Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

The very fact he's survived doing it for 10 years proves my point...it is a viable career. I don't appreciate your assumption that I have rose colored glasses concerning trucking. If you still think it provide a single post that bears out your assertion. I'm aware that there are negatives to trucking, but I also don't buy into the ultra negative view either. The truth is in between and the actual reality can only be weighed on a case by case basis.

 

Ok. Wake up this morning run 180 miles. Stop for two hours and knock out some laundry. Get unloaded, and start on my preset. I run my trailer back 130 miles to drop in a rail yard. My availability was set for in th morning but when 360 mile deadhead to repower another load comes across I think it sounds great. This is a full day and by the end of it I'm running to race against my 14. I purposely run where I maintain hours at all times so glancing at the 900 mile repower that's 360 miles from my location, I think I can run it no problem. I didn't realize the railyard was going to take as long as it did with my trailer drop, so I used up more of my clock than I meant to. When I did stop on the way to double check very thing on my 3rd load of the day, I realize that maintenance day I had was last Monday. Which means in two days I only pick up 22 minutes. So, I have 21 hours to run 1200 miles. I called dispatch to explain it (nights on the weekend) and they're immediately asking me why I didn't do this or I didn't do that! Two whole days before this is due and I feel like they're going to blame me not being able to run 600 miles a day, with scale, hook, and pre/post-trips. It's Friday night. I have 1900 miles for this week already, and I'm suppose to feel bad about how I work?! What's worse is he tried explaining recap to me and why I should be able to do this with 21 hours. Never mind I took this load instead of going home because someone had to go to the hospital. Situations like this are what make grown folks run from this job... Alright I feel better. Good Friday all!

 

Hi gang, it's been a while since I've posted but I have some datapoints to report. Started driving school just after Memorial Day 2012, went solo in August and just about went broke by September. Those $200-300-400 checks just didn't hack it. Then there was the equipment. Including my trainer's truck, I had 5 Prostars die on me. All over 450,000, granted, but 2 overheated 1 lost a turbo, and the others had terminal DPF problems. The trainer's truck was a trip. Before he started driving, he was an International mechanic so he loved the brand. His truck overheated and stalled on a grade out of Albuquerque. He limped to a truck stop, shut down for the night, and limped to Roberts International the next morning. That was July 7, 2012, a Saturday. They looked at it on Monday and discovered a bad fan clutch hub. They didn't have one in stock so we had one shipped express from our shop in Salt Lake. The following Thursday they installed it, took it for a test ride, and it still overheated. Back to the drawing board, this time looking for EGR leaks, head gasket, etc. 11 days later they were still working on it. Here's the deal - every time one of their local customers brought in a truck, ours got shuffled lower on the list. One night 3 school buses, 2 ambulances and 1 Forest Service rig came in, and we were 6 slots lower in line. ####! We rode the big gray dog to SLC and got a loaner truck to finish out my training, and on Sept. 4 those doofuses finally were done with it. I'm one with Roberts and International both. My third company truck was crossing from Ohio to West Virginia on I-70 on the bridge over the Ohio River when the engine derated and coasted to a stop. That bridge is about 500' above the river and it was a construction zone, funneled down to one lane. DPF problem, and the manual regen would not kick in no matter how long I leaned on the switch. I decided then and there that if Central would not give me a newer, reliable truck I would have to lease one. The truck eventually started, but stalled again 7 times between there and my home terminal - once in downtown Kansas City, again in Denver. When I asked for a new truck they said "Sure, after you have been here for a year." With 11 months to go before a year was up, I headed upstairs and leased a brand new Pete 587 and a whole new adventure began. My first driver manager gave me bad loads and I had 8 service failures in 11 days so I fired her. The next guy was better, but my checks were about the same as they had been as a company driver. Then the week of Christmas my check was $-1285. Yup, negative settlement, they took out the lease payment, miscellaneous charges and fuel but I had no deliveries that week so the settlement was negative. The following week was not much better, and only the third week did it go positive, a whopping $400. So I fired that DM too, and seriously considered parking the truck and throwing the keys in a river. But I hung in there, got yet another DM who knows what he is doing, and all is right with the world. The truck runs like a Swiss watch, and my last 4 checks have been $1730, $1699, $1888 and $1993 as a solo. Who knew! I run hard, never go home, and always run up against my 70. Haven't taken a 34 reset since New Year's. But I figured out how to make it pay, and I'm happy to do it. My wife and 2 kids can all stay in college. One last comment about Central - they have never lied to me. I didn't always like what they said, but they never lied. And they are truly committed to safety. They do not expect and will not tolerate unsafe practices or HOS violations. There are those who call them thieves, but from where I sit it's a win-win situation. If we can both make money, that's just fine. It means they will be around to cash my checks for a long time to come. Adios from CRSWVC.

 

I've been reading all the posts regarding central refrigerated. I'm headed to their training school next month in fontana, ca. I just want to wrk, on the road and not in a cubicle, without coworkers and bosses I don't like. But out of all the posts I have read, the first year as an OTR driver is the hardest. I hear u don't get miles in your first year, and I also hear that a lease is suicide. I never new u could fire your DM if your not gettin miles. Realistically, I figure if I can get my CDL and make a year, that I'd at least have some experience do I can get more cents per mile elsewhere like at schneider or somewhere else. Does anyone no how many years it takes before a driver is no longer considered a rookie, but an experienced driver? I figure maybe 4 or 5 and u can b called a pro. Right or wrong?

 

After a year, you are definitely a professional driver. But yes 4 or 5 years probably to be a great professional driver. Central does not lie. I just get annoyed that it's constantly, could you do this or do that please? And then when something happens to you, It's, "dumb driver you should have known better!" you have to run and run hard to make it out here so occasionally you'll make a mistake. Law of averages is against you and no one is perfect. I'm about to run from SC to IL and just pray I can keep the accelerator tithe floor, lol. Plus I have a mini vacation in Rochelle before I go home! Fun times. Be safe all.

 

Thanks 4 theknow ledge; I used 2 drive trucks in the army. Haven't touched a rig 4 10 years. But I remember driving trucks in the army and never going solo. I always had to drive teams. If u bak up into a dock the extra guy guides u in, plus there is safety in numbers. I would love to drive teams; I hear they get the most miles, though u split them, and u get priority on loads. Trouble is finding a partner u can trust and doesnt snore or rip silent but deadly farts in the sleeper. Man I swear I've been reading the CDL book and reading up on companies and HOS changes. Lotta work. Good luck to u guys out on the road hope 2 run into u guys out there sooner or later. B safe.

 

Well 615 miles into this 1222 mile route, I'm feeling a little better. Still have to get across Chicago tomorrow but I bought myself seven miles and managed to throw the extra hour I wanted to fill my clock tomorrow. Lol. Anybody wanna run some beer out to Rochelle for me while I'm camping?!

 

HAPPY EASTER!!

So we did the Egg Hunt with the Grand before we left the house... This loop no problems with an overweight trailer... That was a cluster last week!! But we made it from Rocklin, CA to Atlanta, GA in 49 hours!! So that's an average of 51 mph... What with traffic, grades, fuel and rest stops; I say. We did pretty good!!

 

Qapla Klingons, Qapla!!!

 

Hey everyone. Hope to start contributing to this thread now that my training is moving along at a brisk pace. Absolutely loving it out here on the road, even with the struggles of learning new things daily.

Currently with my trainer here at a walmart DC in Florida doing a delivery. Been here since seven am and it doesnt appear to be moving as fast as we'd like.

Already met psumoose while I was in the "jail house" at west valley for cdl school and I hope to meet many more of you out on the road.

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