Millis OTR journal

I agree with you about the appeal of the solitude and independence of this job JQP, that's the main appeal to me too. And even though I spend way more time looking for the right people to talk with at customers (if they even exist) I have this feeling that it's only going to take one bad experience with the types of people you used to deal with for work to make me decide I'm done with this job. Who knows when the next shooter will appear, watching the news about the shooting at Millertown was bad enough as I recognized some of the places I'd been too, I don't want to be on the news as a witness or victim.

 

Gee whiz that's the kind of first day excitement nobody wants.

 

Well the time has finally come when the changes-we-were-told-wouldn't-happen have become enough to make me start looking elsewhere. Specifically the new trucks are absolute garbage. They haven't put me in one yet but I know it's coming. Hopefully I can hold onto this one until I can find something else that I want. Applied for a job I've been wanting for forever and they really want to hire me but they have all 13 and 18 speeds and they want me to get a job somewhere where I can refresh my stick skills for about 6 months before they put me in one of their pretty 389s pulling end dumps. Not really sure where I wanna go in order to do that. Heartland still has some standards but I was told they wouldn't hire Millis drivers. I guess I'm gonna start being one of those nosey drivers that looks over at every truck that passes me to see if they have a gearshift or not.

Oh and Dave M., since I know you read these posts: Your new trucks are garbage.

 

I was always frustrated when I had to waste so much time trying to find someone to talk to at some of these places. My favorite was when people clearly saw me but pretended they didn't and ignored me for 20 minutes. Trying to find out the correct check in spot etc... because there were almost never any signs or they were small and unreadable from anywhere other than standing right in front of them.

Lots of people behaving badly now days from many different directions. There always has been but it just seems worse now. So many people have no boundaries, too many excuses for bad behavior and not enough consequences.

 

What's up with the new trucks?

Manuals are quickly fading from a lot of places. The place I drive for has manuals and my truck is one of them. 10 speed. I was/am rusty. Actually watched some YouTube videos put out by some CDL schools to refresh my memory before I had to take the road test. I think Heartland is mostly manuals but you already answered that question.

I miss the automatic a lot. Constantly shifting all day long thru city streets is a real pain. Clutch seems out of adjustment too. Thankfully it is only part time.

 

Let's see if I can remember everything:

No more automatic greasing system. No more disc brakes on steer axle. No more air ride passenger seat. No more top bunk. No more swing out table. No more drawers under TV. No more cat walk. Cheap, brittle air lines in pigtail. No more subwoofer Piece of #### Paccar engine instead of Cummins X15.

Plus the changes that Kenworth has made to the T680s that's beyond anybkdy's control:. All digital gauges. The shorter hood. Mudflaps behind steers.

But hey we still have DirecTV and XM. Two things that I literally never use.

 

No disc brakes up front? I didn't even think that was possible these days. I always thought it was bad enough to have drums in the back but the front too. That is just dumb.

Those trucks have definitely been put through the Heartland treatment. I'm surprised they haven't done away with the radio and TV. I always used both, especially the satellite radio all day as I drove.

 

My blood boils when I Stand at a window staring at the person who is supposed to assign me a door, while they shuffle paper, eat a danish, drink a coffee, play on the computer, spin their chair around and face the other way. Just a common courtesy “just a sec” would probably hold me there for 20 minutes without me getting frustrated.

 

Key phrase "common courtesy"

 

You must have got one with a usable cruise control and a working fifth wheel release.
Personally I like the Paccar engine. It's a lot quieter and less underpowered than the Cummins.