Profile For Steven W.

I drive reefer and by preference drive from 05:00 to about 15:00. I rarely drive before that except for the occasional late pickup, then just go back to my regular schedule the next day. Of course you also have the occasional 04:00 delivery, but that just means your day is over sooner as well.

Only very rarely do I start driving before midnight and by the next day am usually back on my regular schedule.

If a steer tire blows avoid instinct. NEVER brake, instead press the accelerator to the floor until you have control, then ease up on the gas. Law of physics, the more forward momentum you have the less subject you are to sideways forces. Should only take 3-4 seconds and you won't increase speed much, but the increase in momentum will help keep you straight.

Question: Was a casual smoker (cpl times a month) up until two years ago at which time I quit. My hair is long and am not worried about any testing of 1 1/2 inches of hair, but if it is longer will they test for longer or just the standard 1 1/2 inches? Yes, I know I can simply cut it, but do not want to do so if the standard 1 1/2 inches is all that will be done.

Well my greydog ticket is here. I can't believe I am actually doing this. I am really excited to actually be in a rewarding career. Spent the last 3 years working as a cashier at a truckstop and now I will be on the other side. Heading to the Swift Academy in Phoenix on Saturday and I am very excited! Thanks TT for the high road and answering whatever random question I might have had. I will keep everyone updated!

Best of luck! Am still waiting the final approval from the company, all paperwork in. Can't wait myself. Figure if I can sit all day staring at a cubical wall, might as well have an office with a view. Pay will be a little less than I make now the first year or so, but can survive it. But doing something I have always wanted to do, and actually looking forward to a new job in don't know how long......

Safety toe boots may be required at some yards.

Although a newbie I plan to wait until I get to my trainers truck to get some things. If I need them he'll let me know and can certainly stop at a Wally-world long enough to get anything I might need that I don't have with me before we get to a destination that might require them. Don't plan on buying anything I wont absolutely need, although I'll get a pair anywyas once I go solo regardless, but then I'll have more room then too.

Just be glad the supervisor cared enough to save you thar renewal fee you would have had to pay had you waited.

I showed up at GA DDS bright & early today. First I was told that I couldn't take Hazmat cause I just have a CDL permit. She asked her supervisor who told her how to "trick the computer system" so I could test. That's what I'm talking about.

Took the test & passed it!!! It won't show up on my CDL till i (hopefully) get a permanent one. I also won't pay the testing fee till then. Don't know how other states are, but In GA you keep a paper CDL permit till u pass the driving test.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. My questions have only just begun. I start trucking school Mon.

My next stop is $1 short stack pancakes from IHOP for St. Patrick's Day. Just have to wear green

Take care everyone.

Karen

What I read from that is who taught you to cheat us out of another cdl renewal liscence fee when you would if you had waited had to pay another fee to get your cdl hazmat endorsement added to your current cdl.

Thanks for the replys. I only have a newbies grasp of the 11/14 hr clock. I do understand all work time counts against the 14, and that sleeper time puts that on hold and 10 resets it to your last break start? Haven't quite figured out how that works yet. Studying some of the examples on the High Road, but it's kind of hard to grasp without actually doing it. I'm more of one of those learn by doing types.

Okay so I'm loving all these southeast runs West Side has been sending me on but bug season is in full swing in South Carolina lol.

The struggle is real.. Ive scrubbed and scrubbed and can't get all these bugs off.

Any advice?

Haven't started driving (yet), but I use Rainex on my car windshield. Only in the heaviest of rain do I actually have to turn my wipers on. As for the bugs it actually helps with that too. They dont slide off like the rain :), but they do come off with a quick squirt of wiper fluid and a cpl wipes.

Rule one - make sure you clean the window COMPLETELY before applying. Any spots you miss will be there for 3 months or more unless you want to spend forever trying to rub off that coating. DO NOT apply it in direct sunlight. It will still work but will be twice as hard to get that white dry coat off. Due to the size of truck windows I would personally suggest one side at a time from start to finish.

The coating does work exceptionally well for 3 months and good for 6. You will find that most times you do not even have to turn on your wipers as long as you are going over 35 mph. Of course this is on a car and I realize trucks are shaped slightly different, so wind is a little different, but not much I expect.

And yes, it does help in cleaning bug gunk off the window, I rarely have to scrub hard at all.

Newbie here. Looking for tips on how to maximize the most miles to cut down that 70/8 34 hr restart?

Is 11 driving and 10 off the best if possible? I say if, because I know sometimes pickup or dropoff wait times will mess things up. But overall I'd like to hear from those of you out there what you do to maximize your time out and miles.

Did a search and found a cpl blogs loosely related, but found no actual forum post on this subject. If I missed it sorry.

Thanks in advance for the info!