Gator's Prime Experience

what have I learned thus far? With 50 hours of driving under my belt I thought I would share some of what i have gained in the knowledge dept.

1. RPM up to down shift
2. don't go deep into RPM when up shifting
3. let the truck do the work
4. Other truckers hate it when a Prime truck passes.
5. people don't know how to drive
6. school bus drivers should not look for the apple they just dropped when the bus is doing 62 and I am behind them
7. Deer have a death wish
8. trailers with super singles off track real bad (at least the two I've had do)
9. don't dump the skittles (take curves to quick)
10. you don't know how tired you are until the truck stops and you get in the bunk.
11. My instructor should be called iceman cause he is really level headed
12. Truck keys are easy to lose.
13 I Love driving Truck.

 

Well we averted the great skittles crisis which was good. Had another Prime driver at the 90 that still had springmo lock on the trailer. Tried to help him out but it was to no avail he had to go to a TS and get the lock cut there.

We then loaded up close by and ran 400 mile or so to the Walgreens in Southern IL. That was a mess. Really it went well but it took forever to unload as they take each pallet and break it down before the next. We got there 2 hours early and they started on us right away and started working quick as well but it took them nearly 4 hours to unload our 34 pallets. IT was a short trip that paid well but the way it ate the clock kinda stunk. Got a load from pork plant just outside of Sprinkfeild IL. It was drop and hook so we rolled in and were excited that our load was ready seeing all the others there waiting on loads. But..... They added a stop. Spoke to dispatch about it and they sorted it out. more on that as the dust still has not settled because the appt at the 90 is only achievable if the 02 and 03 do not delay us. To do our part we drove throughthe night to get within 4 hours of the 02. They allow overnight so we are doing a 34 here and we will get there about 10pm Sunday night for a 6am appt monday morning then try our best to get to the 03 and the 90.

Shifting has improved even more. There is always room for improvment but now I know where I want to be in the pattern and how to get there and what to do if I need to correct.

how all is going well for the rest of you

 

Yep. I wasn't complaining or anything. I am a pretty laid back guy and live by the axiom "Blessed are the flexible they will not be easily broken"

Thanks for all your advice hope to meet you some day. If I remember right you live near Denver. If so that is some pretty driving out there though the sun comming up in the Appalachians was sweet this AM as well

 

yep. getting used to it. we goved. at 65. so you press the pedal when ongaurd beeps you signal. and move over. after looking first before setting it in motion.

pretty cool that ongaurd

 

well when my instructor set me up at the pilot for a 34 while he went home for some.family stuff he.said to pretend it was my truck just don't move it. so today when I had my shower and laundry I asked what I would.do if it was my truck. simple after.two dudes living in it for 12 days and running hard it needed.some cleaning. so I opened up all the windows to air it out and turned on the tunes. then started getting into it. got the cab really nice inside even made the beds. we had just vaccumed. the inside.at the streaming beacon a few days before bit the mats.were pretty bad again so I put them in the sun to air out and wisked out the cab and the matts. the I did the mirrors glass and chrome. dude it was like it was my first car. I realized that I had used almost a can of his high dollar glass cleaner but hey she looked good and I could replace it. then I did a FULL pretrip. when he got back he mentioned how good it looked I told home I'd replace the glass cleaner he said not to mention it as it was a cheap price for a clean truck. I gave him the report on the reefer temps and we were good to go.

not trying to boast. but. I've heard stories about what slobs some students can be.