Most miles driven in One day ?

I noticed you've only been driving a year. Did you get into cattle hauling as your first CDL job or did you drive with a dry van first? If cattle hauling was your first gig who trained you? There are not any starter companies for livestock hauling as far as I know.

BTW what are resting pens? Areas to unload the bovines temporarily while you sleep or what?

 

I have family out there too, thats why I do what I do. Just cause they were out if hours is that what cause the incident or was it stupidity? You never answered my question would you drive longer if HOS rules allowed it? I don't doubt that you have been run off the road by a truck pulling a livestock trailer. Run off the road by a Bullhauler unlikely, we take a lot of pride in what we do money has nothing to do with it. There are only a hand full left who show pride in what they do. Any body that is all about money out here is dangerous. I have more fear of the educated poorly trained drivers than a hand that is out of hours or drives a little harder than the speed limits. Again lets just agree to disagree you have your opinion and I see your point. However a broad spectrum of rules can't fit every application efficiently. Takes more than a CDL to be a driver we all know that. Doesn't matter if you are driving or parked at a truck stop goofing off, for that matter laying in bed at a truck stop unable to sleep because of something annoying going on is still no rest. But the latter 2 are ok I guess.

There is risk and reward in everything. IMO whats wrong with HOS rules is money and inexperience. There are very few top hands left in the trucking industry, they outlaw paper gonna be one less. Its my truck let me drive it. How you drive yours is up to you doesn't matter to me. I don't tell other drivers what they should do. In turn I only listen to the Good Lord and smokey bear, and I avoid the latter like the clap.

 

Guy I haul hogs for part time has gotten plenty of ppl without a cdl trained and driving. Gotta start at the bottom washi g trailers jockey trailers around the yard and such. Livestock haulers are in high demand around here. Or maybe I should say non morons willing to work hard drivers are in demand. They would give a non experience guy a shot if he came with a willingness to learn

 

Resting pens are a place we can unload our trailer so the cattle can rest. Get food water and stretch out. Its law they have to be off the trailer after so long. You are correct I pulled a flat then a box then started hauling cattle. Been driving for about 18 months now. I didn't get training to haul cattle. There isn't really much too it when it comes to driving the truck other than being VERY smooth. You dont go grabbing gears putting your foot to the floor, you absolutely don't slam on the brakes at any point in time, and you always keep torque on the drive line going through a curve. Those are the main things to remember when driving. Loading is another story. I've worked with cattle before when I was younger which helps. But its complete suicide for somebody that doesn't know how to work with cattle. I've crawled in a pen with 110 calves before and even a little 450lb calf CAN and WILL kill you if you don't know what you're doing. I've had some close calls I've had gates kicked before they hit the slam latch, I've had that counter balance get stepped on when I was trying to shut it and bout lost all my teeth. And even Saturday down in KS I had a 475lb calf chase me out of the trailer. Didn't have room to climb and my ### just started running down the ramp. Hey last 3 head finally walked off. And I got to head home that's what I cared about. Lol. Its not an easy life. Talk to a bullhauler one of these days if you get the chance. You'll understand why we do what we do. And there's a lot of things we could tell you that would make you never want a burger or steak again. I prefer to not think about that when I'm chowing down though.

 

Did I say the HOS didn't apply to me? Hell at any given time I'm sitting on about $900 in fines and an OOS violation for sure. You're clearly one of those people that have NOT been around trucking very long. You DONT know anything about the industry me, woreout, and Johnathan are in, don't sit there and ridicule us when I'm sure you enjoy eating your beef. alal you can do is sit there and say were wrong. I ain't wrecked a truck yet, not saying it won't happen but it hasn't happened yet. I guarantee you I get less sleep in a week than you get in 2 days but I'm not out there weaving down what highway like half the freight haulers are. I guarantee you I have more stress in my day than you have in a week, but I still manage to do my job, and don't sit there and whine and complain. You think I want miles? I'd be happy with 3000 a week but you freight haulees forget its not uncommon for a bull rack to deadhead 600-900 miles to pick up a load. Well heck I have to make money, and when I get to the barn if I'm tired I get my ### chewed for hitting the bunk and going to sleep for more than 2 hours. I'm as time critical as a load of syringes going to a hospital. You probably think you have horrible dispatchers that push you don't have a clue. Its real easy for you to criticize us for what we do when you don't have any idea what we go through.

Yea I knew what you meant sorry let me clarify ms hawk doesn't understand that those pens aren't all over either. Elreno is the closest that I know of around my area. So in reality resting pens aren't even a viable solution when you look at it. There aren't many of them around and like you said $400 is a lot for a driver to pay and then pass on to the customer. He/she has no clue what we go through and doesn't care period the end. Hell there's a reason they call it bullhauler tough. And where she gets were running people off the road I have no clue. I see more freight haulers in accidents than I ever do bull wagons. And contrary to his/her belief there are a lot of bull wagons out there.

 

I refuse to answer because I am not sure if there is a statute of Big Riggin' with extreme joy. Jolt cola was involved. Corpus Christi, Texas to Laughlin Nevada comes to mind. 36 24 36 comes to mind. 22 hours some said. It's just a rumor I heard once. They can't prove I did it, but they suspect I might have. No Sat's no QUALCOMM's. The old days. 53 mph is all a "log book" will let you run. Must be true, it's a rule.

 

Interesting. Everyone has their niche I guess. I prefer freight that doesn't make any noise or tries to kill me.:smt107

 

785 has been my longest drive. paper logs...

 

Lmfao you're alright in my book.

Its not so bad once your used to it. Noise isnt even the word for it. You think a reefer is loud listening to them rattle around in that trailer is a new kind of noise. I don't sleep when they're on the trailer don't know that I could. I'm used to the mooing though don't hear it much anymore. I actually live less than 1/2 a mile from a sale barn so its not too bad. I've had a few of them try to kill me before. They don't know any better though. You have to remember their brain is the size of your fist. They don't think very fast and trying to sit there and harass them to get them in/out of the trailer doesn't work at times. Just stresses them out more and then they won't do anything other than get pissed. I've been kicked, bout had my teeth knocked in, had my foot stepped on numerous times. And you can bet your sweet butt I can climb. I got chased out of a pen in south Dakota Friday. Sons a ####### didn't want to funnel up the chute started backing down and I didn't see that one had turned around...he got the prod and I guess that 435lb steer got a little testy. He come charging at me and my ### started climbing. Oh I will say. You learn not to tell you're loved ones what happens out there. My mom knows the job...she doesn't know everything that has about got me killed or put me in the hospital. I found my nitch mixed 2 loves in life. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to run so hard though. Don't get me wrong ain't no feeling like cowmobiling...but I have a feeling a broken home and some broken bones is all I'll have to show for in a few years. Oh well climb back in the truck bump the chute and I'll be happy again...long as that truck keeps running. Had to turn around today blew an oil line somewhere got oil everywhere and idk wtf happened. So I'm sitting can't run and I refuse to load when the truck could potentially have the motor lock up going down the road at 75 or 80.

 

You guys are forgetting one very important thing, what is the truck speed limit in each state you drive in on a given tour of duty. For instance Michigan is 60. You can get away with logging 57. Missouri is 70, you can get away logging 66-67. My truck will run 105 mph but I sure as heck cannot log it. I said my truck will run 105 but I don't drive it that fast, usually about 5 mph over the posted limit. Haven't had a ticket in over 25 years.