Profile For Tom P.

I actually have a 900-watt microwave that's about two years old. With a 1000-watt inverter, do I need to be concerned about burning the truck down or need to watch out for anything?

I'm trying to track down a microwave that will work well in my truck considering the space size and the wattage considerations of my truck. My company told me that the inverter in the truck goes up to 1000 watts, although obviously you don't want to really push the limits on that.

I was shopping around at Wal-Mart and found a $50 microwave that is only 700 watts and 0.7 cubic feet, so it should fit nicely in my truck.

Before I go out and buy that though, I thought I'd ask if anyone on here has a microwave that they would recommend and that they use in their own trucks.

Thanks in advance.

What's the thing they say about flatbedders? There are only 2 kinds of flatbedders. . . one that is injured and one that is about to get injured.

Lol.

I would say only if they're getting in a hurry and doing things improperly is there a significant chance of injury. But then, that's true of any job in the industry.

I've driven a manual transmission in a car most of my adult life and it's very natural for me. I know something like 98% of all trucks use a double clutch transmission though, and read that a double clutch manual is a different animal from the standard clutch tranmission.

I understand the double clutch concept and read how it works, but is there anywhere that I can practice working on a double clutch prior to going to CDL school?

The only endorsement that may be difficult is the Hazmat. Most states, if your CDL school is OUTSIDE your home state, will NOT accept a HAZMAT endorsement from out of state.

But yes, GET your endorsements knocked out while in school. BTW, the rules on what FMCSA considers a tanker have changed. If you are hauling totes of liquid totaling over 1,000 gallons for all the totes combined, then you need a tanker endorsement.

Dave

Yeah, I'm definitely going to get my endorsements while going to CDL school. I'm just trying to decide if I should go to a school that gives an extra week at the end specifically for it, or just start CDL school next week as originally planned and study and get the endorsements on my own.

Yeah Tom, Old School is right. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start to get your permit and endorsements, except maybe Hazmat. A background check is required for Hazmat and some states make you wait until you've already gotten your license before you can get your Hazmat endorsement. But you can get your permit and all of the other endorsements any time by simply taking the written exams on your own. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start. Everything you'll need is in our High Road Training Program.

Got it.

The reason I asked is that I'm trying to make a decision between two different schools. They're pretty much the same in cost ($5k) but one school goes for 5 weeks, has the cost of the TIP and Medical card rolled into the price, and covers the Hazmat and Double/Triples endorsements in the fifth week. The school I originally was looking at has the TIP and Medical card paid out of pocket and only goes for four weeks.

Downside is that I have to wait another two weeks to get started at the school that has Hazmat training.

Sorry, typing too fast I guess, that word "mild" is supposed to be "milk".

Ah, that would make more sense.

Thanks for the advice. It's the same feeling that I had, but I thought it best to get some perspective from experienced people on here. The school that offers the training with endorsements starts two weeks later than I had initially planned, so that puts a crimp in my plans, but I can adjust and overcome.

I'll just use the extra time to study the High Road program info. ^.^

When choosing a CDL school, how important is it to get some the Hazmat and Double/Triple trailer endorsements? Does it depend on what company you're aiming to work for, or would the endorsements just be a good thing to get regardless?

Rider policies are like wall paper, they change it all the time. But one thing to watch is if the fee for the insurance is WEEKLY, MONTHLY, or a one time payment. And I know you will miss your family when you get out on the road...but I'd recommend that you wait until good weather to take anyone with you. It may not be your driving, I know you will be as safe as you can. But take it from a wife of a driver who was a driver, and teamed year round. Its brutal in the winter, just plain brutal. And its harder on women than men, tho I hate to admit it. But in the spring....oh man....the beauty of the seasons and the awakening of mother earth will leave you breathless. Its a wonderful thing to share.....

Thanks for the tip. I was hoping to take my wife out once the spring hits, I think she'd enjoy that and it might work best with our schedule. I'll keep it in mind, thank you.

Hello everyone. I'm going to be going to a CDL school here in Michigan in about a week or so. Pay is of course a big concern for anyone making the career choice of trucking. My research seems to indicate most companies have fairly similar pay scales for the newbies, with fairly similar rates of increase, and understandably so.

With most companies being the same in the payscale regard, I think one of the biggest factors for my company choice will be the rider policy. I believe it was Stevens Transport said that adult riders are allowed after 90 days of solo driving with a $30 insurance premium. Most company brochures I read used words like "generous" and "flexible" to describe their rider policies. I was wondering what different companies offered, specifically, if anyone knew.