Would Love To Know More About Your World!

I'm not a trucker. I'd never be brave enough to perfom such an arduous task. God love you brave folks! I'm writing a novel about the lives of truckers. I can only glean so much from Google searches and the like and that's how I arrived here. A fantastic website by the way! Would any folks be willing to provide me with real basic information about the rules of the road, basic lingo, restrictions on drive times, pre-inspections requirement. logs etc.? I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks for reading!

I did that already!

I made a long thread not too long ago about my days. I documented each day, the fortunes and misfortunes, the times I thought I wouldn't make it, and everything else you can imagine. If you take the time and read it you will get a good idea on what life on the road is like. It might be the only trucker documentary on the internet, so you've come to the right place! Here's the link below:

Adventures of Daniel B.

Also, be sure and check out Brett's Book. Just as good!

I find that the best way to get info out of a trucker is to ask a specific question. General questions tend to be ignored or take too long to answer when you are done driving for the day.

Let's say you have an over sized question. Here in Montana you can run up to 12 feet wide with no escort but you can only run up to 10 feed wide at night. Each state has a different requirement for oversized loads.

Now because you say it is a novel I am assuming that it will be a work of fiction but also based on fact. I have found that each state I have needed info on for regulations has had a drivers handbook available online. That is a good place to go for regulations for each state. Might need an interpreter though.

Good luck on your book and maybe one the the folks from here will transport them to book stores all across the country. Probably even bring the paper for the book to be printed on or hauled the trees that were used to make the paper. See how it all works.

I find that the best way to get info out of a trucker is to ask a specific question. General questions tend to be ignored or take too long to answer when you are done driving for the day.

Let's say you have an over sized question. Here in Montana you can run up to 12 feet wide with no escort but you can only run up to 10 feed wide at night. Each state has a different requirement for oversized loads.

Now because you say it is a novel I am assuming that it will be a work of fiction but also based on fact. I have found that each state I have needed info on for regulations has had a drivers handbook available online. That is a good place to go for regulations for each state. Might need an interpreter though.

Good luck on your book and maybe one the the folks from here will transport them to book stores all across the country. Probably even bring the paper for the book to be printed on or hauled the trees that were used to make the paper. See how it all works.

Thats an excellent point and I very much appreciate you taking the time to respond!

The male trucker in my book is a long haul, over the road driver. East to West coast. What types of items might he carry that distance? What are the DOT's driving hour limitation? Do they vary state to state?

The reasons I'm writing this book is two-fold: I've wanted to write a novel about truckers for a while now and hope drivers get get much more recognition and respect from the general public after reading my book.

Thank you again for taking the time to write and thank you for what you do!

Warmly, Amie

I did that already!

I made a long thread not too long ago about my days. I documented each day, the fortunes and misfortunes, the times I thought I wouldn't make it, and everything else you can imagine. If you take the time and read it you will get a good idea on what life on the road is like. It might be the only trucker documentary on the internet, so you've come to the right place! Here's the link below:

Adventures of Daniel B.

Also, be sure and check out Brett's Book. Just as good!

Thank you so much. Love your blog and I'm off to read Brett's book. Watched the movie "Big Rig" last night...very informative and insightful. You people are not paid enough for what you do! Thank you!

When he's on the west coast he's hauling perishable goods like fresh produce in a reefer (refrigerated trailer) to those poor hungry souls out east whose weather won't allow them to grow such delicious food items. He's got to get there in a hurry or that load will be rejected by the receiver if it is starting to spoil. He's got to have the "hammer down" (full speed ahead) or else he may not get paid for that load of spoiled strawberries when he gets there.

High Road Training Program

Log out look at high road training program view table of content . sorry about last post new at this.

When he's on the west coast he's hauling perishable goods like fresh produce in a reefer (refrigerated trailer) to those poor hungry souls out east whose weather won't allow them to grow such delicious food items. He's got to get there in a hurry or that load will be rejected by the receiver if it is starting to spoil. He's got to have the "hammer down" (full speed ahead) or else he may not get paid for that load of spoiled strawberries when he gets there.

Thank you so much Old School, your handle I assume? Love it! Now, I need. a snappy handle for my "guy!" Thank you for the lingo mixed in with great information. If you've got a few minutes at a time would love more lingo and any tidbits. Does the DOT state once you log in for your eleven hour allotment of drive time daily that starts the clock ticking? For instance if you have to wait two hours at an unloading you've "used" two hours of drive time and have nine left? No rush with the info whenever you get to it.

Warmly, Amie

Log out look at high road training program view table of content . sorry about last post new at this.

No need to apologize. Thank you so much for the information. I'll definitely look into this.

Warmly, Amie