Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Yep having another one of the Central....... I was supposed to go into Conley for a 34.

Gave me a load going to Garner, NC...

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Oh didn't I tell you Garner is 50 miles from my HOME...

What a PITA Central is.... The nerve of them to send me home for a 34... Really!!!! Think I will quit......

 

Ruger, it is what it is and what you make of it.. That is the easiest way to say it. While it really can be a PITA at times, most times it's not.

If you get a bad DM fire him or her and get a new one. If your runs are not what you expect, talk to your DM. Work with them and they'll work with you... Truck needs fixin' tell OTRM you want into a dealer or truckstop to get it fixed.

If you feel you are bei pressured into a lease, tell them to quit..

Just be polite and they really will bend over backwards to help...

Whatever you do don't take a whole lot of credence from the drivers lounge gossip. If you hear negative stuff find out the 'rest of the story'.

 

There is more to that story....... Tell the freaked out guy to take a deep breath... That double shifting sequence and timing takes a bit to get used to... Especially if you think about it to long...

 

Congrats Ruger! That's kind of funny about the gear grinder! I am sure everyone is freakin out now!

I agree with Celtic about the quality of your DM. There is a fine line though. Keep in mind you (any new driver, not Celtic) are a newbie and do not know more than your DM. So make sure to talk it over with them if you have a problem first. I would take this step three times. It also isn't going to happen over night so give it some time to see results. I would give it a good 6 months before you go making a move to fire your DM. You may not want to hear it but it is most likely something to do with what you are doing not your DM. There is a lot more to it then your DM just giving you a load to run. There is so much you can do to get more miles yourself so make sure you are executing all of them before calling out your DM. You don't get many "fire your DM" cards. So use them wisely.

Sometimes its tough and with all the other stress out there, plus being away from home, lack of exercise etc... some things tend to hit you harder and you will find yourself more apt to fly off the handle. I had the benefit of being with my wife out there and we would call each other out all the time for stressing or getting worked up about ridiculous stuff that at the time, to you, seems perfectly legit. Try to never ever relay bad feelings or ill will toward your DM. Put yourself in their shoes, they hear that constantly from drivers every single day and it gets old. The ones that don't complain are a DM's favorite and you are at the top of their list when it comes to handing out good loads.

Can't stress this enough guys/girls. Try to always be aware of what you are saying to your DM and how you act.

THIS IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR INCOME so don't F it up!

With that being said if you treat everyone at the terminals this way you will be surprised what gets done in your favor. Donuts for the shop guys, treats for the guard shack, always, always bring something for your DM! Ours made us a lot of money and we always did something for him weather it be a gift certificate to a nice restaurant or a cuban cigar or whatever. The equipment manager at the time was our best friend and do you think he ever blinked an eye if we needed something?!

Keep all your relations at those terminals on good terms and treat everyone extra special. Never show attitude or ill will. This also works very well for customers and shippers/receivers. Especially ones you go to repeatedly.

This is really a big key guys/girls and its not easy to keep a positive attitude out there!

 

i totally agree with that post. im not thinking of any of that stuff right now jsut trying to get through training and pass tests coming up. getting stressed a little

 

Just remember to breath... you'll do fine

 

i hope so im just nevous about the air brake test i geuss. really ready to actually put the truck in motion and drive

 

When did you go through training and where? I finished in Oct 09 in WVC

 

I went through Conley for my orientation. I have had my CDL since I was 21 drove prior to starting with Central. All I had to do was the trainer thing for a few weeks. This was in Jan of 2010. I drove as a Company driver for 4 months then did my lease. It has worked out really well for me. Like I said earlier I really can't complain. I had no idea that this Site existed, I'm glad to find it though. Would like to meet some of you guys sometime. I'm in Conley now, it has taken them all day to service my truck.

 

What you do is when you talk to other drivers, ask if they are or know about this site. To bad there isn't a hat or patch we could get the has TTR on it so we can recognise each other - LOL!