My Experience With KLLM

So, I got to Jackson yesterday afternoon and got to meet our own heysteveh! Incredibly nice guy!
They assigned him a truck and, right off the bat, he has an APU (you lucky fellow you!). He's just waiting for them to finish prepping his truck (and a note to all you drivers, and prospective drivers out there...take pride in your ride....KEEP IT CLEAN!! The former driver of heysteveh's truck....no pride apparently...gawd! That driver went off on medical leave and the state of his truck leaves me to wonder if it wasn't some variety of toxic shock syndrome....). Our prep guys are pretty good so I'm sure they'll get it in order for heysteveh. Otherwise it is a good solid and nice truck and with the APU, if heysteveh is sent to California this summer he won't be able to fry bacon on his dashboard.

Since he'll probably be here a few more days he rented a car and he, I, and several other drivers went out to dinner and had a great time. It was nice to be able to sit down and eat without having to worry about having the company van back (or to have to wait for the company van to so we could go).

I look forward to sharing the road with heysteveh and hearing about his adventures

This layover in Jackson has been fun and productive. I caught up on some sleep, did my laundry, was able to pick up my new registration and meet one of our members!

On the horse front, when I was home briefly last weekend, I leased out four mares to be bred to an awesome stallion with some bloodlines up close in his pedigree that I'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. The stallion owner gets the first four and then will breed the mares back so I get four foals. I'm excited! The first mare leaves for breeding on Monday and will be gone for a month. Then the first of the four mares we have due to foal this year is due on March 23rd. The anticipation and excitement, as well as my awesome paycheck this week prompted me to drop $220 on three leather foal halters with brass nameplates (with my farm name on them) and a leather halter with brass nameplates for my stallion. I swear...I have NO impulse control....

So, sometime tonight I head out to Louisiana to deliver in the morning. I guess it might behoove me to take a nap before then . Hopefully they can find a load for me tomorrow (HA! Sunday? Yeah...right!) otherwise it will be Monday (I'm betting bananas on Monday....anyone else in a gambling mood?).

RT

 

RT, Glad to see your excitement for being an O/O, especially when you see a BIG settlement check. Just remember to set some of it aside for maintainance, Self-emplyment taxes, and to save some for a rainy day (or two, or three, or.. You get the picture.) Not doing so is the biggest down fall of many O/Os, particularly when the truck breaks down.

I wish you much success.

 

I opted for the maintenance plan offered by the company. 7cpm for the truck and 1.5cpm for the APU. With that, if my truck has a problem they take care of it. This includes PM's, tires, brakes, blowing a motor....everything. It is essentially like it is a company truck as far as the maintenance. This plan is like having health insurance for your truck...just with no co-pays or deductibles.

At the end of January when I was home I set up a savings account specifically for my self-employment taxes. I'm taking 20% of every settlement and putting it in that account. The way I set it up is that I can transfer money in by phone but in order to withdraw any I have to go down in person. Kinda puts the kill button on temptation. I can't touch it out on the road even if I wanted to. Will I owe 20% in taxes? Probably not. With all the deductions between the truck and my farm I usually owe little to nothing...BUT better to set aside too much than not enough.

I am also setting aside 15% for those rainy days and my plan is to also buy at least one savings bond per month. I'm not trusting any 401k or other such retirement type programs at the moment as the one compiled from my previous two jobs has been dwindling at an alarming rate with this shag nasty economy we're in. At least with savings bonds I know when they mature and how much I'm getting out of it. Take it, cash it, reinvest it in bonds again.
I've never been fond of 401k's as I can't wrap my head around the idea that it is MY money but if I want to take it out I GET CHARGED PENALTIES?!?!?! I earned it, I put it in there, but some schmuck somewhere gets to take a slice of MY pie if I have the audacity to want to take MY money somewhere else???? Especially now when it's disappearing faster than dust bunnies into a Hoover vaccum cleaner? I have words for this but they'd just appear as ####'s on this forum.

RT

 

Hi there, I would like to know how things would go if your a student and your going to KLLM. How many weeks do you spend with a trainer. Is this a good comp, how is the solo otr, do you pick your own route, do they treat you with respect, is there equipment good, is there a rider program, and can you take the truck home. I know its alot of questions would help alot if you answer. Thank you and be safe. Also are there benefits good.

 

You've made some wise decisions with your financial structure for your business. Most drivers become O/Os not understanding they must view their decisions as a business man/woman first and formost. Just getting behind the wheel and running miles does not ensure a profit. Operating your truck in a cost effective manner will. The biggest way to increase your bottom line is to slow down and conserve fuel. I operate my truck at 60 mph (with no lose in productivity), and keep my idling to a minimum (19.44% over 2.5 yrs with no APU). My average mpg is 6.5 for all miles and idling. This is on an '06 Cummins ISX 435.

Be safe, and continued success.

 

Do a search and you will find your answers about KLLM. 6 weeks with a trainer, the benefits are good, but they just went up, you can have a rider over 12 years old after you have 6 months experience, equipment is good, respect is good, miles are good, and taking the truck home depends on where you live.

 

Well I'm getting ready to go to orentation. Looking forward to getting back to work. I do have a question anyone know where there driving test is done and is it just like taking the road test for CDL.

 

If going to Jackson, MS for Orientation; yes I'm familiar with the road test route. The Tester will be in passenger seat (very nice guy) and you will be on all types of roads; from wide to narrow. There will also be 2 or 3 other Drivers with you and all take turns at different segments of the route. Therefore all will drive a portion of the route for a complete round trip. My advice is be 2nd or 3rd to drive. This because there is a very difficult right turn at a very narrow intersection with a telephone pole right on the corner. And it is a busy intersection. Once you see this, you'll know why I am saying this. (In 2001 I was driving and had to do this right turn and I was scared to death).

Once done with the route, you are back at Terminal where each driver does their backing. No problems here, just slow and easy plus G.O.A.L. (Get Out And Look) many times. Overall, you'll do fine. They aren't looking for perfection, just common sense. Just like when you did Road Test for your CDL.

 

Thanks, I will be in Jackson hope all goes well. See ya'll on the road.

 

Well Thanks everyone for all the info I'm leaving in the morning. Hope everything goes well, will post when training is done. Not taking laptop with me I want to be free to pick my trainers brain, and learn everything I can. Again thanks will let ya'll know how it went. Hoping that will be in about 7 weeks.