Maverick .... from a wife's perspective

That's actually not bad, considering Jan and Feb are really slow in the flatbed industry. His pay increases in March and April. Expect to see above average pay checks for the next 6 mos. then drop off in Nov.
It's a cycle that flatbeds go through and you'll probably never get paid your real worth but it beats the hell out of working at the same location with somebody looking over your shoulder all the time.

 

I see a couple other drivers already answered you. Remember the magic numbers. 11, 14, and 70. You can drive 11 hours a day. You can work as long as you want, but once you been on duty for 14 hours you can not drive again until you have had 10 hours off. Even if you have only driven 8 hours. Combination sleeper/off duty or sleeper or off duty for 10 hours. Once you have burned up your 70 you need 34 hours off to reset it.

There is other options, split- 8th day gain, but I don't want to confuse you with that.

School should explain all of this to you. So will your trainer when you hire on somewhere.

 

..several of the local trucking companies are starting to advertise in the paper here for van & flatbed drivers, tankers too; havent seen that in over a year, but how long will it last? Diesel is $3 a gal here now, by this time next year it will probably be close to $4, then what will happen, you can't afford to make a profit with DH miles at $4 a gal?

 

There's bigger guys than you at Maverick. Warm weather's coming and the weight will drop off quickly if you watch what you eat. Give them a call and find out what their reqs are for getting hired on. I believe most driver's records and attitudes keep them from getting hired, not their height and weight. Regarding passengers: Immediate family only, over 13 yrs old, with an approved rider pass (insurance purposes). No pregnant women of course, no pets.

 

How long will it last? Who knows. Question is why are they hiring. Hmmmmmmmmm CSA2010 possibly. Perhaps they are going to have to let some of their current driver's go due to tickets, accidents, oopses, who knows.

 

Sounds so much like my husband,,he has been so positive since he has beeen at Maverick this week! But I guess we will have to wait and see! He really wants this job and says he has been employed and will start over the road soon!! He is really likeing them. He reallly doesnt know what to believe,,he has heard so many stories!!!!! Talk to ya soon!

 

Well; I can tell you if he pays attention to what they want and doesn't do things his way instead and proves himself they are a very good co to work for. They will work with a driver who will follow guidelines and meet co standards. About the only ones that complain that I know of are the ones that was let go for tearing stuff up and or costing the co to much money when things got tight. I have been with good and bad co's and will say maverick is one of the best to work for.

 

Ok since Maverick is a flatbed company I will bring up something that happened to me Thursday night. I was on my way back to the yard it was eleven o'clock pm a very clear night. Traffic was very(very) light next to none. I had a car to my right side just past my fender. We were traveling along at about 50-55 I was a half mile from my left turn to the yard. When out of nowhere a pickup truck merges on to the hwy we were on the car next to me had just got in front of me to allow room for this pick-up. When with no signal or warning this guy jumps into the left lane hits his brakes and stops to make a left turn. The car in front of me hits his brakes and jumps into the right lane and with nowhere to go I had to hit my brakes really hard. So this 40000 pound coil slids about two feet forward, I felt it slid let off the brake and jumped into the right lane almost hitting this pick-up. All this happened in about twenty seconds all because someone could not wait ten seconds to let us pass before getting onto the highway. Cost my company $200 to have a crane pick it up and set it back down. The coil was loaded shotgun with four chains thur the eye, and three starps across the top. I have run this way many of times and with no issues. The problem I have now is I have racked my brain many times over the last forty-eight hours wondering if there was something else I could have done different. We always anticipate other drivers movements but when a vehicle moves over to let someone have room to merge into traffic You never expect them to cut you off and stop. Could I have put more chians on the coil? Yeah but as hard as I hit my brakes would that have helped, maybe the chains done their job in stopping a coil from coming off or at the cab. Sorry for the long rant but this really spooked me and I only got about two hours of sleep Thursday night and really need some insight on this. Have any of you ever had a load(coil) shift? Could really use some advice!

 

The only thing I can think of did you have coil blocks front and back?

 

Coil blocks...yes.

But the bigger problem has to be the distance away from the front of the coil...where you attached your chains to the trailer.

Don't spread those chains way out...no matter if its loaded shotgun or suicide, keep them as close to the coil as possible.

Pull the coil down onto the trailer.

Load placement of a shotgun coil... Place it where you can put 2 of the chains (1 on each side) down through a stake pocket. That means, pick the 2 pockets you want to use and set the coil no more than 2-3 inches behind the pockets.

That way, you have chains across the front of the coil...and with that and coil blocks it won't (can't) move forward.