Right on my dude! With a little bit of luck maybe we'll end up in the same orientation class!
Superior Carriers
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by SurfBaker, Jun 29, 2019.
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Thanks for all these updates @SurfBaker
Sometimes I see threads from people who say they're starting a new job and they disappear.
I wondered what you think of Tanking as far as loading and unloading the product. Does the driver do much of that or the customer?
What do you think of the Surge?
I guess you're able to run a Fridge and either a slow cooker or microwave? I want to minimize how much I eat out of truck stops.SurfBaker Thanks this. -
As far as loading and unloading, every place is different. Most places you won't do anything during loading, the plant will do everything. However, I have been told to get up on the catwalk at a loading rack in Jersey and monitor the product with a stick so you have to be ready for anything. Usually, you just sit in the truck, that seems to be the norm, sometimes they'll direct you to a waiting room. Unloading could be anything as well. Some places, all you do is back up and sit in the truck until they're done. Other places, you do everything with no supervision at all. Most loads are aired off, sometimes using the air they provide and other times using the truck compressor. Sometimes you have to run hoses and pump the load off using the pump on your truck. Sometimes, they provide the hose & other times you use your hoses. Every place is different & the weather can be a factor as well, it sucks unloading when it's really cold & windy outside. None of it is really hard, the hoses aren't too heavy & climbing up on the tank is easy.
The surge, you get used to it & learn to know when to expect to get a kick. Some loads kick harder than others depending on viscosity & all that. Definitely turns and sudden stops are where trouble can arise. My truck is a 10 speed manual so I've learned to time my shifts with surge.
I don't run a fridge but they do have the 12v coolers you can buy. I just carry an igloo & pick up a bag of ice every couple of days so I can use the ice as well. I do have a 12v slow cooker that works awesome. I picked it up on Amazon & it has excellent reviews from truckers. I bring my own food, canned beans, soups, and food I buy in pouches on Amazon. It heats up in less than 15 minutes and it will cook meat and vegetables to 300 degrees. I try to avoid truck stop food as well, it's hard to eat healthy on the road and it gets expensive. I keep lots of food in my truck. I usually stop at Love's, they have healthier options.
If you've got any other questions, hit me up anytime. I'm waiting for my dispatcher to get me a load so I can get back out on the road.Gearjammin' Penguin, VIDEODROME, MYSTYKRACER and 1 other person Thank this. -
Okay I have one of the little Koolatron fridges from Loves. If there is an Inverter it'll probably work.
Sometimes companies seem to tuck the inverter underneath the bunk or in a cabinet so all you see is the outlets. -
So how long does a typical load or unload take? I know each product is different but what would be a good thumbnail average? Maybe two hours? So what do you do when you're just waiting in the truck if the customer is handling the product? I'm assuming that's still "on duty" time but can you read a book, watch a movie or take nap? Maybe even get in a workout if you're so inclined? -
Always be mindful of customers rules for the jobsite. A lot of plants do not allow phones inside the gates. You could be barred from the facility. You can be in the sleeper but I myself rather sit at the wheel and keep an eye on things. Have had an explosion once while in a chemical plant. Very scary situation. We were sheltered in place for over six hours.Last edited: Jan 8, 2020
Bud A., MYSTYKRACER, SurfBaker and 1 other person Thank this. -
Just passing by and MYSTYKRACER Thank this.
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It isn't a good idea to drive that part of I-70 without carrying chains on your truck. The weather does what it wants. Generally the 10 day forecast around here always says sunny or partly cloudy, with a few days showing a 10% or 20% chance of precipitation. Then when it gets close, all of a sudden one of those days will show Winter Weather Advisory or Winter Storm Warning. The weather people do it that way to keep us from getting depressed from thinking about it for a week.
I would add that you should be willing to chain up if necessary. If you're not willing to chain up, take another route, either I-40 through New Mexico and AZ or I-80 through Wyoming. Wyoming also has a chain law, but no fine if you just park it (safely and legally) because you don't have chains on your truck.
On the other hand, you will be hard pressed to find a section of road that is cleared and sanded and salted as quickly and thoroughly as CDOT does it up on I-70. They run 24/7 and they do a great job. It's probably safer up there while it's snowing than it is in South Dakota three days after a storm passed through.
Also, when I first started driving that stretch, I also thought there was nowhere to pull off, but actually there are quite a few little spots to get off the road. Trucker Path will show most of them, but some of them you find only when you become desperate.
By the way, that 10000' hill west of the tunnel is called Vail Pass. It has its own weather most of the time.SurfBaker Thanks this. -
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
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