Another Newbie's Story at CRS

This is how serious they are about safety :

http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/Data/carrier.aspx?enc=ci9R55J2MxrNAPXlHEe/HQ==

Now about that integrity thing,

is that a 2 way street ???

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/integrity

Good Luck, be careful !!

 

Actually that is going down..

 

#### happens.. sometimes I nail other times I can't get setup right if my life depended on it. Luckily te latter is happening less and less

 

Look at what the violations are under that basic that they are getting the tickets for.

Most are speeding. Trucks are all governed at 65 or under. So the Drivers are going out of their way to speed. This would be on rural highways, streets, and construction zones.
I am sure the company is all over this.
That is 369 violations.
The 106 seatbelt violations are nuts also. Though I am sure some of those were speeding as well and the driver was given a "break". Not really the break it use to be.

 

We are constantly getting messages about speeding..

If I am late for a receiver or shipper I am late. Speeding isn't going to get me there on-time. Furthermore there is a greater chance I will end up later..

However, i'd love to see how many of those speeding/seat belt tickets were issued on a week-end.

 

I posted this once before. I hope it is helpful when you are out on your own: "There is no big mystery to backing. For years I'd look back there and say out loud to myself, 'ok my trailer needs to go left so I'll pull up right.' Also, I don't know what it's like out there now but I didn't get much practice time in school or with a trainer, so whenever I had to sit somewhere waiting to get loaded I'd ask a guard or yard dog for permission to practice my backing on their lot out of the way of everyone else. Two places I got to practice a lot at were a shoe factory in PA and a auto parts plant in NJ. Those were better places to get out and look as many times as needed and learn than trying to get out of everyones way at the truck stop or busy dock."

Look around the areas you deliver to. Unfortunately, in this economy there are more and more empty offices with empty parking lots and docks no one is using.

 

I see a few big backing mistakes done by new guys allot.
The first is that they do not totally understand the swing area in the back of the trailer. This can be a pain backing in or pulling out of a slot. Most of the hoods and bumpers you see taken off are actually from pulling out of spots and not from being backed into. They don't bother to GOAL on the pull out.
Or when backing into the hole they go to shallow, and have more swing than they should.

Another major one is to try over and over to get into the hole, even after they realize they set up wrong. This is not worth it. Just pull up and reset. It will take less time and will minimize backing accidents. Plus it will help you to learn your setup faster.

Many/ most trainers will have you inflate the number of backs that you do when filling out your upgrade paperwork. You will probably not back up even half of the times that you are supposed to while with a trainer. This is a pretty common issue with all training company's.