How do you keep going on?

KW has a 15 speed in it. Noisy is the best way I can describe it. Columbia has a 10 spd in it and doesnt make any noises at all. Very quiet.

And yeah,. thats how it was with me. I was like ok cool,.. he's concerned, letting me know things, asking questions. Then by the end of the first week I was ready to pull my hair out. Now that I need to keep both trucks loaded its like I am being pulled in 20 different directions. My goal is to get out of the truck and just have drivers. Its a learning curve for certain. Hoping I have what it takes to handle it. Big responsibility to have another mans livelihood in your hands.

Trying to get him to become more independent and to think for himself. These companies who micromanage their drivers are not doing them any favors.

My biggest fear is once I get him to that point,.. he wont need me any more. He's going to move on. Says he is happy and making twice what he was with Cypress. All I can do is try to teach him what I know and if he sticks around, great. If not,. I wont hold him back.

Hurst

 

@Hurst , the 15's are all the old design, and won't ever be as quiet as the newer low inertia trannies. First thing I always did with the older ones was to stuff a bunch of paper towel in the bottom of the shift handle so it wouldn't growl so much! A shift lever cover helps shut them up, too.

 

Some of the best people you will ever know in life has flown away for a variety of VERY good reasons.

Im not going to get mushy here, but I will say that if you had a student or a special someone learn from you and are better for it enough to go forward to live their life free then by God, you did awesome.

I suppose feewlings have no place in trucking when it comes to people perhaps... with the training mills abusing trainees etc then discarding them. I see it as a great waste and a potential loss.

I remember one individual, he barely started learning to drive at 15. He was killed about 9 months later by a drunken died at the scene with a destroyed body over a short time aware enternity is at hand.

Losses like that make me die a little inside because it's unnecessary.

 

After becoming aware of what tarping loads on open trailers entails, I developed an admiration and respect for those who take the necessary time and put forth the effort required to git-er-dun properly. It's disappointing to see a classy looking Big truck pulling a load that's been improperly, or just plain sloppily tarped load. Sometimes there'll be open gaps leaving the load partially exposed to the elements, or a tarp flapping in the wind as it cruises down the highway.

On the other hand, observing a load properly tarped, with maybe just a tad of over-kill that demonstrates that Big truck truck driver's concern and pride in his ride with respect for the commodity being relocated is refreshingly impressive. When being passed by those guys and gals, there's very little to no tarp flapping noise usually associated with sloppy tarping as they go by. IMO, that says a lot about the driver who tarps their load.

I observed one driver tarp his odd shaped load paying attention to every little detail. I couldn't resist striking up a conversation with that driver, so I invited him to join me in a cup-0-coffee. He accepted and we had a very nice conversation; during which time I mentioned how his tarping appeared to be a work of art compared to what I normally see, and wondered what he did to learn the skills necessary to accomplish what he made look easy.

That driver leaned back in the swivel seat at the counter, as he rotated it slightly to face me, --- and smiled.
"You won't believe it, but I honed my tarping skills by working during the Christmas season at an upscale department store, .......... wrapping the customer's presents. It got to where customers of other stores brought their presents to me rather than having their gifts wrapped where purchased, --- for free. Instead they paid me, usually leaving a tip to top it off". He ended his explanation with, "That's my story and I'm stuck with it", as he stood to dig in his pocket for change to leave as a tip.

I didn't know what to say, or do. Should I laugh? Was it a true story?
HaiL! I don't know. I just gave him a friendly grin as he went his way and I went mine, still wondering.
Another Big truck truck driver tale?
All I know for sure is I enjoyed watching him work his magic with a tarp, and the conversation that followed.
And I want to believe his explanation.

Now, what I wonder is,....... how many seasonal help gift wrappers are aware that they might have the talent to be a super-tarper of loads pulled by a Big truck?

BTW, ThanX for posting those photos.

 

My very first lesson in tarping was a christmas present handed to me. Here, wrap this.

No no no and no not that way this way... yea this way every time on the ends, fold it just like that.

Now let's go out and tarp that shingle loaded flatbed the jockey brought in.

Endeth my day one lesson with any flatbed.

The next day Im confronted with a two stick mack going to secure and tarp shingle loads.

WHAT a life that was then....

 

in my blood. I have a few years. Sometimes very difficult, many times, still like it. good luck.

 

in 1974, I started out downtown, Chicago. Guess what, im still downtown Chicago. Probably shortened my life span by 10 years , but love it still. same old same old, for a freakin long time.

 

I hate this racket, really I do, but I love the FREEDOM! I own my truck, paid cash, no bills to speak of, no credit cards, leased to a carrier... Make good money, don't travel far, rarely leave Michigan, big sleeper, house is paid for... New Silverado at the office, that I never drive because I take the truck home... LOL! When I want to take a week off, or a month, or just a few days, I can. That right there is worth it to me. I have tried working indoors, mainly nursing in surgery. I loved the job, but the politics sucked. Sadly, the same is inflicting the trucking industry. But, this still beats nursing, and I can smoke all of the Camels I want without having to hear anyone beech. Happy camper.

 

we have a friend her husband works Saturday, and sundays, makes over 60k year. Nurse

 

Nursing into trucking, eh? There's another guy I know that used to know in the milk hauling thing that's getting his ADN and moving into BSN territory after. Seems real easy to transition out from another career field into driving. But driving into another, advanced career field is a necessary, but entirely different animal.
Just like those threads that were made in regards to "careers/jobs after trucking", there didn't seem to be too many postings there. A few mentioned getting CS degrees and such, but then the trail went cold after that.
Hate to think that those that couldn't actually "retire" found themselves in low-wage/service sector purgatory. Kind of like what one would hear about after a major accident.