Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

I have slept there a few times my self. There is a couple truck stops in either direction from there. I usually get down and sleep at one of them on 127, but you got to watch rolling at night down there. Place is a fog bank on that river... Also they have vending machines inside. If you live loaded before you went across the street they are right there where you loaded or you can walk north of where you loaded about 200 yards and there is more. What I don't like about sleeping there is I have no cell or aircard signal there. At the 127 truckstops I do tho.

 

If you loaded across the street you probably talked with the cross eyed woman. She is sweet as can be, but I like to look at someones eyes when I talk to them. With her I get a headache.

 

It was a dead spot for me too...until I switched carriers (Verizon has EVDO RevA coverage there...full 5 bars)

Had a bit of trouble my first time in there (trashed trailer)...had to use the phone in the guard shack.

 

Yep...and I find that strange.

 

Home finally had and interesting day in Ghent.

 

No backing during the road test, however you will do some backing in the yard unless they aren't doing the abilities test anymore. They used to have you do a 45 degree back,a right hand corner, parallel park, and a drop and hook. You also will do a pretrip as part of your road test. Stay 10 MPH below the posted speed on get on and get off ramps.

 

Children are hilarious when it comes to trucks. My nephew saw an untarped load of slinkies i took to the house one time. He was 5 at the time and asked what they were. I told him they were slinkies and i was to deliver them to the factory where they shrink them down before they walk downstairs, alone or in pairs.

 

gotta drive it in manual. Its dummy proof and will just beep at you if you are trying to shift at too low RPMS. As far as having the student in the truck and getting good MPG, its a company truck, but my paycheck. As my student they will probably not drive other than backing, they'll do all of that with me spotting for them if necessary, for the first coupla days so they get used to hearing sounds of the truck as well as what the engine sounds like when its time to shift. When in automatic, it winds up to 1500 RPMS before it shifts up in the lower gears...$$$ going out the stack after each slow down or stop to get back up to cruising speed. Idle time plays a big part of good MPG as well. I dont idle. I'll even turn the truck off if i cant see the caboose on the train blocking the road. but not at stoplights like a buddy of mine has said lol.

Once semi proficient in manual shiftng, I'll have the student switch it over to manual and pay attention to how much higher the RPMS are when it shifts.

I have a blog on MPG in here. Keep an open mind to change, and check it out. & by the way, 7.3 is .5 over Mavericks current company goal so BRAVO SIR.......BRAVO.

i also tell the student, they might find they are more comfortable driving at a higher speed than i do once they get their own truck. Me? with all the proper followin distance talk with value driven driving, at 57 mph, things are usually passing you so theres not all the on the brake, then back on the pedal to get back up to 65+

I will aways try to teach anyone to be successful right out of the gate. Why waste the time and energy teaching someone to fail? I have helped people that are on probation at Maverick due to low MPG and as long as they are willing to change their driving habits and want to continue working for Maverick, it usually works.