Here We Go.

Sambo, I drive my truck like I'm an eighty two year old woman who is scared to death she's gonna hit something. Try it - I guarantee you that truck won't roll if you approach it like that. The safety people will love it also, because it keeps you off their radar.

I appreciate the replies, and thanks for the tips. Im sure it's just getting a feel for the truck. For me, it's not necessarily about the curves while driving down the road. I, like Old School, tend to drive on the cautious side. Really, it's about sharp turns from a stop. Like exiting a driveway or from a stop light. You have to make that sharp cut, and that's when the feeling strikes, like the truck is just leaning hard.

Also, ive seen some trucks take off camber corners, such as a right turn, where the corner leans away from you. Again, those types of turns are also my concerns for truck tipping. You are already moving, maybe 10 or 15 mph, and then you make the turn, and when you do, that truck is leaning to the outside of the turn, because the corner leans away. I guess ill just have to take them extra slow until I learn what the stability is like for those trucks. Again, I know at least some of this has to be just in my head. If trucks were that prone to rolling, they wouldnt be safe to be on the road. I just have to understand how air suspension works.

Funny thing is, in past trucks that ive driven, i dont recall ever remembering that they leaned so much during a turn..

Anyway, it's day 3 of orientation. We finish up today and should be assigned a trainer fairly soon. Can't wait to get out there and start learning all of this stuff. I really do want to do well at this, so i'll be like a sponge when I am assigned a trainer.

Any tips for making your trainer happy? Other than abiding by his rules, and being safe? I figure maybe a little schmoozing might be in order? Perhaps buying him a good meal once or twice a week would go over well? lol, i dont want any special treatment, just want to make sure that the trainer and I stay on good terms and he actually teaches me the right way.

Also, any advice on what truck to pick? My recruiter said they would generally give me a choice of what trucks are available. We use the volvo 670, international pro star, and there are some cascadias coming into the fleet, but not many as of yet.

ive heard the volvo has a better ride, but the pro star was a bigger truck, more roomy. ive also heard the pro star has a bit firmer suspension, which would be more like what im used to driving. the oilfield trucks we used were pretty stiff suspension. a bit more bumpy than other trucks, but not much lean in the corners. of course that my bring a false sense of security as the trailers will all be of the same type of suspension, and will lean the same regardless. ive heard the volvos also dont pull hills very well.

from someone who's not ever driven any of them, would be nice to have some insight as to what each truck offers and which most of the experienced drivers generally pick.

Sambo, just go with your"gut feeling" about leaning in turns. If you feel a lean, just slow down. In training, I always came to a full stop before turning. That bugged my trainer, so I worked on it to where I could turn and move at the same time. It gets better/ easier. Do what you feel safe about.

In choosing a truck, first: if you do have a choice of more than one truck, enjoy the feeling. Usually you get the one truck that's available.

The truck I've driven with the most room for the driver was a KW T680. Sleeper compartments are a different story. Just eyeball the width of the cabinets.

Funny thing is, in past trucks that ive driven, i dont recall ever remembering that they leaned so much during a turn..

Sambo, the oil field trucks you've driven had a stiffer suspension and were mostly day cabs. I had a small fleet of trucks once in my former occupation. The trucks I owned would have been similar to the ones you drove in the oil fields. We had crane trucks and such as that. The reason these trucks "feel" so different to you is that they are spec'd out a little differently. Their rear end gears are a little different for fuel efficiency, the suspensions are not as stiff for driver comfort, and when you put in that extra height for those condo cabs the combination of everything gives you a totally different feel when driving one of these over the road rigs. They are stable, very stable - it just feel odd to you because it is different from what you have been driving. That extra height alone makes a huge difference not only in how it feels, but it gives you an exaggerated sensation of tipping over because of the visual effect of it leaning further to the opposite direction of your turn. You'll get accustomed to it with more exposure to it.

Also, any advice on what truck to pick?

I doubt you will get a choice of the Cascadia, but you might. Mostly Knight has Volvos and Prostars. I drive a Volvo. My truck number is 522645.

It's funny how different people like different things. I love the Volvos, but I had a friend in our fleet who always wished he had the Prostar. For me here's the difference between the two. The Prostar feels a little more roomy inside to me - I do like the way it is set up in the sleeper area. I am very comfortable in the Volvo's seats, and I like the way it rides. There is not another truck on the market that will turn like the Volvo - I love that tight turning radius. In fact, there is a regular place that I have to deliver to in Hamden, Connecticut (a town developed in the late 1700's) that I sometimes wonder if I would be able to make the delivery if I didn't have that Volvo - the turns to get into and back out of the receiver are ridiculous!

The Volvo rides great, and I have no trouble pulling hills in mine, in fact I often times am passing other trucks when ascending hills. While I do like the Prostar's living quarters better, I find that most of the time that I spend in the sleeper is time sleeping. Most of the time that I'm awake I am driving. I have no sense of how great that area is while I'm asleep, but I spend an awful lot of time driving that truck. Give me that great Volvo ride and turning radius over that roomier sleeper any day of the week. I use this thing to work and make a living, that is when I want to be enjoying it. If I'm sleeping well in it then that is great, but I don't need all that extra space just to sleep.

By the way, just about any truck you get will feel to you like it doesn't want to pull a hill. This is something that surprises many new over the road drivers. When these trucks are loaded up to near eighty thousand pounds and you get in the mountains, you might be only doing 25 or 30 miles an hour going uphill. That's because they are governed to not exceed something like 62 or 63 mph. That governing of the fuel flow to then engine has a negative effect on their ability to get enough fuel to climb steep grades. Don't let it bother you, and don't keep trying to push the pedal through the floor of the truck. It's gonna do what it can do, and you'll get up the hill eventually. There's gonna be a few owner operators or small fleet type of trucks that will fly by you on the uphill side - just get used to it, as a company driver your engine is choked and it's doing all it can do. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't worry about how they pull hills, none of them do anything to brag about!

Another good idea would be to ask the mechanics that maintain the fleet as to which spends more time in the workshop because that will impact your paycheck.

I talked to one of the mechanics here and he said he is a volvo fan. Apparently more worry free than the internationals.

My thoughts on it would be that the international is more stiff in the suspension, which would be more like what I'm used to. However, if the volvo gives a better driving experience, that is likely the one I'll pick. I'll just get used to it.

Thanks again. As soon as I know my truck number, I'll let you know, maybe we'll cross paths soon.

Remember this: you can take a curve too slow a million times, but you can only take a curve too fast once...

Best advice award!

Finished up my post hire paperwork today, should get coded here in a little bit. Meet my trainer tomorrow. We are renting a car and are headed to Indianapolis to recover a truck and that is where we will start.

Looking forward to getting my truck legs under me.....

Great to hear. Good luck.