Profile For Barry J.

Just had that happen to me with Swift as well.

In retrospect, I would have answered NO to the marijuana question, since pot IS legal now in Washington state. And yes, I can and have passed any and all drug tests that have come my way or will come my way.

But it was very interesting that a very encouraging recruiter went from very nice to "see ya later" once he saw the application. It's an insurance world.

He did tell me to try again in 3 years, but I plan to be hired elsewhere in the meantime.

Just what I needed to hear today Daniel! I'm 56, and decided today to start my training in January for my 57th b'day. Your words of wisdom along with the rest of the Trucking Truth community are a tremendous asset. Thanks to all!

Awesome!

Back in the late 70's (damn, I must be getting old) that's how I learned to drive. They company gave me the keys and said 'go for it'. I taught myself!

But, the new DOT regulations and insurance companies do not allow that to happen. That is why I am researching school options and making a career plan with the aid of TruckingTruth. I want the correct training, and cannot afford to get 'past the test' but then not be able to get a job.

I even had the examiner tell me at the licensing office to avoid borrowing a friend's truck.

My question is: does Walmart temp the actual load or take the temp from the reefer control? In my grocery experience, I know that the air in the trailer might be at 42, but the actual product might be at 32 or lower.

Since I don't have that answer, I'd call the DM (I'm assuming you need approval for the repair anyway), make the Walmart delivery, making sure they temp the product. Then get the repair. Then get the second load.

yea? nay?

Just saw your link to "the bike ramp incident"! still laughing at that!

I applaud you for taking the time to get out of the truck and enjoy this country. A worthy goal for me as I get started.

The company makes deliveries to many grocery stores and restaurants in our area. I'm thinking about applying to them when I get my CDL. Seems like the pay was good (hourly) and a solid company, at least here in the NW.

Let me know how it goes!

2) Practice in the snow. I used to take every opportunity I could find to practice winter driving in large, empty parking lots. You get in a Walmart or closed factory on a night with heavy snow and you might have your own skid pad the size of two football fields all to yourself. I used to do everything I could think of:

- drive in an arc and lock up the trailer brakes
- drive in an arc and mash the gas to get the tractor tires to break loose
- drive around using the gas pedal to make the tractor fishtail around in a circle

....just anything you can think of to get that truck sliding, fishtailing, or jackknifing and then learn to recover from it.

Obviously a huge word of caution here - make 100% certain you're in a safe area to do this. Watch for telephone polls, light polls, and even things like nearby houses where people might get annoyed with the noise you're making in the middle of the night. But finding an area to practice your winter driving skills is huge. I've done it my entire driving life and I still do it to this day. I'll take my big redneck Chevy 4x4 out in snowstorms. I'll drive around town and play around in big, empty lots. I want to test what the truck is capable of and I want to learn how to get it back under control once I start sliding.

I can say with 100% confidence that I avoided several wrecks over the years because I was able to get the truck back under control after it started sliding. If I hadn't practiced winter driving over the years I never would have known how to make the right choices and get that thing back under control.

Brett, this is how I learned to drive in the snow too! I grew up in sunny SoCal, never once seeing a snow flake. When I got to the NW, I found a lot in the snow and learned how to recover from slides! And I've never had an accident in snow.

Don't feel bad Barry J. Don't be a victim of Forum Rage! Lol.. I sure hope the guy is alright, I live less than a hour from Ontario so you can imagine my shock in hearing something like this. These things are very rare around those neck of the woods.

I think that was my shock as well. The NW is usually pretty well behaved.

I only posted because the story illustrates one of the 'dangers' of the profession: that some person could go crazy at any given moment.

Of course I feel for the driver. Why would I be studying for a career in trucking if I didn't? And, as I read the story, I didn't see this as a road rage thing, just some random act. (The same thing can happen to me at my retail job as well, especially when I deny an alcohol sale to a drunk person.)

Be alert. That's my advice.