Man alive. If you can't entertain yourself with all the various gadgets and gizmos out there, you must already be bored to death.
There's satellite radio, satellite TV, books on tape and CD, laptop computers, mp3s, video cameras, video games, Internet, uploads, downloads, overloads, and under-loads.
My poor ol' head is boggled at the amount of stuff a driver can do these days to keep up with the latest thing happening or not happening.
I have to say that at first I was not to sure about satellite radio. I mean, after all, I knew friends that had satellite TV and when a rain squall came though there was no TV 'til it passed, and I just wunt-gonna pay for something that was that unreliable. So I thought satellite radio was the same way. I guess this is one of the few times ol' Pappy may be wrong. Now y'all need ta mark this occasion down cause I ain't wrong too often. I've kept my eyes and ears open to some of my friends about satellite radio. They are tellin' me that they have no problems with it at all.
Now as far as the music quality on satellite radio...I gotta say, folks, if its hooked up right, nothin' out there can compete with it. You can get it set up and installed any way you want and only your wallet can put limits to it. For instance, one friend of mine likes talk radio, so he didn't spend a whole bunch on amps and speakers. Another friend, who like me, loves bluegrass and southern rock, chose to pump up his rig a bit with some "top shelf" speakers and a good amp. I have another friend, whom I believe to be abnormal, that hooked up his ride with some sick stuff... ( oh no ... "hooked up his ride with some sick stuff...???...wtf...where did I get that from???) Anyhow, he now hammers his brain and his insides with a shade over 7000 watts pushing five - count 'em - five 16-inch subwoofers and various other speakers. The entire system is designed to impress or disgust who ever is within a mile radius. This system has cost him more money than he has made in three years. The first tractor he had it in fell apart! It honestly shook itself apart one day while he was trying his best to impress a bunch of us ol' timers, and maaan, we laughed so hard I got a headache and a couple guys wet themselves. To this day we haven't let him live that down. I always ask him, "Hey, hows the rig holdin' up?"
About the only downfall to satellite things is, ya gotta pay for it. For me, I just couldn't justify the expense. I have a family and a mortgage and of course the other bills that come along with such roots in deep ground.If you're a single man with no bills, it may be worth a look-see to you. Me, I have to pass.
I met a trucker in Oklahoma (I loved Oklahoma!) who had a collection of radio controlled cars, planes, trucks, ships, and other types of transport that just blew my mind. Now that was a fun time for both of us! Seems he could never find anyone who wanted to play with him and his toys. I was sittin' at the wheel finishing up my log entries when this RC Helicopter came in and hovered over my hood. I looked up surprised to see this thing hovering there. When I looked around to see who was flying it, he was standing in front of his rig waving at the controls to another helicopter he had. I was more than happy to learn how to fly the other one!
I guess when you get right down to it, you make your life what you want it to be. You can choose to be bored, or you can choose to use your imagination. Just remember - "Imagination is the best nation on earth!"
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila (that's me!), a 15 year truck driving veteran, in January 2007. After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker. We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career.
Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known. At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start.
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