A different question for experienced truckers

You will have to go into places never meant for trucks, the best advise I can give is to take your time. Better to spend 20 min getting into a dock than get a preventable on your record.

Good luck

 

I've been in some gasoline stations at night dropping a load where the station should have been on daylight delivery only. All I can tell you is keep your head on a swivel and know where your tire thumper is. Don't talk to anyone that you know has nothing to do with the business and just be aware of what's going on around you.

We had a driver loaded up for this station and he stopped in the office for his lunch before he headed out. While he was in the office a crazed crackhead went into that same station and shot and killed two people. If that driver would not have stopped for lunch he would have been right where the guy was shooting. You never know where a situation may turn ugly so the best advice is if you have to go in there then go and get out as soon as you can. It's even better if you have someone with you. Notify the guard (if there is one) where you'll be. But above all if you can avoid the drop until daylight you'd be much better off.

 

There are segments of the industry that don't really use 53 footers - tanker , flatbed , hopper bottom for example . Another advantage to these is being able to find parking spaces in older truck stops the 53 footers can't get into .

 

There are always going to be places where a 53 should never go. In just 6 weeks on the road, I've been to a couple of them. Being what we are, though, it just takes us longer to put a 53 foot trailer into a 48 foot slot. Sticking it into a 28 foot slot requires some experience with demolitions, so I'm not letting that stop me, either.

Darnit! I thought I had a pic, but I don't. The other day, I had to dock... when I was finally against the door, there was a medium sized tree 6 feet in front of the nose of my truck. Most challenging dock I've hit so far.

And no - no cheating and driving over the curb/grass!

 

right know the most important thing is to be employee and be able to pay for your life style. Thats beside health and hapiness of course. If you have a job that is consistant, be greatful even though is hard. Getting a Class A is no guarantee of getting employment right away due to lack of experience. So consider getting a class A is ok but hold on to your job with all your might for now.