Probably Going To Get Into Regular Trucking, I Got Some Questions Though

Hey guys, I've driven a truck for several years for race car teams but I've been strongly considering getting into regular trucking at a large company like Prime or Knight. Been considering flatbed the most. I'm just curious about some things in industry and was hoping you could help me out.

How does maintanence work? Like your typical oil changes and tires and the like. Is it up to the driver to take the truck in on schedule or does the company decide when the truck goes in to the shop? What about if something goes wrong like the A/C dies, does the driver still get paid while the truck sits in the shop?

Why do flatbeds and tankers raise the front axle when empty?

As far as hometime goes, could I wait until I get a load close to home and then just drop the trailer after I deliver and bobtail home for a few days?

Does the company pay for basic essentials like washer fluid, wipers, hub oil, etc.?

Is it possible to avoid taking 34 hour resets by planning your week as such? In order to make more money.

Do all trucks have an apu or allow idling? Basically is there ever a situation where I would have to go without heat or a/c while im sleeping?

Bobtail:

"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Hello and welcome. I drive a flatbed and can answer a few questions. Most big companies pay for all repairs and such as well as having a schedule to follow. Last week I had to get my truck serviced. They sent me a message saying go to a shop when you can and get it done.

Rarely will your actual ac go out. I've had some trouble with my apu and was sent to a dealer to repair it. I was allowed to idle in the mean time. You should never have to sleep in a truck with no ac or heat at a reputable company. This affects your rest and is considered a breakdown. Most big companies pay hourly after a certain time. My company is 15hr after waiting 2.

I've never raised my axles but I suspect it's similar to sliding tandems in a box.

Hometime varies. Most companies big or small don't want their trucks sitting longer than they need to. A few days would require a special request. Also you don't have to get a 34 every week. I'm running recaps right now. You can run more to make more yes. We get weekend pay at my company which is a nice incentive to roll on weekends.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

EPU:

Electric Auxiliary Power Units

Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices

The main reason you will see some spread axles or tankers with a lift axle is the fact that it really saves the tires. By lifting that axle and rotating the tires regularly you get alot longer life out of the tires. It can also help with maneuvering during a back up although i have not had an opportunity to test that for myself.

Basically, it's their truck and they provide all supplies and do the maintenance on a regular schedule. If you have a breakdown, they'll authorize a shop to fix it if you aren't near a company shop. My company does pay you if you breakdown.

APU a/c and bunk heater.. If they're not working my company pays for a hotel because our trucks won't idle. Not sure how other companies handle that.

If your truck is broke down my company will also try to find you a truck to use temporarily if the repairs will take a few days or longer.

Hometime depends on your company's policy. We fet either home weekly if regional or biweekly if OTR fleet. Of course I've spent quite a few 10 hr breaks in my own bed at home because i was nearby. I never asked and they don't care as long as I'm not too far out of route and not late on delivery or pickup of a load.

If you manage your time well, it's not necessary to do a 34 hr restart.

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Hey Steve, the others have given you great answers. Go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide. It's like 71 pages of information on every topic imaginable that pertains to getting your trucking career underway.

Truck Driver's Career Guide

What type of race cars/teams did you haul?

Top Fuel in NHRA

What type of race cars/teams did you haul?

Man that sounds cool. You mind sharing how you got into that business. And if a man was interested could you get him some contacts. Haha