Profile For Trucker Mark
Trucker Mark's Info
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Location:
Broomfield, CO -
Driving Status:
Experienced Driver -
Social Link:
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Joined Us:
8 years, 9 months ago
Trucker Mark's Bio
I was a trucker for 30 years and over 3 million miles, starting in 1979. Probably 75% of my experience was refrigerated food to the Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and major East Coast markets. My last decade of employment was with Denney Transport out of Commerce City, CO, a Denver suburb, where I was 4th on the seniority list out of 125 drivers when I retired in 2009.
Every week for the last decade of my career I used to do up to a dedicated run with 15 or more refrigerated LTL deliveries across greater Chicago, Grand Rapids, and metro-Detroit out of metro-Denver, with an occasional trip to LA. Earlier in my career I had 5 years of metro-Denver city dry freight LTL experience and another 5 years of metro-Cleveland dry freight LTL experience too.
My first lead driver back in 1979 taught me one thing above all else which proved to be among the reasons for my long-time safety record and longevity. He taught me to run alone and never in a convoy, and always leave yourself an out. Look well down the highway ahead and well up the highway behind you too. Rule Number 1: Run alone and try to stay away from having vehicles next to you too.
Also remember that the engine back-pressure will break your drive tires loose on wet ice too, so I found it much safer to kick it into neutral when trying to safely stop on ice. Don't overpower it going up a hill either, as you can just as easily jackknife overpowering it going uphill too. Steer in the direction of the skid.
It sounds a whole lot harder than it is, though I recommend doing some donuts in an icy parking lot with a rear wheel drive vehicle first to get the hang of it too. The first night of my 30-year career my first lead driver said "what are you doing all that work with your leg for", and it is true that you don't need the clutch to shift a non-synchromesh transmission either.
I have another suggestion if you are going to run the Rocky Mountain States too. Why not practice putting your chains on at least your rear drive axle in a parking lot when the weather is nice before you get to the bottom of Vail Pass in a blizzard too?
Feel free to ask me reasonable questions and I will try to responsibly answer them too.
Comments By Mark R.
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Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
The worst thing about trucking
If you are hauling bananas from Port Jersey or Port Elizabeth count on waiting most of the day, though I haven't hauled a load of bananas off the dock there or even from an East River pier for 30 years. After you get loaded count on running like a bat out of h*ll too before anything goes wrong too. I wish that I could be more optimistic but no I can't. The less number of banana loads you haul the better.
Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Soon to be starting CDL School with Roehl
I think that you overthinking things at this point, though I do have more than 30 years of experience in this business too. For any new driver something missing from your list of stuff is a sleeping bag and perhaps a pillow or two, and what about a cb radio and an antenna? Perhaps a 12-volt plug-in electric cooler? Maybe a 9 or 13-inch tv with a DVD player? Something else missing from your list for a flatbed driver is a pair of decent coveralls, like the kind that Cabella's might sell. If you are going to be a second-seat driver you won't have to worry about a supply of bungees, rope, nails, a good claw hammer, other tools, a 12-volt floodlight, or a number of other similar items right away anyway.
Why not try to get on with a dry van or reefer outfit which will involve a lot less work than flatbed work does anyway? Marten is in Wisconsin and they hire rookies, as does Schneider, and a few others too.
Get back to me when you have 3-5 years of reefer experience as I know where you can get a $50-$60K job driving solo with full paid employee benefits if you are willing to work 5-on and 2-off every week, with two weeks of paid vacation your first year.
Trucker Mark, my last 10 years with Denney Transport.
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Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Is trucking worth it anymore?
Is trucking worth it anymore? Just get 3-5 years of solid reefer experience and give my old boss a call, and you too can earn $60K+ annually with full employer-paid benefits working 5-7 days on and 2-3 days off, driving high-end equipment with plenty of dedicated runs our of Denver.
http://denneytransport.com/pay-package