A Thank You, And A Promise To Our Community

Brett! I'm with packrat I thought you were leaving for a second and I was like "NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!" I have seriously come to rely on this forum for empathy, enchoragement and inspiration as well as some tough love and a few reality checks!! Personally I have always gotten what I needed. I'm so thankful to know I will have the support of this group as we take on our new challenge cause I know I'm going to be here asking for help, advise and a kick in the pants when needed!! I can't thank all the contributors especially the moderators enough for all their time, energy and information, this site is priceless to me.

So glad you haven't given up on us newbies!!! I aspire to one day be giving advice to others may be even become a moderator myself!

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Well all I got to say is when I came here almost 5 n a half years ago (1st trucking site I stumbled upon)....I have never looked at any other....Why? It's All here !! Lol The straight in your face, truth...was no other reason to look at another site haha....

Thanks Brett for your initial idea to even create such a place !!

Brett wrote:

I asked for her advice and she really let me have it, the way only a Jersey girl can.

Yeah guyz... Brett and I spoke in our native "Northeast Language", bold, loud and passionate. hahaha

I'm going to start posting one trip a week so new drivers can practice trip planning and time management. We also discussed reviving Errol's backing practice activities. Another might be a weekly spotlight on great truck stops that always have easy parking for newbies.

Something I didnt mention to him is a "Vent Thread". Maybe we can post one per week... so people can just get out their frustrations without really looking for advice. Moses' thread made me think of this. Newbies often feel alone, as if no one else ever sucked this badly at backing or had a tough day or week. Feeling not so alone can help alleviate some of those feelings, especially on a forum with so many outstanding experienced drivers. That is one of the reasons I always included my rookie mistakes in my articles.

Sometimes I think the negativity comes from one person just trying to vent their frustration and needing support from others that understand, but not necessarily a critique. So now an already frustrated person gets defensive cause they needed a "yeah, i locked myself out of the truck too, you aren't an idiot" not a lecture on the importance of spare keys. It isn't about babying or coddling, it is just about supporting others through that emotional roller coaster of training and beyond.

Trip Planning, backing and finding parking are major concerns for newly solo drivers so we thought these types of exercises could help.

Another issue we discussed is the differences in company policies and how things get done. Having never worked anyplace else, i assumed all the large companies pretty much handled maintenance and other things basically the same way.

I have found out only recently that one company requires an FM approval every time you want to use Personal Conveyance, one allows only 25 miles PC per day, another does not allow 8/2 splits at all, one allows Yard Moves only in a terminal or gated facility, and another requires almost all repairs to be done at the terminal. We will figure out a way to organize this info, but we will need all of you to help us accumulate it.

By making sure we know the various policies at companies and attempt to stay up to date... cause some like Prime change constantly... we can better help those who need answers.

If you guys have any ideas of things you want or feel is missing, please let us know. All of us here are determined to provide the tools needed to be successful.

And all of us will strive to continue the excellence of Brett's vision.

Kearsey,

I love the trip planning exercises idea and all the others! You hit the nail on the head with the big concerns for rookies there!

I know I have found comfort in hearing your mistakes in your articles, knowing they aren't always career ending is huge! It is a realistic view and I appreciate it so much!

Thank you for your dedication to this site!

Brett,

Many thanks are extended to you for your admitting some flaws. No one is perfect but TT has always been the best source for information for new and experienced drivers to search for answers. You and all the moderators are usually right on even if one sided sometimes and not open to all opinions. I have learned to accept when I am not always considered correct but none of us are. Bottom line is TT is and always will be the best source for all information on trucking.

And Kearsey, you are really missed. I got so used to seeing you here almost daily but know that you are fine and doing well. Only a Jersey girl could be as strong as you are. Keep trucking strong.

Kearsey's long memory:

We also discussed reviving Errol's backing practice activities.

I really enjoyed posting these myself. I only stopped because I wasn't driving OTR any more and finding new opportunities to post as a backing "problem". I'd love to moderate more of these.

For those who haven't seen the Backing Practice™ series, this is a link to a BP Table of Contents

Errol,

I to am a retired driver after 45 years. We might not be actively on the road but our experiences are what helps new drivers and even experienced ones answer many of their own questions. It also is very entertaining and rewarding to read about every up and down that your experience has been to anyone who seeks it out. Without TT many drivers might give up or never enter the industry. Always a huge thanks to Brett and all the moderators and contributors to this great forum.

Brett I have really enjoyed and have taken a lot from this site no matter when I started to now I have always been grateful for what you have done here. Without this forum I would have been lost and not sure what to do in the trucking industry because of my ignorance many times. Many times, it just comes down to being truthful with love, and then truth that hurts can be accepted more easily and you are absolutely right about those 3 words- Emphasize, Encourage, and inspire. I will always love this community forever for the my family here and the fathers to me in my trucking career. They have both criticized and encouraged and cheered me on, they have given me advice and called me out on my terrible excuses and then helped me when I became willing to hear them out. God has used this forum many good ways I can't wait to see how he will use it later. Thank you.

Kearsey's long memory:

We also discussed reviving Errol's backing practice activities.

I really enjoyed posting these myself. I only stopped because I wasn't driving OTR any more and finding new opportunities to post as a backing "problem". I'd love to moderate more of these.

For those who haven't seen the Backing Practice™ series, this is a link to a BP Table of Contents

Hahha.... yeah I am a woman and never forget!

I was soooooo nervous about backing, and having you post them taught me to slow down and observe. To take my time and think. It made me look at backing as a puzzle to solve and I tell my students exactly that. Calm down and solve the puzzle. It works!

You have no idea how useful that was to someone who was terrified of backing! When I told Brett he responded, "Really? It made that much of a difference?" YES!!!!

So get cracking Errol. lol I am not sure it needs to be a "problem" per se... but what about truck stops? "which spot would you choose?" what i call a kearsey spot is one that faces the aisle and cant be blocked in at night. Or even post the differences between say a small Pilot with 50 trucks and a Petro 5 miles away with 300 spots. Newbies don't always realize a truck stop will be full and then they panic. Showing them with the satellite pics is an awesome teaching tool.

I was considering doing it myself, but honestly, i do not have the time right now. I have been running harder than usual in expectation of upcoming surgeries so I'm trying to save money. Drive and sleep is my life right now.

But yes Errol.... that was an amazing teaching tool. And Old School used to discuss time management and trip planning regularly, although not an official series.. So believe it or not, between the two of you, my nerves were settled and I became an awesome driver. Thank you!

Thank you for the props, Rainey! Would you be surprised to hear that truck backing was my least favorite activity?

I can start the activity up again if other drivers can contribute.

Follow that link to see what a Backing Practice™ looks like. If you send me the info, I'll put together the Backing Problem and post it.

Sent to this email address: TT.errolv@spamgourmet.com

I'll need:

• Name for the location (Company & City, State)
• indicate which dock/spot you are backing into
• things on the ground take aren't apparent, like curbs & planters
• The Share link for the location from the map