Running with JCT, Part Deux

So, in your opinion, what trucks should you look out for when its time to pick, if there are nothing but used trucks there? I mean what truck or trucks would you stay away from if you're looking to at least make SOMETHING during the first 90 days and upgrade?

 

Look for a 2012 right now as they are replacing them now. If there is a truck available with les than 50000 miles, take a chance on that.

I'll be honest, it was hard for me to stay profitable my 1st 90 days.

 

I must have gotten lucky. I got a 2014 with 80k on it. I've been very profitable thanks to some people on here and a little common sense.

 

If you are in it for the long run...in my opinion...stay away from trucks with a high letter at the end of the number...

 

I dare anyone to tell Javada ANYTHING they will or won't do in a "demand" tone. She's got True Grit and the Right Stuff. She's one I'd come straight in with my Henry 44-70 to help out for SURE. Thing is, she wouldn't need it. I'd come in; ####ed, locked and ready to Rock!, and she'd already have the situation well under control. "Thanks Aminal. I really appreciate the back-up, but I got this."

You guys know she maintains a JCT "food bank"? You broke and hungry at the shop (I call Sapulpa Terminal "the shop")? Go see Javada. She keeps a whole bunch of microwavable stuff in the closet in her office. Free to hungry JCT drivers in a bind. We ain't Swift/Central, Werner or (thank you LORD) England. We have some similarities, and I emphasize similarities, to the others but we are NOT them.

JCT Cares. Not perfect by a LONG stretch, but people . . . REAL people that truly care . . . to the extent you can fill the bill . . . well, your fill will always be filled.


It's a bunch of OK "get the job done" folks. Keep that in mind.

 

Well, this sucks. I was suppose to come back on the road this morning. But, everyone (including me) in the house woke up sick this morning. Me and the wife have been taking turns in the restroom since 2am clearing out our stomachs and bowls.

 

Ouch. I hate that for y'all. I rarely get sick, but one of the worst I have ever been was food poisoning. Got ONE bad oyster in a bunch of shuck 'em and suck' em's at an Oyster Roast at a friend's one time. That rascal had me on my knees in the bathroom for three days, til my wife finally made me go to the Dr., who put me in the hospital on antibiotics for 2 more. VIOLENTLY coming out both ends. I feel for ya man. I'll give a mention to you and yours in my Pre-Trip "Pleases and Thank You's" to the man upstairs. All I can suggest is water, water and more WATER. I was told not to do the sports drinks for hydration for that because the sugars can feed whatever microorganism it was my body was trying to expel. I was told plain water, and that's what they had me on IV. Not saline or glucose, but plain sterile water. I sure hope you guys get well soon and if it doesn't ease up soon - don't mess around w/ it. Get to a Dr.

 

I hear ya. Called JCT this morning. They understood and took the pre plan off and reset my return for Tuesday afternoon. Time to get plenty of water and rest. My tablet makes it convenient to surf the web from bed.

 

nice that Javada keeps a food bank
but the fact that it could be needed would concern me

 

LOL. It did me too when I first got there. I was like: "Oh, $#!+. These guys THAT broke they have to keep a food bank? Maybe I made a bad choice here." But, as it turned out it wasn't that. It was more of a where they are (the shop is pretty much in the middle of nowhere as far as walking or short cab ride distance) and how long you may be down and some new guys getting started don't have the means or cash on them to call for delivery food when their truck is in the shop. No ATM, and the vending machines don't take plastic. Many, MANY of today's new drivers simply don't keep cash. I, myself, have swiped my plastic for an 89 cent bottle of water; and thought of George Orwell's book 1984 and shook my head. Personally, I keep a $100 bill and two rolls of quarters stashed away 'cause that's how I was taught to roll back in the day. The quarters were for pay phones and the $100 bill was for a bus ticket home from anywhere. Nowadays pay phones that still have a dial tone are rare and $100 probably wouldn't get me to the next town on the Grey Dog, but they are a touchstone to my early days so they still stay in my stash. The two others that I dearly hold on to for strictly personal reasons are silly; but I'll share. On my 18th birthday (I was home on leave right after boot camp - I joined the military at 17) my Mother gave me a quarter. It was a 1963 quarter. The year I was born. She said it had real silver in it (it does. It has silver tarnish on it and it "rings" heavy if you drop it) and as long as I had a quarter on me I could always call home. My paternal Grandfather gave me a halyard clip to keep my keys on. He was an Officer stationed on the USS Arizona when the attack on Pearl Harbor hit. He happened to be at the Dental clinic when it hit. He made it through. We all know the stories of what went down at Pearl on that day. But the clip was the one he had on him from the USS AZ and kept his duty keys on. He gave it to me to keep mine on.

To this day, through all the hell and 40 acres of mud I mostly made outta life (actually homeless and living in a camp I made by a river in FL for 6 months at one point when I first got out of the military); I have managed to hang on to that quarter and that halyard clip. Everything else in my life has come and gone and come and gone and now come again, but to this day I still have that quarter and clip. The quarter is in the watch pocket of my Levis and the clip with my keys is clipped to my right hip belt loop as I speak and have been for the last 34 years. Silly, but hey. I may look gruff but I'm actually just a silly, sentimental ole Aminal at heart.