Hauling doubles

you too huh!?!? I had a phone interview today with a FedEx contractor in Denver. I moved 900 miles for a job with Knight and quit my old job, only to get screwed out of the job on the 2nd day of orientation because the recruiter didnt run my DAC report before I left my old job. Luckily, I found an apt to sub-lease for dirt cheap so I stuck around to see what else I could find. lived in the midwest all my life and was looking forward to seeing Colorado and getting a new start, wasn't about to turn around and go home.

I got a call today in response to a resume I sent in. Going to take my drug test in the morning, already sent over my paperwork via email with CDL and DOT Card. when drug test results and bg/mvr check come back, Ill be taking a road test as soon as I get a double endorsement on my license. I told 'em about the 3 preventables (1 of which never even happened!) on my DAC, and he said we dont care about your DAC. If it's not on your MVR, you're good to go. whoa...first I've heard of that? But we'll see I suppose, I'm suspicious, but I'll play along for now. Contracting company is offering my .50 cpm based on my 13 months of experience. 5000 miles a week as a team. 2500 miles * .50 = $1250 a week. sure beats that $900 a week I was making at Weiner running Budweiser. Out 5 1/2 days, home 1 1/2 for 34 hour restart every week. health after 60 days. 401K after 90. 5 days paid vacation off after a year of service.

good luck to you, I don't know if I'll get this or not, or if I'll take it, as I am still pursuing other options. This is a good thread, and I'm definitely wondering the same thing,

 

I will add that even with a pintle hook on your tractor, sometimes hooking the dolly to your lead can be a real pain in the arse when building a set, if the yard has a slope, snow or ice, etc. Where most of our loaded trailers are parked is on an upslope, which means you have to drag the dolly up hill to connect it to your lead. Sometimes it's not that bad, sometimes it absolutely sucks. When it seems real tough to pull up the hill, a trick I've learned is to get the dolly against the rear trailer, pick up the tongue high enough to go just over the hook on the lead, set the brakes on the dolly, the tongue should stay up there and back into it. Release the brakes on the dolly and let it fall onto the hook. It beats the heck out of trying to pull the dolly up a hill to your lead It does take some practice to learn how high you need it and to get lined up enough for it to fall right on. If your dolly is on a down slope it's a piece of cake because the dolly will roll into your lead, just remember to keep your hands and other body parts out of the way Also don't waste a whole bunch of time making sure your tractor and lead is perfectly straight while lining up. You'll be surprised how off straight you can be and still get the dolly to get under the tail trailer and still hook properly. Hopefully you'll get better training than I did. I got a half a night because I have lots of trucking experience, just had none with doubles so I'm sure I haven't figured out all the little tricks to make life easier yet but I'm getting there

Look for the fed ex seals you'll notice at every hub on the ground. Put them in your pocket, door pouch, etc and keep a few of them. With all the different/OLD trailers in the system they come in handy for shimming your light cords. Hook a set and find you have no lights, shim one of your cords. Generally, if you have lights on the lead but not the tail, it'll be one of the connections between the trailers, no lights from the lead on back, start the front. You won't always have no lights at all either. You may having just flashing lights and no running lights, shim the connections

 

Honest to God, driving North up 65 yesterday, I thought for sure that something about pulling doubles kept you glued to the road, because I was only getting passed by doubles when the roads were all snowy with the passing lane covered with packed snow. Gave a few a thumbs up to let them know how cool they were...

 

That wouldn't have been me... I earn my CB handle, Slow Poke, when the roads get slick

 

.38 a mile? Nope