Profile For Rick C.

So you're both in the sleeper for off duty?

CFI is now 25 days with a trainer. You do all the driving. You're dispatched as a solo truck.

A couple of weeks ago I resigned from my construction driving job (too hard on the body) after eight months. I just hired on with a new company on Friday. It's a team driving role, and I'm told to expect my first load assignment later today or tonight. I came here just now to look for a team driving checklist of some kind, and advice if any posted.

We're going to be on a repeating triangle run, Surrey BC to Calgary AB to Houston TX back to Surrey. I don't really want to do this, team, I'd be satisfied with solo pay, and setting my own schedule as you mention, Kearsey, but this will get me over the one year milestone and all the added options that adds.

I have a few of the concerns I've seen mentioned before... does the guy bathe regularly? Is he raising three kids and want to hammer, hammer, hammer with as little downtime as necessary? (The company says they don't want us to drive like that, because of the burnout and employee turnover; we'll see.) What bunk does the guy want and will I have access to the table and seats when I want them? (Brand new Freightliner Cascadia I'm told, sweet.) Will he take offense if I turn down his offering of food? (Lol, yes, many East Indians take offense at that, according to the owner!)

At any rate, I am stoked for a new adventure in team driving, being out of one's comfort zone periodically is a good thing I've found, after the short-term pain that is.

Anyone know if any of these carriers regularly get into western Canada, or even into Alberta and Calgary? Maybe there's not many, or I'm using the wrong search strings in google, but I'm not finding much yet.

Go for it! Last year I went to a private school and got my commercial license in October. Within two weeks of inquiring to a local aggregate hauler I had a job. On the 16th, ten days ago, I passed the six-month experience milestone and, wow, today I got an offer from a carrier, via Indeed, to apply for a position hauling bulk agricultural commodities. The demand is out there, despite the pandemic apparently.

Let's see if I can make a fair reply...

When are you teaming up with The History Channel for your show, Rick?

Thank you for your "benefit of the doubt" reply. I don't think you needed to cynically dig me with "or contrive", though.

It happened just the way I described it. I did not hit the throttle because I had a controlled road crossing ahead, there are two on that hill. I will send you a google maps satellite view shot of it if you like. The jakes were on because I'd been driving all day in good weather on good ground and forgot about them. The blizzard was at altitude, where I load, not down where I drop the load. As I mentioned, the trailer brake is sensitive, but I knew that. Pulling it just under half way kept the wheels turning, but gave them just enough resistance to straighten the unit. Of course I turned the jake off completely for the rest of the trip. I had the presence of mind to do it. Shrug.

I recently used mine coming down a steep hill in a blizzard with a load of gravel. Truck started jackknifing because I had the engine braking still set on high (blizzard came on quick). Handily straightened the rig right out. Gotta use a delicate touch, though, they'll lock the trailer wheels up pretty easy. Anyway, glad to have it available.

Now THAT'S a trucker story if I ever heard one!!! It's a long way from being in the Hall of Fame, but a good one nonetheless.

A rookie driver going down a mountain loaded heavy in a blizzard has the presence of mind, quickness, and delicate touch to prevent an ongoing tractor jackknife by easing on the trolley brake just in the nick of time?

That's a fantasy scenario you dreamed up in your head, friend. Sounded great, though. If you were that good, the Jakes wouldn't have been on full blast in that scenario in the first place. Instead of hitting the trolley bar you would have gotten on the throttle which would have shut off the Jakes and helped you accelerate out of the slide at the same time.

Great story, though. Went good with my coffee.

You clearly got lucky...a very dangerous move. Nothing you say or contrive will convince me otherwise.

It happened just the way I described it. I did not hit the throttle because I had a controlled road crossing ahead, there are two on that hill. I will send you a google maps satellite view shot of it if you like. The jakes were on because I'd been driving all day in good weather on good ground and forgot about them. The blizzard was at altitude, where I load, not down where I drop the load. As I mentioned, the trailer brake is sensitive, but I knew that. Pulling it just under half way kept the wheels turning, but gave them just enough resistance to straighten the unit. Of course I turned the jake off completely for the rest of the trip. I had the presence of mind to do it. Shrug.

I recently used mine coming down a steep hill in a blizzard with a load of gravel. Truck started jackknifing because I had the engine braking still set on high (blizzard came on quick). Handily straightened the rig right out. Gotta use a delicate touch, though, they'll lock the trailer wheels up pretty easy. Anyway, glad to have it available.

Now THAT'S a trucker story if I ever heard one!!! It's a long way from being in the Hall of Fame, but a good one nonetheless.

A rookie driver going down a mountain loaded heavy in a blizzard has the presence of mind, quickness, and delicate touch to prevent an ongoing tractor jackknife by easing on the trolley brake just in the nick of time?

That's a fantasy scenario you dreamed up in your head, friend. Sounded great, though. If you were that good, the Jakes wouldn't have been on full blast in that scenario in the first place. Instead of hitting the trolley bar you would have gotten on the throttle which would have shut off the Jakes and helped you accelerate out of the slide at the same time.

Great story, though. Went good with my coffee.

I recently used mine coming down a steep hill in a blizzard with a load of gravel. Truck started jackknifing because I had the engine braking still set on high (blizzard came on quick). Handily straightened the rig right out. Gotta use a delicate touch, though, they'll lock the trailer wheels up pretty easy. Anyway, glad to have it available.

I picked up a local job, hauling aggregate, right out of CDL school, with no experience. The pay is good, the hours are moderate, the overtime is great, and I'm home every day. When the weather turns nasty we take time off, so there's always breaks (at least in winter). Summer is real busy, apparently we'll drive to the legal limit, but I expect to make enough then to take next winter off.

I love the experience I'm getting. City and highway driving, challenging roads into and out of pits, construction routes constantly changing, steady requirement to change up between using the automatic and manual transmission modes of my truck, learning how to spread various aggregates, etc.