Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Wow guess everything is bigger in texas even families huh? Anyway best of luck to you. I hope your wife works as well. We only have 2 girls and have lost everything this year we have worked 10 years to get. Trucking is not a money maker right now with so many people in the field due to lack of jobs. I understand you have to give it a shot that's what 1bad had to do. After being out of work over 6 months. But just remember it's not cheap living on the road. Some weeks 1bad goes through a couple hundred dollars other may only a hundred. Depends on if he just left home and I have stocked him with food. When that food runs out the cost of being on the road goes up big time. Just plan well and know you may be eating a lot of pbj. As for the wife and kids spend every single minute you can with them before you leave. And make sure your wife knows you appreciate the scarifice she is haveing to make. Because more or less you are going to be turning her into a single mom of 6 which is going to be the hardest thing she will ever do. Yes,you will come home for a couple days here and there but the day to day grind is hard. And I think the hometime is harder. You missed the kids so you tend to let things go to the way side that your wife will work hard to put in place so she can maintain her sanity. I know I seem like I am rambling but it is so important that you know these things. I wish someone would of told me this going into this whole thing. Make sure you support your wife in whatever schedule or plan she puts into effect for your kids while your gone. 2 or 3 days with daddy home can blow the whole thing and take over week to get back when you leave. Keep your kids in the loop send post cards from whereever you are as often as you can. Just say I wanted you to know where daddy is and I'm safe and will see you soon. That means alot to them especially the littler ones. Just my 2 cents I will stop ranting now. Best of luck to you!!!!!!

 

If I had that many kids, there would be no second thoughts about going out on the road, of course I am an olde man, and don't like kids anyway(Just Kidding) If you think about it, if you would been on the road 15 years ago...........

 

1bad mentioned I hadn't posted in a while when I talked to him last week, so here I am. And I wish I had good news.

My silent co-driver and I were hit by a US Xpress truck early this morning in PA. We were parked and sleeping, and the driver was parked next to us. She pulled out, and clipped our passenger mirrors with her trailer, laying it flat against the doorframe. Thankfully, Alberta's mirrors are made to fold flat, unlike a volvo's, so we were able to put it back together, after we took photos for accidents.

That's the second time that someone's hit poor alberta this month. December first we were clipped on the driver mirror by an overside load pulling something tarped. There's a black scuff on it, and white scuffs on the passenger now, and the scratch that came with the truck. Those mirrors have no luck.

 

That's what my co-drv and I think too. So next July, once my preventable is 3 years old, we're looking into regional team runs, or two local/semi-local so we can have a life back.

I knew a guy who quit central with 6 months experience, and after 2 months of searching, he managed a local job. That lasted about 2 months, until he hit another truck and bent a mirror, and now he's unemployed and looking again. So it's possible to do without much experience, but it's rare.

 

I appreciate your advice newtruckerwidow,
I know you have been there and done that before and have experience what it's like as a truckers wife and I can't think you enough for responding to my post. This has and will always be a concern of mine going into this field. Is 1bad still over the road. If he is how long is he gone vs. hometime. Tell me how do you make the best of hometime when he's there (I know it's not my time when he's home and days may seem like hours). Is there anything you could tell me to make my wife life a little easier while I'm on the road. I'm thinking about taking a labtop with a web camera for it while I'm on the road. That way my wife and kids cannot only talk to we while I'm on the road but, they can also see me and the inside of me truck (If it works). I'm going to ask you the hardest question of all: How do you say good bye for weeks at a time when he's ready to leave. I know I don't know you personally but, I do value you advice seriously. You are one of the few woman who shares her account of the story from your side of the road and I thank you for that. . .

 

Well as a wife I used to smile and assure JJ that I would be fine! The minute he drove of in his Pete I cried like a lil Kid.

As a Newb the money will be tight, very tight as the miles aren't great and the loads have far to much time on them, Well that's the case with our FM .

Oh and Blue tooth head set for your phone would be handy as well so you can talk more.

GW I really don't care if JJ's FM reads the forum or not and at this stage I don't think he cares either.

I messaged her this morning asking could she have the Appointment time moved forward on our load as we arrived at our stop 99 last night and our App time isn't until 2130 tonight so that's 36 hrs wasted and we could have had an extra 1000 miles on this weeks pay, the answer was the usual answer I will check into it, 1 minute after that message we get a message saying sorry customer service says NO app can't be changed she is either a very fast talker and typer or she just straight out lied.

My advice is to get your years experience and then look around for a new company, Central is an OK starter company but that's it!

 

I just found this on another thread (Rollover hope ya don't mind I borrowed it) This is for all the new guys wanting to go into trucking it really is like this.

Best advice I can give someone wanting to become a trucker is to remove all of the clothes out of your closet at home. If it needs to come to apx 90"w X 70"d then get some masking tape and put it on the floor to show the size of the cab of the truck! Put a chair in there and then sit in it for 11 hours and then go lay on a small pallet of blankets you put together for a bed it can not be wider than 42' X 80"L (this is a standard sized mattress in a truck). You do get to get out of the chair every 3-4 hours to go do your "business" BUT you can't just walk to the toilet! You MUST walk around the house a few times to simulate walking into the truck stop.

When you get back to the truck you sit back in the chair till your "day" is over. Now you must walk at least 100 yards to "go" or to eat! Pull at least $10 out of your pocket and give it to your better half as payment for the food. You only get a shower every other day!

You will sleep on that pallet! You will also have a tape of an old reefer unit running that you parked next to. You also must set your alarm for about 2 hours into your sleep time to simulate a lot lizard, bum or other trucker waking your arse up!

When you wake up you must walk another 100 yards to the bathroom and take care of business then go eat if you want but remember to leave that $10 for the food!

Do this for a week! If you can do this and not be crazy you just MIGHT be cut out to be a trucker!

 

As for my experience with 1bad leaving is simply put this way. At first just like Jess said smile and tell them to be safe and when the kids are in bed cry myself to sleep. I went almost 3 months without seeing him at 1st. Now that is he is on the Kraft dedicated he does still drive OTR but living so close to their SE warehouse we do see him a lot more. He left here on Thursday and he will be back on Wedensday. Not sure for how long hopefully being this close to Christmas only for a 10 hour break (last week he was here for 2 10 hour breaks). I would rather them run him to death right now and get him home for Christmas instead of him being in some truck stop waiting out the Kraft Christmas shut down for 3 days. If you can afford the laptop and air card I would do it. But remember you aren't going to make that much money at 1st. 2 things need to happen for the money to start really 1) get a good FM 2) prove yourself. That means pray you end up with a good FM from the jump start ( we had the worse in the company to begin with I believe) and make all your pick ups and deliveries on time with no accidents! That goes along way with any FM. When 1bad is home we really don't do anything different than when he is gone. The kids have to know that daddy's supports what ever mommy decided whether he's home or not. I keep 1bad in the loop with everything. If the kids get a spanking daddy know and for what reason, anything that happens at school daddy knows about. Santa called the other night when the call was over daddy got a call with the news that Santa called. Only thing you can do to prepare your wife (best advice given so far in my opinion) get her on this thread before you leave for school. I am still looking for a job after 2 years without one so I check on here a lot. Jess usually checks in a lot as well. We will do our best to support her with anything she needs as well. I know I have done a lot of ranting and raving on here. I will extend my # to her as well. Believe me there will come the time when she just needs to talk to someone that walks in the same shoes. Jess was gracious enough to help me through those hard days and nights and I would be happy to pass all her wisdom along.

 

Jess, just read this to 1bad he says "That is right on the money!" I say that 100' can seem like a mile if you ate something bad if you know what I mean.lolololol

 

Well its back OTR for me tomorrow. After having 5 days off, the start is going to be rocky I think. Going to really miss my brother and his family. I kind of envy those of you with family.

My break next month is going to be in Lancaster, PA. Got a sister who lives there and plan to harass er help her celebrate the big 50.