Random questions about trucking.

1 depends on the company 65 is a common speed. Some are faster some are slower. Prime governs around 58-60.

Upshifts- push clutch shift to neutral release clutch hit accelerator to increase rpms clutch shift into gear relese clutch.

Not sure about trainers but id assume it depends on the company. My trainer got top hourly pay plus $1. I got training pay around $20.

Depends on what customer wants. Some may just want you to back in and set brakes. Some will want truck disconnected from trailer.

No alcohol in truck. Period.

 

Many of that is accurate. A beer in the truck while on line 2 is only illegal if you get caught. Seriously though, .any trucks are clutchless autos so you just turn the key like a 4 wheeler. There are still some trucks in which you have to press the clutch to crank it. Many shippers and receivers require you to slide tandems to the rear, makes for a smoother unload with certain commodities.

 

Most companies don't want driver to drink anytime while on the truck. They will say driver needs to available for dispatch anytime. I think it's DOT rule you can't have any alcohol in cab of a truck. It's not a private vehicle like a car. It's commercial vehicle and they can stop and inspect your truck for any reason.

Lots of trainers get paid for all the miles the truck runs. So they are making money when student it driving.

You basically start truck and drive. It good to idle engine 3-4 minutes for oil to get to everything and 3-4 to cool down to let turbo slow down before shutting engine off. You don't want to go from cold engine to pulling a big hill a heat engine up to maximum temperature.

Most companies limit their trucks to 65mph. Mine let us to 65 on pedal, if you use cruise control we can do 70mph

 

FMCSA Rule 392.5 Alcohol Prohibition

 

But they missed the most important question.

Is it true all truck drivers are millionaires?

 

I don’t know about millionaires. What I can say is $50k/yr was a lot more money in 1980 than it is now. If driver wages had gone up with everyone else’s we’d all be making $250k/yr. I started at .24cpm in 1978 and made more money than I knew what to do with. Foolishly I started buying trucks with it. Back then a couple years in a truck could put you in good stead to go do whatever you wanted to. Now you get in a truck and spend your time deciding between road expenses or mortgage.

 

Clutch isn't needed when shifting. Only need when stopped.

 

1) Most company trucks governed at 65 some faster. No law that I know of yet that forces OOs to govern their trucks.

2) If it has a clutch it’ll probably have to be pressed to start, if it’s an automatic probably gotta press the brake.

3) Learn to float them. Find a YouTube Video. The way they teach you in trucking school and they way you’ll eventually do
It are different.

4) I was a trainee for a while as a local city driver. I got a whopping extra 3 bucks an hour for it. OTR trainers can do well, but they can have it. I stopped training because everyone thinks they know everything already, and I didn’t want to be responsible when some of them F’d up.

5) Depends on where you are and who may be watching. Definitely I recommend chocks for the wheels.

6) Probably so yes. But a cops not gonna be in the sleeper with you. So just be discreet and responsible and enjoy a beer or 2.

 

What's a clutch? Is that like a purse?