Profile For Chris M

Hey Anne! I am still with Cypress/Sunbelt! Right now I live in North Carolina, and I'm dedicated on the Lowe's flatbed distribution out of Thomasville, NC. I'm still loving the company!

Our company headquarters is in Jacksonville, but there is also a terminal in Tampa. We have an OTR division, but all other divisions are home every weekend at the minimum.

Honestly I can't say enough good things about our company! It feels like a small company, but functions like a larger company.

One example of something that spoke volumes to me, was about 3 months ago when my starter went out on my truck. I was near Greensboro, NC so a service tech got the truck started so I could get to the peterbilt dealership. It was Thursday, and they told me they couldn't get to the truck before Saturday. So I called my fiance (now my new wife!) and she was going to come get me. But what impressed me, was when I got a call from one of the corporate numbers. It was a lady in the driver services department, and she told me she was in the process of getting me a hotel room, and that there were a few options nearby, and she actually asked me if I had a preference. So not only did she take the initiative to start finding the room, without me asking a single person about getting a room, but she wanted to consult with me before she got the room at some random hotel. It was one of those times that made me feel like more than just a driver!

I didn't need the room, so I told her that and thanked her, and went home. But it is things like that we really appreciate as drivers.

If anyone is interested in flatbed in the southeast, I highly recommend Cypress/Sunbelt. We have just opened a new training school in Hueytown (Birmingham) Alabama, and also have school in Jacksonville. So whether you're starting your career and need your license, or you're an experienced driver looking for something different, it may be a good fit! Especially for someone living in Florida, since it is a little more difficult to find companies that hire from the state.

Also Anne, I'm moving to Jacksonville at the end of the year so I'm on the "Let's go to Florida" bandwagon!

Best Wishes on the new job! Isn't Cypress out of Florida or somewhere in the southeast?

Laura

Yeah their headquarters is in Jacksonville. That's where they do all of their training and orientation. They also have other terminals in the southeast, and 1 in Texas. They're mostly Southeast regional, but they do have a Texas/Oklahoma network of customers and they have an OTR division as well.

After spending the past 3 years with Swift, I decided it was time to make a change. I've got some big things happening for me next year and was ready to be home more often.

I'm now a Sunbelt/Cypress guy! Home every weekend, and some nights during the week.

I don't have anything against Swift. They tried pretty hard to get me to stay, and I didn't take my decision lightly. At the end of the day, they just didn't have any positions in my area that could get me home as often as I'm wanting now. I left on great terms and will continue to defend them against all of the garbage that most people spew.

But now it's onto the next chapter in life and I'm having a great time so far! I can offer plenty of info to anyone that is considering Cypress/Sunbelt (same company, same training, same locations).

I'm assuming you're talking about learning an ELD? There are quite a few different systems, so there's no one stop shop for telling you what the icons and buttons are on every device. Your company will give you a lesson on their system, and also a quick reference card or booklet. All you can do is study your particular device.

The brand name truck stops will fill up faster. If I'm going through be parking later at night, I try to find a mom and pop type place because they're more likely to have spots available. I also use trucker path app.

What area will you be in?

This is Jammer. He'll be 7 years old this coming August and I've had him since he was just a tiny little thing! I got him from a lady who was giving away a litter of puppies on Craigslist, and we've been best friends ever since. As soon as Swift announced their new pet policy a year and a half ago, I brought him on the truck. He's always loved going for car rides, so I wasn't too worried about the adjustment. From day one he loved it! Now when we go home, he's ready to get back in the truck the minute it's time for us to go back on the road lol.

This is Sabrina! Her story is a little different. Due to some unfortunate circumstances with my sister, my 8 year old niece lives with my grandmother. Last year she wanted a puppy more than anything. She said that she would give up all of her Christmas presents for a puppy lol. So I decided to surprise her. When I got home the day before Thanksgiving last year, I picked my niece up, and we went to an animal rescue center that I had found near us, and adopted little 14 week old Sabrina!

Unfortunately, we soon learned that my niece is allergic to dogs. It was tough, but we knew she couldn't stay there. I wasn't going to give her back. That would have been too unfair to her. So I went home for Christmas, and headed back out with both Sabrina and Jammer sitting in the passenger seat!

I was worried about how she would adjust, but she took to it right away and now she loves it just as much as Jammer!

I was also worried about how Jammer would take to having a new puppy with us. I was worried about him being overly protective of his food and his toys. And him trying to prove he's the "Alpha"......

It didn't take long for me to realize that wasn't going to be a problem!

Rainey is spot on, we seem them in New England with huge propellers on them. Imagine 1 blade per truck load lol.

Actually the wind turbine trailers are different from that.

That trailer is just a lowboy with extra dollies for heavy loads. It could be anything from farm equipment, to large underground tanks. Basically a regular flatbed load that is too tall/heavy for a standard flatbed or stepdeck trailer

Working link

I've looked into that Jet Pack and I don't think it really serves any purpose that your cell phone can't do. It's just a hotspot. I have to use my phone for Internet full time at my house and I looked into it but couldn't find any advantage to it. If you wanted to use Verizon's cell service for Internet but didn't have a phone, that Jet Pack is what you would use. But if you already have a Verizon phone just use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop.

I have a desktop computer in my truck, hooked up to my TV, and I have a jetpack. Reasoning is that Verizon throttles your wifi hotspot after 15gb per month. So I can connect my computer to my jetpack, use the 15gb, and then still have my phone to use as a Hotspot for another 15gb if needed.

ATT is the only phone provider that uses separate channels for voice & data (so it's the only network you can talk & surf at the same time).

Rick

That's actually not true. I have Verizon and I can talk and use the internet at the same time with no problem.

Putting weight in front of the trailer axles shouldn't affect your steers. The people talking about "lifting" the drives, were talking about when you put a lot of weight behind the trailer axles. This can essentially make them act as a pivot point, if you imagine the trailer as a lever.

What does the center marking on your trailer look like? Is it a painted line, a little piece of metal welded onto the deck, or a strip of reflective tape on the deck? Or is it a sticker on the frame?