24 Hour Or 21 Hour Cycles

Alright, already.

I'll get to learning. I have been reading the Missouri CDL manual. I'll get to working on the High Road training program after I have memorized the MIssouri CDL manual. I also plan to print off the pretrip list and start doing that every morning on my Silverado. I'm sure my neighbors will be perplexed.

It's just that Old School's drive for success kinda scares me. He reminds me of what they would say to us in basic. "Gentlemen, we expect you to give 110%. No more will be asked, and no less will be tolerated."

It's just that Old School's drive for success kinda scares me. He reminds me of what they would say to us in basic. "Gentlemen, we expect you to give 110%. No more will be asked, and no less will be tolerated."

Haha! That's trucking, but here's the big difference: Successful truckers love giving 110%. They are their own motivators. You'll get there. Don't get yourself self scared yet.

OMG... forget about memorizing that boring CDL manual. Seriously folks, the High Road CDL Training Program has the entire CDL manual built into it. I believe Texas is the only state that has an additional section, but you know how those Texans are.

Rob, I never hardly looked at my state manual. The High Road is intuitive - it helps you actually learn the material so that you're not just wasting time memorizing stuff when you don't even understand what they're talking about.

It's just that Old School's drive for success kinda scares me.

I got that impression. I agree, he is scary.

Truth is, I credit Old School for quite a bit of my success out here. I learned my time management from his posts. I have since been named top driver of my fleet (100 drivers) over 7 times in the last 3 years. i was rewarded handsomely for it.

It gives me a ton of freedom being one of the best. I can speed up or slow down, and when i ask for things i get them. i have taken crappy loads but i have refused loads...even in a forced dispatch company.

i have also learned how to get extra days off within company policy. so i dont feel like i'm killing myself while at the same time not causing my FM grief.

Training and the first 6 months can be exhausting and frustrating. After you know what you are doing, it becomes really easy. Sometimes i feel like im getting paid to be on vacation. Yep, i just said that. Because the only stress i have is what i put on myself. Do i have bad days and call Diver Driver or Big Scott to vent....absolutely. But my worst day out here is still better than the best day at any job i had before.

Newly solo drivers tell me, "you trip.plan in your head, you make this look so easy". That is cause it is, once you get a handle of all the idiosyncracies. But that takes time and experience you can't learn in a book.

With my first team trainee, we ran hard and i felt stressed. i had been driving 15 mos or so. Then my FM sorta mentioned "I am greedy. i will run you as hard as you let me". Wait.....what??? I am the one with the power out here?

That one comment took away all of my stress while teaming. Then i started messaging. "After this load we are stopping for food, showers, laundry and sleep. Plan accordingly " i got "10/4 thanks enjoy". whooaaa that worked!

I also told him early on to preplan me. he always has and i dont have stress as to where to go after a load cause i know. it makes the trip planning easier.

By 0708 any morning i am coming back on the road he messages "when are you ready for a load?" it gives me the power to decide. When i go home he asks when i am coming back out. i dont always count the days i just give one that sounds good and get "10/4 thnx".

I have also felt like i was drowning in short loads that are exhausting and got low miles running the Northeast. When i told him "Hey, i been up.here for 6 weeks. i need more miles" i got loaded up with 3000 mile weeks again.

So don't stress about that. Set up that relationship with dispatch and work well with them. the constant complainers get nothing but fewer miles and ultimately fired. Even the mediocre drivers who are nice but want to learn will get feedback on how to improve. They need to ask though.

And if you feel stressed, set goals for yourself to motivate yourself.

Finding the Motivation To Keep On Trucking

I think we stress "run run, no time for personal stuff" because we need new drivers to understand that getting a shower at exactly 0700 every morning for two hours is unrealistic. There are some people who think this is drive and site see. It isn't. It is work, but it is also intense freedom.

Now..that is OTR. local driving jobs sound too much like a normal job to me. lol That would be hell to me Which also means we all have different preferences.

It's just that Old School's drive for success kinda scares me. He reminds me of what they would say to us in basic. "Gentlemen, we expect you to give 110%. No more will be asked, and no less will be tolerated."

Haha! That's trucking, but here's the big difference: Successful truckers love giving 110%. They are their own motivators. You'll get there. Don't get yourself self scared yet.

OMG... forget about memorizing that boring CDL manual. Seriously folks, the High Road CDL Training Program has the entire CDL manual built into it. I believe Texas is the only state that has an additional section, but you know how those Texans are.

Rob, I never hardly looked at my state manual. The High Road is intuitive - it helps you actually learn the material so that you're not just wasting time memorizing stuff when you don't even understand what they're talking about.

I quoted Old School because he's 1000% correct. Forget the Missouri book! I learned everything from the High Road Training. Passed my CLP in my first try. Don't try to memorize it. Do understand it. If you understand, it'll be with you for life. If you memorize it, you'll forget it when you don't use it. Just my .02! Good luck!

I was going by useable hours, without the 10 hour break figured in which would be 14. smile.gif

Ok..........if I did not figure in the 10 hour break, how would my post be at all relevant to the discussion?

Also, every load is different, seasons and division is different.

People think reefer never drops and hooks. I came out from home time on Tues and had 4, count them 4 trailers by Wed. This is now Sun and I am on my 6th trailer in 6 days. And my 4th load.

People think OTR means 2000 mile loads. It doesn't.

143 1150 272 585

is what i have done so far this week. My week ends Tues night so i have time to add miles. I prefer lomher loads but do what i am told. (most of the time)

whwn i ha e time i will.post the miles and appointment times to give you an idea