The Adventures Of Daniel B.

....then all of a sudden I remembered your notebook you showed me and how you explained it. The lightbulb came on.

Now that would be interesting if someone could share this notebook thing. I have seen some Youtube videos of truck drivers having cheat sheets, smart books, notebooks, etc. Something like this would be great to know, unless it is too complicated to share in a forum. I know some things are just better taught hands-on. But maybe here???

Hey Daniel, sorry to hear your truck is giving you issues. Glad you got it located before it caused any bigger problems. But anything mechanical can break at any time....Just one of those things. And I just want to say thank you again for the time you spent with me in Little Rock. The pretrip stuff you covered has helped me glide right through it here in school. We hit trip planning and I have struggled. I was sitting in the motel room going through these exercises today pulling my hair out then all of a sudden I remembered your notebook you showed me and how you explained it. The lightbulb came on. Not really sure why I was having that much trouble, but I was. I guess I'll find out in the morning when they grade it. My math is right overall, just a few extra miles than what the company comes up with.

Yeah man my technique really simplifies it. Just remember PMS for everything, ABC for hoses and air lines, and ICD for tires. Good luck on your test man! I think you got this. You never looked at an engine compartment before and you were already naming parts without me telling you what they were so you're definitely a cut above the rest.

Sorry PJ, accidentally read trip planning as pretrip. Haha! It's early :)

Steven, trip planning is hard to learn especially when you're planning so you can deliver and then pickup within the same 14 hour period. I'm going to be explaining how I pretrip my loads on this thread in great detail. You'll start to get it but its one of those things that come with experience.

11/11

I remember this day as the day that Skyrim came out. I waited in line :)

Current Load: Drop and hook in Champaign IL going to Bethlehem, PA. 737 miles. The load is picking up tomorrow so no weight to report.

I got to sleep in today with no alarm clock. It felt great. I woke up at 0700. I'm just itching to get going.

I hook up to my trailer and set my GPS to my fuel stop. Spent 11 minutes on pretrip. I get to my fuel stop and fuel. My Qualcomm fuel stops tells me to top off my tank. But I'm 30 miles from my drop and hook and I don't want to arrive with a full tank. That increases my chances of being overweight. So I ignore it and fuel what I want to fuel. I fuel to 3/4 tanks instead. Always gotta look in the future and manage your fuel!

Before I fuel, I spend 5 minutes on sleeper berth to double check my local directions and to double check that I'm at the correct fuel stop. I fuel and it takes me 8 minutes spent as on duty. I top off my reefer , since its a drop they always want the reefer fuel full.

I get to my pickup and delivery location in Champaign IL at 1100. I send two macros telling them that I arrived at the shipper and receiver. I talk to the guard shack girl and like always, they aren't very bright. I get to the receiving office and they tell me to drop my trailer in the drop lot. Kinda a tight area but you just gotta find the easier spot to back it into - no reason to ego-stroke yourself and risk an accident.

After that I speak with the shipping department and give them my pickup number. GREAT! It's not even in their system yet. Not even mad, the app time was tomorrow morning anyways. So I go back in my truck and I got a new message. My app time for my pickup got changed to tomorrow night instead of tomorrow morning. What the heII!!!! So I'm pretty ****ed off that I have to sit again for another two days. Which will equal 4 days of sitting with only 150 miles driven. Seriously ****ed off right now. I don't want to drive right now because I'm just too angry.

I send my DM a message on the Qualcomm. I clear my mind because I will not complain to him, he never gave me this stupid load - weekend crew did. I say to him:

"Goodmorning Ray! I'm at my 99 and 01 pickup. My 01 pickup app time got changed to 11/12 @ 2100. So I have nothing to do today and tomorrow. I also spent the past two days sitting because of repairs now ill be sitting another two days waiting on my trailer to be loaded. Is there anything you can give me to keep me occupied please? Not trying to moan haha, just don't want to sit for half a week with nothing to do. Thanks Ray!"

He sends me:

"Current 99 is a drop and your ready now, yes?"

I reply:

"Yes indeed. I just dropped my trailer at the 99 but I'm bobtail since they don't have an empty. I'm ready right now."

And just hoping he can hook me up here because I'm tired of this BS.

I've been at this place before and they overloaded my trailer tandems by a few thousand. They seriously don't know how to load a trailer. With the maximum tandem setting for IL I was overweight on my tandems by 2,5k. Even with my tandems slid all the way to the back I was still overweight on my trailer tandems by 500 pounds. I really hate this place.

Last night was an interesting night. I got in a long conversation with several truckers at our terminal. I met a super trucker which was very annoying. I don't know what this guys doing at Central, he should be hauling the those wind mill wings he's that good and experienced! What a joke. I also met a trainer who just got into an accident. His last student went into a ditch while he was going to bed. He told me he flew to the front dashboard and almost through the windshield. Scary stuff! He showed me his truck. That thing is beaten up, I think it's totaled and will take months to fix. Super trucker disagreed, he said it can be done in three days. He would know, since he was a class 3 certified diesel mechanic. I feel bad for that trainer because he's still paying payments on his truck and now he can't even drive. He's trying to get Central to give him a new truck but its not looking to good.

I also met a driver who had a German Shepard who was training him to be a search and research dog. Wow that dog surprised me! We would make him look the opposite direction and then we would throw the ball as far as we could and then we would release him once the ball hit the ground and stopped. Keep in mind that it was very dark outside and the dog still found it. That was fun! I miss my dogs!

To be continued.....

Continued 11/11

Current Load: Champaign, IL to Union City, GA. 600 miles. Picking up 11/12 in the AM. Delivers at 11/14 @ 0830

My days over by afternoon. But my DM came through. He took my load going to PA away from me and gave me a different load picking up tomorrow morning heading for Union City, GA. So that's one less day of having to sit and wait. I sure hope they can keep me running after I deliver this load. I have all day and will go to walmart to get some eggs and bacon for myself right now.

I did get the chance to meet Special aka Kathy today!! Very nice person! Thanks Nalee for the tip. That Kraft definitely irritated her, I'm sure you'll hear about it :). That place is a pain though.

Well ill give another interesting story tomorrow, hopefully ill be able to make some money tomorrow!

I did send my DM a message for his hard work.

"Thanks Ray! I appreciate how you do your best to keep me going. Thank you so much!"

Kindness goes a long day. Just because you're miserable today doesn't mean you have to try to make others miserable. Always talk to your dispatch with nothing but respect.

Current Load: Champaign, IL to Union City, GA. 600 miles. Picking up 11/12 in the AM. Delivers at 11/14 @ 0830

Think I did that wrong! But anyway. When are you getting into Union City, Ga. Daniel? Don't know if I can swing it but would like to try and meet up with you and buy you a cup of Tea. If you get in late on the 13th I could maybe swing it. I will be back at work at 6:00 am on the 14th. You will only be a hop, skip and a jump from me when you deliver.

Hit me up with a private message if you like. I can give you my digits ( isn't that how you say it now).

Let me know. Have a safe trip. Prayers for traveling mercies.

Current Load: Champaign, IL to Union City, GA. 600 miles. Picking up 11/12 in the AM. Delivers at 11/14 @ 0830

Think I did that wrong! But anyway. When are you getting into Union City, Ga. Daniel? Don't know if I can swing it but would like to try and meet up with you and buy you a cup of Tea. If you get in late on the 13th I could maybe swing it. I will be back at work at 6:00 am on the 14th. You will only be a hop, skip and a jump from me when you deliver.

Hit me up with a private message if you like. I can give you my digits ( isn't that how you say it now).

Let me know. Have a safe trip. Prayers for traveling mercies.

No man that's not how you say it. Nowadays we like to say

Hit me up bro and ill give you my numba

Hit me up bro ill give you my #

Dude hit me up ill give you my number

Ill hit you up dude

I would think you will be delivering to Oakley Industrial Parkway. That's on Hwy 138 in Union City. The next exit down from Hwy 138 is Hwy 74 in Fairburn. Oakley Industrial connects with Hwy 138 and Hwy 74.

Stay away from Fulton Industrial Blvd. Truck stops! Not a safe place at all. You gotta know your business for sure in that area. It hasn't changed in 30 years. Drove LTL freight out of that area for years.

I think the Travel Center which is a BP on hwy 74 is good. Just depends on where your delivery is at. I believe the QT on Hwy 138 is big enough, but not sure. Haven't been up on 138 in a while.

I'll hit you up dude tomorrow.

Got your voice mail message. What a bummer!

Was looking forward to some tea, but maybe next trip.

I do hope you had a good drive. Found a good truck stop and are safe. Just now getting in and showered. 5am to 8pm. Long day.

Will be checking out your next post for an adventure. Pray that it is a good one. Thanks for hitting back up. Got so busy today again, just couldn't call back. 6 loads pulp, log and tree length. And it was cold as a witches $#*@*&%$ by 2pm today.

Gottcha in my prayers Big Guy!

I look at this thread and I just smile and nod, I've had almost every one of these problems when I was out there. I feel your pain! But hey, another day in the life right?

Champaingn IL...I just broke out into a cold sweat. Did they send you to the Kraft plant? I still have nightmares about that place, a rookie with two weeks experience shouldn't be sent there. I think I was being punished!