My advice to rookies

Thanks for your detailed info. Sounds like your off to a good start. All I will add is when you are working the truck (loading/hooking/pretrip, ect.) Have a system. How many times have a driver lost his gloves? After awhile you get tired pf buying new ones. So you make mental note as where you keep them. Ssme goes for a bud bar if your a float driver. Everything has a place on your truck.

 

Thanks for the advice. Going OTR for the first time, after being local straight truck for 18 years.
So I'm looking for stories on what to expect. Thanks for sharing.

 

For all the bad you read about Werner, it is nice to see them stick with a rookie driver through their stupid mistakes period.

 

Great write up, and it sure looks like you are settling into the driver thing. You are going to do well - congrats!

Just one question - why go off duty before your post-trip? You really need to have that on your logs (showing a post trip inspection). If you are off duty, it doesn't show up. Just curious.

 

I haven't logged an on duty post trip in 8 years. Had many inspections, never had a problem with it. I just either hit off duty and spell post trip or dvir.

 

Learn from your mistakes, take responsibility for your mistakes, don't panic and turn small mistakes into big ones and follow a routine. Sounds like a recipe for success.

 

That is the way I was taught also, my trainer also told me that when you go off-duty and send your Macro-46 at the end of your day, make sure you have at least "15 min" on you 14 hr clock because that is what is deducted from your time by the computer to cover that Macro ! It happened to me once i only had about 8 min. on my 14 and sent a macro -46 and got a LOG-VIOLATION on my qualcom for violating my 14 hour ck.

 

Why does nobody ever explain the 14 hour rules the right way? The software says it's a violation, but the DOT won't bother you for your post trip running you into the 14 hours. You just can't drive until that 10 hours off. Check with your company though, some of them don't want you going over that 14 PERIOD.