Forgotten but Not Gone

[pagrunt]

And you are who again???
Wonder what happened to you not hearing of anymore of your adventures.

 

[fleming442]

Know your height and watch for those low bridges and don't let this be you.

ALWAYS happening somewhere....

 

[Pc3]

get in with a construction co driving a triaxle get your feet wet even if as a combination laborer driver perferably union employment.
When you learn to float 15-18 speed downshifting without using the clutch your ready for a teamsteer job. 50+ hrly rate .

 

[Opie Knievel]

My advice is to run as legal as humanly possible.
No overweight loads.
Make sure your load is properly secured and that all straps or chains,etc.,are in good condition.
Make sure your Hours Of Service,(HOS),are within legal limits.
Make sure all truck documentation is up to date,this includes a CVIP,{truck inspection},if applicable
No alcohol or drugs in the truck.
Do a good pretrip,get any thing fixed that needs fixing.Especially air leaks.
Learn how to check and adjust the brakes.
Carry extra glad hand rubbers.
Keep your lights and licence plate clean.
Keep the dash and gauges clean.
Pay attention to the gauges,especially the oil pressure and water temperature ones.
Check your fifth wheel anytime you leave your truck,you never know when someone with an axe to grind could pull the pin.
If you do get stopped be polite.
No garbage on the floor.Things can roll around and get stuck under a pedal.
I walk around my truck everytime I stop and eyeball the tires and lights.
Bad tires are very visible to inspection officers and they will take you out of service.
Pay attention to what you are doing,avoid using a cell phone or CB or 2 way radio.
Adjust the mirrors to suit your driving style and keep them clean.
When you open the hood,check for bad belts,broken springs,leaking shocks,broken fan blades,etc.
Be courteous when driving,remember,your company name,phone number and unit number could be on the side of the truck or trailer,and everyone has a cell phone.
Hope this helps !!!
Guy

Here’s a couple of more tips that my Uncle Fred gave me when I started washing trucks and trailers and had to shunt them in and out of the wash bay .
When you’re backing a trailer into a spot,if you’re not 100 % sure where it is,stop what you’re doing,put the brakes on and get out and look.This can save on doing damage to your trailer,someone else’s trailer,etc.
Also,when parking,always dynamite the brakes.Do not use the “spike”,”hammer”,or whatever else the trailer brake handle might be called.
Guy

Thanks. Sounds like good solid advice. I'm guessing you're a driver?

 

[Opie Knievel]

Your dispatcher is not your friend.
Know that going in, and also out on the road, English is a second language.
Oh, and Google Maps or MapQuest WILL send you over a two track a goat wouldn't walk on, or through a low bridge, or a weight restricted road.

Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely not gonna use Google Maps for truck directions. I plan on getting a Rand McNally Truck GPS and an Atlas. I've heard several drivers say that Google Maps is great for scoping a place out before you get there so you have an idea of what it looks like and have a good idea how to pull into the place, etc.

 

[Opie Knievel]

Know your height and watch for those low bridges and don't let this be you.

Definitely good advice. We actually watched that video in school as an example of what not to do.

 

[Opie Knievel]

And you are who again???
Wonder what happened to you not hearing of anymore of your adventures.

I quit working for a while to be a stay at home dad. It was fun for a while but I eventually got bored sitting at home. The wife has a decent job but she can't afford to pay all of the bills and give me money for car parts.... Put the 2 together and I decided to go back to work. I wanted a job that I could make good money at that I wouldn't hate and that I wouldn't have to go to school forever for. I've wanted to drive a truck for a long time and I figured why not give it a chance.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Thanks. Sounds like good solid advice. I'm guessing you're a driver?

Yes,over 30 years now.
I started out doing short haul local and long haul across Ontario,Quebec and the Eastern Seaboard.
Now I work in the Alberta oil patch doing mostly off road work,driving a tri drive water truck.
Before I even started out on the highway I had the advantage of being a shunt driver in a tanker company yard.
Backed up many a tank into the wash bays and parked them in a fairly good size yard.That was a lot of hooking up and dropping let me tell you LOL
My first boss was an owner operator and also a Class A diesel mechanic.I learnt lots from him.

It takes new drivers years to get that kind of practical experience.
A clean drivers abstract is also very attractive to any prospective employers.
The cabover was the first truck I drove on the road with a set of A Trains.
Heres what I drive now with a shack that you live in when on wellesite jobs.
Guy

 

[Opie Knievel]

get in with a construction co driving a triaxle get your feet wet even if as a combination laborer driver perferably union employment.
When you learn to float 15-18 speed downshifting without using the clutch your ready for a teamsteer job. 50+ hrly rate .

$50 an hour?? Wow , that's good money. Right now I've got an automatic only restriction on my license. The company I'm going to runs an all auto fleet so I'm fine for now. In 6 months I can go back to the school for a few days and take a manual trans course and get the restriction lifted. The best part is that it's free. I definitely plan on doing that.

 

[Opie Knievel]

Yes,over 30 years now.
I started out doing short haul local and long haul across Ontario,Quebec and the Eastern Seaboard.
Now I work in the Alberta oil patch doing mostly off road work,driving a tri drive water truck.
Before I even started out on the highway I had the advantage of being a shunt driver in a tanker company yard.
Backed up many a tank into the wash bays and parked them in a fairly good size yard.That was a lot of hooking up and dropping let me tell you LOL
My first boss was an owner operator and also a Class A diesel mechanic.I learnt lots from him.
View attachment 138041
It takes new drivers years to get that kind of practical experience.
A clean drivers abstract is also very attractive to any prospective employers.
The cabover was the first truck I drove on the road with a set of A Trains. View attachment 138042
Heres what I drive now with a shack that you live in when on wellesite jobs.
Guy

Over 30 years driving, I bet you've got a lot of stories you can tell. I've heard there's pretty good money in the oil fields. I'm starting out OTR pulling a reefer. The company I'm going to only asks for a 6 month commitment and I've noticed some better paying driving jobs listed that would have me home more often that only require 6 months experience. I might stay an entire year with this first company but if I find a better job at 6 months, I'll probably take it. I don't plan on doing a lot of job hopping but the place I'm going is a starter company and they realize that. The pay won't be great but I know that going into it. I just need to get some experience so I can open some doors to better opportunities. One good thing about the place I'm going is that they run newer trucks. The oldest trucks they have are 3 years old. They're constantly replacing them with brand new ones. They run Freightliner Cascadias.