Profile For C. S.

If she is really training you why would she even ask that question? Sounds more like she is looking to make extra money by teaming you with her instead of training so she gets more miles that week. I would say go elsewhere, but it sounds like your company was not too happy about you sleeping while she was driving the truck. So when does she sleep? While you are driving the truck? I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how you can even consider it training if your trainer is sleeping while you are driving and you are sleeping while they are driving. This is called Team driving, this is not helping a new driver learn how to drive a truck.

Many companies do a certain amount of supervised driving before switching to what is essentially a team operation. This isn't at all unusual. No reason the trainer needs to watch a trainee drive down the interstate for hours in most instances.

But when you remember why he was brutally assaulted combined with the title of this thread you should see that it will quite possibly be happening again. Fool me once, etc...

He was assaulted because he was a victim of circumstance (in the wrong place at the wrong time) and some very degenerate people decided to make him a target of their rage. Nothing more and nothing less. Like almost all random acts of violence, it doesn't have any intrinsic meaning or prove that this is commonplace. Again, this happening a grand total of once in a 25 year period should be enough to show that it's really not something to be worried about.

I referenced increased insurance costs as pertaining to the new liberal policy of giving rioters room to destroy. And that is why insurance is rising exponentially in the cities. Nobody in government ever publicly condoned wanton property destruction before this one.

Would you provide your source for this? I would certainly like to see which government officials have been quoted condoning vandalism. It's also very hard to predict when or if protests will turn into riots, and consequently very hard to maintain control when they do. Law enforcement has to very carefully determine when to use force, as doing so preemptively can often lead to a much bloodier outcome for both civilians and officers. Maybe we should just open fire and execute everyone involved, would that be preferable?

So it is OK to block the interstate for social justice warrior causes as long as they let the ambulance through.

See my use of "mainly".

So you are saying that you have to put your life endanger

You are endangering your life every time you get behind the wheel of any vehicle, especially a CMV. Hundreds of truck drivers die every year in accidents, a much greater risk than dying from an act of violence.

I am not talking about running over people.

Do you honestly believe that in a crowd that size and that densely packed you would not run people over while "continuing to push your self out of the way and protect what is important"? The steer axle alone weighs 12k lbs. That is two standard pick up trucks. Even if you didn't crush people to death just knocking someone down at 5mph in a truck would be enough force to give them a serious injury upon impact with the ground.

Should they be allowed to do what they are doing with no consequences either?

No, but you are not a judge, jury and executioner.

Even if you did decide that you were just going to drive off through a crowd of people, the only way your plan would even work is if you were at the front of stopped traffic. What if other vehicles are in front of you? Should you just demolition derby them out of the way?

For those of you that are too young you need to understand what happened to this man Reginald Denny.

I know about Reginald Denny. I also know that one example of a truck driver being brutally assaulted during a riot in the last 25 years hardly shows that this happens nearly enough to be cause for concern.

Just let the insurance companies take the hit, that doesn't really cost anyone anything does it?

Of course it costs something, but that is the purpose of insurance. I can also tell you that the cost of replacing the equipment and freight (even if uninsured) would almost certainly be less than settling the wrongful death lawsuit a trucking company would face if a driver took it upon themselves to protect equipment in this manner. I say the same thing to people who talk about resisting a hijacker; the truck and load are insured and can be replaced, your life cannot.

Of course do what you need to in order to protect yourself. But in the vast majority of cases I'd guess that would be at most locking your doors, not driving through a crowd. This is all much ado about nothing.

FTR, I don't believe the protestors are in the right for blocking the interstate, mainly because they are potentially causing harm to people who need emergency medical care and can't access it. But two wrongs don't make a right. I have yet to see any argument except Daniel's that has convinced me that driving through a crowd would be an acceptable response to this type of situation, and his only because of the very hazardous freight he handles.

Go out with her anyway. I personally doubt it was a test and she's probably just trying to cover her behind now, but either way since she knows her FM is aware that she asked she's unlikely to ask again. Don't sleep in the top bunk while the truck is moving.

Are you asking if you can run people over without consequences? The answer is no, no you cannot.

If a truck drivers life is in danger, such as the case here and they are hopping and climbing on the front of your truck. Trying to violently attack it would seem to me to be self defense in protecting company equipment as well as protect your shipper and customers freight.

Killing people to protect equipment and freight is probably not a good decision. The freight and truck are insured and can be replaced.

I understand if you have advanced notice. But say like now where trucks are traveling down the interstate say like you are traveling 55 and come to a stop in the middle of the interstate due to this issue.

That's what the CB is for. I can virtually guarantee you'll have plenty of advance notice for something like this.

It likely won't matter anyway, you're going to spend much more time held up in Wyoming blizzards than dealing with protesters blocking a highway.

I'm barely breaching 1000 miles a week here for the most part.

1k a week is so ridiculously low I almost have to assume it is something on your end. I team for Celadon and we consistently break 6k a week. I know a lot of solo drivers who have no problem averaging 2,500 - 3,000. Equipment is expensive, they don't want it sitting if it doesn't have to. Have you proven yourself in the last two and a half months? Do you accept every load quickly? Do you do what it takes to make it on time to customers, early if possible? Do you figure out problems on your own, or do you expect your DM to hold your hand through every minor issue? I just honestly find it hard to believe that you're sitting for what is effectively five days out of every week if you're doing everything right, especially since it's high freight season.

I can't even get them to pay for all the actual miles that I drive. I had one load that was 110 miles over what they said it would be and didn't pay me for it just because that's what my GPS said versus whatever system they used.

This is typical. Look up the difference between HHG miles, practical miles, and hub miles. Most large carriers pay HHG miles.

My only point is that some of your complaints are likely related to you learning the ropes or the industry in general, not Celadon. I'm with you on the pay, though--if you can make 12 cpm+ more elsewhere it might be worth it to make the switch (after you've completed your contract, of course). Personally I think Celadon is a very team oriented company, which is one of the reasons I work for them. With all that said, I agree with what Devan said above; who knows what the next year will hold? They gave teams a raise a few months ago, maybe they have plans to raise solo pay as well.

So yesterday afternoon I showed up to the delivery in Hanover, Maryland to discover the customer was closed. Appointment wasn't until today at 0800 so I parked in the lot and let dispatch know what was going on. Then we grabbed an Uber up to this cool little restaurant called Crabtowne, USA. All you can eat snow crab and shrimp, plus they have close to a hundred classic arcade games and pinball machines. If you're ever in the Baltimore area (they're in Glen Burnie) and have a little extra time, check it out!

Posting because I often see people ask here how much you really get to do/see OTR. This is just one of many things we've done since becoming drivers. Sometimes I just can't believe we get paid as much as we do to basically go on a neverending vacation. Shhh! Don't tell anyone!

You may have to get an SPE certification depending on how impaired your knee is. Working the clutch also might be tough on your knee. Best thing would be to get a DOT physical and find out where to go next.

For the hearing test you must be able to hear a whisper at a distance greater than five feet. Or there is another more accurate hearing test they can perform if you cannot pass the whisper test. Your height should not be a problem in the least.

The fridge in my current truck was pretty bad when I received it. Very moldy, and something inside in a ziploc that may have once been a sandwhich. The previous owner must've had a dog because I found pieces of kibble in every possible nook and cranny. Other than that it was fairly typical, definitely nothing as nasty as some trucks I've heard about.

Btw, if your truck still smells like smoke try "ozium" brand spray. Runs about $5 for a little can at Walmart or any auto parts store. Plan to use it on a reset as you'll want to spray it gratuitously and then leave for a few hours (not good to breathe it in). It smells vaguely like rubbing alcohol at first but then dissipates. You can also try stuffing dryer sheets in the air vents, although that will only do so much.

Depending on how much residential work they do it's going to be a very tough job for a rookie. Many times you'll have to deliver in places that are not designed to accommodate trucks (and that's putting it mildly). And you'll be doing all the loading and unloading yourself/with a partner most of the time. Just know what you're getting into before accepting a position.