Burleson Terminal

I understand that you get nothing for cutting the miles, and I know that time is more important. I avoid back roads most of the time...but when planning a route you have to balance what you gain by what you lose. When you add fifty miles to the route to avoid a city...does it REALLY save you time? The answer to that is no...in most cases it does not. In fact it COSTS you time. Yes you might SEEM to move faster, but the reality is that though you might move a little faster, the amount of miles you add eat up that advantage. My trainer refuses to drive through Cincinatti. Instead he will route around it Thinking that it saves time even though it adds miles. I timed it going aroound as oppossed to going through. When you have two route options, the shorter route is not always the fastest route. Reduced speed limits, stop lights going through towns and narrow roads can slow you down evedn though the route is shorter. In that case the longer interstate route is faster, even though it might be longer. The speed limit is typically more consistent, there are typically no stop lights, and the roads are generally maintained. But when you compare Interstate to Interstate then the less miles is pretty much always faster even if you might not think so. In a city you can hit rush hour traffic and get slowed down dramatically, but taking another route in that same city will not speed up your progress. ALL of the major travel lanes will be congested during rush hour traffic, so adding miles doesn't reduce time it adds time.

I will be the first to admit that I don't know these roads well. I know them better today than I did in January, and I'll know them better in June than I do today, but there are still some basic facts about travel that don't change...in fact, driving a semi compounds those issues, rather than avoids them. I am from Texas and I avoid driving through Dallas like the plaque. If I need to go anywhere around Dallas, I go AROUND it. Why? Because I don't LIKE it. Not because it is faster. Even at 5 PM it is a heck of a lot faster to go straight through Dallas if you want to get from one side to the other, than to go AROUND it. I don't have a problem driving in Ft. Worth, I don't even have a problem driving through Houston, where I am from, But Dallas? I don't like it.
However, yesterday when I picked up this load from Miller, I had options on how to get where I am right now. Those options included routing around Dallas or going straight through the middle of it. I chose to go through the middle of it. Not because I like it, but because it was the FASTEST route. As drivers, everyone will develope thier preferences. I've heard several people complain about the service roads in Texas. I like them. When used right, they allow you to navigate so much easier and if you understand how they run, you can get anywhere you want. So I use service roads to get where I need, especially in cities like Ft. Worth/Dallas. But for some reason, some drivers will develope an aversion to a place...like Cincinnati and instead of driving through it they will route around it...even at midnight when there IS no traffic, and THAT is where I disagree.

Stop the truck before an accident. Probably the best advice ever. Here is an equally good piece of advice. Never listen to ANYONE when backing. If you can't see, get out, because even if it is your trainer who deliberately or just ineptly told you to do what you did, its your fault. If you have to report an accident, do you honestly think he is going to tell them he was outside guiding you, telling you where to go, when to turn and how far to move? Nope. When he calls he won't be in the picture at all. It was all you, you made every move, every decision, you turned it where you wanted, backed when you wanted and hit whatever because your a dumb***. So EVEN if its your trainer, ignore him and get out and look. And for trainers here, if you have a student that you KNOW is not good at backing and you direct his backing, if he hits something BECAUSE he did what you told him to do how you told him to do it, I think you should take responsibility for that when you DO make that call. For me, the hardest part about training was not the driving, or even the backing, (Which I am still struggling with), or trip planning, or the QualComm, it was dealing with my trainer for 6 weeks in an enclosed space .

One of my strategies for getting though it...and let me say that I may seem negative about my trainer, but I'm not. Really. He was a good guy, and he did teach me a lot. I don't appreciate some of the things he did but thats life in the fast lane...so one of my strategies was to get away. When we settled at a truck stop or Travel Plaza for the night. I would get out as soon as I was done with my responsibilities and I would get away. Go inside, find a place to sit down, drink some coffee, call the wife and kids, watch the people coming in and out, catch some TV, one time I even took a nap in the drivers lounge. But the key...for me...was to get out of the truck and away from him. Let him do his thing, let me wind down away from him. One time I took a walk. One time when we were stopping in Fort Worth after a run to the Ship Channel in Houston, I called my wife and she came and got me and we went to dinner. Get away. When you get back in the truck after a couple hours, he will probably be asleep and you can get some rest. If not, and he is still awake, then at least you won't want to strangle him. lol. I'm not suitable for team driving. I don't play well with others and I'm too #### big to be dancing around with someone in that small space...But you HAVE to deal with him and he needs to be on good terms with yo because you don't test out unless he says so, so give him space, and take space for yourself.

 

I'm sure the road test is a little different depending on where you take it. Bill at Trenton tested me out, and I know that as a student driver I had some trepidition coming into the ending test. Why? Because it was an unknown. I didn't know what was going to happen, what he would expect, and my trainer claimed not to know anything either...So I want to take a minute to discuss this aspect of the training. The finish line.

Millis requires that you have 15,000 miles. That is a minimum requirement. After you have driven 15,000 miles then your trainer has to submit you for testing and give his recommendation that you are ready to be tested. If he will not give that, then you are stuck until he does. But provided you get his recommendation, once your 15k is over your dispatcher will route you to the nearest terminal with a school. Best case is that your trainer will try to locate a truck for you and get you THERE, but if not, I'll discuss that in a bit.

Once you get to the school the Instructor at the school takes over. Your trainer goes and has coffee or takes a shower, or shoots the bull with other drivers, telling them stories about you, or whatever...You test out in the truck you trained in. Your instructor will then have you drive. Honestly, its no big deal. If you passed the school, and you passed your road test, this is nothing. Its very similar to the state CDL Road Test. The trainer gives you instructions on where to drive and you drive there. Things he will watch for: That you are using your mirrors, smooth shifting, that your turns don't go over the curbs, grass, dirt, or the front end of a car. If you have to swing wide for a sharp curve onto a narrow street and you have to swing into the oncoming lane he wants to see you stop and wait for traffic to back up to complete the turn. He wants to know what height the bridges are, what state highway, interstate, or county road you are on, what the posted speed limit is and what the SAFE driving speed is. At Trenton there are roads that have a 55 MPH speed limit but honestly are not safe for driving a SEMI 55 on. slow it down. The adage here that you can't drive too slow applies...however, within reason, impeding traffic needlessly is still a negatory. Watch train tracks, intersections, and slow down for turn signals. You know...basic stuff. REALLY no big deal. Provided you don't screw up when you finish the route which is maybe 20 miles, you return to the yard and he will have you alley dock from a 90. He let me pick where I wanted to put it as long as it came from a 90 degree. Once that is done, you are done. We will move to the truck next. Your pay just stopped. No more training pay until you are in your own truck.

 

So, you pass your test...now what? The instructor called Jay and Jay told him there were two trucks at Trenton and gave him two numbers. Maintanance had already finished with one of them, so that was mine.

Now let me stop for a moment? What if you test out and there IS no truck there? Well, honestly there is a possibility that there will be no trucks. For a week before I tested out there were no trucks. I was a bit upset about that, but it worked out, however if there are trucks, you will get assigned a truck...but it might not be where you are. For instance, if you are in Texas you will road test in Burleson. I can guarantee you there won't be a truck there. So the road test is over and you are no longer getting paid, you are at the terminal with no truck and your trainer is probably pulling out leaving you, and your stuff there.

They will get you on a truck headed to the terminal where your truck is...you will have to ride with someone, you get no pay for that trip. But you will get to your truck. If they don't have a truck...they will, soon. Have your trainer check on it a few days before you test out.

So now you are at the terminal where your truck is. Maintenance will give you the keys and an inspection sheet. You want to do the mother of all pretrips. Check every scratch, dent, crack, or problem and report it because if you don't, when you turn the truck in, its your fault, even if it isn't. Check everything, make sure everything works. If it doesn't, don't leave until it does, including things like the radio, the 12v sockets, refridgerator, bunk lights...not JUST the engine. Part of the inspection also includes your permit book. Make sure everything is up to date, check your IFTA tags, your HUD sticker, ect. If anything is wrong there...like it was the end of Feb and my IFTA was out, I went back into maintenance and they had a spare set of stickers...problem solved.

My truck's previous driver apparantly never looked at his permits. Many of them had been expired since 2012...Bill took over there, he took my log book and got everything uo to date for me. Great...no...awesome guy. But you still need to get to Richfield to check your packet.

I spent about two hours inspecting my truck. When you are done inspecting you go back for things you need issued: Load straps, Load locks, pin puller, mattress. Make sure you get a couple gallons of oil, a couple gallons of Window Washing Fluid, and a gallon of AntiFreeze, make sure you get a couple of spare Windshield wipers...believe me...you will eventually need them, and don't forget about 4 bottles of fuel treatment to keep yourself from gelling in the winter....ah what did I forget?

Next once all that is done, shower, put your stuff away and make sure you log in. Check your logs, it should ask if you want to attribute the unaccounted for time to your account. Absolutely NO! Then erase everything. My trucks driver never emptied his outbox, inbox or scanner files. DCelete everything. Start fresh. Make sure you have a scanner. If not, ask for one from maintenance. Then log in, wait for it to update, and put yourself off duty, then send a Ready for Dispatch and wait. OLder drivers...what did I forget?

 

So, here is a basic fact of life on the road. Eating out of truckstops and/or restaraunts is #### expensive. You can easily exceed $25 a day. Over 7 days, that comes to $175 a week plus. But if you make some basic investments you can get your expenses down to about $50 a week. Most important investment for me is a power inverter, but I'm strapped for cash. You can get a 1700 watt Power Drive inverter for about $159 but Millis won't install it without specific wiring and a breaker, which will run you another $100-$200 depending on 1.) Where you are, 2.) What they require you to get and 3.) Where you buy it from. Millis will sell you the same power inverter (Different brand) for a little more money but then they provide everything. I know that spending more for the same thing is a little retarded, but here was the selling point for me. Millis will do it on Payroll deductions. Baritone told me they can and will take it oout for about $20 a week, and for me, THAT is worth it, so I'm trying to get to Black River so I can get it taken care of. However, getting to BRF may take some time so what to do in the meantime? All truck stops sell the Power Drive 150 Watt inverter, it looks like a black and yellow power strip that plugs into the 12v socket. At WalMart they sell a small 1 quart crock pot that is 95 watts. Just cooked my first meal in it last night. Strapped it down to my table, strapped the lid down and rolled out. It cooked dinner while I was rolling. Got parked, ate a hot meal. Meal cost me $1.75 plus a bottled water. Went to sleep full. Truck stops also sell an immersion heater. Don't remember what it was called...I used to have one a few years back, it was called a stinger then. Its a coil that you stick in a cup of water to heat water. Just look, youll find it.

Okay, this is a heating element, how it works is, you plug it in and it heats up. It doesn't have a regulator so it continues to heat. It left in water it will bring water to biol. The larger the amount of water the longer it takes but if you take a bowl, and put cans in it, and fill 3/4 with water then put this into the water, it will boil water and cook the contents of the cans. When it is hot enough for you, unplug it, dump the water and open the cans...whoila! Hot meal. Understand that boiling water evaporates. If left unattended this thing will explode when it gets too hot. As long as it is in water it is fine. Take it out of water, it better be unplugged.

I had my wife buy extra canned goods while I was out, Ramen noodles, snacks, ect. I bought more while I was home so I could eat in the truck and not in the truck stops. Every driver will have things he wants or needs, so you will have to decide your level of required comfort. I have a CB because a cb has saved my tail more than once with avoiding the most congested parts of an accident, and even though you pretty much CAN'T speed unless going downhill, its always nice to know where the bears are.

 

Okay...lets talk about the dreaded cameras. I have done an immense amount of research on these blasted things. My trainer's truck did not have one, mine does. The first day, I set off a critical going around a turn too fast...it was a 20mph turn, I went around at 15 go figure. After that...nothing. I hit some roads so bad the cab was literally bouncing, and no critical event. So I deliver that load, and pick up another load. On that load I'm coming out of a truck stop and the turn to get back on the interstate is a little tight so I swing out wide and cut sharp back in. It was 4 am, no traffic, everything was clear, I'm in 5th gear, DING! Critical event. So I drop that load in Ft. Worth and Castle and Cooke let me drop but they had no more trailers so I didn't get an MT, no problem, couldn't care less, I'm on hometime. Bobtailing it and I'll be ###### if that critical didn't go off six times on the way home, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. One time I was at a dead stop. Started in 3rd, smooth, shifted...a little jerk, but its bobtailing, 4th, smooth, 5th, smooth, sixth a little jump and DING! Critical. I don't know...I think it was drunk cause I've jerked that thing around with a full load and got nothing. None of my crits were important except for the one on a downhill slope...I was watching traffic and not the speedo, Got to thinking man this thing seems to be moving fast. Glance down...OOOOps! Ding! Okay, that one was my fault. Haven't heard a word on any of it. No big deal so far.

 

The lunchbox oven is on my list for next paycheck...I like a high level of comfort. I have the laptop, my tablet, and I intend to get a TV. I have my xbox with me for down time, but can't use it because of no tv yet. I mean I live in here 3 weeks out of the month, so I'm gonna have not just what I need, but what I want as well. I'll keep your advice in mind for the inverter. And it is definetly great advice for others. I already asked Pat to get me to BRF as soon as he can, so we will see and I'll letcha know what I decide on.