I don't want to start an argument here, but... more screening of new drivers

Well I can hazard a guess as to what would be a good start:in order to qualify at a co. you should have to pass a REALLY hard and EXTENSIVE driving test.That would weed out most of the ones that don't even have any clue about driving a truck.

 

Well,one thing about a fool like that;you won't have to worry about him for long

 

What about the one's whom back up on the shoulder to get their exit??? Or the one's whom stop in the middle of the automated toll plaza cause they don't have the tag ?

 

You missed the point. If your mistakes reoccur and they're so dangerous you're a deadly hazzard then you need to get off the road.

 

i guess we got to learn somewhere huh might as well be on a super freeway in La

 

Thank you. Back before there was a CDL I hired on with a company to train new hires, carried 5 back to the yard after 2 to 4 weeks for various reasons. Kept #6 for the three months required as they took the job serious and was attempting to do better every day. I got fired when I went in to pickup #7, Iwas told i wasn,t passing enough of them. 2 thought you had to drink and party everynite,1 thought you had to drink every waking moment, 1 thought she had to work the lot at every stop, and 1 had a mental problem, under control with thorizen. I ran into the 1 that I passed acouple years later and they thanked me for teaching em halfway right.

 

Exactly! You start with care and common sense. You build skills. A little luck helps. Luck alone has nothing to do with a long safe driving career.

Developing good skills and habits are what make a man a professional in any trade or profession. The man who follows that path never has to ask for respect from another professional. His actions tell us all what he is made of.

 

In 2005 I was backed into a dock in Yuma, AZ picking up lettuce and there were these two young boys, probably not a day over 21, in this old jalopy FLD Freightshaker next to me. They asked if I had jumper cables. Well I was the only other truck there, and my batteries were on the other side, cables wouldn't reach. So I suggested hooking the cables up to their reefer unit. If that didn't work I would have un-hooked from my trailer. So one kid hooked up the cables and didn't even let it charge like I told him, he just jumped in the cab and hit the key. I discovered the problem was not the batteries when the truck cab rocked to the right from the counter-torque of the starter. I said "hey I got an idea that might help. Put the truck in neutral and try it again". He looked confused, but did as I said. Truck fired right up. He didn't even seem embarrassed by this, he actually was wide-eyed like I'd just taught him something new.

 

Holy cow. He missed the common sense booth at life skills swap meet. You know when you witness something as bone-headed as that, his career will most likely end in a most ugly fashion.

 

There's been a couple of times I've bumped the shifter with my legs or something and when I went to start the truck, it was in gear. How can you NOT know the truck is in gear when you turn the key and the truck rocks to the right as it's trying to fight against the parking brake?