New and New

New here and new to OTR. It's ok so far. I was a heavy equipment operator in the military for 6 years and they still had me go out for my 240 upon hire. Oh well. It's over now and I've been out for a couple days. Delivered a couple 42k loads of beer to Nogalas AZ and Vegas for home time.

Got a call from my DM today and she said I have log violations already.. ???? That was from when I was still in training......... Oooooh kay.. My mentor had a thing for "shaving" his times and logs... If they're giving ME log violations, they should really check his against the truck data. But anyway. I just scanned my trips today and got the call before that, so it's not from the past three days. I told him I'm a stickler for regulations; if they tell me to do it this way, I will do it that way. I don't think he quite understands the discipline that is drilled into MIL members, and I still pride myself on that. If you tell me to run, I will run.. No questions asked.

Anyway.. no idea WTH is going on there.. I tried calling my DM back 4 times today and couldn't get ahold of her.

I got a Colman chiller cooler and a couple other things for life on the road. Picked up a PC miler GPS and XM radio. The GPS is the 7" screen, 740 unit I got in SParks NV at a Petro for $350, marked down from $500. 0_o odd to find a deal like that at a truck stop... The PC miler is slow, but it's ok. I got my mentor into the GPS thing and he bought a Garmin based on the reviews I read from here and it seems a LOT better than the PC miler. I have "truck stops Pro" app for my iPhone and that is VERY handy!!! We used that a LOT! I proved it's value time and time again with my mentor. He'd break out the truck stop book and it would take me all of two seconds to find something when he was still thumbing through the pages.


Oh yeah... I drive for Swift.. I try not to tell people who I work with because of their track record with new guys. but hey, it's a start. I'm 29 and pretty confident in my abilities, but not OVER confident. My mentor was wondering what I was doing out for the full 240. He said I actually drive better than he does in that I am more careful than he is and that he has become complacent over the past 23 years.

I just needed to get my CDL and to get back to work. I've been unemployed since OCT 2008 when I got out of the military. I pretty much lost everything so I am rebuilding to try to get my life back.

 

^ I've entertained the O/O idea, but I don't think it would be a good idea at my level right now.. But these swift trucks can get on your nerves. Sometimes I just wish the thing would at LEAST do the speed limit.. :-\ 62 through Nebraska is BRUTAL!

Was issued a 2007 Volvo (T660?) with 345k on it. It's ok, but I just noticed I've got a good air leak that will drain the tanks over night and it's missing the Easy pass for the tolls. I just noticed this stuff. I think the air leak is coming from the right rear air bag. I know they drain and fill whenever they need to, but there is a good amount of oil around the bottom front of the bag and it sounds like it's leaking from the bottom front where the oil is. I think I MAY have to have it looked at. I did a brake application air bleed down test when I got the truck and that was fine. It's just got a slow leak, which may explain why I don't hear the 125psi purge very often.

 

^ Ahh.. Yeah, I'm not even sure what model it is.

it IS nice to have my own space.. The 240 with the trainer was brutal. I just wanted my space and to be on my schedule and not have someone grumbling when I slowed down, stopped or hit a rough patch of road.

It's good that people are open here... Don't try asking anyone at a truck stop or on the road. I haven't but most people just seem to be a-Holes and just want to rip you down. I ddon't do the CB thing because I think that will sour my view of this industry. I call it the "Jerry Springer network" or the "Truckers harrasment network" I tune in occasionally, but as soon as someone jumps me I just turn it off and figure, "ok..... that's enough of that" ... Got caught in a HUGE back up/parking lot on 65 south through TN/KY and someone asked if there was any reprieve to this endless parking lot.. So I chimed in and some one gave me the "shut-up, d-head"..... *click* ok... that's enough of that..