TIPS FOR NEW DRIVERS

Hi Nicole, and welcome!

I made 2 big mistakes early on. First, I drove while I was still upset from a, um, debate, with dispatch. (This led to a preventable [minor non DOT] collision.)

Well, the lesson I learned was... if you're upset or agitated, take 5 or 10 minutes to get calm.

Second, I used to, after sliding trailer tandems to balance load weights, i'd just rock the rig forward and back and feel the lock pins engage. (This led to a non-cited Violation.)

Don't trust that. ALWAYS visually inspect those pins to verify that all the lock pins are fully engaged.

 

Pay attention and keep your attitude in check

 

When backing up to a trailer to hook up, always get out and look before completing hook. Get close and stop. Some people think it’s funny to jack the trailer well above the 5th wheel, resulting in trailer hitting back of tractor. Sometimes pinning kingpin behind 5th wheel making a tough spot.

 

Picked up a empty trailer once. Didn’t get out and look. Somebody not only raised it all the way, they put 2 2x4`s under the landing gear. Made no sense. Lesson learned

 

Don't get distracted or allow yourself to become distracted while ...

• Fueling
• Completing pre/post trip inspections
• Hooking up
• Dropping
• Securing freight
• Putting on tire chains.

Also. Double and triple check trailer number when getting a loaded trailer off a yard or at shipper. Use seal number from bills as a cross-check verification if applicable.

 

Stay away from the meatloaf at iron skillet!

 

And here's another mistake I made repeatedly in my first few months.

I kept getting trailer ABS fault dash indicator. I'd unplug the pigtail, plug it back in, get a new pigtail, I had 3 new pigtails in my first 4 months.

So my solution, ok, it's a bandaid, but it helps. What was causing the faults was corrosion in the connectors.

Two things you can do that will *help* (not really solve) the problem: use pigtail shims and conductive grease on both ends of the pigtail. The Shims are available at most truckstops and not inexpensive.

More important than shims though, and far more cost effective, is dielectric, or conductive, grease.

Available at most auto parts stores for about $5, it's to be applied to the pins or sockets on the electrical pigtail.

It's a lot easier to just squirt some into the plug sockets.

It reduces corrosion on the connections. Also, be sure to unplug the pigtail from the tractor once in a while and grease it up with conductive grease.

 

Welcome.

I pulled into Charleston WVa Scales for a DOT inspection. My logs in those days were still filled with errors because it was not that long ago after I graduated school. Keep in mind this was back in the 80's so it's all paper.

I presented my logs to the DOT man all happy because it's my very first official inspection.

He glanced at the chicken scratch on that log, flipped a couple pages back easily identifying more problems at a glance. The whole thing was a error.

His face turned stormy. My trainer paled. And actually became like a child groveling mom for a dime to buy candy or something in his body language. Im standing there going uh oh now what?

DOT Man says Ima take this smoking *Lights up a smoke... and when I am finished we will get back to writing tickets on this filthy logbook.

We did not get a chance to visit anymore because my trainer grabbed me tossed into the truck and we were doing 80 coming out of the ramp. (In those days no limits on speeds etc)

What happened after was interesting. Every moment I sat in that passenger seat Im filling out a pile of .65 cent Keller Log books purchased at the truckstop. Literally logbook school on the road from my angry trainer.

That lasted a few weeks, day and night he hands me a log and says fix this. When I got good enough I started fixing them right. In those days no internet, no cell phones no nothing except atlas with distances between towns. And a calculator for speed averaging so you don't get a ticket for averaging more than the local speed limit.

I was absolutely sick of Keller logs by the end of that period of time. But I was taught them properly.

The last three days he gave me a gift. Handed me two logbooks. One empty the other filled with a imaginary trip and he said, make that one delivery in tursday go away. Fill the new empty logs back 8 days without this particular trip.

Then three logs. It was not long before I learned how to be legal and learned how to work around the whole thing when it's necessary to.

I don't want to bore you with log talk.

I leave you with a lighter error which may or may not cause you to smile.

I was told to get into a drop lot and get trailer 4141 right away, it's a super hot load. Going to finally of all places Chicago. WHOA going to Chicago! KEWL my first time etc. So I got all excited. (Ugh...)

I raced into that lot, grabbed 1414 and took off. Happy Im going to Chicago. Whoo hoo.

While on the toll road my satellite beeped. What is your trailer number? 1414 why?

There was a period of silence that caused me to think the satellite isnt working. So I pulled into the rest area and called dispatch.

There was a great deal of yelling going on when I made that call. Im sorry I did that. Because that 1414 was going to the west coast, not Chicago I was supposed to get 4141 which is by now about oh... 350 miles behind me to the drop lot or worse on another driver who is by now about 600 miles from me.

Embarrassing.

That company does not exist anymore. So I don't have to explain to any employer anymore that awful story.

Here is the kicker.

1414 was hazmat. That driver was supposed to put on the diamonds given to him along with the load packet.

If you know anything about hazmat today you can only imagine the horrors that await everyone involved in running a non placarded hazmat trailer and truck. Like I say that company does not exist anymore and there is literally nothing to prove or disprove it actually happened. It makes for a good story with a lesson or two in it.

 

You never know what's around the next corner.....should of, could of deal.

Everytime you walk away from your rig, when you return act like it's the first time. Check your truck. VI will save you grief and future disappointment.

Never ever get in a hurry. Only bad things will come from it.

Follow the rules. If it goes South on you. See #1.

What happens on the road stays on the road. If no one saw it....it never happened. Lol

Good luck and watch your back.