Hey all, I was driving over the last couple weeks, and realized I hadn't had time to come here and post, so here is an update, and I apologize if I repeat some of the stuff I had posted before....lol....
Back in February I had finished my training, and was issued a 2011 ProStar with 500k on the odometer, and over the next month it seemed like I was on breakdown as much as I was driving. But after the minor issues that I had were fixed, I delivered a few loads out of Florida, and made my way to the Northeast and tried out a dedicated account and after my first 2 loads unloading the trailer by hand, I had felt like I had fought Ivan Drago from Rocky 4 for 30 rounds. So I lucked out and another dedicated account was looking for drivers in the same area, and I tried them.... So far I think I am a good fit, the other drivers and the DM all seem to like me, and I like them. My DM keeps me moving, and average about 2200 miles a week, and they give us most weekends off... Once and a while I will get that Saturday morning home load, but I usually don't have to deliver until 7 or 8 am Monday morning which is nice, since my home loads deliver within 45 minutes from "home", so I get to see my friends and family frequently.
about a week and a half ago, I got a message over my Qualcomm "tractor to terminal" so I figured that a) my tracto was sold and I would be issued a newer truck, b) I was going to get sent for a random drug/alcohol screen, or c) I was in trouble for something I didn't know about. Thankfully, it was because my tractor was sold... I figured that I would be sent to our Allentown, PA or Springfield, OH terminal , since they are the closest to my DC.... But I found out from my DM that they want me to go to our Atlanta, GA terminal at some point between now and July. So my DM is planning on sending me when he gets a load down to one of the customers that way.
The one thing I have noticed the couple times I have been to one of the terminals is that I am usually there for at least a day and a half by the time all is said and done, so I am glad that I know someone in the Atlanta area to come and get me to go out to dinner.... The only thing I am curious about is what type of truck I will be getting....
Well, that's all for now... When I get my new(er) truck I will let everyone know what I got..... and if anyone sees a blue international prostar, #56875 at a truckstop, feel free to say hi....
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Hey all, I was driving over the last couple weeks, and realized I hadn't had time to come here and post, so here is an update, and I apologize if I repeat some of the stuff I had posted before....lol....
Back in February I had finished my training, and was issued a 2011 ProStar with 500k on the odometer, and over the next month it seemed like I was on breakdown as much as I was driving. But after the minor issues that I had were fixed, I delivered a few loads out of Florida, and made my way to the Northeast and tried out a dedicated account and after my first 2 loads unloading the trailer by hand, I had felt like I had fought Ivan Drago from Rocky 4 for 30 rounds. So I lucked out and another dedicated account was looking for drivers in the same area, and I tried them.... So far I think I am a good fit, the other drivers and the DM all seem to like me, and I like them. My DM keeps me moving, and average about 2200 miles a week, and they give us most weekends off... Once and a while I will get that Saturday morning home load, but I usually don't have to deliver until 7 or 8 am Monday morning which is nice, since my home loads deliver within 45 minutes from "home", so I get to see my friends and family frequently.
about a week and a half ago, I got a message over my Qualcomm "tractor to terminal" so I figured that a) my tracto was sold and I would be issued a newer truck, b) I was going to get sent for a random drug/alcohol screen, or c) I was in trouble for something I didn't know about. Thankfully, it was because my tractor was sold... I figured that I would be sent to our Allentown, PA or Springfield, OH terminal , since they are the closest to my DC.... But I found out from my DM that they want me to go to our Atlanta, GA terminal at some point between now and July. So my DM is planning on sending me when he gets a load down to one of the customers that way.
The one thing I have noticed the couple times I have been to one of the terminals is that I am usually there for at least a day and a half by the time all is said and done, so I am glad that I know someone in the Atlanta area to come and get me to go out to dinner.... The only thing I am curious about is what type of truck I will be getting....
Well, that's all for now... When I get my new(er) truck I will let everyone know what I got..... and if anyone sees a blue international prostar, #56875 at a truckstop, feel free to say hi....
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.