Profile For Dinochrome

There was something else they mentioned during the meeting which I’d like to share. They told me about their theory on the “terrible 2’s of trucking.” The theory is that right around the 2-month, 2-year and 20-year marks of a driver’s career, they will usually have something happen that will knock some sense into them. Whether it’s something as minor as bumping into another truck in a truck stop or something major like what happened to me, it seems those are the times when a driver becomes either too comfortable, too complacent, or too confident. I was all three that day.

Thank you for sharing this whole experience. I've been cautious and lucky for the last couple of decades in my personal driving and driving for work. I had a deer run out and stick it's head into the wheel well of my truck as I was braking safely from highway speed to miss it's companion that had run out in front of me. There was no damage to the truck and he lived. He probably had a serious headache though.

I've probably driven in some weather conditions that I might have been better off staying home. I'm from Wisconsin. If we stayed home every time it snowed, we'd miss a lot of work.

And.... my blue tiger elite headset. Talking on phone is a must for drivers.

Add as many drivers into your phone as possible with (drives night) or (drives days) saved. I have at least 20 Experienced drivers I can call day and night for advice and help. "My trailer brakes wont release" "I jumped the 5th wheel" and other stupid rookie questions are all answered and by great ppl.

Good luck

Two excellent ideas, thank you.

Okay, here's the things that I think are important for a rookie to have with them when they are just starting out:

1) Make sure you have a great attitude packed away somewhere - you're gonna need it for sure.

2) Plenty of humility - yeah, you're gonna need plenty of that also.

3) A big can of whoop-ass - there are gonna be problems you are going to have to face - and you need to be able to "whoop" em.

4) A "can do" spirit. It's really tough being a new rookie driver out here, you'll need this two or three times a day.

5) A big dose of Independence - You're all by yourself out here - the last thing your dispatcher needs is you ringing his phone off the wall.

6) Lots of confidence - everyday you will be challenged by things you've never faced before - some confidence will go a long ways to help you.

7) A willingness to learn - I'm still learning stuff about how to succeed in this career everyday - if you stop learning you need to hang up your keys.

8) A willingness to help others - I do this everyday - there are a lot of clueless newbies out here - try to lend a hand when you see someone in need.

9) A Motor Carriers Atlas - I hope I don't need top explain that one.

10) A Merle Haggard C.D. - no self-respecting truck driver hits the road without taking the Mighty Merle along for the ride!

OK, [toungue-in-cheek] were those listed in order? I may have moved Merle up the list and added some Metallica.... ...Turn The Page.

Hey Bud, quit using Google Translator...

1: don't use your wife to translate things for you...

Thanks for the laugh!

I'm going to tag onto this intro thread.

I passed my written test yesterday, General knowledge, Combination vehicles, and Air Brakes sections. I was born in the midwest and mostly raised here. I've worked in engineering for most of my adult life. I enjoy riding motorcycles, snowmobiles, and pulling the family RV camper (only a 28 footer) with my 3/4 ton diesel.

I do enjoy being out in the world and seeing the sights. A couple years back I got to travel to Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky during a series of site visits and inspections. I rode along with a contractor in his work truck with our equipment. We stopped and saw the St Louis Arch. He pointed out East St Louis. Where I live we don't have neighborhoods that have deteriorated that far. It was educational. After 30 years of mostly office/desk work I'm hoping to see a little of the world and briefly meet some new people.

We also tried to get to small mom 'n pop type restaurants for suppers. We found out though, far south the small rib joints and such are closed for the holy day. It was very nice to meet the local people. One of our stops was Jena Louisiana. They had national news there a few years back. I found the town's people to be friendly, quiet and sincere. It was a nice four day stay and the local restaurants were decent food and friendly staff, well except for one gal at Pop-eye's Chicken, we all have bad days, some more than others. The chicken was great though.

I didn't advance my skill set as I went along my career. Looking back, I probably should have taken a path into Project Management or Engineering Management to utilize my years of experience. Where I sat, I may have priced myself out of the market. I am thinking the companies I worked for could get younger staff with less experience and trained them into the roles I was filling.

I'm hoping to find new avenues in trucking. I taught CAD for five semesters one-night-a-week. It was fun and rewarding. Maybe I can work into driver training. I also saw an ad for driver facilitator that looked interesting ,6pm to 6am, helping drivers with daily troubles and getting them back on the road and home safe. 12 nights on duty, 12 nights free schedule. I'd still like to have experience behind me to know what drivers are going through. Some of this must make really big knots in your stomach.

....and don't call me Francis. ;)

Thanks for the info Rainy.

I miss-stated "cheaper". If I stay 15 mos, its free. A couple more months than yours. I also heard it can be based off of miles, whichever comes first. 70K?

The local Tech has a program I would have liked to have taken. It's ten weeks long. Roehl Corp. is right in my backyard and they pay $500 per week. I can commute to school and be home a night, for what its worth.

I've considered OTR driving for some time. I looked at about a dozen schools. The Roehl months of service and payback don't seem bad to me. I could have gotten cheaper, but the classes would have stretched out twice as long. That's time I wouldn't be making money either.

I'm going to take my test for learner's permit tomorrow.

TT material here is nice, I'm doing well on the tests too!

:D