R and D's big adventure at Knight Transportation. Wait, really? Yes Knight!

Yeah, stay out of the L.A. area as the strike enters it's 2nd week and is 'crippling' trucking in that area.

Good luck with your plans. Best get your wife trained at this point and then make any future plans.

Btw, I assumed you were staying at one of the T/A's in Ontario..if so, and you're concerned about your weight, stay away from their 'all you can eat breakfast buffets!"
I once saw a 400 lb driver (in his 40's?) who made 3 trips with heaping plates to one T/A:

1st plate: a heaping pile of bacon & sausage
2nd plate: a heaping pile of biscuits & gravy
3rd plate: a heaping pile of scrambled eggs & home fries

..think I gained 5 lbs watching him! Pretty sure he wont make the 61 yo avg life expectancy of truckers that you quoted

 

Sounds like my avg day when running So Cal. You're lucky that you are most likely driving the newer 387/579/587 Pete (?)....I drove the 'long nose' 379 Ultracab that Knight originally bought, and almost every dock was a challenge at the older co.s in L.A. that were always crowded & designed for cab-overs with 48' trailers...

Excel Log used to be a 'roomy' place if it is the one I frequented in Rialto (?)

 

Never got a chance to drive a T2000 as an Express driver as they were just coming on when I left and given to 'special' drivers.

Despite the 379 Pete being a great 'machine' (more steel and less plastic, plus great gauges), I still would take a Volvo over any day---more room, Petes were too dark inside, drove more like a car than a truck, and tight turning. I once was at a customer in Albuq that was an old brick bldg & had 2 docks---one for sleeper trucks to unload (which was backed up with several trucks waiting to use) and the other door for daycabs, being across from some old RR tracks next to a fence. In order not to have to wait in the sleeper line, I asked if I could unload at the open 'daycab' door---took me several short pull ups but got it in with my front wheels on the tracks & front bumper about 5' from the fence. The Volvo made docking at most places much, much easier....

 

That would be the VNL 630..my 1st solo truck (1997 Detroit w/o engine brake muffler) which was assigned to me when I had 1st planned on taking my wife along...ergo, didnt happen!

 

I must be getting old..had to look up 'FTS'....

Well, the ports of Long Beach & L.A. strike is over, so freight backed up will now be going out..stat said 44% of all incoming freight comes thru those 2 ports, and they were losing $1 BILLION/day during the strike, as well as JIT freight caused MT shelves in many stores (also heard some spoiled produce).

And, of course, S. CA has been Knight's bread & butter since day 1....

BTW, altho living next door in AZ, the 10 yrs I spent driving CA has ruined me from ever wanting to go back there just for a vacation! Beautiful natural scenery but ruined by too many 'progressive' ppl whose ideology has ruined it over the past couple of decades...in fact, many CA-ites are escaping & moving to AZ and trying to ruin it here as well....'when will they ever learn?"...ala Peter, Paul & Mary lyrics

 

The Internationals turn sharp, has loads of space, rides vary smooth, and weigh more than 1000 pounds less then the rest of the trucks on the fleet. I have had 6 months expireance driving with an international 3 reffer and 3 dry and I have only been over weight 1 time and i was at 80,200 most of my loads put me around 75,000 to 79,000 pounds with full tanks. I have never had a problem getting in or out of any location as well.