EPES TRANSPORT-Greensboro, NC

Big thanks to you guys for not immediately jumping on me with "why would you give up a good paying job for this?" and "trucking ain't what you see in the movies"....blah...blah...blah...and all the other things I usually read when somebody with a different career mentions changing careers to join the trucking industry. Get so tired of reading those comments when people are just asking for advice.

I'm not stupid. I know how to do research before I make life changing decisions. So, thanks again!

 

lol been there done that and can sympathize.....and I had a 200 strong union workforce under me so it was bs time 10......won't even go into it but let's just say I like my office door now being one that the only ones I let in are the ones I choose to......a lot of the problem with those others you speak of is they're unhappy cause they made a bad choice....so they have nothing good to say. not ALL of us are starving and living on the edge and wishing we'd never done this. in effect WE are 'the other carrier' hehehehe and not like those others......sure, it isn't for everyone and neither is epes.....I know a few who hated it here and have gone on to other places they hate just as much and some who went other places that they like better....it all is in what suits you and your lifestyle and your family.......for most of us, it works here and most of us stay. we have quite a few who have been here 10 years + and that says a lot in this industry

 

Yikes, I don't have 200 people banging on my door, but i do have well over that many users/clients that I support. From what I've read here, EPES definitely seems like it would be the best fit for me.

 

what's the total run ya got anyhows? And I tell my DM to share......but they won't! Had to be a ######## this morning when I went in, to get bobtail pass to get my stuff and send wifey/son on their way....."Do you know what you're doing?", is what I was asked...my reply...."Uh, drive a truck/semi/18 wheeler for you?" lol oh the look on their face was PRICELESS! Of course, I got the, "########, get the hell outta here!" lol I just said, "Not without you, I'd be REALLY LOST!" lol can't tell you how many DM's were in tears laughing at our conversation! I think Keith gave her hell today about it! lol

 

well....they are great! 9 times outta 10 you get a truck with an aux outlet....I had a loaner that had an mp3(USB) outlet on it....for some reason, my ipod HATED that usb outlet, I liked it...oh well. But when I pull over, and you stand right in the middle of the cab, ESPECIALLY if you're jamming to a live(RUSH!!!!! or Zeppelin LIVE ALBUM! haha) it's kinda like you're there! All Qualcomm is are Winblows based...one time, I don't know how I did it, I got the command line to come up and was gonna start messing with it....but I LOVE my job and I'm SURE I'd get into trouble....so for ##### and giggles, I did the old DOS command for restart and low and behold...I restarted the whole system! For about an hour, I thought I was in trouble, because my hours were fully restarted, then it went back to what I REALLY had...boy was I sweating over that! lmao Don't think I wanna find that command line again...I'll probably lose my job from the company or DOT! lol

 

who said you were stupid?! Oh yeah, guess it was Bill Gates? lol And trucking is great...as long as you're not too attached to your teeth, hair, women(ESPECIALLY THOSE AWESOME LOT LIZARDS!) and wanna gain 9,000 lbs just to take about 5-6 hours to get into your truck! lol Of course, I'm joking....if you make the decision, and you can get on.....you'd LOVE IT! For once, I don't have a boss, besides myself!(And somedays, you wanna fire yourself! lol) Well, technically, I have my beautiful DM....but that's my "wife away from the wife!" lol But, can't think of any more freedom in a job, other than opening your own business, but then you still have other people to deal with, than trucking!
I never did mention this to you guys...funny story....the guy I had to swap loads with last week...his name was...NO ####! Bruce Willis! lol REALLY GREAT GUY! Had only been driving for 9 months, had to get home on Friday for a Dr. appointment....of course me, being an idiot kept saying...Truck Hard, Truck Harder, Truck Hard With A Vengence, MoonTrucking! lol he was in tears laughing. said EVERYBODY gives him #### about his name...I just said, at least you're NOT Chuck Norris...NOBODY would get any loads, you'd have them ALL delivered on time, at once! lmao

 

Tell me this, how in the hell does somebody who has lived in NC basically his entire life and hardly ever had to worry about driving in real snow and ice...learn to drive a big #### truck in such extreme conditions as the up north? That scares the #### outta me to be honest! Haha!

 

It's not all that bad...just 2 rules to driving in snow.....a) GO SLOW! and b) You hafta be 100 times more aware of the road, your trailer....I think driving in snow really beats me up. Whenever I pull over for break I'm EXHAUSTED!

 

not as much as you'd think. only 1010 from orangeburg to dallas......but at least I got the preplan today on the way out.....picking up 16 miles away another 935 going to lake park. light going out heavy heavy coming back

oh yeah you're going to love upstate new York in January....10"+ on the drop lot and trying to crank up the frozen landing gear or get the brakes to release on a trailer that's sat overnight in that nut numbing cold.....see if they tell you about those fun times in school lol or conneticut and mass and the 2 lane goat paths in Pa in February hehehe......Virginia can be just as bad. just slow down and take your time and don't let the supertruckers try to push you down the road. and don't stop on a hill if the road is covered if you can help it lol ended up in a 4 hr backup couple of months ago cause somebody stopped on the hill when it was really coming down coming into Roanoke on 81. he couldn't get started back just sat there spinning. had to wait for the salt trucks to first get to him, then get the hill salted so the rest of us could get up it......581/220 coming out of Roanoke towards Greensboro was just as bad another 4hrs to get that part done too but at least everyone kept moving even though we were in 1st or 2nd gear nobody stopped and we got it done' but it was bad and the going was slow. and don't be afraid to park it if it's beyond the truck's or your ability and wait it out. you may have an advantage there if you're waiting till the end of the year cause that'll put you out during the winter with your trainer. some of the rest of us had to figure it out as we went.

 

I was one of those guys...wanted SNOW soooooooo bad with my trainers at USA, I'd driven cars and pick ups in it...but NOT Semi's. NO SNOW through both trainers....then my very first run, EVER was from West Memphis, AR to Juliet(outside Chicago), IL. and it was a TOTAL blizzard going through St. Louis, MO! Had to go 5 mph....was literally snowblind...I'll never forget that. Then lost control of tractor AND trailer...had to pull over clear the wipers, they were frozen SOLID....when I started back down the road looked in the mirror and saw tail end of trailer coming towards the front! lol All i can remember was COUNTER STEERING! lol got it fixed....can't tell you, the next day, how many trucks jack knifed all along 80! lol