Life in North Dakota "Man Camps"?

I really like this new job! Basically, I'm a Line Haul Tanker Yanker! I take an empty pneumatic trailer from Williston to the power plant everyday, load it with fly ash, bring it back, and drop it. The one run takes all day, plus OT. Any person could do this job! It's predictable, and some would even say "boring" except for the beautiful drive! I like predictable and boring! I know what I have to, and when I have to do it, every single day. I also have a set start time, and I know approximately what time I'll get off each evening. This sure beats waiting by the phone and waiting for it to ring. I guess they call this a life/work balance, which the company highly respects. I'm paid hourly with OT after 40. I'm making excellent money! BTW, I will share the name of the company with people who message me inquiries. They are a great place to work! I just don't want to announce the name of the company in a public forum!

I also have great housing (and no crazy, controlling roommate). I have a one bedroom, one bath apartment with a small kitchenette and computer table. I have a flat screen TV with free cable and free wi-fi. I can have the housekeepers clean the room and change the linens on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basic (its $25 per cleaning). Of course, the Hello Kitty decor wasn't included! That's decor I added! Pictures below!
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I'm not sure what's up with the pictures? I'll try to attach them again? Sorry...

Well, I've completed my first two weeks of driving! I still love the company! I still love the job! I have some cool pictures of the power plant to post! I just need to figure out why my pictures aren't attaching correctly!
hmmm....

 

Change my screen name? Why? My screen name is an ongoing joke amongst my friends an I. I don't think I'm sexy, but the screen name evokes some really funny memories! No, I'm not going to share how the name came about on a public forum... lol! But, i've been using it for years and don't plan on changing it!

 

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY NEW JOB...
1. THE PEOPLE! Everybody at my new job is really great! They make going to work every day really fun!

2. The Hours! I basically work from 7am to 5pm, 6 days a week. I know when I gotta be there, what I gotta do, and apprx when I get home every day!

3. The Equiptment! I'm driving a brand new 13-speed (manual transmission) Kenworth! The truck only had 5,000 miles on it when they gave it to me.

4. The Manual Transmission! I'm sorry, but I do not like trucks with automatics! I just don't feel like I have any control, especially over the traction on ice and snow!

5. The Job! It's pretty easy, and they always dispatch two trucks together so we are not alone on the road.

6. My Apartment! No Roommate! I have my own one bedroom, one bath apartment.

7. I've lost 12 pounds! And, not because I'm working hard. This is the least physical job I've had in years. I'm shedding the weight I gained when my Mom passed away because I'm happy at work! When I enjoy my job, and the people I work with, I tend to eat healthier and get out more during my time off! I've already lost half the weight I gained, and the pounds are still falling off faster than I can count! Yeah!

THINGS I DON'T LIKE ABOUT MY JOB

1. We don't have automatic hatches on our trailers, but I can deal with it!

AREAS I'VE HAD TROUBLE

1. Tag axles. I had some trouble loading the correct weight until my supervisor explained how having the axles up/down changes the reading on the suspension gauge.

2. Truck Handling Differences. I didn't understand how the added axles, along with the fifth wheel being slide all the way forward, changed the tracking of the trailer behind me. Okay, I admit it... I ran down the company mailbox with my trailer axles on accident! I didn't understand how, or why it happened until I sat down with the supervisor. He explained the differences in how these trucks handle compared to an OTR truck or Doubles. I'm happy to report i haven't run anything over since... although I'm going to be on probation over the incident for 90 days.

I may not be perfect, but at least I'm "teachable"! LOL!

I'm working on the picture posting problem. The problem isn't TTR. It's my computer. I can't post from my computer to Facebook, either...

 

Repetition In Training WORKS!

This is my first experience with tag (pusher) axles on my tractor and trailer. Of course, I'm still struggling with driving on ice and snow.

I started my new job during the calm before the last snow storm. My supervisor, who knows I've never driven a vehicle with tag axles before, kept telling me that if the tractor started to "wash" out from under me on the ice, snow, or slick roads, pick up the tractor tag axle to put more weight on the drive tires. he told me this over, and over again! If i asked him a question about my time card, he would manage to work the mantra about picking the axle up into the conversation! But, because the roads were clear and dry during this time, the advise didn't really mean anything to me... until it snowed!

As luck would have it, on the worst day of the storm I was dispatched to the power plant alone. I didn't have a truck to follow, or a driver to talk me through the ice on the CB. I made it to the power plant, loaded, and came back by driving on the rumble strips. When I made it to Watford City, I was the first at the light waiting to make the left turn onto Highway 2. There was a Sheriff in a car sitting directly across the intersection from me. He was pinned by the line of cars behind him. The light turned green while I was reminding myself to breath, and I started through the intersection.

I was 1/3 of the way through my turn, and the tractor slid out from under me on the ice! The tractor and trailer began to cross up, and the whole combination was sliding sideways toward the cop (who had no escape route due to the traffic behind him). I was already panicked, with adrenylyne rushing through my veins like fire! My heart was pounding! It was the worst slow-motion experience I've had in a while! And that's when it happened! I reached down a hit the switch to raise the tractor tag axle! The crazy thing was that it wasn't a conscious decision! It was an automatic reaction after my supervisor had spent weeks pounding the idea into my head at every opportunity!

Yes, I was able to regain control at the last second! I managed to downshift and make it through the intersection. Of course, I still got pulled over by the cop I had come within feet of crushing, but he didn't give me a ticket. In fact, he didn't stop me for anything related to my slide and almost crash. Apparently, during my day of driving on the rumble strips, I had vibrated apart the tack welds that held the light bar to the back of the trailer! After examining the trailer and determining that I had not struck anything, he told me to get it fixed and sent me on my way! Whew!

Guys (and Gals), does driving on the ice get any easier??? I scared the &%% out of myself that day! I'm still terrified of the next snow storm, even though it may be months away! And, if I had not regained control and crashed, would that have been considered a "jack knife"? I've been driving six years, but will admit that I've never (until I came to ND) been in a situation where a jack knife was a possibility... I don't know what a jack knife actually is, how it's caused, or how to prevent it from happening??? HELP! Any information will be GREATLY appreciated!