Waiting at DMV

It might just be your area. I went in yesterday to have my medical card updated and I was out of there in 10 minutes, believe it or not.

 

I've heard of guys making up to 200k doing that for FFE. But it's unconfirmed. Anyway, still not enough to take on bran new drivers for six weeks. You are opening up the flood gates, putting yourself right on the front line. Maybe if it was a company truck... maybe.

My six week trainer had a lot of stories for me about past students. One time he woke up to his trainee screaming, "we are going to roll over! we are rolling over!" He looks out into the front and this guy had his nose pressed against the side glass, he was in the hammer lane going about 25 MPH.

He once had another trainee that started barking at him like a dog or something and kept flailing his arms. He puts him in a motel until morning to talk with safety about it and the guy runs out of his room naked and runs down the street. It took 5 cops to wrestle that guy down.

I don't think I have the patience for that stuff.

 

LOL I love Maine. Go to Ellsworth DMV when they first open. 15 mins to get to the window. Yup its packed in the waiting area. I think we hit a record of 5 people. Ok in the summer time when the tourists are here it goes up to a staggering amount of 20 peaple.

Grin

 

I can see the 200k net but not gross. The trainer I know that made $150k, that was after all expenses. I still wouldn't be a trainer in a company truck.

Just 2 weeks ago in Xenia watched a driver destroy his brand new truck. He backed under to hook and missed the kingpin. Couldn't pull back out to get out from under it. (2020 freightliner doesn't have the air bag switch like the Volvo has, only has the only the axle lock and 5th wheel slide) He was ramming his tractor into the trailer and going side to side. Instead of going to maintenance to use the trailer jacks to raise the trailer for he could get out from under it. Ruined the refer and the back and side of his tractor. When I left the wrecker was there trying to lift up the trailer. The wrecker driver was having problems from it being wedged. He was taking lots of pictures.

Did you get your new truck yet?

 

We have had two trailers drop from out under the tractor and fall on the pavement in the last couple months. I think I remember hearing something about that guy that missed the kingpin. lol

Yeah I'm in a new truck. It's nice. The new 2020 system is finicky. You can't have your key in the ignition and clicked over before turning on the batteries otherwise it will throw a bunch of codes. It has to be battery first, then key.

The 70MPH passing feature makes passing a lot easier.

There are still no cup holders in the sleeper and the top bunk still doesn't have a charging port. There is space up there to leave stuff which is nice. Or does the bottom bunk have a cupholder now, I can't remember. But no cup holder up top.

Less storage space, and a stupid ladder going to the top bunk is annoying. I want the side steppers back. The ladder is just in the way and makes it feel more crammed back there. My partner is a larger guy and has trouble squeezing around it.

 

How do you do the 70MPH passing feature? I can't get it to work on mine. Maybe I'm having a blonde moment. I double press the accelerator, but still nothing.

 

Press the fuel peddle all the way down 3 times quickly. Then hold the fuel down to make your pass. Release peddle when you have finished your pass. You will see some graphics on your screen that will indicate your passing feature is turned on and the 30 minute timer starts counting down.

You can also ease up on the fuel once you have turned it on if you don't want to pass at the full 70, for whatever reason.

 

As much as we all like to complain about California (me too and I live there), they actually did something right at the DMV last year. They installed TV monitors that you can walk in and do most of your DMV functions yourself without waiting in line. Ever since they've started doing that, the lines have been almost non-existent. I went a couple weeks ago to file my paperwork for my DOT physical and was out in 10 minutes.