Isn't She Pretty...
Topic 326 | Page 1
What company did you go with again, I am sure you have said, but I slept a time or two since then.
Congratulations Steve! I remember when you first jumped in here with your first questions and concerns, and now you're out there doing the job. Keep it up, we're all real proud of you!
Congrats! Enjoy your weekend at home and keep up the the good work. Get us all an update every now and then to let us know how it's going!
Wow Steve.....seems like its only been a week or so since you came onto this site....gee how time flies when your havin' fun !! Enjoy your weekend...and REALLY enjoy your solo truck. Put your stuff where ya want, walk around with your shoes off, knowin' the only feet you'll be smelling will be your own !!!
You've worked hard to earn the solo truck. So enjoy it, take care of it, and make it your own. WELCOME TO THE TRUCKIN" WORLD !!!!
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Great Job, Man...MORE PICS of the truck!!
Hey, congrats! Enjoy your weekend!
I find it harder to leave every home time.. Its just hard driving away and knowing I wont be home for another 12-15 days... Enjoy your home time. Make every moment count.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Hey congrats!!! Sounds like you ran into the typical issues when it comes to equipment and all, but everything else seems to have gone great!!!
Going solo is kinda scary but really exciting for sure. I'm a loner myself and even though I had a fantastic trainer back in the day it was a thrill to get my own truck!
What company did you go with again, I am sure you have said, but I slept a time or two since then.
Hey what company did you go with?
G MAN
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I'm home! After 3 1/2 weeks of being gone from family Wed night I dropped my 1st solo load at a relay yard and was told to go home. Get this, I only had 2hrs left on my 14 and the truck stop I was going to park at was a about 1.50 -- needless to say I got home as quickly and SAFELY as I could. So on Wed I was in a new truck to me and using the truck PC rather than the Qualcomm. I made it home and was parking the truck in the last space (yeah I'm a newbi and under pressure) when my 14 ran out - I slipped it right in and was golden.
So My training was a very long & exhausting experience. But not as long as other places, one reason I choose this company. This company is very strict, not everyone in the orientation class that started with us made it through. Once with the trainer the pace didn't slow down. After day one I was the driver for 97% of the time. We had to deal with tandems that wouldn't slide, actually had to take a trailer to a shop to get it fixed, bobtail back and p/u original trailer and have it live loaded. Had another trailer break and slept outside another shop until they could get the truck/trailer in to have it fixed. Found out NOT to trust the GPS (McNally 720) to get to a customer (Ashville, NC- winding narrow road) there was another more truck friendly route.
I made it through and "tested out" this past Monday! Had to catch a ride with driver to another terminal where I was issued my truck Tues evening. After some paperwork, meeting my fleet manager and getting a crash course on the truck PC I got my first load assignment w/o knowing that I was actually going to be able to head home after dropping at the relay point.
A lot of mixed emotions being home and knowing I'll be heading out again. But I have the weekend to enjoy my family and sleep in my own bed. Top buck w/ a trainer for almost two weeks got really old. Now I'll be able to experience sleeping alone in my own truck.
Thanks again for all the ENCOURAGEMENT from this site!
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.Fleet Manager:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.