is a precarious undertaking for experienced drivers, let alone rookies. Although there are exceptions (PapaPig), it just compounds an already difficult learning curve. Give yourself a fighting chance… many other opportunities that are more suitable for entry level drivers.

Good luck!

When I was in CDL school 5 years ago a bunch of different companies came in and pitched their "dollar" accounts. They all talked about how much money you can make on one. The whole time I would sit through one, I would wonder to myself if these accounts are so great why isn't there a waiting list of experienced drivers trying to get one? Why are they here in a school trying to sell it to a bunch of noobs??

The answer is they kinda suck extremely tight backing plus having to unload a trailer is not something a new driver should be doing imo. For example a Dollar General took over a closed Family Video store by me, it was not ment for 53 foot trucks with a sleeper one dude backed into their sign. The other location across town the truck can't even fit in the lot you have to stick out into the street.

My point is get a year or two of experience before contemplating taking a "Dollar" account. There are literally thousands of opportunities to start with don't rush to take that one.

Don't go on that dedicated DG account right out of the gate. Companies dangle this at new drivers all the time because most experienced drivers will not do these. Tight spaces, lots of difficult backing situations, hand unload in the middle of the summer weather....

There are better and easier ways to earn a paycheck, keep your DAC clean, and get lots of experience. Your call.

This is going to really hurt alot of folks. After passing AB5 and it getting tangled in court the state had gotten another mandate, policy or whatever you want to call it concerning the age of trucks pulling containers out of the ports. Long story short the ports required any truck on their property to be a 2014 or newer. Alot of I/C’s went and bought newer trucks, and now have truck payments.

Many of the container haulers all over the country are leased onto the carrier.

If the first go round of messing up the ports didn’t screwup the supply chain well enough, this one very well might.

I’m here Annie…

A bit free time because of some other projects I’ve taken on around the house and personally.

Sooo… Tekashi, unless you live within a commutable distance to Richmond (you’re in PA so it’s rhetorical), I suggest not asking if you can stay in a separate hotel. There are several reasons for this, some of which Annie already touched on.

Please realize the moment your schooling begins, so does your job interview. Swifts evaluation of how you respond, how you conduct yourself and how you interact with others begins at the onset of your time at the Academy.

I don’t know if they would allow such a thing, but honestly your goal is to have them notice you for the right reasons… not the wrong ones. You’ll also miss out on the study groups that invariably form with other students in your class. Without being in the same hotel, you’re likely to miss out on this and will be on your own to study.

If you come off as a loner from the very beginning, how do you think Swift will evaluate your ability to share a truck and live in a small space with your mentor for 4-5 weeks? Not favorably.

Swift will reimburse for mileage if you drive to Richmond (which based on where you live, far better than riding the GrayDog), but definitely not the hotel. Driving your self? Totally cool with that. Not a fan of the bus ride.

For that and other less tangible reasons, compliance with their process is highly advisable. Go with the flow… now is not the time to buck status quo.

Good luck!

I just wanted to share a story that just hit the local news waves regarding a positive meth test. At the local horse track, a Horse tests positive for METH. The gaming commission did an investigation and came to the conclusion that due to the handler (before and after race) testing positive for meth it's safe to say there was residue on their hand that unintentionally transferred to the horses mouth causing the positive result.

I guess my point is it is possible that secondhand exposure did result in your positive test. I am sorry for being skeptical of your story if what you posted is indeed the truth. However, with the safety sensitive nature in this industry there is absolutely no place for drugs. In all my years on this forum we've heard many far fetched excuses of test results.

I hope things are working out well for you kal-el

I'm speechless, Rob. T .... yet so grateful you posted this. Heard something local, last week. A guy in OCS had his girl 'service' him....and he popped positive, too. This is all 'hearsay' at the moment, but . . . .has me believing this is a reality check to a real thing. Cops getting 'ill' from touching these drugs; in the news all the time. Sad. Scary. Buy and wear those blue orthotic/orthopedic (medical?) gloves, come one and come all??? SHEESH.

Fenty (as they call fentanyl around here) and Ice (meth) are pretty bad in some Ohio areas. Not so much in our (Amish) community, but dang.. Cleveland is north, Columbus is south, and Mansfield is a stone's throw away, 11 miles Norte' ... why we head SOUTH to Mt. Gilead. Sickening.

Did you know 'this' guy, by chance, Rob T.?

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa —

The tractor-trailer driver who died in a crash at the intersection of Highway 5 and Interstate 35 on Monday night has been identified. Twenty-five-year-old Kyle Stewart, of Des Moines, died at the scene, according to police. The crash was reported at about 6:51 p.m. Police believe Stewart was traveling northbound on Highway 5 when the vehicle left the roadway. It came to rest in the gore area of Highway 5, northbound to Interstate 35 Northbound. The investigation is ongoing.

What the heck, with things anymore.. Stay safe, good sir.

~ Anne ~

There are more and more stories of people testing positive or overdosing (mainly from fentanyl) from indirect contact, or Accidental exposure (like cops). Unfortunately it's so difficult to sift through what's true and what's a lie. I hesitated to share the story I did because I don't want to give out an additional excuse someone that IS a user could lie about being the cause. This is another reason why it's important to know who you associate with. Personally, I want nothing to do with anybody that uses any sort of illegal or DOT banned substances even if they're in an otherwise legal state. The risk is too high of something funky going on. I have a family to support and that's my biggest priority right now.

I didn't know that person, I'm not sure if they were even local. However we did lose a really nice driver, only 43 yrs old, to a motorcycle wreck when he failed to make the curve in northern Iowa a week ago. Really puts it into perspective chatting with the guy a couple days prior and now he's gone. We're never guaranteed tomorrow so don't take it for granted.

We lived down in West Des Moines for about 3 years but kept to ourselves for the most part, mainly the few guys that I worked with were who i knew. The past 2 years we've lived about 45 minutes north of Des Moines, small town of about 1200. We know alot more people up here but still primarily stick to ourselves. I only have 1 person (guy I worked with at PFG and then he followedme to current employer a week after I started) I really consider a good friend. Even then the kids keep us so busy we haven't hung out outside of work despite chatting on the phone on a regular basis when we're working. It's not likely to get better for now that wife had foot surgery this morning and has to stay off her foot for 8 to 10 weeks, plus she starts online classes in August. But I'm perfectly fine with that, I enjoy spending most days with the family and talking to neighbors and others from church. In the end raising my family is all that matters. Working takes up so much of my time as it is I'm often needing to choose between family time or sleep if I want to earn the type of paycheck we desire to help us reach our goals.

I just wanted to share a story that just hit the local news waves regarding a positive meth test. At the local horse track, a Horse tests positive for METH. The gaming commission did an investigation and came to the conclusion that due to the handler (before and after race) testing positive for meth it's safe to say there was residue on their hand that unintentionally transferred to the horses mouth causing the positive result.

I guess my point is it is possible that secondhand exposure did result in your positive test. I am sorry for being skeptical of your story if what you posted is indeed the truth. However, with the safety sensitive nature in this industry there is absolutely no place for drugs. In all my years on this forum we've heard many far fetched excuses of test results.

I hope things are working out well for you kal-el

Congratulations, Bruce! Your road to one year certainly wasn't an easy one. Some of us reach that milestone as though our cruise control is set and we are rolling down a flat, open road. In comparison, you were pulling a 45,000lb load through the mountains over patches of snow and ice. Well done, sir!

Sometimes there are walls, though. And poles! And curbs!

This was the tighest spot I've been to yet that wasn't backing off a street into an alley. Took me more than 20 minutes and 15+ GOALs.