I do run from Sacramento to Portland once a month or so it seems. One word of caution if you run that route often..... Watch out when your near Weeds CA. From Weeds to the Oregon Stateline can be some awesome winds coming through the mountain valleys.
Anyone that runs that area can tell you. It can be bad at times.
I do run from Sacramento to Portland once a month or so it seems. One word of caution if you run that route often..... Watch out when your near Weeds CA. From Weeds to the Oregon Stateline can be some awesome winds coming through the mountain valleys.
Anyone that runs that area can tell you. It can be bad at times.
Thanks for the advice, guyjax. I do remember some signs along that way on the South side of Klamath Falls about dangerous winds for the next 14 miles, etc. That is a beautiful area running alongside of Upper Klamath Lake though!
I'll keep those cross winds in consideration the next time I am through that way. I'll admit that I didn't really give it much thought (even after seeing the signs) as I drove through there last time. I could be routed through there today even!
No DVIR Required the past couple of days and it's a new journey!
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I've been trying to relax and enjoy a short bit of early home-time while the experiences of my first 6 Solo Days OTR keep stirring in my mind. While I often had to step up to the plate and take action without much time for thought, I now realize that I had read about many of those things weeks earlier here from someone else's experience. Their words as well as my CDL training came to my aid. And those 6 days went by very quickly as did my Hours of Service! Many thanks to all of the experienced professionals here at Trucking Truth who openly write of the truth of life as a truck driver.
Anyone considering a career as a CDL OTR driver, I encourage you to read and re-read the articles here at Trucking Truth. The wisdom of those here can help you prepare yourself for what may be ahead for you (especially if you are OTR).
I am the first to admit that just over a week ago I was literally on-edge as I drove a 53 foot trailer through some very tight two-lane highways in Portland, OR. And that was my very FIRST solo driving experience! I was assigned a tractor at the OC where I had my first meeting with my DBL. I spent the night on the yard in it and then got up early the next morning to bobtail just a few miles from the airport to get my first empty trailer. Did I grind any gears? Yes, I did a time or two. But I have found that each time I drive the same truck I have a "feel" for the gears, clutch, acceleration, etc. So, each drive improves. But the I-5 Corridor as well as Highway 97 from CA to WA offered me so many opportunities to transition from one gear to another! And I even had to add extra drive time for planning since at 74,000 lbs. I ended up running in 9th, 8th, and even 7th a couple of times!
By the way, is there any type of driver's education course for those who are NOT driving a 75 foot tractor-trailer at 80k? You experienced drivers understand this, right? I mean, here I have just spent 20 minutes going up one hill at 35 mph and as I am going down the other side just getting the truck back to up 55 mph (the legal speed limit for three axle rigs is 55 MAX in OR and CA) for a short stint before going up another one, a truck pulling a camper passes me ....... and then slows down! What? It caused me to have to engine brake and then immediately begin to downshift. Does that make anyone else upset? That person needed a driver's education course regarding tractor-trailer operation. Next, I ended up losing so much speed that I had to shift into 6th gear at the apex of that hill. That one move by the truck pulling the camper cost me probably 30 minutes of drive-time. And those drive-time hours are precious! Of course, the relatively easy drive on I-84 through OR along the John Day River was the relaxing leg of that particular journey. There are thousands of huge windmills lined across the hills in that rather obscure area. The most beautiful part, honestly, was when I came to that long-needed light on the hill in Biggs, OR (it was a Pilot Truck Stop and I had been driving for hours).
Now it seems almost too easy at times with the Qualcomm Navigation tool. Mine has the voice of a woman who knows it all (literally) or at least thinks so ...... "you are off course, proceed back to the route" ..... but doesn't consider that I can't just turn the rig around anywhere and the voice keeps on chiming the same thing ............. : ) I wish Qualcommette could have heard me when I was routed down some little two-lane highways below Sacramento, CA where I later learned that I could have been ticketed for using it! Yet, I still felt some sort of satisfaction just knowing that she was NOT always right! Of course, later that afternoon, she began to chirp at me again about my remaining drive time ...... for a couple of hours! It seemed to increase my blood pressure every time I hear it as I was down to my last 15 minutes of drive-time with NOWHERE to stop! Then when I was down to 7 minutes of time there was a Rest Stop! I made it! It was in the middle of nowhere with very little light and a train track nearby with a crossing (the train blared the horn each time it would pass by). But I actually slept really good that night after a quick post-trip, brush of my teeth using bottled water, and some short time with my wife on the phone. At the end of my required 10-hour break, I was back on the road as the sun was coming up the next morning. And once again I found myself driving for hours on end until I arrived early near my delivery location, got a great parking place in a nearby truck stop, had some tuna with crackers, and was asleep before dark.
During my short-time out I found myself lonely, emotional, angry, happy, peaceful, content with existence, upset with existence, frustrated, tired, sleepy, hungry, needing to relieve my kidneys most desperately, and even forgetting about my body at some points.
Life OTR certainly takes much energy out of you, but it almost seems to give it back at the same time.
Tomorrow I am supposed to be heading out for a couple of weeks this time. Already I am tired, but also excited!
Again, if anyone reading this is considering this as a career, read about it in the lives of others here before you begin. I think the biggest part of control needed is the mental aspect. Because you have hours and hours of time to think!
Time now for me to get supper prepared for my wife and a cherished night at home!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
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.
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.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated