List

TripleSix · Jul 30, 2015

AbbandonZK said: ↑

I've been solo for about a month now and I have made a list of questions from my notes.

1.What are the rules to make your own parking spot when you get to the truck stop late (anytime after 6pm). So far I've learned not to do what the guys in the 379s are doing. I usually just go to a rest area or find a independent truck stop.If I'm not oversize, I start driving at night around 10-11 and dobe by 12-1pm. Safest thing to do is avoid bad situations. 'Making your own parking spot' should be avoided.
Also parking on the exit and on ramps, I know you can't do it in Arkansas thanks to the new law. What should Iook for when I choose a ramp to park on? On ramp with a really wide shoulder
2. Speed limits on downhills. I was going down i-70 in the rain in 7 gear at 2000 rpm (no jake brake) doing about 30 or so and guys were blowing past me, including tankers. The posted for trucks was 45 and I was loaded with water at around 44k pounds loaded on pallets spread out. I was also overweight on my tandems. I was taught that each teeth on the 5th wheel is worth 500lbs and the tandem holes are worth 250lb are these amounts correct regardless of 5th wheel placement? Should I have done 45? You made it down safely. It doesn't really matter what everyone else does. Ever watch a heavyhauler come out of the mountains, creeping down, transmission in the basement. You never see a heavyhauler on a runaway ramp. Never. He loses his ManCard instantly if he does
3. I've been thru California twice in the last 2 weeks and I just lose so much time. I'll drive for 8+ hours and I'll struggle to crack 400mi. Whats the speed used to calculate travel time for cali? I've been using 55mph for all my calculations for my average speed.
4. When I go up a hill at what speed do I need to turn on my 4 ways when I start slowing? Less than 50MPH on the bigroad. No law, just a courtesy
5. I've seen two drivers wearing back braces used when lifting heavy things. Neither looked like they did much lifting is there another purpose for them?
Extra back support. Not bad when doing manual labor, but I would caution for use while driving OTR. You have your big muscle groups that give you your strength, but it's all the little muscles that go along with them to STABILIZE and balance the load. Wearing one of those things while driving hours on end will require less of the smaller muscles to stabilize, and they will eventually weaken, leaving you more vulnerable when you take that belt off. Make sense? Use it or lose it
6. I had a trailer that liked to wander into the shoulder I've seen Werner trailers do this alot. Is this due to poor coupling or trailer damage? Also my last trailer and the one I'm pulling now have caused the cab to tilt to one side or the other during lane changes or at stoplights. I was going down US-69 the guys trailer in front of me was doing the same thing. All the weight just shifted to one side at the stop light. The trailers were both loaded high and bunched toward the cab. And the roads do not have a pronounced angle to them
7. I've been driving to about 8-10 hours thanks to my new truck that's governed at 65. However this is coming back to bite me when I need hours further down the week.One of my teachers at school recommend that I only spend 8:30 hours on duty/driving so I would always have time to drive is this advisable? Or is there a minimum mileage per day that should be accomplished?
Time management. You will get better at it. There is no 1 hard fast rule that you can go by that will work in all situations when driving OTR. For example, if you made a hard fast rule about only driving 8.5 hours a day, but doing 9.5 hours gets you to your destination, and they're open 24-7, do you stick with the 8.5 plan or do you go 9.5? If you do the 8.5, you stop, take 10, get up, start your clock, do an hour driving, then eat up your 14 waiting. If you do 9.5, you go to your destination, check in, take 10, and don't have to start your 14 until you're ready to roll out. Boogity boogity.

Thanks for reading[/B]
Click to expand...

De Nada

Log in or Sign up

Forums

List

TripleSix God of Roads

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

List

TripleSix God of Roads

Wait, employers can't reach you!