Shifting A Set of Sticks

Remember that distinctive CREAKSQUUUEEEEK when Mr Ham up top of his steering wheel just bulges his arm and forearm muscles in a grotesque form larger than I am in the torso across Spin the wheel And done. Always has his thumbs out and holds it until she was kicked into moving off on a turn with the clutch and power which is a excercise that does not go well anyway.

I used to try and have a bag of cat litter so that I thrown down a handful into each steer, pull up onto them at night to make it a touch easier to turn in the morning. Cramped muscles do not Armie the weightlifter make.

 

True. Luckily we still have older drivers who remember the non-power steering days.
We have two guys who will retire this year and three more are set to go next year. I dread replacing them.

 

I don't envy you that one. My boss has gone through the ringer trying to find good drivers. I mean, he even bribed me with my own Pete just for coming back!!
JUst spend a little money and go good website, not craiglist please!! The better drivers look at the better job sites like glass door and such.

 

Better start now

 

Have a freind bringing in a 359 Pete... Gonna drop a 3408 with a set of sticks in it, says it will be his working toy. During the last 30 years I have drove a couple with a set of sticks, and many with Armstrong steering, either would minimize the amount of folks passing truck driving school today. Hat is off to the OP.

 

That's the way to do it! Bring in the good stuff, but make it big boy rules. Twin stick, no computer screen. real gages. You separate the wheat from the chaff!!

 

We're just a mom n pop outfit...twenty power units... but we've always been able to attract and keep good drivers. Whenever we've needed to hire drivers we just started spreading the word locally and usually the applicants knew somebody who already worked here. We have three father and sons, a couple of uncles and nephews, and a bunch of cousins. We hire local guys and that seems to work out pretty good for us.
I've read some of the horror stories on here about hiring drivers and some of the stuff that drivers pull. Every time we're tempted to get bigger and get more equipment and more drivers I remember the stories. We're doing okay the way we are.

 

I guess I am thankful that I've had the experiences that brought me to where I am now and there certainly have been a lot of improvements in the industry since I started. The "good old days" weren't always that good in some ways. When I hear some of the younger drivers talk about us older hands it's " they don't make them like that anymore" which may seem like a compliment, except that inside some of them are thinking "they don't need to either". I think, there might be some truth in both of those statements, but I'm ok with that. I have trained some young drivers who have the potential to be better than I ever was and that makes me hopeful.
Happy New Year and be safe out there.

 

Nice set up! Don't get any bigger unless you have the drivers to do it. You can always buy a truck, but the drivers....
When I first hired on with my boss, he had 3 trucks. Now he has 11 and wishes-tries- to downsize, but it's a huge hassle.
Like they say, the great jobs never get advertised. Always word of mouth.