Profile For Jason C. aka Pirate Trucker

I am a new trucker, been driving for a few months. Divorced 6 years ago and have remarried 4 years ago. Unemployed for 2 years and kept up with the child support payments during that time. Now that I have started this new career I am having difficulties getting my visitation with my kids, its always been difficult because of the ex and is getting worse. I was lucky to get into a dedicated local run so I could take advantage of family time. Granted, the position is an on call position, but I have worked it out to have every other Saturday off to get my kids. I feel I have done everything to please this woman but she still treats me like a dead beat dad. My wife thinks the ex is still trying to control me, which I have to agree with to some extent. Any suggestions would be helpful. Trying to avoid taking this matter back to court but willing to do so if necessary.

Well all training and testing done. Once I finished I got to have a meeting with the Swift/Walmart Terminal Manager and he asked if I wanted to keep rolling from that terminal on the dedicated regional route. It means I would be a slip seat driver running in a day cab, it also means I will be home most nights with the family. It looks like they liked what they saw from my abilities and work ethics. Everything has fallen into place just the way I had hoped. I couldn't have made a better decision than with Swift Transport for my training and experience over the next couple years. Thanks for all the insight and practice this site has given me.

Other good news.

The Walmart DC/ Swift terminal safety manager told me that in 6 months I should apply for a local route with them. Apparently they like my work ethic and the way I drive. Keeping fingers crossed.

Well 30 hours to go. I think I am going to request regional once I have finished training with my mentor. Not so sure if I want to tackle northern snow covered mountains quite yet. Being a Florida boy all my life and doing my mentor training on a semi local/regional route I think I want to switch to OTR in like 6 months when the roads aren't iced and snow covered. Next week this boy becomes a man with his own assigned truck. Then the journey really begins.

Hey Gary.

I am in the middle of my 4 weeks of mentoring. I can tell you 2 things. You are what you eat. It's up to you to excersise.

Sleep is something get used to. Your body will adjust to that. I learned quickly to rest when the time is available. Here is my routine.

Get up, pretrip walking around the truck and trailer a few times to see if there was anything I might have missed. About one time around the block at my house. It helps wake me up also.

Drive 7 1/2 hours take 30 min break. Rest area preferred. No chance of junk food from a truck stop.

Drive 3 hours. Take my 10 hour reset. Truck stop for the night. Eat a little junk food as the body needs energy. I will walk around the truck when I get out and after I eat, just to check and make sure everything is on the up and up. Shower at the stop. Walk the truck again. By that time if I am not tired I will walk the lot of trucks admiring and chuckling to myself at the other trucks. You would be surprised what will pass for DOT.

Then I rack out if not teaming.

I eat healthy snacks low in carbs and high in fiber.

Hope it helps.

HEY!

Sorry to disappear. Long and short 2 weeks in Millington, TN with Swift a week in Ocala, FL for driver training and now I have 83 hours left of 240 behind the wheel training with a mentor. I will admit Swift is very fast paced but they work with those that can't keep up. Oh yeah, I got my CDL class A. The family is adjusting and every day offers new challenges. Mostly with where to park 53 feet of trailer and 24 ft of tractor, 40 acres I think the song said.

Well I only had a little bit as running team with a mentor you pretty much have time to drive, eat, sleep, and oh yeah use the bathroom.

Will check back once I go solo with my assigned truck.

Has there been any tickets issued because DOT miscalculated the log? Looking at multiple days is where I keep getting messed up. Is there an easy way to remember these rules? And the split sleeper is messing my head up. I am good at math but the simplicity of this is fouling me up. Please help.

Maybe dispatch can have it secured better and redistributed. I know me being new I wouldn't risk safety or tickets.

Got my bus confirmation by email. I leave Sunday at 9:30am an will pull in around 11:30pm in Memphis. I am missing the last Swift shuttle by half an hour so I have to pay for a cab to the hotel, might get reimburse. See ya there James. Maybe we will room together.

Well it's official. I set out Sunday at 9:30 from the bus depot in Jacksonville, FL for Millington, TN for two weeks and then to Ocala, FL for a week with Swift. Getting things squared away here at home. Changing breaks and getting the wife's car up to snuff for my absence. Packing clothes and toiletries and everything I may need for training. Got to get some cashiers checks for school fees. Trying to get my thoughts in order for the beginning of my new career. Wish me luck.