We’re Rolling

Update last night was best night for me yet much more confidence and felt like I was in total control of my truck I made 695 miles last night my highest yet made it from arrows Dallas to scales in New Mexico in good time never had to wake my trainer up😀😀 the whole weather thing on my 1st night even though I handled it I won’t lie to y’all had me wondering if I could even be a trucker but I feel a lot better today as I get ready to take it into ca back to fed ex to drop an hook on my way back to Memphis thanks for all y’all’s help and encouragement more to follow stay safe everyone!!!

It sounds like you're really enjoying this =). I love reading how new drivers adjust to this career/lifestyle that's unlike what most people have experienced in their life. How long do you anticipate training to be?

Do you have a 75 mph capability truck?

68 is as high she will go

Do you have a 75 mph capability truck?

That's too many miles and too fast for a student driver.

Pack rat what I need in my opinion is how to recognize and adjust my driving thru ice like other drivers do if that makes sense

68 is as high she will go

Do you have a 75 mph capability truck?

Just got told that I was wrong on my mileage I’ve got a great trainer he wants me to go flat bed with him

That's too many miles and too fast for a student driver.

Typically you'll see the shine on the roadway, or feel it slipping. Nearly every driver will tell you if it's real icy park it at the first safe place to do so. It's not worth risking your load, or more importantly your life to creep down the road doing 30 mph and white knuckle it for several hours when usually sitting it out for a couple hours will give you clear roads and you can hammer down. Driving in inclement weather is going to happen, take it as slow as you need to feel comfortable. If you feel unsafe pull over and let dispatch know you're being delayed. There's a big difference between an inch of snow and freezing rain. As long as you don't use safety as an excuse to be lazy you likely won't hear anything else about it other than "10-4 stay safe let me know when you're rolling". If you're nervous about sending that message you're parking it just take a peak at how our companies handle poor weather shutdowns. Personally I'd rather make the call that I'm shutting down over the call I just wrecked totaling their equipment and half million dollar load I'm hauling, as would your company. Even as a local driver if I'm scheduled to go out at midnight and I don't feel safe all it takes is a phone call to bump my start time back to 6am, or whatever time I feel comfortable going out. If conditions change a simple phone call is all it takes. Our VP sends us messages frequently telling us it's our call, and if anybody hassles us let him know as they'll be out of a job. Driving nights has its perks but with the colder temps and less traffic to heat the roadway you're much more likely to run into slick roads. Anytime the outside temp gets to about 34 I become much more cautious. USUALLY you won't notice the road icing up until it gets below 28 or so. I had an incident last year where it was raining and high 30s and temp quickly dropped freezing everything. No choice but to keep putting along at 5mph as there was no where safe to stop and I definitely wasn't going to sit on the shoulder.

I'm not sure if your trainer is being pushy about running so hard but its ultimately your license and record on the line. I agree with Packrat that you don't need to go that fast. Our trucks can go 70 but i don't usually run that fast. I usually only do when I have a 600+ mile run that has a bit of 2 lane driving mixed in, provided I don't exceed the posted speed limit as well and little traffic which isnt uncommon in my area. I find it far more stressful to run 70 mph than 65 with a majority of other traffic. The time difference ends up being real minimal when you account for slower trucks passing other slower trucks. By running 65 it cuts down how many times I'm changing lanes lowering the risk of accidents. It also allows me to pass a truck that I catch going uphill just to have them pull away going down. I've done it both ways and it really does amount to very minimal time difference.

I agree with both of you he stayed up with me until he felt comfortable with me when I caught the bad weather and worked it out of the slide he already made the call telling dispatch we are shutting down .. I want to stress he’s not pushy whatsoever we’re on. 7500 mile trip altogether there an back all on interstate I’m in good hands and thank y’all again for advice it’s what I need from y’all rob pack rat that’s why I’m on here😀where running the 40 this time due to a 2 rigs wrecked and are burning on interstate 10 in quartzite more to follow soon y’all be safe

Typically you'll see the shine on the roadway, or feel it slipping. Nearly every driver will tell you if it's real icy park it at the first safe place to do so. It's not worth risking your load, or more importantly your life to creep down the road doing 30 mph and white knuckle it for several hours when usually sitting it out for a couple hours will give you clear roads and you can hammer down. Driving in inclement weather is going to happen, take it as slow as you need to feel comfortable. If you feel unsafe pull over and let dispatch know you're being delayed. There's a big difference between an inch of snow and freezing rain. As long as you don't use safety as an excuse to be lazy you likely won't hear anything else about it other than "10-4 stay safe let me know when you're rolling". If you're nervous about sending that message you're parking it just take a peak at how our companies handle poor weather shutdowns. Personally I'd rather make the call that I'm shutting down over the call I just wrecked totaling their equipment and half million dollar load I'm hauling, as would your company. Even as a local driver if I'm scheduled to go out at midnight and I don't feel safe all it takes is a phone call to bump my start time back to 6am, or whatever time I feel comfortable going out. If conditions change a simple phone call is all it takes. Our VP sends us messages frequently telling us it's our call, and if anybody hassles us let him know as they'll be out of a job. Driving nights has its perks but with the colder temps and less traffic to heat the roadway you're much more likely to run into slick roads. Anytime the outside temp gets to about 34 I become much more cautious. USUALLY you won't notice the road icing up until it gets below 28 or so. I had an incident last year where it was raining and high 30s and temp quickly dropped freezing everything. No choice but to keep putting along at 5mph as there was no where safe to stop and I definitely wasn't going to sit on the shoulder.

I'm not sure if your trainer is being pushy about running so hard but its ultimately your license and record on the line. I agree with Packrat that you don't need to go that fast. Our trucks can go 70 but i don't usually run that fast. I usually only do when I have a 600+ mile run that has a bit of 2 lane driving mixed in, provided I don't exceed the posted speed limit as well and little traffic which isnt uncommon in my area. I find it far more stressful to run 70 mph than 65 with a majority of other traffic. The time difference ends up being real minimal when you account for slower trucks passing other slower trucks. By running 65 it cuts down how many times I'm changing lanes lowering the risk of accidents. It also allows me to pass a truck that I catch going uphill just to have them pull away going down. I've done it both ways and it really does amount to very minimal time difference.

Ok mr pack rat and mr rob t made it to conchology az on the I 40 averaging 65 miles an hour except ca stretch never went passed 55/60 there so that was 500 some odd miles weather conditions were good I ran my clock 29 miles this side of Gallup New Mexico

Typically you'll see the shine on the roadway, or feel it slipping. Nearly every driver will tell you if it's real icy park it at the first safe place to do so. It's not worth risking your load, or more importantly your life to creep down the road doing 30 mph and white knuckle it for several hours when usually sitting it out for a couple hours will give you clear roads and you can hammer down. Driving in inclement weather is going to happen, take it as slow as you need to feel comfortable. If you feel unsafe pull over and let dispatch know you're being delayed. There's a big difference between an inch of snow and freezing rain. As long as you don't use safety as an excuse to be lazy you likely won't hear anything else about it other than "10-4 stay safe let me know when you're rolling". If you're nervous about sending that message you're parking it just take a peak at how our companies handle poor weather shutdowns. Personally I'd rather make the call that I'm shutting down over the call I just wrecked totaling their equipment and half million dollar load I'm hauling, as would your company. Even as a local driver if I'm scheduled to go out at midnight and I don't feel safe all it takes is a phone call to bump my start time back to 6am, or whatever time I feel comfortable going out. If conditions change a simple phone call is all it takes. Our VP sends us messages frequently telling us it's our call, and if anybody hassles us let him know as they'll be out of a job. Driving nights has its perks but with the colder temps and less traffic to heat the roadway you're much more likely to run into slick roads. Anytime the outside temp gets to about 34 I become much more cautious. USUALLY you won't notice the road icing up until it gets below 28 or so. I had an incident last year where it was raining and high 30s and temp quickly dropped freezing everything. No choice but to keep putting along at 5mph as there was no where safe to stop and I definitely wasn't going to sit on the shoulder.

I'm not sure if your trainer is being pushy about running so hard but its ultimately your license and record on the line. I agree with Packrat that you don't need to go that fast. Our trucks can go 70 but i don't usually run that fast. I usually only do when I have a 600+ mile run that has a bit of 2 lane driving mixed in, provided I don't exceed the posted speed limit as well and little traffic which isnt uncommon in my area. I find it far more stressful to run 70 mph than 65 with a majority of other traffic. The time difference ends up being real minimal when you account for slower trucks passing other slower trucks. By running 65 it cuts down how many times I'm changing lanes lowering the risk of accidents. It also allows me to pass a truck that I catch going uphill just to have them pull away going down. I've done it both ways and it really does amount to very minimal time difference.

Pack rat when you asked if I had a truck capable of 75mph and I said 68 is the most she would do I didn’t mean I was driving 68 65 is where I keep it I’ll go slower if you say I should I listen to you all’s advice !!! I made the miles cuz I never had to stop or slow except when I hit El Paso I slowed down to 50 mph I drove thru the night minimal traffic me crst and a cr England were together all the way from Dallas or weatherford lol can’t remember but in New Mexico we switched drivers at same excit that’s all I got today y’all I’m bushed good night and be safe

That's too many miles and too fast for a student driver.