Leaving for Orientation 10-13-12 in Tulsa,Ok

I just want to add , I am a driver and not human resources or recruiting , noggin is a recruiter a we have more in tulsa and they are the best people to answer your questions about critical information for you to base decisions on please take my words as " out of a drivers mouth and he may be an idiot " type information. I will tell you what I know or think and I don't mind answering your questions, as a matter of fact I am glad to but I am not an authority on this stuff , just a driver whose happy to help.

 

They teach people how to drive and flatbed now , I met a new trainees with his trainer and he just got his cdl and had never driven a truck before starting here. Its not the Melton from years ago but things change and it is what it is. Flatbed has changed from what people tell me I am relatively new to it but if you got a head on your shoulders its pretty easy and kinda fun. I am snowed in right now in the blizzard in Denver ( I-70), I made it to Limon and parked minutes before trucks spun out on both exit ramps east and west jacknifing all over the place , what a hoot. The C.B is blowing up with accidents and jacknifes/spun out trucks.

 

Well I left Salinas Kansas Saturday morning hoping to go 440ish miles into denver for my drop and maybe get a reset but no go. I made it 380ish and pulled into Limon on the 70 because trucks were just wiping out/spinning out all over the interstate , visibility was low and I knew they were shutting down the 70 soon so I wanted to get a good spot and hopefully not get tied up into any accident delays. I was listening to the cb watching the trucks cruise into the parking lot and it was kinda chaotic , trucks spun out on both exit ramps and reports of jacknifes blocking the lanes. Within the hour they shut down the 70 west and not too long later they shut it down east , I guess some guy spilled a ton of freight on the road and there was a lot of wind still - snow not falling but blowing sideways. They opened up the next morning and I went on into denver , eastbound was backed up because of a few good jacknifes but it was cool to see. I have to say that ALL the accidents I saw were totally unnessesary . I know I run a risk here of sounding like a know it all but there werent any good hills, the sun was up , no fog, no crazy turns and absolutely no trees , yet people kept going faster than they could control their vehicles and hitting other folks and going off the highway. I went between 25-45 most of the way and hit 65 about 20 miles out of denver when I found dry roads. I spun once or twice when I wasn't careful with the throttle but its an easy fix to just let off. as far as bumping people , I backed off when I saw a car slowing in front of me and just relaxed and did a mile at a time it was pretty simple. I have been in bad weather before but this was a goofy windy storm. not really that cold, it was slick but not like sun baked ice slick.Snow wasn't deep like 2-6 inches cause the wind moved it constantly . What a rediculous weekend , I am just glad nobody plowed into me. I assure you it wasnt skill I used to drive in the snow , its was just not making a big deal out of it and cruising on in to town. oh yeah , dropped on time and picked up some slinky's . 2100 mile week ,2 tarp loads 1 non tarp hazmat.