My RBX journey Strafford MO

I had posted in another thread, Good & Bad Trucking Companies, Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here, Rbx transortation is like coming home!

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...81-rbx-transortation-is-like-coming-home.html



I took a position as a Professional Motor Vehicle Operator or what most call a Truck Driver with RBX. I will be starting this new thread as soon as I get back off the road in a week or two. I'll introduce myself and my journey Everyone be safe.

 

All is well, Thank you.
Update with RBX. I went out for two weeks. Training went well. Orientation lasted 2 ½ days. First week we went from MO to FL to GA to TN to AL to TX to KS to MO. The first week everyplace we went was blind side backing except two. (That was good training) Came home for the weekend and went back out to IN to KY to Dallas to MO. Looked at my new truck for a few minutes then headed out to KY to OH to MI to North of Detroit to IN to Strafford, MO and home for the weekend. Everything went well. Traffic and weather were good. We did run into fog in Ohio for about 150 miles or so. My Instructor was a great Teacher, answered every question I could come up with. I don’t remember the number of miles we ran but the first week I believe we had 3100. We did not run team at all that week. The second week I believe we hit 3900 miles. We run team the last 3 days. Team driving is not for me. Sleeping in the truck, rolling down the road is like sleeping on a trampoline with kids jumping up and down. It just doesn’t work.
If anyone goes out with an Instructor, pack light. Use a soft duffle bag with 7 to 10 days of clothing. One small back pack for taking showers. For food I brought all can goods that I could just pop the top and eat plus breakfast bars and water. There’s not much room in the truck so you will be sleeping with whatever you bring on your bunk. I had two cubby holes for my food but the rest will go on your bunk.
My truck is a 2014 Freightliner just like I asked for. I called Kristi, (Recruiter) and asked if she could hold one for me if at all possible. She came through for me. That’s awesome for an OTR company to bend over backwards for their drivers/student.
I’m sitting at the yard tonight waiting on my first load in the morning. Everyone be safe.

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Can someone explain to me how to post a picture and not a link to the pic, thanks.

 

Update: Shovelhead32, I'm glad your researching companies. I researched for quite a long time. I don't think I will go work for anyone else. During my first week back with my Instructor I was walking down the hallway and as I rounded the corner I was walking side by side with the owner of the company. He was leaving and I was going out to my personal vehicle and we started talking about my first week, as we made our way outside we both stopped and he asked my were I was going next and if I ever need anything just call anyone here in the building and they will help me.

The day before my first load I turned in a request for a couple of things for the truck from the shop. I wasn't under load so my issues were not a priority which I fully understand. Other Operators were loaded and waiting which is the way it should be. Slept in my truck that night in order to leave out the next morning. Mechanic came out to the truck around 0900 and I pulled it into the shop. I figured (Murphy's Law) would kick in and it did. When I got back to my truck I had all my messages for my first load. 0900 pick up time. It was 10:15 I believe. So I sent in my reply and headed to the shipper just down the road. After I completed my paper work, connected the trailer and did my pre-trip, I over thought my trip planning. Looking at the clock it was know close the lunch and I was like Jerry Reed in (Smokey and the Bandit), tossed my map, pin and truck stop guide in the air and said, (I ant gots time for dis son, I'ss gotsta go). Took one last look at the bill, no weight and no pallets. I thought, you've got to be kidding me, I'm hauling a trailer full of air to GA, Awesome. Went and scaled the load and all was good. Didn't need to take a chance the first day. I hoped on US 63 S to US 60 E and off I went. I have no idea why I was even trip planning this load other then making sure I can find a place to park that night. I've driven to GA over 100 times from MO to visit family. By know you can see I'm running late and not going to make it to my noon appt the next day. I was looking for Burt's trans am to block for me but he and sally must have went out to the back forty for a while. LOL. Well spent the night in MS. Made my delivery a little late but the night dispatch had told my it was cool because I was just dropping the trailer. Went to pick my next load but it wouldn't be ready until the next morning. so I message my dispatch and he told my I would have to drop an empty in order to pick up my next load. so I went over to the RBX yard, found an empty, connected and went to the truck stop for the night. Next morning I dropped the empty, picked up my load, over 44,000 lbs. Sent in a request for local directions in K.C. MO for the receiver. None came back, I may have sent the wrong message. So I called them and they are not open on Saturdays. Took the load to the yard in Strafford via US 63 in Arkansas. (Lots and lots of practice up and down shifting). Picked up a different load and arrived home Friday afternoon and leaving out zero dark thirty Monday morning going to ST Louis.

After I arrived at the yard in Strafford I went inside. A fellow I only seen once passed me in the hallway and said, hay Mark, how's things going? I responded and then continued on my way. While I was inside I had three or four others whom I hadn't meet, only seen the first week new my name as well and ask how every thing was going. I like the fact that everyone you come into contact with here is very friendly and out going.

I was standing outside and I female Operator introduced herself to me. I told her at was only my second week and she told my to call her if I ever had a question or a situation I needed help with. She asked if I had the Driver's packet and I had. She said her number is inside the packet along with three other Operators. Call any time day or night, were here for ya. I really appreciated that.


I still had four hours on my clock when I arrived in Strafford so I put myself on line 5, off-duty driving, (FYI, you cannot be under a load to do this) and went and had my truck washed. Its actually my home away from home know so I want to keep it clean. That's it. If anyone reading this has any questions let me know. If I can't answer them I'll call Kristi and get the answer. Everyone be safe.

 

Still trying to figure out how to insert a picture and not the title.

 

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My new 2014 Freightliner

 

I'm not sure but if that bridge is on US 63 from Jonesboro AR to US 60 in MO then yes, why?

Let me ask other then why. Is that bridge on US 63 and should I have went around it? Can you tell me were its located?

 

Yep, is was there an alternate route? My fuel route sent me that way. I messed that one up.