Good Night From II

Why I could never do dedicated ...

 

Me too. Running the same roads all the time would bore me to death.

We are at the Pilot in Otay Mesa doing a 34; and I really needed it after swapping trucks in that heat.
This ProStar seems to be a pretty good truck so far. I really like the extra space, and so does my daughter in the upper bunk.

One nice perk is that I don't have to worry about the idle shut off.
The QC gives me the warning, but I don't have to do anything to keep it running.
And it has circuit breakers in place of fuses.

The only thing I don't like is the transmission. It is clunky and hard to work with.
It feels (and sounds) like metal on metal, without any oil.
Maybe I just need to adjust to it after my Volvo, but it is the same EF 10 speed. It shouldn't feel SO different. ?
But I have to fight with it to get it in gear, or out of gear.

 

Sounds like a dragging clutch.

 

Would be my guess ...

 

WILLARD UT, Flying hook. Just north of Ogden.

Have a student I picked up in MN, he's toast, as soon as I can dump him. Went to the first stop, "where's the other half of our load?" So I had to explain to them and confirm someone screwed up, their pork was supposed to be on my trailer. Get to the final "I know this will suck for you, but they put too much pork loin in this order, and 27 cases of pork tenderloin are currently sitting in my trailer and waiting for claims to get back to me. If they don't hurry, I lose my LA bound load, which is my ticket home.

@Moosetek13 , glad to hear you are enjoying the new truck somewhat.

 

I'm actually enjoying it very much.
I have adjusted to the transmission, for the most part, and I love the space in the ProStar. Hopefully it won't be as unreliable as my first ProStar. So far so good though.

So why do you want to dump your student?

I'm also in UT, just south of Provo.
I deliver tomorrow morning in Salt Lake, and no pplan yet.

 

It's nice to hear something positive about the prostar for a change, never drove one. Been in a Columbia, a few Cascadias, VNL670, T660SS,T680, even a Pete 579, never a prostar oddly.

Well, 2 near death experiences in one day didn't help, first he jumps out in front of a truck like 10mph when there's 3/4 of a mile of acceleration lane left (I told him to stay in the acceleration lane and bring his speed up several times.) Then when we have already been in a traffic backup due to an accident, he nearly rear ends a truck. He had about an 12 second following distance at 45mph or so, "he's hitting his brakes slow down, hit your brakes, harder, harder, harder, HARDER!!!!!"

It's just an uphill battle every minute. I mean after driving for 4 days I would expect a little improvement In speed managment, but it's like hes not paying attention. He either gets below 55 on the interstate mind you, or overspeeds grossly, something I've pointed out too many times too count, and I try to let him make the corrective action before correcting him, but he's just not making it. Then on the approach to Laramie, after instructing him multiple times on how this transmission works (fuller Advantage 10speed auto), and even showing him, both with me driving and him driving. He hit the fuel going down the grade (which instantly upshifts the transmission duhh, which takes us from a nice safe descending speed for a vehicle at 79550 gross with 3/4 fuel. To overspeed in a few seconds flat. At that point I told him to hit the brakes locked the transmission into manual and shifted myself. Then a few mole hills later, he's still getting impatient and hitting the fuel, instead of using his transmission and Jake switch. Did it on parleys coming into SLC, yes he was warned serveral times, yes I was coaching him down parleys. This time he locked the transmission into manual, but hit the fuel and the transmission shifted to protect the engine somewhere at 2100-2200 rpm.)

It's just feeling like a waste of time with this guy. On the plus side, he has actually improved in his backing skills. Maybe I was lucky with the first 5, but this one is seriously not getting the picture. I expect them to be rough, but this is just crazy. May give him one more chance to show improvement, I hate to give up on him, I never have before, but at this point, I'm starting to think he's too dangerous for me to deal with.

 

I like it, less finesse more hammer. He apparently dosent care about his own life, maybe getting left in a canyon will do the trick. I've tried hard soft and everything else, left in a canyon might work.

 

Ferris, sorry to hear about the problems with the student. Been there, done that myself. One of the reasons I don't train anymore. Actually made one student cry one time after he nearly killed us when he was falling asleep at the wheel in a push to drive 11 hrs. He never did that again. It sounds like it's time to set him down somewhere out of the truck where you two can have a serious talk and just have a "come to Jesus" chat with him and get him to realize the scope of his situation. Ask him how he thinks he is doing and where he feels he could improve. Use some psychology on him. If nothing else, get him to admit that maybe trucking isn't for him and maybe he will quit and save another mentor from the same dangers. Good luck.