Hello to Everyone out there...

Yes, those spoons, all truckstops have them, I bought hundreds, not for me though.
Tell your son to get the tanker/hazmat endorsements, TWIC, and a passport & he will have many more opportunities. The best annual pay these days is tanker and flatbed. Born & raised in TN, but now a restless world traveller.

 

Welcome to the site.

Not sure who the Pros are, I've stayed at a holiday inn.

 

He needs a passport to enter Canada or pass through Canada to Alaska. If he has a police record, the won't need a passport, because he will not be allowed to enter Canada.

TWIC is needed to enter seaports, chemical plants and some military facilities.

Tanker/hazmat endorsements will open the possibilities of being employed with chemical tanker companies which means his income, after about 18 - 24 months of experience, will increase at least $15K - $20K per year over what he will probably make driving for a refrigerated or dry van company.

Google for TWIC information and where he can apply. There may be an office in Chattanooga, but not sure.

At the top of this page, click on CDL practice tests, and study tanker and hazmat portion along with the other 4 practice tests listed.

 

Welcome to the party!

 

Extra clothing, he will have to find out how long he is going to be on the road and how often he can get to a Laundromat and then figure on how much to bring, a pair of gloves, bedding, maybe a sleeping bag and a pillow will do for now, extra money for food and showers maybe for now $200.00 a week should do, that might be a little high but having extra money is better then coming up short, he needs to find out what and how much he is going to get paid and how often and then adjust the 200 a week for extra money, extra meds if needed, maybe a laptop computer with a wireless setup, if he wears glasses he will need a spare pair, for dirty cloths bring a bag to put them in. And now for the gruesome, tell your son to put I.C.E. next to your name on his cell phone, it stands for " In Case of Emergency " in case the worst happens. Working out of Colorado is he going with JBS?....

 

Steel toe boots to protect the feet and ankles. Walmart has good ones cheap.

An oversized extra large sleeping bag instead of linen. When he's driving , his bedding needs to be rolled up and out of the way so the other driver can use the same bed. Can't sleep on the top bunk when the truck is moving. All movements of the truck are magnified many times over to the top bunk; like trying to sleep on a roller coaster.