Profile For Jon C.

Ryan, some advice.

STOP giving advice.

You are slightly less wet behind the ears than I am.

Sitting in dentist chair but will further divulge later.

Jon

For those of you that utilize them, could you please give me some information and feedback, pro's and cons? Minuet details not necessary though

Not to compare myself to woman, because there is no comparison. If my uh........ "member" ever bled for 30 seconds, I cant imagine how I would survive the rest of the day, never mind 4 out of 28. And they have the ability to bare (sp?) children, how the hell do I compete with that? I don't. However, 1 and maybe only comparison is that I do NOT like to use public restrooms and will do all I can to avoid. To the point after the past 10 years traveling from Miami to Long Island and everywhere in between for work, I'm to the point that my brain subconsciously changes the choices and ways I consume food and liquid leading up to departure to avoid using public restrooms on any given 600, 700, 800 mile jaunt to work.

I digress, thank you for your feedback in advance.

I do NOT want to drive a school bus or any other type of passenger vehicle. I got into this to be an OTR truck driver. I would really like to see the lower 48. However, due to circumstances created by yours truly, I was unable to get hired on by the larger companies that take newbies. However, I am a firm believer in " I am where I am because its exactly where I am supposed to be".

Got hired on by a local family business here in Knoxville TN, Skyline. They pride themselves on getting drivers home for the weekend and state the average is 2,500 miles a week. I want more. I will do my Orientation with them the Monday after Thanksgiving and have a chat with the owner whom is "approachable" and lay my cards on the table to him. I know I am "wet behind the ears" and need to cut my teeth 6 months to a year before I am a trucker. However, I am fully confident I will be a company's top tier employee having been the employer for 30 years. I know what its like behind the desk.

Short of sounding ****y or egotistical, it will be their job to keep me as an employee and I will put my money where my mouth is. Actions speak louder than words. After 8 months ( time it takes for them to reimburse tuition and me to honor my promissory note) , I will revisit with the owner and we will see where I am at. If its the right fit for both of us it will all work out as the Universe thinks it should. Otherwise, I will do my research, provide a 2 week notice and "keep on trucking".

Now, got to get ready for that tooth extraction in the AM.

Make it a great night. It is a choice.

Jon

Got it!

4 long 12 hour class days and aced my class tests and all 3 DMV test's. Celebrating by getting a tooth extracted tomorrow.

However, I was super focused on what I needed to pay attention to and not much else. Am sure the teacher advised but I didn't write those down or retain if I heard.

Which endorsements do I qualify to attain with permit? Figure if I am missing a day of class tomorrow I will make the best of it.

Thanks in advance.

Jon

I am going to learn how to utilize the "quote" features before I respond to y'alls responses. I do appreciate your knowledge and sharing. I am still a business owner of a business I don't want to personally operate any further as well as 1,000 hour private pilot whom could go the commercial pilot route if desired so I am not limited but surely looking forward to the career change to O.T.R. Trucking as a / my choice.

More to follow another day as I got some studying to do for permit test Thursday.

Always appreciate feedback and replies.

G'night.

Jon

TT Gurus, So, I drive a 6.7 L F-250 that came with the towing package. This towing package has the electronic braking controls which allow me to tap the trailer brakes controller (separate from brake pedal) if the trailer gets "squirmy" behind the truck thereby allowing the trailer to slow the truck and re-aligning everything.

1. Why don't Combo's have a similar feature that in the event the trailer should get "squirmy" or start "jackknifing" that you have a controller in the Tractor that allows you to apply some brakes to the rear wheels of trailer and perform similarly to what my daily driver does? Yes, I understand we are dealing with air as opposed to electronic, however it is 2022.

If the answer is that all that weight in trailer has the ability to snap the King Pin off the trailer and break it loose from the receiver;

2. Trailers that I hook to F-250 have a tag line that should the trailer break loose of hitch for any reason it will apply the trailer breaks so it eventually stops instead of running away. Again, its 2022, why isn't that an option on a big rig?

The teacher was unable to give me an answer to this question.

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and looking forward to learning something else today I didn't know yesterday.

Make it a Great Night.

Jon

Marc L.

First and foremost, Thank-You for your service. Fellow newbie here starting private CDL school tomorrow, 31st. I have a pilot acquaintance that owns local Truck Driving School here in East TN and all my research about them has been 2 thumbs up. Furthermore being in my 50's I am part of a generation that prefers speaking to people, preferably in person. Eyes don't lie and there's no tonality or inflection in an e mail. Anytime I have called or stopped by the office someone is able and willing to speak with me, answer my questions, and represent the owner very well. I share with you the desire to not spend the first 2 months of new career in a hotel, or worse a seedy motel as I would drop out in a second is some bed bug infested s..t hole.

I appreciate your posts, questions, and feedback. Just thought I would share that.

Brett - Again, thanks for this site.

Make it a great night.

Jon

( Cool trucker name to follow one day ) I have been referred to as "Big Dog" as company owner for 30 years and there's story behind it from when I started cleaning windows in the 80's and we got walkie talkies to communicate roof to ground on 40 story building. My first call to my boss whom was on roof while I was rigging swing stage on the ground was " Little Dog to Big Dog, come in Big Dog". However, a rookie driver as "Big Dog" may not fit? Maybe I go with "Rubber Ducky"?

Pack Rat - Thank you sir. I’ll work through those in the order you inserted them.

REALLY?……… The statistic is 90% wash out first year? No wonder these recruiters sound so monotonous when reading their scripts to us want-to-be newbies. I mastered the high rise window cleaning industry and all it’s quirks, then the fall protection industry with all it’s quirks, became a damn good pilot but that’s something never “mastered” but stayed alive through a declared emergency or 2.

Oh, things I don’t even know that I “don’t know” about trucking are miles ahead of me but I am looking forward to learning them too.

Good Day All, I remember from High School back in the 80’s that all words in a title must be capitalized, so at least I look literate ( I am ). I start my CDL school next week on 31st here in TN. I’ve got a driving job lined up for the Monday after Turkey Day. My wife was kind enough to share the Flu she had with me ( I was nurse for 2 days ) so I am currently laying in bed studying TN CDL. An 80% may be sufficient for the school and the state of TN, but not for me as I am an over-achiever.

* Once I finish this CDL studying and ace practice tests, what other study sources might you suggest I dive in to? * Understanding that I’m not a “Trucker” until I’ve got a year OTR under my belt and more to some companies like Fed Ex or Walmart @ 30 months, I’m curious about and this may be wrong terminology but “specialty trucking” such as like driving for a NASCAR team or transporting equipment for Led Zeppelin ( one can dream ). Are there routes into those gigs or is that a you’ve got to know someone who knows someone driving job? * Friendly bet(s) - Curios, what are the first “Oh Crap” mistakes I am going to make that every one of you has also made?

I’m a private pilot and I spend a lot of time before the wheels come up studying my flight path and making notes and alternative routes that may be caused by changing weather or other situations and conditions. I have to imagine that reviewing google earth images for where one is delivering could be an asset, just as long as those images are recent. I’m not looking forward to the wrong turn I will one day make and have to practice my backing skills a mile on a dirt road, but sure it’s coming.

Brett - Thanks for creating this site.

Make it a great night.

Jon