Profile For Decanuck

RV I'm currently in and older style Freightliner Classic....... with a bunk.... it also has a fridge there is lots of storage and I'm 6'2" and can stand and move around quite comfortably.... Some sales people are really only there for the money vs there to help grow the business... it sucks but its part of it ...most of the truck guys probably have few and far between sales and its probably worse now as many "fleets" are in a holding pattern ..... As suggested I would check with a used guy or even an auction site...... Sue once the winter is over I'm moving to a newer Western Star and its one of the damned nicest trucks Ive ever driven to this point in my exceptionally young career.... Really looking forward to it as the power package is a big CAT as well ...

Its actually at 450 mercedes ..... very little low end torque really nothing until about 1400 pulls good then..... like I said they are all different.... the cat I was driving before would be screaming at you at 1500+

If you tried shifting the truck I drive now at 1500 with a full load on the truck drops to 1100-1200 and the engine laughs at you and you have to shift again..... it needs to run around 1750 before you shift and likes to be around 1400 to really pull...... the previous truck I was in was a cat and if you had it over 1500 it would be screaming at you to shift it..... they are all different but I would wonder if like the previous poster said maybe you have a problem with the truck mechanics themselves

I'm at home with my feet up with some fast internet and a nice vodka..... dont go back until Monday but I run through the top of NY and PEN all the time snow is not a huge problem ya just have to slow down a bit, ice is another story all together but as I'm home I wont worry about it until Monday ...... we will see what happens then but I hope you are all safe... drove through Indiana on Friday but only had a little dusting of snow not even enough to really mention.... Duncannon PA is now finished with its advisory but its not pretty out there for sure

The other thing to factor in here is your ability to turn the miles...... even when things are going well there are things out of your control that will test you ..... if you are still learning as a rookie ( im doing this myself) there are many things that will prevent you from turning the miles... Ive spent the day waiting for a load to be ready in Wilmington De that was confirmed last week..... when I showed up today it was surprise all around... so tomorrow morning when its ready Ive spent a day not turning miles..... I'll get paid my layover but this week was looking like a 3000+ week ( sunday to friday) but now that is not as likely..... look for the others perks and determine all that is important its a big ol new ball of fun out here in the winter as well ( 3 hours to go what normally takes 1 eats your clock fast)

Start in a lower gear.... even with the empty trailer its easier on the truck and you.....the other part is that you just have to be more gentle on the clutch ..... in 4th from a standstill with a empty trailer it should hold as long as you dont 'POP' the clutch out but gently "roll" out of the pedal...... holding the brake wait until you "hear" or feel the truck start to "pull " against the brake..... let go of the brake and the truck will slowly start to roll .....slowly continue to roll out of the clutch....... stay patient it comes with time and good luck

Every truck engine has a different "sweet spot" for shifting I had previously only drove CAT engines ( really love the low RPM torque ) however I currently have a 450 Mercedes Engine and it really does like a higher RPM for its sweet spot.... the engine talks to you though and you can find it with a little patience and practice... just stay with it and I would say if youre learning a quick stab of the gas when you 2x clutch will help but as you progress you will want more of a steady smooth application of fuel for downshifting as you "find" the gear( it will pretty much pull it into gear for you when you get it right)

1) Do you have an APU?

nope but I have a bunk heater and an inverter for "other things" ( my truck also comes with a fridge)

2) Do you get to idle as much as you like? Yep I work for a small company and the rule is "do what you need to do." just bump the idle so it doesnt run so hard on the bottom end of the truck

3) Does it cost you anything if you idle above a certain amount? nope ...now I'm sure if it was crazy excessive I might get talked to about what we can do differently but the reality is the other rule applies

4) When choosing a company to work for do you consider whether or not they have APU's as one of the factors? No... now as previously stated if there was no apu and a restrictive policy then Id be looking at something else but again I am fortunate to work for who I work for and they were my first choice. I dont see me changing any time in the future.

Be comfortable ..... the "lifestyle" is difficult enough without adding extra stress to the days or nights with worry about temperature control. That's the attitude of my bosses ( brothers run the company started by their dad) If I need something I ask for it and I have thus far been provided with a solution.

Did I mention I love who I work for!!

You cross you just dont get to use the FAST lanes which are generally faster as everything is electronic and pre scanned and pre approved..so no trips to broker or anything like that and fast freight almost never gets stopped for a check etc where you might get pulled in for a none fast load

The biggest thing is no criminal record and never an "issue" when crossing the border... have all the ID forms but other then that its easy ..... most freight is not FAST approved as the "Carrier, Shipper, Receiver , Driver and the actual Freight must be FAST approved" however for auto and a few others its a requirement.... I got it so that its one more thing I have in my tool box..... my company is CTPAT certified so if we get a FAST load I'll be one of the drivers that is capable of taking it... all the info is on the GOES site just read there its easy enough