REST STOPS

The one that stands out, during my first week or two, was a load of baled wool, huge bales. Picked up in Bakersfield,CA and delivered to some textile mill in North Carolina. With full fuel tanks, was grossing 80,000 lbs.

 

See.
Forget rest stops - that's just looking for a black eye, or worse - and use the "search bar" on top right.
If it ain't here, you don't need it.

 

Most truckers know that if somebody approaches you at a rest stop, they want to separate you from whatever you have in your wallet. Besides, on those occasions when I do stop, I'm hurrying to get in and out of the bathroom, and don't have time to talk.

Drivers in truck stops have been sitting alone in a little box for the last month, are slightly insane, and will talk your ear off until you are looking for excuses to get away. I suggest you decline any offers to see the inside of their trucks. You may wind up being found wondering dazed and naked around Tijuana several weeks later.

 

I honestly don't remember. I do remember my first trip with my trainer .it's been about 9 years now.

 

was a short trip from Cleveland to Detroit airport was in the pre deregulation air frieght days (1982)had this job driving straight truck up there 3 nights a week pickup in Cleveland then 4 stops in Detroit and 2 stops when back in Cleveland anyways the frieght picked up so they decided to switch to semi well had a friend that took me twice around a country block to learn to shift my uncle rode with me 2 trips and turned me lose (no where close ready to solo ) can remember going through the construction zones on turnpike could only manage to get up to 35 mph in the narrow lane lol remember getting up to Detroit trying to back in the dock and the guys looking out and laughing at me ...... but I learned how eventually and never hit anything and never had to take a road test no school and not much of a training period got my chauffeur licence grandfatherd in .

 

Yes,unfortunately the old "Chris Christoferson Days" are gone now...If someone pops out on me(unless I seen them get out of a truck,or theyre old....Im on The Defense.With all the rules and regs,Im already in a bad mood. "GO Ahead Make My Day". Exaggerating,but Not by Much

 

Not solo but team driving food service. Anyways fresh out of cdl school and doing a NYC 8 stop peddle got lost in the back streets of queens with a 48 and a 230 in wb sleeper. Narrow streets with cars on both sides. Won't ever forget it

 

First solo trip was into the belly of the beast, downtown LA. It was Sunday so the traffic wasn't bad, and I got a late start Saturday so I spent the night at the southbound I-5 rest stop before the Grapevine. Slept great, woke up the next morning, did a pre-trip in the dark and headed off. Got all the way to my delivery and as I rolled to a stop at the light in front of the place I heard a loud bang. I was hauling paper rolls and thought one fell over in the trailer. Pulled into the delivery and noticed my tandems were all the way back, so the crash sound was them sliding back. All I can figure is that somebody pulled the release as I slept, and I made it all the way over the Grapevine, into LA and they didn't slide until I arrived. Dodged a bullet that day, and now I check the tandem and trailer release handles every pre-trip.

From there I headed to Chicago in a blizzard and it was all downhill from there.

 

Well, if you find any "normal" truckers that's really F weird, and you should probably consider fleeing for your life.

1) What is your goal in trucking?
1a) Where do you want to be in 2 years?

****Tips****

1) All starter companies are pretty much the same.
1a) DO NOT JUMP FROM COMPANY TO COMPANY IN THOSE FIRST TWO YEARS. YOU WILL TRULLY F YOURSELF.

2) The last thing I'd pick is refer.

3) Truckin ain't for sissies.

 

You'll get better info on this forum than you'll ever get from a random driver shuffling up to take a gaseous poop after he climbs out of his raggedy mega carrier cab with the window crammed full of Cheeto bags and empty Mtn Dew bottles.

We don't hold back on here.

The truth shall set you free!