More Random Questions

I was going to wait a whilw to post more questions but I'm bored and my list is growing quickly so here are some more random questions...

1- What time is used? I'm sure you use a 24hour clock but what time zone? If you start your load in Atlanta and end in Denver there are going to be time changes in between. Do you have to be on top of the changes or is it all incorporated woth the onfo tou get from dispatch?

2- How often to breakdowns and malfunctions occur? Can you assume that at least once a moth or something you will have issues or is it totally random? (assuming youre a company driver for a latge company with newer ans well maintained equipment)

3- What happens if you get held up on a delivery or something and run out of hours and you aren't near a truck stop or rest area?

4- Is there anything I can do to get used to driving a big truck in my little car? I'm trying to take wider turns but I don't really think it will help much. I'm also just trying to slow down and be patient while driving.

5- Is it hard being with a trainer in such close quarter? I like to be alone and have my space. It seems like it could be difficult sharing such a small space especially with someone you don't know. My attitude looking at it is 'suck it up it will bw over soon enough'

6- Are boots mandatory? If so are steel toe boots mandatory?

7- What is the length of the bed I'm the average sleeper? I'm 6 foot and like to stretch out. How much am I going to have to crunch up?

That's all for now. Thanks everyone for the anseers last time This really helps me and I hope it does the same for others in a similar position.

OK here's some answers for ya

The time ya use is 24hr military time better known as. The p/u and delivery. Time is in the time zone where the shipper is and where the delivery is ,so if ya p/u in pa the p/u is in eastern time zone,and deliver in il the delivery is in central time zone. Ur logs get logged to the time zone ur home terminal is in the company ya work for will tell ya what time zone they log by.

Breakdowns happen when they want to ya can help prevent them by doin an everyday pti post trip ins. And a mid trip insp.

If ya get held up ya can ask if ya can sleep on premises if not then call ur company let them know the situation and if they say find somewhere do so,or call the state police and ask for an escort and explain why.

No jut watch rd signs and the lines on the rd and understand what they mean,making wide turns in a car is dangerous ya could be misleading other motorists.

Some trainers can be good others bad but remember it will only be a short time till its over

Boots normally aren't mandatory unless hauling flat bed,companies will tell ya if ya need them

The bed is around 6 -6 1/2 ft in length I'm 5/9 and love to stretch also lots of room to do so

Hope this helps do keep asking and as always gl on ur new adventure

Good questions. The company I was going with were mandating employees to buy boots at a discounted rate and they weren't a flatbed company so, I think boots depend on company policy?

The room in some of the trucks I trained in was unbelievable - we had 9 people in a truck one day and everyone was comfortable. We could have fit a few more but that would have been tight.

I start with a trainer soon and will keep you posted on the experience as much as possible once I'm driving. I'm with you regarding the preference of my own space and not wanting to be in such close quarters for such a long period of time but, I tell myself that part of the experience will soon be another memory - and hopefully a good one.

Don't let this be the last time, ask anything and everything any day! When I was in your position I had more questions than you probably. I regret not asking all of them. It's better to be prepared than learn the answer to your question the hard way.

Yeah and the break downs, where and how do you get the truck fixed? Does the company tell you where to take it or are you on your own? Good questions Britton!

Anything to do with the truck...your Company will make those decisions. Your job is to call them when something isn't working right...Hopefully before it takes out the engine, transmission or rear end. But your truck will be like your car. You will learn every little noise in it, and you'll know when its not sounding right.

Yeah and the break downs, where and how do you get the truck fixed? Does the company tell you where to take it or are you on your own? Good questions Britton!

I've broken down on the side of the interstate on I40 in Arizona. There was hardly a shoulder. One of my drive super singles popped and my trailer was tilting and bending towards the flat tire pretty badly. It was far too unsafe to move. I simply sent a few macros s with my info, where I'm at, what's wrong and that's it. So my macro (message) to OTRM (over the road maintenance) looked like this;

Daniel Babayev (916) 261-$$$$ On my drive axles, on my passengers side, my super single tire popped. The tire closest to the hood of the truck. Rim was not damaged just tire is completely flat.

I'm on I-40 Eastbound in Arizona heading towards California. I'm 40 miles from California and 12 miles past the nearest truck stop (TA). I'm on mile marker 37 past the city of Kingman.

Then they'll reply something along the lines of "10-4". And they'll give me an eta of when the repairs such come. Then a guy from an independent company comes and fixes your tire. It goes basically the same for any other problem except.

1) Military time is used. I always got confused with it. Took me a while to get used to it until I was taught a simple trick. Whatever the time is,you subtract 12 hours from it and that's you're delivery/pickup time. So for example, you're pickup time is 1600, you subtract 12 from that. 12 from 16 is 4, so pickup time is 400 pm. Let's say delivery time is 1800. Subtract 12 from 18, that's 6 pm pickup time.

2) If you were anything like me, it seemed like breakdowns occured literally every other week. It's the nature of the job since these trucks take an incredible amount of abuse pulling heavy loads and being run 22 out f 24 hours a day, so breakdowns will happen. It's frustrating, and sometimes it will happen all at once, you'll get weeks where something will happen, and then months will go by where nothing will happen. All depends.

3) If you run out of hours most times you can sleep at the delivery point or they have parking accross the street or closeby where the truckers wait until they can deliver their load. It's normally not a problem to sleep at the receiver, just ask. But make sure you have food on the truck!

4) I used to think there might be a way to get used to driving in a truck in my car, but there just isn't. You're not as high up, the dimensions aren't the same, and you have way less limitations than with a 53 footer behind you. But once you get out of the truck, the trick is to get used to driving you're car again. After I got out the truck, I would still "split the lanes" when making a right turn, some of the looks I got were priceless....

5) Sharing close quarters with someone you like is tough, even tougher if it's someone you can't stand being around. Just remember it's only temporary and soon you'll have you're own space to call your own.

6) I've never heard of boots being mandatory, but I used to always wear them when I had to go into the warehouses. It can get slippery in some of those cold storage places, and the last thing you need is to slip and fall.

7) I'm only 5'7 so my bed was just fine. I had room to spare. My trainer was 6 feet and I don't think he had a problem at all. Tip for you're mattress though, the ones they issue you are not supportive, so go to walmart or wherever for some memory foam to put underneath it. And then put your sleeping bag underneath the mattress as well. I had two sleeping bags and memory foam under my mattress and I always slept great.

1) It depends. For logging purposes you use the time zone that your companies main terminal is in. For example: If your companies main terminal is in Salt Lake City then you would use MDT/NST.

B) When it comes to trip planning and making delivery appoitments, you would go off the time zone the reciever is in.

2) Depends on the truck/equipment. Mainstream carriers try to keep their fleet relatively new to avoid breakdowns.

3) If you get held up at a delivery you can use line 5 to park at a truck stop. You will rarely run out of hours at a pick-up. If you do, that boils down to bad trip planning.

4) Nope.

5) Depends on the trainer. Trainers are humans too. Some are easier to get along with than others. There are some good trainers out there who actually teach and then there are the bad ones who just use the students as a log book. It boild down to luck.

6) Yes

7) Depends on the truck.

@Kevin line 5? I assume you mean Off-duty driving? If this is what you meant let me clarify something...

In order to use off-duty driving legally you CAN NOT be under a load...assigned a load or on your way to get loaded or unloaded. Off duty driving was done to allow you to use the truck for personal business while on the road BUT you have to return to the spot you started the Off duty driving. If you get caught using off duty driving for any other purpose than this you can get a big fine and also be put out of service for ten hours. Not to mention the fines involved with improper use of HOS duty status. Wrongly showing current duty status(falsification of logbook).

Just not worth the trouble if you try and cheat on the HOS.