Profile For WarVenum

Currently my route is 450 miles each day I run. It's I guess what you call dedicated. If I was thinking about OTR and seeing some country which companies do you do drive for? Pros? I'm sure this has all been covered before but I want to hear from some smaller companies any info can help...detention pay, training length, what's facilities like, how are the trucks, typical mileage and do they keep you busy sort of stuff....thanks!

As was mentioned, it's all about finding the sweet spot. You can take a dozen trucks, all the same with the same transmission and depending on the miles, how they were driven and adjustments, they will all have the sweet spot a little bit different. It won't be much from one to the next but definitely enough to annoy you from time to time. Don't forget too that the load will also add in the other variable as well. If my Pro Star is light, I may upshift at around 1400 but if she's loaded heavy, she likes around 1600 although my down shift points are the same and I barely have to bump the throttle. Different engines will also have a bit too say about your shift points too but at the end of the day, it's just a matter of you becoming one with the truck, when it happens, you'll know.

That's really good advice. Guess I'll just keep trying to get the timing now and pay a little more attention to my rpms. I appreciate it!

First of all, what is a "puppy mill". I have a guess but can you explain just in case I have the wrong idea? Also, not sure if I am going to go with May yet or not but I can give an update once I have decided and let you know. Would that be okay?

Absolutely! They changed their payscale to now it's like .35 cents a mile goes up after time there. Puppy mill just means people go their to get trained get miles and experience then go on to a different company. Old Steve or whatever his name took is out of context like I was bashing them. Mays a great company one of my instructors was with them for a long time. The other 2 drove for Gordon. I have heard really good things about Gordon/Heartland Express now I guess. Good luck!

First of all, what is a "puppy mill".

Lady Lane, if I were you I would just ignore Kevin's ill chosen choice of words in his statement above. All of the trucking companies who provide training for folks have all been accused as being "mills" - it is a derogatory word and I can't for the life of me figure out how people can be so ungrateful for a company who will absorb huge expenses to try and train people when they know in advance that most of them are not going to make it and they are going to loose large amounts of money in the process of just trying to gain a few good drivers from all their efforts.

We don't consider any of these training companies to be "mills". May has a great program, and so does Prime.

Prime will probably expect you to be out on the road more with less frequent home time than May, but they will also compensate you better for your trouble. We've had a lot of our folks in here go through Prime's program, and I have never seen any of them come back in here six months later complaining that they don't get the kind of miles they are needing.

If you like it out West, both of those companies have plenty of freight out that way - I'm pretty sure they both have a western regional run.

Excuse me? I chose those words in quotes due to what the recruiter told me about what they are generally labeled as. Thanks. If you still want the recruiters information she is out of Denver and I would be more than happy to give you the information anytime you would like.

Double clutching or floating? If using the cluth,remember to only use two inches of pedal.Depressing the pedal too far engauges the clutch brake...grind,grind, Grind,if you try to shift at the same time.

Double clutching seems to work the best floating works but some gears 5-6 6-7 will stick and I'll get stuck...I'm a rookie

It's just a matter of finding the sweet spot. On my Cascadia, for downshifting that sweet spot is about 1150 RPM; for upshifting it's about 1750.

That's what I'm shooting for most times. Thanks!

May came to visit us in school. It's labeled as a "puppy mill" and they know it but things are turning around from what I have heard. They have a depot out of Denver and Idaho and have good western options...prime I don't know anything about but may is stepping up their game. If you want I have a recruiters card and can get you her info?

Might be wrong time to ask but can someone explain lease vs company?

I'm new. To this forum and to Trucking. I'm a 2 month vet. I know I know hold all the applause. Anywho. In school we used Prostars, after a week grinding went away got into rythym everything good. Now the company truck I was assigned is a Cascadia.....this truck.....once I think I have points figured out boom, whoever has their window down just got their ears grinded to a pulp. I know the theory of 2+5 (7) etc downshifting and things have become smoother but I need some pointers on what the hell I'm doing wrong...could it be my timing, or I'm acting like I'm too comfortable with it? Any ideas? Thanks!