Millis OTR journal

I always use the trailer brakes. Recently I've had a couple stubborn trailers that required using both the trailer brakes and the hand brake at the same time. Every once in a while you'll get one of those. Typically it's on a trailer that is old, has sat for a while, or has been abused. I haven't had to do than in a long time, not for about a year or so when I was still at Millis. I have a trick for scaling but it requires a little time and it will change every time you're in a new truck. And, you'll need to do this on a CAT scale. Don't do it on a brewery scale or that garbage scale at the Trenton terminal. Next time you get a real heavy load, like 40k or higher, get yourself to a truck stop with a CAT scale. Scale the load and then adjust your weight so that you are as close as humanly possible to 34k on your drives without going over. This may take 2 or 3 passes on the scale. Re-weighs only cost $2 so I guarantee you nobody at Millis will say anything to you. Once you have achieved 34k on your drives (again, not going over) Look at your suspension gauge and memorize its position. Now you'll have a reference for weight and that'll save you time and guesswork in the future. So if you snag a 42k load and you adjust your load by sight based on that suspension gauge, you should be fine to at the very least get yourself to a scale if you are nervous. No cop on the planet is gonna give you a ticket if you show them your BOL and tell them that you haven't yet reached the closest scale on your route. That suspension guage has saved me a few times. Including that Twin Rivers or Two Rivers place up in NY. GD I hated that place. I'd like to go back some day and kick that idiot dock guy in the nuts.

 

@MIT If I may suggest something.... Regarding your tug tests. Please do what makes you feel comfortable. Definitely do things as your trainer tells you while you are still in his ride. But... I am going to give you my routine for whatever it's worth to you. I came up with this based on what Perry has told me he's seen on the road, and I have since seen on my own. I guess I have to give him credit for something else, and I'm doing it very begrudgingly. Sometimes when you hook to a trailer your 5th wheel won't completely lock. So even if you do a regular tug test, you won't know that you haven't fully hooked to the trailer. Again, I have personally watched this happen to other drivers. It is very possible, although not common, to hook to a trailer, do a tug test, and still lose your trailer. When I back up to a trailer, I will get my 5th wheel under it. I don't back all the way up, I get just shy of the 5th wheel lock engaging. Then I get out and raise the landing gear a couple inches. No more than that. The purpose of this is to make absolutely sure that the full weight of the trailer is resting on the 5th wheel before you hook to it. This will prevent any chance of a high-hook or rough terrain playing any part in your hookup. Once you have raised the landing gear a few inches, go ahead and complete your back into the trailer. The reason you don't wan't to raise the landing gear much is to prevent any major damage in the event that your hook wasn't successful. If you pull away and the trailer drops 2 inches, most likely the trailer and the freight will be fine. So now that you're hooked, do a tug test. Then cut your wheel hard left and do another tug. Then hard right and do another tug. I do this on EVERY SINGLE dnh. No joke. Sometimes when you hook, it's possible for the 5th wheel jaws to not completely engage. Again, I have watched this happen to other drivers. Everything looks good, then they went to turn out of whatever facility we were in, and BOOM! Off comes the trailer. I've watched it happen 3 times. On one occasion, it was able to be lifted and reconnected to the truck. On another, the trailer popped two drive tires before it smashed into the ground. The third was a nightmare story. The trailer blew a couple drive tires and damaged part of the truck frame. It could have been easily prevented by doing what I just described. It takes a couple extra minutes, yes. It can definitely save your job, and your life. Literally. If you read all my old posts, I always ended it with "check your pins" at some point in my sign-off. I still do that every single time. Even if I never left my truck, I do that every single time before moving. It'll happen man, when you aren't expecting it. Truck drivers are dicks, count on that. As long as you have Millis on the side of your truck or trailer, I got your back. You're family. Everyone else can get bent. But always watch your 6. And ALWAYS take the time to do a solid hookup.

 

There are no stupid mistakes. People love to throw around the phrase "there are no stupid questions". I assure you, there are some completely retarded questions. But mistakes are like scars. I have scars on my body that were the result of some really bad mistakes. I wouldn't change those moments or mistakes for all the money in the world. Those moments pave your path to the future. Learn, grow, move on.

 

Fair enough. My least favorite questions are the ones that have been asked about 50 times by someone claiming to have read every post I made. Like "Hey man, your question has already been answered many times." I'm gonna take another sip of this beer and then punch you in the face because you're an idiot. You might wanna call someone for a ride home. I'm also gonna add a shot to my bill, and you're going to pay for it whether you like it or not. I'll take a shot of Patron XO, please and thank you