Profile For Troubador222

It's not that you can't get the miles or turn them safely with the 14 hour rule in place. The problem is it takes away your flexibility. Flat tire, accident, construction, delays at customers, or needing a quick nap - a million variables everyday. Without the 14 hour rule you would have a lot more flexibility to run when it makes sense and shut down when it makes sense.

There are a lot of little things affected by the rule also. For instance, without the 14 hour rule more people would be running overnight which would help alleviate some of the daytime traffic. I used to like starting my day at like 2:00 a.m. Well I couldn't do that very often with the 14 hour rule because it isn't often you can shut down for the night at 4:00 p.m. So more people are running more standard hours - like 7:00-9:00 - and it's bottling things up more than they might be otherwise.

I just love having flexibility. Tell me what you need done and when you need it done by and I'll handle it. Maybe I'll run all night and sleep half the day. Maybe I'll break it up into one hour increments. Who knows? Every day is so completely different out there that I want to make my decisions based on all of the various circumstances, not just the time on the clock.

My experience is, I never get a break. And, ya know, I am the KING of working on hours coming back. But the whole restrictions on getting the 34, means my company knows I can manage my hours and I work weeks on end. I often get lay overs that cut me just short of that 34. Now, I have to work it and my student often gets one. That restriction, both total hours, and the 1 to 5 thing, means our company rarely gives us a break. We just never stop, of we can work the hours. The idea it gives you a break as a driver, is total BS! It means working to being fatigued.

Because I live in SW Florida, there are very few trucking companies that hire out of here. CRST does, and CRST got me a CDL, and allowed me to pay off that contract period and do well. CRST is a big company and you are a number. But CRST did everything they said they would do. That is the long run, but,............. you want a CDL, willing to go team........... CRST will put you to work. The pay aint great starting, but it goes up at 3 months, then 6 months. 6 months into your contract, you are making 32 cents per mile with a performance bonus. That is tiered to milage driven in months with 1,2 3 4 possible to miles as a bonus.

Old School, long stories and life.......... Good to see you, just graduated my 3rd/!st student! I held out for a while lookiing for FB work and no one out of where I live was hiring. SW Florida is the bane of truck driving jobs. And Knight did not work out. I wont bash them here and no reason. It all is what it it is, I am in my 50s and I go with the flow!!!!!!!!!!!!! And God Grant me the Serenity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still looking for that FB job. One day, when things are right!

I generally drive nights. I do that because I have students that I start out driving during the day, and then move them to gradually driving at night. Sometimes I do not get enough sleep. I will stop and take a nap too, if I get too tired.

I was on the NJ TP that night and saw the Tracy Morgan accident. They had all 3 lanes shut down, and had diverted traffic to the emergency lane.As I worked my way past it, I knew something was up, because they had a line of people standing shoulder to shoulder to block the view from cars. Of course us being higher, I saw what they were trying to stop people from seeing,and that was a body bag laying beside the over turned van. I also saw the Walmart truck involved with his front end destroyed. It is not something I really wanted to see.

Traffic on the TP was really light that night, except for the back u at the wreck site. And after we passed, traffic spread out again. It stayed light, over the GWB and through NY on up to RI. Easiest transit I have ever experienced going up there, other than the wreck area.

Woops, double post. Dont know how I did that

Hey all! Have not been in, in a while. Just kind of busy and not on line very much. I finished my contract with CRST, left and went to Knight for a while, was not happy with Knight, so I ended back at CRST, where I am now working as a lead driver/trainer. My first two students did not make it. 1st one broke down in tears, screaming and crying and left me stranded in the Mojave desert for 8 hours waiting on my time to come back. He just had a massive anxiety attack. Second student's mother had a heart attack after he had been out for 2 weeks. He was not a contract student, so he left to see about his mom. He had been doing very well, but I understand why he left. Family comes first. My third student is starting his 4th week, and is just doing great. It is a pure joy to teach someone who wants to learn.

Glad to see everyone here and that things are going strong!

Hey all! Have not been in, in a while. Just kind of busy and not on line very much. I finished my contract with CRST, left and went to Knight for a while, was not happy with Knight, so I ended back at CRST, where I am now working as a lead driver/trainer. My first two students did not make it. 1st one broke down in tears, screaming and crying and left me stranded in the Mojave desert for 8 hours waiting on my time to come back. He just had a massive anxiety attack. Second student's mother had a heart attack after he had been out for 2 weeks. He was not a contract student, so he left to see about his mom. He had been doing very well, but I understand why he left. Family comes first. My third student is starting his 4th week, and is just doing great. It is a pure joy to teach someone who wants to learn.

Glad to see everyone here and that things are going strong!

Heh. our joke was never eat the free BBQ on Donner Pass.

Something else about California roads, they are strict in some areas about enforcing the limited trailer truck length restrictions. My co driver got a ticket for an over length combo on a road our GPS took us on. It was a no points violation but he still ended up paying 250 dollar fine.

Also some of the loop exit ramps are the tightest I have ever seen and you have to seriously slow down. Right there where 40 ends at 15 in Barstow, there is an exit where all the truck stops are. The on ramp to 15 N is super tight and I have seen several trucks laying on their sides at that ramp. And you approach it through several red lights, so its not like you are trying to slow down from the interstate.

I couldn't stand going to Love's cause they were way too tight. You definitely have to be on top of your backing there. Give me a Flying J or TA, they were always big and had plenty of parking.

As to general public using truck stops, something I have been seeing more of is people parking motor homes in truck stops. That is a minor peeve with me. They can go to RV parks. We cant.

Had that happen to me a few times. You think you're going to pull into a spot, sike! Random motorhome is just chilling right there! And they always park a little further back so you don't know it happens until you pass right by the spot, or are about to set up to back.

I saw a motor home come the wrong way through the fuel aisle and block a truck about to pull in. It was at a Pilot and I was in the pull through area and starting to leave. And the driver of the RV was clueless, just got out and started to fuel his RV. I was able to make out the face of the trucker starting to pull up, and he had his mouth wide open just staring. I think that was in SC. I just went on down the road. Thing was, the RV was towing a car, so I am sure it was not easy for him to back out.

Loves is certainly the best on their points system. They were a major fuel stop for us at CRST and I always had platinum and that was with me and the co driver splitting the fill ups. When I went over to Knight, I had almost 50 dollars of points on my Loves card which I used to pick up a couple of items I needed for the truck.

As to facilities for the drivers, the TAs, Petros and Flying Js always have the big driver lounges. I know of one Loves with that and that is the one in Des Moines.

I discovered something the other day about parking. I was nicked on my front fender at a Petro the other night by a truck leaving. Nothing serious, just a little jagged scrape on the bottom. (I was inside eating at the time and did not notice it until the pretrip the next morning.)Anyway, the next night, I nosed in. And wow, talk about a quiet night. I may start doing that more often. Plus no one came up to the truck begging for money. That has been over the top this last month. Worst was a girl banging on my truck at 2 AM one morning looking for money. I am afraid I was not very pleasant with her.

I'm not fond of that one in Wamsutter either, but mostly because it was always full with a line at the fuel aisle and CRST had that as a regular fuel stop for us. Always took a long time to get in fueled and out. That, and all their water faucets at the pump leak and in cold weather it could be really icy right around the pumps. I ended up on my backside there one cold night.

I've noticed one problem with Loves, Pilot and Flying J in general. They also cater to the general public and that can make getting in and out a problem. Petro and TA all seem to be more driver oriented in general. Not that you wont get the tourists in those, but for some reason it always seems less crowded. Plus they have more parking and I have used their reserved spots a few times when I could find no other parking.

As to general public using truck stops, something I have been seeing more of is people parking motor homes in truck stops. That is a minor peeve with me. They can go to RV parks. We cant.