TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum | #1 CDL Truck Driver Message Board - Blogs - Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/blog.php?u=86982 Join the largest trucking community online. Get advice, find out how to become a trucker, and which trucking companies to work for. Discuss trucking issues and news, and find solutions to your problems. en Thu, 23 May 2013 14:54:46 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/images/truckers/misc/rss.jpg TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum | #1 CDL Truck Driver Message Board - Blogs - Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/blog.php?u=86982 Inside The Rig - Problem At the Pump: Vengeance Is Mine! http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5677 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:48:45 GMT We've all seen the ignorant/disrespectful drivers who block the fuel lines at the truck stops. These are the guys who are parked at the pump and there's nobody in front of them at the pull-up line.

The first time it happened to me I thought “Oh, so this kind of crap really does happen out here.” It was at a Pilot and I had pulled in back of this truck and waited for a while but never saw anyone get out of the truck. After knocking on his door, I went inside to have them page the driver to ask him to pull forward. Within a few minutes the guy comes out, walks to his truck as he's eating a corn dog. Niiice.

Well it happened again last week. Again at a Pilot in Virginia. I pull in back of this truck even though I was suspicious that I saw nobody fueling at the time. I was hoping the guy had just gotten into his truck and was ready to leave, or maybe he pulled in just seconds before I got there and hadn't started pumping yet. But all the other lines were full so I took a chance. I waited for about 5 minutes then I got out and knocked on the guy's door. Nothing. So I went inside and asked them to page the truck. The gal did a general “Please be sure to pull up your truck after pumping.” announcement even though I gave her the truck number. I went outside and waited for about another 5 minutes. Still nothing. Now I'm angry. I go inside and ask the gal to page the truck again. This time she announces “Will the Werner truck #----- please move your truck, you're blocking the fuel line.” As I'm walking out somebody in the store yells to me “I think the guy is in the rest room.” I yell back in reply before I exit “You're supposed to move your truck before you move your bowels.” If that's true, come on now! 10 minutes to take a dump?? If it was truly an emergency the guy would have been done in minutes! We all know that's for sure!

After waiting a few more minutes and wondering how much longer is this going to take, I see the brake lights come on with the trailer and the guy pulls forward, pauses, then pulls away. I was wondering if he was going to say something to me, the guy with the nerve to point out to him that he was in the wrong. The guy on Eloggs who just lost about 12 minutes of my 14 hour clock for no good reason. Well I was ready for him. I had already written down his truck number.

That was on a Friday. On Monday morning I phoned the Werner Safety Office and reported the driver to them. I described what had happened, then pointed out that on many Werner trailers it says “We hire only safe and courteous drivers.” I asked him how this was in any way courteous. He told me “I agree with 100% of what you said” and promised me that he was “Immediately going to contact the driver and have a discussion with him, that's not what we want out happening out there.” I'm sure he did exactly that. He told me that he was a driver for over 20 years and he can't stand that kind of thing.

And that's the way to handle these inconsiderate butt heads who do that kind of crap. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5677 Inside the Rig - This Truck Stop BLOWS http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5633 Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:01:23 GMT In late January I woke up at a QuickTrip truck stop in Adairsville, GA, just about 1 mile away from I-75 off exit 306. I had a 1 PM live load... In late January I woke up at a QuickTrip truck stop in Adairsville, GA, just about 1 mile away from I-75 off exit 306. I had a 1 PM live load scheduled but was getting bored sitting around since the night before. So I decided I'd call the shipper to see if I could get loaded earlier. She said "Sure, drive on over, no promises, but we should be able to fit you in."

It was raining heavily the night before, but in the morning the sun had tried to break out. The gal at QT had warned me that a tornado watch was in effect for most of the day. It was unusually warm for late January. Somewhere around 68 degrees that morning. It was raining off and on, and the clouds were dark but nothing out of the ordinary. No wind to speak of.

I left the QT at 1035. I made it to the shipper by a little after 1100. It was raining buckets. The kind of rain that as soon as you step out of the truck you're soaked, like someone was shooting a fire hose at you. I put on my foul weather Gortex suit just to open my doors before backing into the hole. The dirt lot was filled with deep potholes overflowing with rain water. The only thing missing were the ducks.

When I went in to get my BOL just a little after 1300, the lady informed my that a tornado had hit Adairsville a little after 1100 and that it had swept across the I-75 at exit 306. She said the interstate was shut down in both directions, that cars and trucks were overturned. I told her, in astonishment, that I had just left there before I had come here for the pickup. She said it was good that I had left early. Then she wished me a safe drive. I told her that I was already having a blessed day, missing that tornado.

I've never even seen a tornado before. I can't imagine what it would have been like trapped at that truck stop while a tornado ripped through. Or did it? I don't know. But even being that close to one is something that makes me shutter. By all intents and purposes I SHOULD have been sitting at that truck stop that morning when the tornado hit, but gladly I made the decision to leave earlier and take my chance with a shipper.
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]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5633 <![CDATA[Inside the Rig - I've Fallen For Trucking]]> http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5631 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:16:09 GMT I've taken a few hard falls while out on the road. Really hard falls. And it's a miracle I haven't gotten really hurt. In fact, I've hardly gotten hurt at all. So in my previous blog where I make an argument for driving a big rig as SAFER than driving a four wheeler, overall the peripheral aspects to trucking can be pretty dangerous.

The first hard fall occurred when I was cleaning my side mirrors. I don't know what the heck happened, but I obviously mis-stepped and went down on the sidewalk at a rest area. I fell square on my right butt check. I broke the fall from the top step with my hands. I was a bit shaken up and my left hand was a little sore for a few days, but no broken bones, no blood, and amazingly very little pain.

A few days ago in Pennsylvania I took an even harder fall. This time I was in a DC (Distribution Center) for Goodyear and was pre-tripping my trailer. The temperature was just above freezing and I walked across what I thought to be water on the pavement. It turned out to be black ice. With both feet on the ice I felt my balance going out and both feet flew out from under me before I knew what was happening. I went down hard, flat on my back. But again, like the fall off the truck, I managed to fall correctly. I put my hands out to break my fall. I even managed to keep my head forward, so when I hit the pavement my head didn't slam against it. All those years of bike riding really paid off. The only thing that happened was that by me locking my neck forward, when I did hit the ground it went back slightly and I heard something snap. I rolled over and laid still for a while, checking to see if I had broken anything. But again, nothing broken. No blood. Minimal soreness. My neck hurt for about 4-5 days and I had a low level headache. I think I had a slight case of whiplash. That's what everyone told me. I shutter to think how bad this fall could have been. I'm so very blessed I didn't wind up in the hospital with a cracked skull.

What's common between the two falls? I pray every day to God for "safety and effectiveness" while in this career. And I truly believe that it's by His divine intervention that I have been spared any serious injuries which would have sidelined me for months while I recover. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5631 Inside the Rig - Bad Drop Yards... And the Winner Is... http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5593 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:51:16 GMT I've been in a lot of terrible places to drop trailers. Some have been plain old dirt lots where they haven't even bothered to put down some gravel/rocks so it's a mud fest when it's raining and there's potholes so deep that the only thing missing from the small ponds they create are the ducks. Some have been ridiculously tight, with no room in front, that even during a jackknife back there wasn't enough room to pull up to adequately straighten out. And of course there's the yard where they expect you to back into a tight bay while dogging all of their employees speeding around with their four wheelers, trying to race in front or in back of you as you are trying to back into the assigned slot.

Yup, I've seen my share and I've only been driving since 6 months. But without a doubt, the worst place to drop a trailer in my opinion is ES3 in York, PA. We've all backed into tight slots before, but at this place the slots are so narrow that you can't back the trailer all the way in and then attempt to drop the landing gear. It's so narrow that there's not enough room to use the crank arm to lower the landing gear. The first time I was there, not knowing this, I got so aggravated that I dropped the trailer shallow, way in front of the others already parked, just so I could drop the gear. I didn't know. And of course within minutes of doing this the yard dog found me and let me know about it. His suggestion? Put the landing gear close to the ground before you back the trailer in, then after you back it in drop the trailer.

This sounded reasonable at first. But then I got to thinking about it. He was basically telling me that the only way to drop a trailer at their yard is the WRONG WAY to drop a trailer. Well, as an answer to his suggestion, I've been given the same great advice by my CDL instructor, my trainer, other drivers, and even Safety: “Don't ever let anyone drive your truck for you.” And dropping a trailer the RIGHT way is part of me driving my truck. Yet at ES3, by the nature of their ridiculously tight spaces they have in fact put themselves in the driver's seat by forcing drivers drop trailers the wrong way.

What's the problem you may ask? Why not just drop low, then let the air out of my airbags? No can do! I don't have a pneumatic release valve on my bargain basement 387 Peterbilt. And there's a crossbeam in the back that would catch the kingpin if/when I dropped a trailer low. So dropping the trailer low really isn't an option for me. But even if it was an option, I'd still vote ES3 as the worst place to drop a trailer because of the reason stated above.

Another driver that I talked to the second time I was there put it very succinctly, and I feel the same way: “I hate this place.” ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5593 Inside The Rig - Is Driving a Big Rig SAFER than Driving a Four Wheeler? http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5587 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:52:15 GMT Note: Thought I'd publish something controversial. Maybe it will get some discussion going... cheers!


Is Driving a Big Rig SAFER than Driving a Four Wheeler?

I've been enjoying my new career in trucking. It has it's ups and downs but overall I'm really enjoying the adventure, the challenge, the scenery, the solitude, and the diversity each day brings. Now if I could start making better money I'd really be happy. But money isn't everything either.

Many people will tell you that driving a big rig is dangerous business. Well, I've been an OTR driver since last August and while there are many inherent dangers in trucking, if the driver is alert and careful these dangers are greatly minimized. In fact, I'm thinking that if a driver really has his/her act together that driving is no more dangerous than driving a four wheeler. Sounds radical? I had this discussion with my CDL instructor and now good friend, Jim. Jim has been driving since the '90's and he's done OTR with tankers as well as vans hauling garbage. He's one of my 3 "lifelines", experts in trucking that I call on a regular basis to for help and advice. My lifelines are my friends as well, and without them I'm not sure I would have survived my first few months driving a truck. In encourage any newbies out there reading this blog to keep in touch with key trainers/instructors/seasoned veterans to help them on their journey. Believe me, they will save your butt a lot of grief on a regular basis.

Anyway, Jim and I had this discussion about trucking not being any more dangerous than driving a four wheeler. In fact I stated to him that driving a big rig is actually SAFER than driving a four wheeler in many instances (key point). I've driven cars my whole life, and I'd say for the last 20 years that driving has become a free for all, dangerous place out there. I'm sure many if not all of you would agree with that. People just plain ignore posted speed limits, very few signal, tailgating is the norm, and hardly anybody is courteous let along cautious any longer. Yet when I'm in a big rig I've seen that things have changed, the attitudes of four wheelers towards me has changed. But I'm not driving any differently than when I drive a car. I find that when I signal to change lanes, many times (not always) the cars will back off and let me in. Some will even flash their headlights to tell me to go ahead. Without doubt cars do not tailgate my trailer like they ALWAYS do then I'm driving a car. And I mean ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE. Maybe it's because I drive the limit, but even when I go faster than posted I get tailgated when driving a car.

It's also very difficult to not see a big rig in front of you. And people are intimidated by the size. Just look at how they move over to the shoulder when passing/being passed by us on the highway. So what I'm saying is this: Because big rigs appear to command more respect out there than just a regular four wheeler, that driving a big rig can be safer than driving a car in the same situations. But the driver has to be on his toes, follow the laws and rules designated for an 80K pound truck and then, and only then can driving a big rig be safer than driving a car.

Of course I have a few devices built into my truck that makes sure that my driving is safe. One is the "OnGuard" radar system that notifies and automatically backs off from following too closely. The other safety device is that my truck is governed to 65 mph.

So while I've been overall pleased with how four wheelers treat us truckers on the road (better than other 4 wheelers is what I'm saying) I wish there was some way to convince them that they shouldn't cut in front of us immediately when they pass us on the highway...

... guess that will be another blog. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5587 Inside The Rig - The Night it Almost Happened http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5567 Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:04:24 GMT I believe I'm a safe driver with the skills necessary to keep me safe on the road. But a few weeks ago I was driving along, doing everything right, and disaster almost struck. I came as close as you can possibly come to wrecking on the highway without actually doing so. And I thank God for keeping me safe. That happens to be my daily prayer.

I was on I-77 in the south eastern part of Pennsylvania and just 6 miles from the Ohio border. It was early into the night, about 55 degrees, it had rained all day but the roads were pretty dry, and there were no wind gusts or even that much wind. I was traveling with a light, 7K load, and was concentrating on my driving, not talking on the bluetooth, not even listening to the radio. I had both hands on the wheel. The speed limit was 65 but I was going 55. There were 4 big trucks in front of me so I was following them at a safe distance. I figured if they were going slower, maybe there was a reason so I followed their lead. I was doing everything right.

Then it happened. Driving in the right lane of the two lane highway, I came to a slight bend in the road on a slight decline. There was nothing challenging about the bend, it wasn't even a sharp turn. I steered to the left to drive through the turn but the truck did not respond. I turned a little bit more and still the truck did not respond; it kept going more or less straight ahead. In the blink of an eye the truck was at the white line and headed straight towards the shoulder and the guard rail. Instinctively I stab braked, but I did not lock up the wheels. I just broke firmly and quickly. The truck immediately responded and turned to the left, the direction I had been trying to steer to. I managed to quickly look in the driver side mirror and saw that the trailer was looking as though it was going to jack knife at that point. So I steered to the right, and then corrected back to the left. I managed to control the truck and the trailer even though I had temporarily lost control. A van driving alongside of me saw all this going on and quickly moved his vehicle to the left, towards the median. I honestly can't say how close I came to hitting him while all this was going on. I haven't a clue about that since I was focused on gaining control of my rig.

What happened? The only way to describe what happened is this. It felt like I hit a patch of ice. That's exactly how the truck responded. It just slid across the road. And while I was steering out of this I saw a big black patch of something on the road just ahead of me. I'm thinking that I had the misfortune to come across either spilled oil or spilled diesel in the road. That would explain what I saw and also explains why the truck slid across the road like it did.

That was a close call. After it happened I had a slight panic attack. It just goes to show that you can be doing everything right out on the road and one thing you should always expect is the unexpected. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5567 Inside The Rig - The Random Drug Test that Pissed Me Off http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5565 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:41:53 GMT In December I got routed to Shippensburg, PA. The Qualcomm and bunk heater needed fixing. When I arrive my dispatcher informs me that I need to see... In December I got routed to Shippensburg, PA. The Qualcomm and bunk heater needed fixing. When I arrive my dispatcher informs me that I need to see Safety. The safety person, Angie, tells me that I was selected for a random drug test. Having woken up dehydrated that day, I start drinking water. LOTS and LOTS of water. At least a few quarts, so on the drive over to the test I was busting. I wound up taking 4 "mini pees" before I actually put my official specimen in the cup. If I hadn't have gone, there was absolutely no way I could have lasted. To say I was in discomfort is an understatement. It was more like pain. At least I didn't have to wait too long at the clinic.

Then next morning my truck is out of the shop, but again my dispatcher tells me to go see Angie. I'm wondering what's up. I know I'm clean. I'm getting worried on the way over to see her if my specimen had been mixed up with someone else's and there was a problem. Well, there was a problem, but it turned out that my urine test came back as "Dilute". I had drank so much water the day before, and because I had taken the pees beforehand, I had flushed out all of my urine and there wasn't enough for drug testing. So I had to go take the test again.

This time I drank only about 20 ounces of water beforehand. Just before I get to the clinic I start getting that busting feeling again. I just can't hold my pee like I could in my younger days. When I walk in the door I notice that there's 6 people in front of me. I'm afraid to go to the waiting room bathroom for a "mini-pee" since this is what messed up my test the day before. But there's six people in front of me waiting. And it's taking 30 minutes after someone is called and re-seated for another person to be called. So I go.

And I sit and wait. And wait. And wait. It's going incredibly slow, about 30 minutes between people being called. Finally I get up, walk over to the gal behind the desk and say "Excuse me, but you have people sitting in the waiting room and everybody is uncomfortable and some are even in pain. Can you step up your game a bit?"

She acted surprised that someone actually spoke up. But instead of explaining why the wait was so long, or apologizing, she says "Sir, everybody has to wait their turn. You're taken in the order you've arrived. And if you can't wait, that's why we have a bathroom in the waiting room." I don't bother telling her that going to the bathroom is the reason why I had to come back again today. I just said "Yeah, right." and proceeded to sit back down in the waiting room. Now I'm angry. So I speak up to the others in the room and say "Do you believe this? We're sitting here in pain and they're taking their sweet time about all of this." The lady behind the desk chimes in "Sir. We don't appreciate you causing a commotion in the waiting room. I tell her "I'm not causing a commotion. I'm practicing my right of free speech and I'm talking with the others in the waiting room." She basically repeats what she said and then says "And I'm not arguing with you." I tell her "And I'm not arguing with you." She shut up.

Just at that time, the van from the terminal pulled into the parking lot so I go out to tell the driver what was going on. He's OK with the wait. But I'm not. I write down the clinic's name and address from the sign and I tell him I'm going to notify whoever oversees these clinics that this "healthcare provider" is not providing care and in fact winds up torturing people with long, unnecessary waits. When I get back into the clinic I'm only waiting about 5 minutes when they call me for my test. I've leapfrogged in front of the others and I don't feel happy about it, but I really gotta pee. It took 5 minutes and I was out of there.

When I get back to the terminal Angie asked me what took so long. I'm glad she asked. When I told her about what happened she said "So they're not any better than the other clinic that we used to use." Then she explained to me that the others there were probably there for a full physical and they had me mixed in with them, and that is what took so long. By me speaking up they realized all I had to do was pee in a cup and leave.

So basically she was telling me that this place didn't know how to do their job. That they didn't care. Big surprise. This is why I don't trust doctors and healthcare providers in the first place. They're nothing but glorified mechanics and they think they're above scrutiny. But in this case they pissed off the wrong person. I am not one of the silent sheeple. And I'm fixing to exact revenge by reporting this clinic. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5565 Inside The Rig - Screwy Signage in Ohio and Dishonest SHP http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5564 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:16:22 GMT Being a new driver, I never heard about how tough Ohio is on truckers when it comes to speed limits. Now I've learned that it's probably the worst.

I'm on US 33 coming out of West Virginia and heading west into Ohio. It was really, really windy that day in November. I'm loaded with 38K and even at that I'm being blown around the road at 60-65. If I was empty I would have been driving about 50, 55 max. So having only recently learned about trailer loading and speeds during high winds, this is what I was thinking about when I came across two signs on that windy afternoon, one above the other, one stating "65 Mph cars"; the other stating "55 Mph for trucks over 8 tons empty, non commercial buses". I saw the signs and was confused. I figured if it was 65 for cars and 55 for trucks it would just say "65 Mph Cars, 55 Mph trucks". I guess that would be too easy. Too clear. Too non-ambiguous.

I reasoned that Ohio must have it's act together, really understanding trucks, and since my truck was over 8 tons empty, but my tailer was loaded, that I was OK to drive 65. So drive 65 I did. For you old timers out there who may be laughing at this, it may seem clear to you now, but when you were a new driver I'm sure you didn't have a complete understanding of everything there is to know right away either.

Then I see the blue lights. The SHP officer first said to me "Did you know you were going 72 back there? I was pacing you. You went from 72 down to 66, then back up to 68." You passed a sign before that telling you the speed limit is 55. I said "Really?" and asked him "That was a straightaway back there, wasn't it?" He agreed and I said "Well then, sir, it's not possible that I was going 72. These trucks are governed at 65 and there's no way I can go beyond 65 on a straightaway." He hemmed and hawed, but asked if I denied that I was going 65. I said no, I was going 65 but read the sign to say that I can go 65 since my trailer was loaded. I explained that I thought that the difference in speeds was because it was a very windy area. He then wanted to see my Eloggs and did an inspection on the truck and the trailer, checking all of my paperwork and licenses as well. When all was said and done he told me that he was giving me a warning not a ticket. He told me that I was reading too much into the sign.

But I wasn't reading too much into his dishonesty. I was NOT going 72 Mph. Not even 68. So he lied about that. Then he continued with the lie when he issued me a warning stating that I was driving 11-14 Mph over the speed limit. He should have given me a warning that said I was driving 10 Mph over the limit. But I'm just glad to get a warning so I keep my mouth shut.

But now I ask him the 64 thousand dollar question. "Why don't the signs just say 65 Mph Cars, 55 Mph Trucks"? He told me because people with pickup trucks would read the sign as they can only drive 55.

If that's the official answer from the state of Ohio, that's an asinine explanation. So Ohio would really be concerned if ignorant pickup truck drivers drove 55 in their state rather than 65? And this is the state that I just now learned held out until just recently, raising their speed limit from 55 to 65 for cars. Every other state that I've been in with different limits for cars and trucks don't have this big, confusing dialogue. They just have the limits posted for cars and trucks, the way it should be. But Ohio is obviously weird, and from what I'm learning, there's more weirdness that I'm going to learn about. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5564 Inside The Rig - Calling 911 On a Customer http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5563 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:09:31 GMT I had a delivery in Easton, PA. After arriving on time and pulling into the dock, I watched as big rig after big rig pulled in alongside me, got... I had a delivery in Easton, PA. After arriving on time and pulling into the dock, I watched as big rig after big rig pulled in alongside me, got unloaded and then left. The customer had started to unload my trailer, but after about 15 minutes they had stopped. So I went into the Shipping/Receiving office to see what was going on. The lady behind the glass told me that she'd check into it and get them going on the unloading. When I returned to my truck I noted that unloading had began again. But after one or two more pallets taken off, it again stopped.

I walk back into the office. The lady tells me "We have 4 hours to unload you." I say there must be some kind of mistake. My company only allows 2 hours for unloading, but I tell her I'll go check on the order and see if there's anything special written under the order "Comments". I find out there is nothing. So I then call my dispatcher to inform him of the situation. If they take 4 hours to unload me I'll be out of service hours by the time I'm done, and they don't allow trucks to stay on the property. My dispatcher says there must be a mistake. He suggests I ask the customer if I can unhook and then bobtail out, come back for the MT tomorrow morning. When I tell this to the lady, she says no I can't do that. I tell her about my service hours. It doesn't matter. She says "We have 4 hours to unload you, and we're going to take the 4 hours." I notify my dispatcher again of this, he asks me to get their phone number, and then he tries to call her to work something out. Now they don't answer the phone.

I walk out to the gate and consider unhooking and then driving on the grass with my truck, driving around the closed gate. It's possible. But probably a very bad idea. Now desperate because of this impasse, I go into the office again and BEG the lady to please work with me on this. I notify her that I'm on electronic logs and that I'll get a DOT violation on hours of service if they take more than 3 hours to unload me. She is adamant that they will take the full 4 hours. I tell her "Then open the gate, I'm going to leave." She states "You cannot leave." She stated it again when I asked her if I understood her correctly. The office manager there also tells me that I cannot leave. I tell them both that they are holding me against my will, they are holding me hostage, and I'm going to phone the police. The lady laughs and dares me to "Go ahead and phone them."

I go outside and that's exactly what I do. I call 911. As I'm waiting for the police to arrive by the gate, another manager comes out and tells me that I'm not allowed to stand there. "I'm waiting for the police." I tell him, but I move away. At that point the police arrive. I explain to them what's going on. I tell them "They've told me I'm not allowed to leave, the gate is down, and they're holding me against my will. As far as I'm concerned, that's kidnapping." At that point the manager says "You can leave. You can refuse the load and go on your way." But that's the FIRST time anyone had mentioned that to me. No doubt the customer wanted their load and concealed this information from me, not caring at all about my service hours problem. So I tell him "OK then, I've got no choice, I refuse the load." The police were great. They spoke with him in private, then told me "If you have any other problems feel free to call us back." He (Paul) tells me to get into my truck and when I get the green light I can pull around front, get the BOL and then leave.

That's what I do. Only when I get into the office (the police have now left) Paul tells me that he made a mistake and I need to back into the same dock again! He explains why, but I really don't understand why. I just know that if I say one word to him I was going to jump down his throat and explode with rage. And then I'd get fired. So I kept my mouth shut, just said "OK", then promptly turned my back to him and started walking back to my truck. Before I get in it, Paul flags me down and says "Forget it, just leave. But we'd appreciate it if you never came back." This is when things actually took a turn for the better.

I tell him "And I don't appreciate what you just said to me. I told you that I'm a new driver. I never knew I could refuse the load, and I didn't create this problem. In fact, I am only doing my job, and you are doing yours. Neither of us have done anything wrong and both of us are only doing what they need to do." At this point Paul changed his whole demeanor. We wound up apologizing to each other for this mess and we both agreed that someone else had created this mess and neither of us were at fault. We shook hands and then I drove away. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5563 Inside the Rig - Training Weeks #3-5: UPGRADED http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5457 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:39:51 GMT Wow. Where to begin...

It's been over a month since I've blogged. I planned on updating my progress every week but let's just say things got really busy.

The whole training thing began to be one big blur. My first trainer (yes, I had two) wound up to be unsatisfactory. All he did was run me. Run, run, run. He wasn't interested in training me, not interested in showing me how to back, but he was interested in getting as much milage out of me as possible. He did all of the backing because he didn't want to waste time on me. He was just interested in getting the next load.

So after week #4, with only about 30 minutes of backing practice the entire time, he split on me and went home with an "emergency". I can't say I was sorry to be rid of him.

My second trainer was really cool. So cool in fact that even though I only needed 17 more BTW hours (behind the wheel), I wound up putting in about 50 for close to 200 hours of training total. And Milton taught me how to jack knife back into a tight hole. Now I can back into ANYTHING.

Even though I had spent close to 6 weeks away from home, and even though I really wanted my own truck finally, I was sad leave Milton when he dropped me off at Tunnel Hill, GA, for my upgrade. I had a ton of laughs with him. He's a real riot and a heck of a nice guy. I still call him with questions and he's always available.

The upgrade at Tunnel Hill (USX terminal) was thorough, yet not difficult. It consisted of the following:

- Blind side backing (their version of it)
- Angle backing
- Jack Knife backing
- Written exam
- Driving test (in an automatic LOL)
- Simulator
- Log Book check

I passed everything with flying colors. My favorite part was the simulator. For the test they have you drive up a mountain and avoid all the potential hazards. You've got to be in the proper gear and make sure you are seen and heard (use the horn!). It was fun, really. So much fun that afterwards, after I had upgraded and was awaiting to be assigned a truck, I asked if I could do the simulator again. I asked to drive in snow/ice, mountains, and in the dark. They obliged. I scored 100%.

NEXT: Duncan, SC to pick up my Peterbilt. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5457 Inside the Rig - OTR Training, Week #2 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5411 Sat, 01 Sep 2012 20:23:19 GMT This week began at the Best Western in Georgia, close to my T's home. I stayed there from Saturday night until Tuesday morning. It was a nice big room, and this time I had it all to myself as I didn't have to share it with a roommate that decided to call his girlfriend at 3 AM (previous blog).

Across the street was a market, Chinese restaurant, a Big Lots, and a "Fred's". Fred's is a discount, full service store that seems to be prevalent in the south. I checked out the George Foreman grill in BL's and it's true, according to the reviews I've read on Amazon, they just don't appear to be that well. People have stated that they bought one about 10 years ago and loved it, but the new ones were cheaply made. After checking it out, for $29, I decided that I didn't like it. It has a cheapo slider in the front which sets the temperature; but I decided it's useless. When I turn the grill on I want it to come up full power quickly and I want it to stay at full power for cooking.

I just so happened to notice a "Grill-Mate" at Fred's for $20. It appeared better made and had no useless features on it. I spoke to the manager and managed to buy the floor model for a mere $20. Brought it back to the room and cooked up turkey burgers with it. Sweet. It worked great!

So now when I get my truck I'll have it stocked with a refrigerator, microwave, and griller. It's going to be tough finding the room for all that inside the new Peterbilt's but I'm going to have to make do.

Anyway, this week was much like last week only I've been doing all of the driving, trying to get my hours up. It's been tough since freight has been slow and we've been getting small runs and have been hanging south, running through GA, SC, and AL mostly. And of course it's been hot still, even at night.

On Tuesday, our first day back, we were slated to pickup disaster relief from a shipper and were supposed to do a FEMA relief drop in Louisiana. On Tuesday afternoon I was driving straight into the hurricane from GA. And then it happened. We got a message from dispatch over the Qualcomm to check the registration on the trailer. It turns out the trailer was illegal; it had been sold and Home Depot, the shipper, had no right to be loading it. It was a "C & C Trucking" trailer which I understand had recently been acquired by Arnold. But this particular trailer was not Arnold's and therefore we could not pulling it. We had to turn straight around and drop the trailer in a yard. My T took over the driving at that point in case we were stopped by DOT. He didn't want his student getting into trouble.

Yesterday morning we pulled up to an ALCOA plant in SC somewhere and took on a live load of 45,407 pounds of aluminum. I got to pull it down to AL where we dropped it today at a company that makes wheels for BMW, Chrysler, and Chevy. The plant was amazing to watch with it's operations. The only problem is, the delivery site is a mess. They had it all cluttered up with junk and weren't making effective use of the space in the yard, so backing into the hole was needlessly difficult. My T took over that job. Yesterday I backed into the dock, for loading, with the help of my T.

That's my only issue left, really. Backing. My T said he's going to spend an entire day with me just backing, until I get it. I really need that.

I was talking to another Arnold driver (Francis) about backing while hanging around the aluminum wheel company. He told me not to be too concerned about backing. He said that with practice it will come, and he got his practice by struggling to get into docks while on the job. I'm glad I'll be getting a lot of practice before I have to do that on my own.

So here I sit, in a Wendy's/Pilot/Flying J in GA, along I-85 and we are just chillin'. We have not got a pre-assignment today. Freight is particularly slow this weekend with the holiday and all. At least I've got internet, food, and a clean shower waiting. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5411 Inside the Rig - OTR Training, Week #1 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5401 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:54:41 GMT As I mentioned in my last blog, I'm training with Arnold Transportation Services (ATS). On Thursday, August 16, my trainer (T) and I had to spend the night in the Cascadia waiting for a load. Freight was slow. He had bobtailed from GA so we were in need of a trailer. I was walking around the terminal in Jax, just checking out the trucks, when another driver approached me and out of nowhere told me that he had just dropped an empty (and clean) trailer. I told my trainer about it and he was pretty happy we had found one.

Earlier in the day I noted that his tractor had a mud flap that was almost dragging on the ground. That led me to discover that the bolts which secured the metal post were loose. I told my T about this and we were lucky enough to get it fixed quick, in the shop, without filling out a repair request. So when I found an empty trailer later on Thursday he was impressed with me and told me I had started out well.

Friday morning we went and picked up my first load to pull, ever. We had 10,000 pounds of pallets loaded onto our trailer, live. Driving it I didn't notice any difference between it and an empty. Not much anyway. Later that day we unloaded the pallets and then went and picked up a loaded trailer filled with huge paper rolls. The weight was 44,000 and this is where I noticed a difference in how the tractor pulled. Shifting needed to be quicker as you're now fighting the trailer losing speed and being pulled back under load. Our destination was Chicago, but T didn't tell me about it until Saturday morning. Good thing. I'm not sure I would have slept too well thinking about what he told me the next morning...

So Saturday morning right after we woke up, T told me that we were going through the mountains and I had better be prepared to be downshifting a lot. Wow. My second day driving with a T and already I was going to pull mountains with a nearly full load. I got myself psyched up. I remembered back to my CDL training. Instead of getting 'nervous' about driving the truck, I got determined. I get into this attitude "I'm not going to let this truck get the best of me. I'm going to control it, NOT the other way around. It's just a machine!"

When we hit the foothills of the Blue Ridge, going from SC into TN, along I-75 N, I got my practice downshifting from 10-9-8-7 and back up. I performed well. I was ready for the mountains. When they finally arrived, I did really well. Instead of being intimidated by them, I actually enjoyed the challenge and really enjoyed driving the truck and listening to the big Detroit engine rev with power. And on the down slopes, I enjoyed listening to the Jake brake kick in. Between the Jake and the proper gear I hardly had to brake at all descending the mountains. Good stuff!

After our drop in Chicago, we had to pickup a Con-way load. These are the loads they told us about in orientation. They must be delivered on time, every time! We had to drive all night long, basically non stop, to arrive at our location in Kansas City, MO. The good thing is, we were now in the US Xpress terminal in Markham, IL, and I had the day to do laundry, surf the net, do my Pro Treads (on line course work for trainees), pay bills, and make some personal phone calls using Skype phone. We needed to leave about 10 PM, and my biggest mistake was not getting a nap and not eating enough before we left. I drove from about 10 PM to 3:30 AM when my body shut down, out of fuel. Good thing T was there to pick up the slack and take over the driving as I basically passed out in the passenger seat, exhausted. Our delivery time was 8:30 AM and we arrived 7 AM local time. Mission accomplished.

After KC, we had a short run to TX. Again it was a night run, only about 400 miles. This time I planned properly and made sure I had the proper sleep and food and was determined to do the whole run myself. With just one stop for a quick stretch along an exit of the interstate, I made the run. It got a bit challenging towards the end but I started talking a lot and that's what seemed to keep me awake and alert. After we arrived in TX for our drop I once again gave up my seat to T as he backed into the dock. I still have not mastered backing. It's something we're going to work on, obviously. But when all was said and done with the TX load, T told me "Good job, Vito, very good job." Yeah, I'm feeling good about everything at this point.

From TX we made our way back to KC, MO. We're sitting at a Pilot truck stop and yesterday we had the entire day to sleep and eat. T needs to reset his hours. I slept from 4 AM until about 1 PM and it was back to bed at 11 PM last night. This morning I got up at 7:30 PM after yet another 8 hour plus sleep. Feeling great today and I'm psyched for driving today.

Next Up: Training Week #2 ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5401 Inside the Rig - Orientation Time! Part 2 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5400 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:16:11 GMT NOTE: There's a tip regarding taking the Greyhound bus to orientation. Located at the bottom of this blog...



Last week I had orientation with Arnold Transportation Services (ATS) in Jacksonville, FL. I'm just catching up now.

I took the Greyhound down from NC to FL. We had an unexpected bus change in Fayetteville, NC due to a problem with the bus. That's when I almost lost one of my bags with a lot of my stuff in it for the orientation/training. It was a scary 20 minutes or so as my bag disappeared after I had taken it off the bus, along with my laptop, and was carrying it around. I laid it down for a split second and talked to the girl that was transferring the bags to our new bus, and I was so close to the two bags that I just picked them up again, without looking carefully, and proceeded to the bathroom. Upon leaving the stall I noticed that one of the bags I was carrying was not mine! What's weird is that while I was in the stall, the police were talking to a guy in the bathroom saying "Sir, you need to step out of the stall!" At first I thought they were talking to me, but why? I just stayed silent and figured "There's NO WAY they are talking to me, I haven't done anything."

Back to the missing bag...

Right after washing up, I realized I had my laptop but the other bag that I was carrying was not mine. It was a black bag, about the same size, and it looked pretty much like my bag but was slightly different. I immediately thought somebody had switched bags with me, on purpose, and had made off with my bag. But luckily later on I found out that this was a wrong assumption.

After trying to acquire the assistance from the Fayetteville (aka FayetteNAM) police (they basically couldn't care less and told me to report it to Greyhound), and wandering around looking at everyone's bags, searching for my own, I realized that there was a name on the bag. I had Greyhound announce the person's name over the intercom to come up to the desk and claim their bag. The person did. His name was "Fred". This is actually a nickname for him (he's Iranian and more about him in a bit). But Fred did not have my bag. So finally, in desperation, I got the Greyhound manager to come with me as I checked all the baggage on the new bus. Finally I discovered my bag in the cargo hold.

Now for a few more weird things about the story. And sorry if this is long. But it's the weirdest 20 minutes of my life so it deserves some attention...

One of the FayetteNAM police officer's INSISTED that I got off the "new bus" and not the bus number I had reported to him. I just agreed with him since he was kinda helping, and when we searched the new bus, in the passenger seating, of course my bag wasn't there. The Greyhound manager tole the officer "No, that's not the bus, he was on the other bus". I told the officer "I told you that". Then he kept asking me "What color was your bag? Was it ALL black?" I kept repeating to him that it was an all black bag. Finally on the fourth time, I lost my patience with him and told him "If you can't remember what color it is, maybe you should write it down." He didn't take too kindly to that. He lost his temper and starting shouting at me that "If you give respect, I'll give respect" or some kind of junk like that. He really went off into a tirade, very unprofessional. He really made a scene. So I stepped up my game too. I told him that he should "just do his job" and told him to stop taking things so personally. That was the end of him, he left the scene.

And here's ANOTHER weird thing about this. I later talked to "Fred" as we were waiting for the taxis. He told me he was going to Arnold for orientation! I told him I was going there too. And as long as we were waiting together, I asked him "How do you think I wound up with your bag? Did you pick mine up by accident? Remember: my bag was laid down together with my laptop and when I came back, after walking literally 6 feet away and leaving it for a total of less than 10 seconds, the switch had been made. But Fred told me "I don't know. I never took my bag off of the bus."

Huh? This doesn't add up. How in the world did his bag get outside the bus, winding up in my hands? I think the taxi cab driver figured it out. I took my own cab over to the Comfort Sweets and the driver was a really nice guy. I told him the whole story and he suggested that perhaps Fred had indeed accidentally switched bags with me, but then he was too embarrassed to admit it when I asked him about it. It was obvious to the driver that Fred was lying about NOT removing his bag from the passenger area in the old bus and nobody else did either since the bus was locked down during the cargo transfer.

Finally, the last interesting part to this story. During the first day of orientation, I found Fred pretty interesting and nice. So I sat next to him and we talked about trucking, and Arnold, and a bunch of things. He lived in Raleigh, just down the road from me basically. But after lunch they sent him home. I got the word from some others in orientation that Fred had some undisclosed felonies that he was not forthright to Arnold about. Hmm.

And speaking of going home, we had a big orientation class. 25 total started out. 22 finished. Besides Fred, a guy was sent home for not disclosing to the doctor that he had major back surgery 10 years ago. This guy made a big stink about it when he left. Fred just quietly picked up his stuff and split without saying a word to anyone. This other guy announced that he had "forgotten" about the surgery because it was "so long ago". Hmm. According to the other guys in class that were talking to him, he had over 100 stitches/scars from the surgery. Funny that someone would forget about THAT!

I'd like to forget about my roommate I had for the first three days. He insisted on talking to his girlfriend at 3:00 AM when I was asleep in the bed next to his. And he didn't bother speaking softly either. No. He talked loudly just as if I weren't even in the room! Talk about consideration. I never said a thing to him about it, figured it wouldn't help with anyone that boneheaded. But I'm sure he got the message on Wednesday night when I was waiting for my trainer to arrive into town Thursday, bobtailing from a drop he made in Georgia. I dumped this guy for Whit, a veteran of Arnold that had left the company a few years ago and had decided to come back.

Anyway, the rest of orientation was uneventful, thank goodness. We finished up on Wednesday after lunch. Arnold did a great job assigning trucks, and by Thursday all the veteran drivers had their own trucks. There were about 9 students, including myself, and by Thursday most of us had trainers and were assigned to the trainer's truck and were ready to roll. Only 1 or 2 students had to wait beyond Thursday to get rolling. All in all, I was very impressed by the professionalism and great job Arnold had done all the way around with orientation. They seem like a company who really cares about their drivers. I'm really looking forward to working for this company.

Oh, and by the way. Taking the Greyhound was a good experience in spite of the goofy bag experience. I had internet all the way down with free WiFi. And the A/C was cranked so cold I was almost chilly, and it takes a lot to make me cold. So for anyone wondering about driving to an orientation versus the Greyhound, you may wan to consider sitting back and letting another professional deal with the long drive as you do what you want.

See you next time!

UP NEXT: Training: Week 1 ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5400 Inside the Rig - Orientation Time! http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5379 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:29:21 GMT Next week I have orientation with a trucking company based in Florida. I won't be saying the name until I make it to training. I don't want to assume anything, and I certainly don't want to drop a name like I've already got the job, when in fact I've got to get through orientation first.

I should do well. I've got time to review materials on the way down to FL, sitting back in the relaxed atmosphere of a Greyhound. I'm basically one part nervous, but 4 parts excited, so overall I'm really psyched to "Get 'er done!".

After 2-4 weeks of training, my final test will be at Tunnel Hill, GA. Then I'll be issued a truck, hopefully more close to home, where I'll then bobtail it back for a little R & R before setting out solo.

I can't wait. I've got so many plans to make my OTR experience the best possible. From my friend Don I've purchased a microwave, CB, inverter, refrigerator, road atlas, fans, etc. etc. etc. all at fair prices for stuff that's still in good/excellent condition. Considering I've still got backpacker blood running through my veins, I think living in a sleeper with all of these luxuries will beat the heck out of sleeping outdoors in a tent and using a gas stove.

And of course I'll have a laptop. A flat screen TV is probably in the not too distant future as well.

I do need to buy a George Foreman Grill to round out my repertoire however. I plan on cooking all my own food. There's no way I'm going to gain back the 40 pounds I lost since last summer. I've got a whole new lifestyle of eating and I refuse to compromise and return to my old ways. The old way of eating seems gross to me now anyway!



Next Up: Orientation Part B ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5379 Inside the Rig - CDL School Week #4 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5361 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:52:05 GMT Wednesday and Thursday of last week I practiced for the road test, the last step in getting my CDL. My road test was scheduled for 1 PM on Thursday... Wednesday and Thursday of last week I practiced for the road test, the last step in getting my CDL. My road test was scheduled for 1 PM on Thursday and luckily before the test I received more practice setting up for green light turns.

Approaching the light, by downshifting well in advance into the proper turning gear, was something I needed some work on. After some practice I was ready for the actual test as we rolled into the school and prepared to stop for a simulated RR Crossing, the beginning of the road test.

The test went really well I thought. I was hyper about scanning for oncoming traffic and constantly checking my mirrors for traffic behind me, as well as the position of the trailer on the road. Shifting went well although it wasn't perfect. When we first rolled out of the school and on to 401 South in Raleigh, my focus and confidence wasn't all that great and I forgot to put the button selector into high position and missed getting into 5th on an upshift. But I immediately recovered by dropping back down into 4th and approached the first light in fourth gear. It was a save; coasting in neutral for the length of the trailer is an automatic fail.

The first light was the only notable event. As the light changed, I shifted into third and began a left hand turn (green turn signal). I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that that several cars were approaching their right hand turning lane (to my left) and they were turning right in front of me. I knew this wasn't right; I had a left arrow turn signal and they were turning right so I knew that they were in fact running the light.

So I covered the brake and also covered the clutch in case I needed to make an abrupt stop. I braked slightly, and the last car that approached stopped suddenly at least a good 20 feet away to my left, never coming close to the right fender. The driver was a lady who then sheepishly looked up at me and shrugged her shoulders as if to say "Whoops, sorry". I didn't even have to come to a complete stop as there was no danger in hitting her, because I was turning so slowly and had the brake covered. I could have stopped on a dime if I needed to.

The fact that I had this situation under full control turned out to be a blessing for me. I then went on with the rest of my road test with the full confidence I needed to pass.

And when it was over I DID PASS my road test!

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Finishing up in the Yard: Drop & Hook

Victor (Head Instructor) & Ronald

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Charles, Ronald, James

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Ronald bobtailing

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Getting ready to hook

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Thomas
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Tracy & Thomas

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Yours truly

Click image for larger version.  Name: HPIM0718.jpg  Views: 32  Size: 231.2 KB  ID: 33649 ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5361 Inside the Rig - CDL School Week #3 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5356 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:10:56 GMT NOTE: I've included tips this week for the benefit of any newbies that may be reading this blog...



This week I passed my Pre Trip Inspection, 100 Foot Straight Backing, and 45 Backing tests. The only requirement left for the NC CDL is the road test.

The straight backing was no problem. The trick is to keep an eye on the rear trailer tires and to immediately steer to the problem (tires getting larger in the mirror), slightly, then quickly cancel the correction so as not to overshoot and then go the other way.

The tricks I learned for the 45 backing was to place my hand at the bottom of the wheel and then steer towards the direction I want to go in. It's a simple thing but for someone who isn't experienced in backing a trailer this helped me avoid any confusion. Also, just as with straight backing, small changes are needed. Setup is everything. It's important to start with the trailer as straight as possible, then get it going in the direction you need it to go by making a small turn, then quickly canceling this direction yet the trailer will continue along the arc/path towards the cones that you just set with the small turn. Next, while watching the front cones, add more turn or take some away, again making small changes only. Once the trailer is positioned to go into the front cones, focus your attention on the back cones and then make a BIG LEFT with the wheel as a final correction to back straight towards the back cones (if backing towards the left).

Monday night I drove for 3 hours straight from 7-10 PM. There was a scheduling mixup last week and when offered the chance to drive for the entire night training I jumped at it. It turned out to be the perfect chance to get ready for my road test which I knew would be coming later in the week.

It's been brutally hot during the days here in Carolina, averaging in the mid 90's to lower 100's. It hasn't been fun riding around in a tractor where the A/C isn't working well, let alone standing in the hot sun out in the Yard. The heat has been wearing me out, not the long hours. But I've managed to stay hydrated by bringing along filtered water and keeping it cold in a Playmate.

To recap: this week has brought much success. Besides passing key tests, I thoroughly prepared for the road test. I nailed down upshifting and downshifting. The only training that I really needed, which still remained, was setting up and choosing the right gear to be in for a green light turn.


Next Up: Week #4: Where the rubber meets the road! ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5356 Inside the Rig - CDL School Week #2 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5341 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:56:12 GMT Week #2 ended this Tuesday instead of last Thursday, thanks to the July 4 holiday pushing the schedule back 2 days last week. Week 2 was very... Week #2 ended this Tuesday instead of last Thursday, thanks to the July 4 holiday pushing the schedule back 2 days last week.

Week 2 was very trying. There was still the Pre-Trip Inspection to nail down and then pass, along with the challenge of newbie BTW (behind the wheel time), nighttime observation (and getting home at 11 PM, only to have to wake up for another training day again the next day at 4:45 AM), and straight backing and 45 backing in the yard.

The week started out not so good but ended much better. I finally started to get a feel for the truck, the shifting, and my confidence grew as I continually improved my skill level.

Backing the trailer straight back for 100 feet became easy once Victor (the head Instructor) showed us the trick of watching the back tires and making small changes the second they need attention, then canceling the change.

The 45 backing between cones is a lot more of a challenge at this point, but I'm improving.

Up shifting is no longer a problem and is being accomplished quickly and effectively by double clutching and using the tach along with the engine rev/turbo sound. Down shifting is getting there but needs more work. Even at the end of week two I'm still popping the clutch a bit on shifts and when rolling off the brake from a stop on an incline. But the shifting is coming together nicely.

I failed my Pre-Trip inspection. The engine/outside of the tractor and trailer is no problem, but when I got to the inside of the tractor I didn't have both buttons depressed before I started my LAB test (leaks, alarms, buttons). If one button is out before you say the actual words that you're ready to start the LAB Test, it becomes an automatic failure. I'm ready to pass Pre-Test on my next shot.

Overall, after the completion of the second week, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and my skill level has dramatically improved. It's good stuff. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5341 Inside the Rig - CDL School Week #1 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5320 Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:53:38 GMT Training started Monday. Week one is now completed. This week I studied and passed my DMV exams for General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and... Training started Monday. Week one is now completed. This week I studied and passed my DMV exams for General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and Combinations. A 20-Day Commercial Learner's Permit is now in my possession, along with a 2 year Medical Certificate.

Monday and Tuesday were spent reviewing videos, reading, and taking practice exams on computer. Wednesday at lunchtime I went to the DMV and took my exams. I was happy I passed everything the first time. There's a lot to know and even though I passed I'm still reviewing the NC Commercial Driver's Manual. Not knowing things in that manual could cost a driver his/her job, or worse, but besides that, I just want to learn everything and anything I possibly can about trucking in order to be the very best I can be.

I also learned how to properly fill out a log book this week.

I got some observation time in the truck on Wednesday. What I learned in those two hours really helped. We have terrific instructor's at CTA and they ride the student's hard, but just like in boot camp, the stuff they are drilling into your head will help to save your life and the lives of others.

Thursday I had more observation time. I also got taught a great lesson by a graduating student, Frank, on how to pass the DOT pre inspection. His system, which he showed me, is going to be my system from now on. Start from the top and go to the bottom, and work your way from inside to outside on the truck and trailer when doing the inspection.

What took me by surprise Thursday was that while the 5 of us were driving around the outskirts of a local mall (3 newbs, instructor, 1 experienced), I was called up to do some BTW (behind the wheel). As expected, double clutching was a challenge and I performed badly the first half on my stint, but the second stint was much better. I did what practically everyone does, and that's letting off the clutch too quickly, and this caused the truck to jerk a lot. But I performed well with braking and steering the empty trailer. After it was done we were told that today was mainly just for us to get a "feel" for what needed to be done, and Monday we could practice shifting on a tractor only, going around the CTA campus. I'm looking forward to that.

Next Up: Training Week #2 ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5320 Inside the Rig - Intro Part 3 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5310 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:57:29 GMT What a blessing it is to find a quality CDL training school that is practically in my backyard. Yesterday I drove to Carolina Trucking Academy and... What a blessing it is to find a quality CDL training school that is practically in my backyard. Yesterday I drove to Carolina Trucking Academy and had a nice talk with the people there.




The Academy has 4 rigs and sits on a little over six acres. They told me that recent class sizes have varied from 1-8 lately. They have a policy that if you want to attend, you just show up to start class on a Monday morning. They don't schedule *you* and I think that's a great policy. So I'm assuming that class size will be fairly low no matter what, and I would think this should work in my favor. So Monday morning at 7 AM I go to plunk down my money and get started on this career that I've thoroughly researched.






Reading through the Trucker's Report, it's easy to get a bad impression about trucking and it's easy to believe all the negative things that are said about the companies. But I take all of it with a grain of salt. What a lot of the BS that I've read here boils down to is this: the trucker has not followed the rules and regulations of his/her company/DOT or has played loose and fast with the rules and has cut corners. Then a problem has occurred and they've come to TTR to complain and moan about it. I've seen this other industries before however, it's not just truckers that do this. But it's my impression that truckers are more in the habit of behavior than elsewhere.

So I'm starting off on this career full steam ahead, regardless of the junk I've read here and elsewhere. I'm looking forward to it, and I love a challenge. And this career will be a challenge, that's for sure, but those challenges will be met head on and resolved.



As I've stated before, this is a "military operation" as far as I'm concerned. And I'll never forget that *I* am the professional, and although I can't change the people around me, I can change the way I react to them. I will also never compromise on my professionalism.



Next up: Progress at CTA ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5310 Inside the Rig - Intro Part 2 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5305 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:08:07 GMT Tuesday, June 21, I went over Don's to get more firsthand lessons in passing a DOT inspection. For starters, we went over the entire engine again.






This time however I got down and dirty with the trailer and truck, crawling underneath as Don taught me how to inspect brake pads, air lines, u-joints, etc. I soon realized the importance of needing to wear coveralls when doing an inspection. Good thing for me I already own a pair and even have a pair of thermal ones for when the weather turns icy cold. But since It was a hot Carolina day I didn't wear my coveralls and soon regretted it. Besides getting my clothes greasy I got all bitten up by chiggers. That's the first and last time an inspection is performed without overalls.

The main points I took away from today's lesson are "Safety, safety, safety" and never, ever, cut corners no matter what because the one time you do will be the one time that something serious occurs, possibly ruining the career in trucking or worse, killing/injuring a motorist.

I'm taking this career very seriously and view it it as a military operation, with rules and regulations that must be adhered to at all times. Working to my advantage is that people who have known me well have described me as a "rule follower". That is the only way to be successful and survive within this industry, and no matter what anyone else is doing I have promised myself that I will stay within the limits at all times.





Next up: My visit to Carolina Training Academy, Raleigh, NC. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5305 Inside the Rig - Introduction Part 1 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5287 Sat, 09 Jun 2012 23:24:45 GMT I'll state this right up front so that anyone who subscribes to this blog won't be blindsided. I'm a Christian. I promise you that as you read through the entries I won't get "all religious" on you, but on occasion you'll see me mentioning God and my faith since both play such a large role in the decisions that I make, as well as the direction of my life. If this is something you can tolerate, I think that's great. If it's not and you want to slam on the brakes to this blog you might as well do so now. But I promise I will uphold my end of the bargain.

That said, I've got a cool story to start off with, along with some pics to share.

I was over 40 pounds overweight last summer and my eating habits were typical of the Standard American Diet (SAD). From once being very athletic and in good health most of my life, I could tell that my health was declining rapidly and something needed to be done. Joining a free online nutritional tracking website http://sparkpeople.com was the key to my success in getting back down to a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index). Tracking calories and nutrition, along with reading everything I could about diet/nutrition has had the affect of turning me into an amateur Nutritionist.

Exercise is the other part to good health. I've been doing a lot of mountain biking on a Rails-to-Trails path http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html that I'm fortunate enough to live near. It's called the "American Tobacco Trail" (ATT) and it spans Durham, Chatham, and Wake Counties in central North Carolina. I've also gotten back into running after many years of having retired my running shoes, but it's been the vigorous bike workouts that have been instrumental in helping melt away the fat, along with "eating clean" as my diet.

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In December I started noticing that a neighbor of mine, one who lives across from the ATT, was parking his Pete at his home. It was there every time I started out at the trailhead. I kept thinking to myself "I really need to go talk with the owner of that truck". Since last August I've been thinking about a career in trucking, and I've been mulling it over and researching some, but for some reason I haven't rushed into this major decision as I did recently regarding a failed attempt at IT (Information Technology). Let's just say that I was waiting on God to lead me and to let me know when the time was right, if indeed this was the direction I was to go with.

So after yesterdays ride on the trail, it finally seemed like the right time to go visit my owner operator neighbor. When I met Don we really hit it off. He's recently retired on disability due to back problems and COPD. A quick question that I had for him regarding a trucking company that I was interested in turned into a 2-hour conversation. But I can really talk. And so can Don. I guess I've met my match. :lol:

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Don gave me the inside advice about trucking and I soon learned that he needed my advice when it comes to nutrition and diet. He's trying to lose weight and we soon learned that we both have important information to share with one another. A friendship has been struck. I'm going to his place in a few days and he's going to give me the grand tour of his '94 Peterbilt (for sale by the way) while I get him started by helping him on his journey in a healthier lifestyle. What a blessing.

Next up...

My visit with Don. ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5287 Inside the Rig - Prologue http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5286 Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:05:53 GMT Soon I'll embark upon what I suspect to be the last career of my life before retiring. I'm 52 now and have been in two different careers since college. One was engineering (13 years) and the other was middle school teacher (14 years).

I've not so much chosen this professional career of trucking as it has chosen me. Having all of the necessary prerequisites to break into this field, and it appearing to suit my personality and professional needs to a T is what's driving this wannabe.

I'm going to use this blog to document my journey all along the way from start until finish, when I retire. There will be links to pics and videos which will be uploaded to photobucket. There will be stories of the road, friendships made, professional challenges, and hopefully some helpful tips along the way.

I don't expect seasoned truckers will find this blog much interesting at all. Perhaps even those thinking about joining the ranks won't find it very pertinent, but I'm going to try to make it so. At any rate, this blog is for me, my family and friends, as well as anyone else who wants to hitch a ride along with me. So climb aboard if you'd like, the passenger door is open. Y'all are welcome inside the cab with a seat beside me for the journey. :biggrin_25519: ]]> Vito http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=5286