Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

i feel sorry for all you newbies when your learning to drive the truck.

i seen that skinny arse road with the jersey barriers central is training on these days.

i've been driving 13 years and something like that makes my butt pucker. i can't imagine being a learner.

 

I started in a truck at 21. Hard as hell to find a company at 21 back then lol.
Now at 43 I have been in and out of trucks for all that time. Tried to get out of it several times, managed to for several years. But it has a tendency to call you back once you are into it.
It does not help that I live in an area where it is very hard to find a job where you can make over 40k per year without really looking hard. But with some experience in a truck you can live almost anywhere and make decent money.
The trick I have learned is that you really need to look at cost of living where you live. If it is an expensive place to live, then you should consider moving to a cheaper area. The pay trucking is almost exactly the same from coast to coast. If you are long haul then it is the same no matter where you live.
So you will eventually cap around 55k or so as a company driver. Sure if you really run hard with the right company you may get to 70k.
Or if you get on with a private fleet you can possibly make more. But that pay is not on a set region.
So if you want to live well as a driver, find an area to live that is on a good lane, and has a low cost of living. Or maybe even a state without income tax, than can help also. But some of those states are not in good lanes like FL (really bad area for long haul unless you have experience).

 

I finally arrived, got a room at the bunkhouse and a much needed shower. Everyone so far has been real nice and it looks like I have a good guy (Paul) for a roommate. It was tough organizing my stuff in such a small room but I'm finally ready for bed. 5 AM will arrive fast.

 

LOL... If you think the room is small... Just wait until you get on a truck!!

 

Hi guys I have been off for a while (10 days to be exact) looks like I have missed a lot. My truck has been in the shop all that time ugg. Getting it back in the morning. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving.

Question I got pulled over tonight (12+) but only got a warning. My question is had I gotten a ticket would that have effected my "employment " at central?

 

I think the official lose your job speed is 15+, but anything over 5 and you have a lot of explaining to do. Don't know if this is true or not, it's just what I was told. Good job on the 12+ warning in a big truck! Did the officer call it a Thanksgiving present?

 

Heads up, warnings still put points on your csa. Where did you manage to get a 12 over?

 

Not sure about speeding, but I got a ticket for being in the third lane going over Grapevine (speed 55) and I'm still working... Just don't make it a habit!

 

I hope they did not do an inspection. If they did, you have CSA points. If they did not, then you got lucky and only have the warning to deal with. Be more careful in the future. No reason at all to be going that fast. You have much less chance of getting tickets if you maintain a following distance of at least 2-3 truck lengths at all times (unless in town or slow traffic), and go the speed limit at all times.

 

i was in the second lane on the grapevine doing 55.

got it changed to logbook violation. since it wasn't an inspection it's not on my CSA. and not a moving violation.

i'll have to check my csa next year though just to make sure.