Profile For Turbo Dan

Just for the Record I ended up being a truck mechanic the day I got my CDL A, (long story) there isn't a part on a MACK CH or Vision truck that I havn't repaired, rebuilt or replaced.

After about 2 and half years of doing that our company picked up a contract driving tankers to the Oil fields so I sort of got Volenteered to go onsite to deliver product (12hr 10 days) they flew me up there and I road back with the driver when the job was done. I decided the days of pulling oil pans and getting my hair full of oil were over and that I was ready to drive. Before the second trip I went to the DMV and passed double/tripples Tanker and Hazmat (thank you TT). So I was legal to team drive as I still had an air brake restriction but had drivers permit for training to get that lifted. So my first OTR was driving 80,000 smooth bore Tanker.

Thing is I was one of the mechanics in the shop that was doing road calls (they sent out the young guys to change tires) I'm Qualified to do the AVIs (Annual Vehical Inspections), I do have my Brake inspectors Card, I was on the phone with the Trailer shop forman ( I wasn't happy), I was just doing my Job.

Everything thats been said about documenting the cosmetic damage needs to done of course, I would add on your first Pre/trip before you drive it, that you make sure there arn't any Safety problems or things that wouldn't pass a DOT inspection. Document everything on your Pretrip form, get the problems fixed before you hit the road or else your name will be on the CSA score.

Hi Dave, Knowing how to adjust Brakes is something most of the new Drivers won't get to do. I'd have to check the Regs as to what year Self adjusting Slack adjusters became manditory on tractors and trailers.

The reason the companies don't want the Drivers adjusting brakes is because if a modern Brake needs adjusting, then something else is broke, readjusting won't fix the problem. Most likely the automatic slack adjuster went bad, or worn out S cam bushings, cracked brake drum, ect.

The reason a mechanic has to do it is he has to find out what needs replacing and Document what was wrong on the repair ticket. He cannot wright down that he just adjusted the brakes, think of him as the same as an Aircraft Tech, if there's a wreck, the paper work leads back to him also.

If you get DOT'd and you get put out of service because your slack adjusters have too much travel, the driver isn't allowed to adjust the brakes anymore. A mechanic has to make a service call to the truck to adjust the brakes and even he can't do it in front of the Trooper unless he has his Brake certification card on him.

I think that Knowing how to adjust the brakes is still a good skill to have as it could get you down the road in situations like you had. When I was hauling tankers to Williston ND from Chicago, one of my trips they had a driver meet me with a full tanker at the Wisconsin border for me to swap out and save me 6+ hours on my trip back to Williston. After I hooked up I did a tug test on the trailer, good thing I did, all the brakes were replaced the night before and someone messed up as I basically had NO trailer brakes. So I had to get down in the snow and mud and finish adjusting all the trailer brakes so my 80,000 load would stop. Yes I did have my Brake certification card on me. :-)

You could overlook minor things, but they will go on your company and your CSA score even if you aren't put OOS... I've seen DOT right ups for High beam burnt out, and out of windshield washer fluid on Sunny Days,,,,

Of course you want to get down the road,,, But here's the Deal,, the DVIR is a legal Document, so if something needs to be fixed, write it down on post trip, so it gets fixed.... The truck/trailer is not supposed to go back on the road until the problem is addressed.

If and Airplane crashes, the NTSB goes back in the maintenance records to see who they could blame. It's the same thing if a truck hits a school bus. Even though a truck mechanic isn't licensed like an FAA A&P, he is still responsible to Sign off (Legally) on any work he says he performed... I never signed off on something I didn't repair or wasn't safe. The records are maintained for a certain length of time, so if they sent the truck back on the road with something that wasn't addressed, then it's on the company, If you accept a truck in the morning that doesn't pass Pre Trip, then it's on you..

Also do you have an APU, the added weight could put you over on your Steers and/or your 80,000,,, there is a weight break exception for the Added weight,, but I believe it depends on State by State :(

Like Sue D said, check your drives and also your Trailers as you start to roll, If you roll up with the brakes wet and warm and it's below Freezing then they could freeze and lock if you set them. If given some time to get cold before you set them, then shouldn't be a problem.

I had a lot of experience with locked up brakes as a mechanic in Chicago in the winter and as a Driver in ND oil fields, see if you can get themto break loose by going forward and back.

If they still won't break loose, then the trusty short handle 2Lb sledge is you friend,, get down and dirty and beat the offending Brake Shoe loose with a couple of well placed Hits.. :)

Also sometimes Water would get past the Dryer so we would Pop the trailer air supply line and por Alcohal (Methanol) into the Trailer air system to thaw out any frozen Brake Air valves as you pump the brakes.

A 6'6" Driver Will have a problem if he ever gets a Local Job and ends up driving a "Mack Vision" Day Cab

Phil, you're right it's clear as mud, weight stations would normally be looking at single and tandum max weights.

One thing that happens with smaller trucks is they get caught with lower registration Plates than the load they're carrying, say they buy tags for 12,000 lbs and get caught weighing 16,000lbs in a 16k GVWR truck. Lic Tags are sold buy GVW, and its legal to buy Tags under your GVWR as long as you don't carry more than the Tags you paid for (TAX),,get caught pay $$$.. Most States don't allow you to Buy LIC Plates above your GVWR, but I could'nt find anything on Google about the FMCSA having any rules on this. Did find , State Trooper could write you up for Unsafe overload, IE, truck leaning,tires squished low ect.

What level of Lic Plates is on the truck now , over 66k ? Also read about Law Suits in accidents involving being unsafely loaded, so I understand it about being on you, Do you have a Safety Dept, what do they say ?

One of my jobs in Vietnam was driving a Duece and a half ( 10 wheel straight flatbed with sides) to town and back (Peiku) to bring the Civilian workers to our camp and back home at night. There were like over 35 people crowded into my truck, Had several small incidences over 9 or 10 months, no one got hurt, but I kept hearing about GIs getting in Vietneese courts over accidents. I wrote down all the ID#s of all the people I had to carry, Requested I be included in the Daily morning meeting with the Sargents and CO, pesented them with the ID list and Stated I needed a Direct Order to carry all those people. Funny thing the next day my Sargent took over driving the Civilians until I rotated out,,So I understand you have to, CYA Dan

Is this a State approved school,, IE ,, their Lesson Plans and corriculum meet state standards ? Do you get a 160 Hour certificate after passing ? How many week ends did they say you would need to finish their course ?

I went to a small school in Chicago, they had 3 beat up trucks and trailers and we had a lot of stand around time watching other students practicing in the yard. One good thing about that was seeing them make mistakes and maybe getting some insight watching the instructor helping them correct their problems.

Do they have an office where you do self directed computer lessons, I know you already have your writtens passed, but a lot of the 160 hours includes classroom time. They should have a computer course explaining the pretrip inspection plus you should have a printed out pretrip inspection list to learn so you can understand all it's parts your inspecting order and location from memory. It's not easy, I'm a mechanic and I still was going over the list in my head as I went to sleep and as I was waking up.

Our school was small but it still had the DMV inspectors come to our school once a week to do pretrip and skills testing in our yard, then the road test on the same route we had practiced on.

You've got 4 weekends in,,,, 8 days times 7 hours is only 56 HRs towards the 160... Maybe that's the way the school is looking at your progression with 100 hours left to go,,, I don't know, You're going to have to ask them what their expectation is. I hope the school isn't as messed up as it sounds,,,, Dan

Everyone is right about they are saying, I had the same problem when I first started out,I was used to a gas 4 wheeler where you had to lead the gas as to not stall the engine.

Had a Trucking buddy show/tell me hey look, there is so much Torqure in the Diesel that you don't need to lead the RPMs to get the truck rolling.

Ya if the trailers empty you could Slide the clutch out and get it rolling in 4th,,,, but here's the deal , the engine has so much torque that I was told that to just slide the clutch out with out touching the accelerator,,, the truck while roll out without stalling,, depending on load, 1st, 2nd, third, or 4th,,, what ever you learn what the truck wants ,,,