Profile For Mountain Matt

I second the pour over Harvey mentios above. I have an electric kettle to heat up the water, then the pour-over is a simple device that allows you to make coffee to your preferred strength.

It's fun to experiment with different types of ground coffee. Caribou makes one I like called "Obsidian"... a dark roast.

Thanks for thr replies!

BK: I tend to walk a lot of places and/or take Uber. For my time off, I'm often visiting either my daughter or my girlfriend, so I get rides with them. But I will walk 4 or 5 miles to get to something interesting on my breaks, as the exercise is good for me anyway.

I got my new address through Dakota Post, and they handle my mail: they will scan it so I can read something remotely or forward my mail when I'm going to be somewhere I can receive it. I receive an email and a scan of the envelope any and all mail I receive.

Nuts: We do food grade and chemicals. I run OTR but some folks with our company are more regional.

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while! I figured I would pop back in and say 'hello.' I've gotten rather busy over the last year or so adjusting to my new trucking career, but it would be nice to connect with folks again.

A brief recounting of my story and an update, if you're interested: Trucking was a second (or third?) career for me, as I was a librarian for many years. About a year and a half ago, I went through the company-paid training at Wilson Logistics, earned my CDL, and became a driver with them. During that time, I kept in touch with a tanker company I was really interested in. After I had been trucking about 8 months, the tanker company offered me a job, and I made the leap.

I've been with the tanker company for a little over 13 months now. I'm loving it and making good money! And by "loving it," I mean that some days the job really kicks my *ss, but I figure a challenge is the best way to grow and keep it interesting. I like the variety of driving but also dealing with the loading and unloading (lots to know about pumps, pressure, flow, and problem-solving along the way). Most shippers and receivers for tankers are very cool and more efficient than those giant grocery warehouses I went to as a reefer driver. My company pays by the hour, so even if I am delayed at a tank wash, for instance, psychologically I like knowing I'm still on the clock. Lastly, my company has us do 34-hour resets every week rather than running recaps, so I appreciate having a day off each week and time to go out and explore (today I went to a sideshow museum and found a BBQ place here in Missouri, for instance).

I'm making good money and have made a huge improvement in my financial situation over the last year and half that I've been in trucking (paying off debt and saving money for retirement). I live in the truck and thus keep my expenses low (no mortgage/rent or utilities); I sold my car (no car payment, insurance, gas, repairs); and I changed my address to South Dakota (no state taxes). I'm a company driver and thus keep it simple: do work and get paid. My paycheck is my PAYcheck.

I've learned a ton over the past year and a half about life on the road, how to run my clock, working with shippers/receivers/dispatchers, being as self-sufficient with repairs, etc. as I can, backing skills, safe driving, etc. And I got my start from TruckingTruth and the community here, so thank you all!

--Matt

Thanks, everybody. I started training last December and went solo in March. So yeah, sooner than planned, but like I said, I had kept in touch with the, and the opportunity came up.

I either get weekly hometime with this job or an extra $200 for the week for staying out. My daughter just started college, so I was able to pop by to help her move in, which was a perk.

Just unloaded 6,000 gallons of canola oil. I learn more and gain more confidence with each unload. I'm enjoying the physical aspect of the j9b as well, wrasslin' hoses.

I appreciate the warnings of being careful of pressure in the tank. I try to be very mindful of that, as it was emphasized in my training too.

I haven't been on here in a bit, as things have been busy. I'd been keeping in touch with a tanker trucking company I'd had my eye on even before I went into trucking. They reached out to me over a month ago and offered to bring me onboard. I gave two+ weeks notice at my other job, finished a week of orientation and training ("tank school"), and then spent a week doing local runs with a trainer. I just finished my first week solo.

I love the culture of this company so far and the additional learning/challenge of operating tankers (both the driving and the pumping/airing off the tanks). They also have an hourly pay structure that kicks in whether you're driving, loading, unloading, getting a washout, etc. That pay structure just sits better with me psychologically.

I'm humbled and glad for the opportunities that have opened up for me since I started trucking. My stress is much less than it was before I made the career change; I love the challenge, adventure, and travel; and I'm already making more money than I did in my previous career, despite 17 years' of experience.

Anyone need 6,000 gallons of kosher-grade canola oil? ;-)

I reported that I was too sick to drive for a few days and even mentioned my symptoms. My company never used the "C-word" with me, nor did I mention it. Don't Ask, Don't Tell...remember that one?

Once I felt able to safely drive again, I got out on a load and just tried to keep my distance from people, minimize going into buildings, and wore my mask. I was glad to be working again!

We've texted regularly during his training, but Benjamin A and I finally got a chance to meet today at Wilson HQ. It was great to talk shop for a while, and Ben, you have a great attitude and are killing it out there! Just 12,000 more miles to go for you...

Haha, fair point, Turtle!

Bill,

I'll have to figure out what your truck looks like, as you've got good eyes on me, haha! Where did you see me this time?

Maybe next time we can grab that bite?

Anne,

Sorry about your wifi. My inverter keeps giving off a Low Voltage Disconnect code, even though my battery voltage appears fine. None of Road Assist's ideas or my own research helped. So I'll wait til I'm thru the terminal next week.

In the meantime, no TV, coffee pot, egg maker, or George Foreman grill...