My Experience with Lone Star Transportation

yea its a -20 sleeping bag on top of my blanket (no bunk heater)





American Trucker

 

thats how you adjust the steering wheel, push that down to release it.





American Trucker

 

Yea so this morning i woke up to 28* outside AND inside Burrrrrrrr. After forceing myself to get out of my nice warm bed, and went to walk inside the truck stop that was 1/2 a mile away (parked in the back row of the J) and on my way in i saw another LST truck (but not that guy i was telling you about).


So anyways i get to the shipper right at 8am. And these people are awesome I never want to pull a van again . I get to the gate, there is a sign that says "use call box to open gate" as in call us and we'll let you in. Well there was an employee walking from his car into the building on the other side of the gate, and instead of just walking by like most people will. he stops at a keypad on his side and opens the gate for me so i didnt even have to get out of the truck.

Then i pull in behind another LST truck, that guy that i was in sanford with . So i go in and sign in. Then go out and help this other driver get his tarps down. Now i dont feel so bad this guys been a flatbedder for a long time worked at KEEN before he came here, and he could barely move his big tarp (i can lift them up just not over my head). Anyway so after helping him move his tarps and watching him get loaded 12 pieces, he moved and i spun around and parked in the same spot.

Then the other LST truck i saw at the TS pulled in .

Then they load me took less then 10 min to load me 12 pieces. Anyway the forklift guy put my tarps up for me, and i climbed up and rolled out my tarps. The other driver brought his ladder over so i could get down (LONG jump ) then i bungied the hello out of it, threw my straps over the load climbed back up put my V bordes under the tarp. Then tighened down the staps and i was good to go. From the time i pulled onto their property till i left was 3 hours. No to shabby, considering i had to wait for the other guy to get loaded, the figure out how to tarp. The other guy gave me a few tips as well.


I REALLY wasnt looking forward to tarping because i always here guys wineing about it. well i think i may just be a flatbedder...Why? because after tarping/secureing even though i've never done it before and had to think for a min. I didnt break a sweat, i wasnt tired, pissed, or whatever when i was done and it was even 28* outside and I STILL ENJOYED tarping!



so here is what i did. And yes i know i did the front wrong, the other driver showed me how he did it, and i'll do it that way next time, but at the time this way looked like it would keep the wind out of the tarp. NOTE: i drove 2.5 hours after loading this and NONE of my straps loosened up and my tarp DIDNT flap around at all, little to no movement going down the road at 65mph.


So...how'd i do?



Front:




Side:





Back:








After loading i drove 2.5 hours 142 miles home. I dont have to be in TX until Tuesday do to the customer being closed for the holidays. I'll leave Saturday so i can take my time getting out there nice 3 days (short days 8.75 max) on the way out so i dont hurt my recap for next week.


Anyway while i was waiting for my dad to come pick me up from my truck, i got a call from recruiting. LST yet again proved how much they really care about their drivers. She said she has gotten 3 calls from drivers saying "i was refered by a 22 year old driver that has a blog on The Truckers Report.com." and the last one to call here was even nice enough to explain to her how to get to this blog, so she looked me up by my start date and age and new who i was and called me to let me know about the Recruiteing bonus and to make sure i give you guys my name and truck number....sooooo If anyone is planning on Applying to Lone Star Transportation and you'd like to put a little extra $$ in my pocket send me a PM and i'll give you my Name and Truck number, I'd appreciate it


And to the 3 of you that have applied, Thank You!







American Trucker

 

Oh the load weighs 18,300 lbs. I used 9 Straps just incase you cant see, the other 2 drivers only put 6 straps but i wanted 3 on each stack.


And when i got home i got me a ladder! haha





American Trucker

 

They can send you a route if you need it, they send a Vauge (sp?) route but you can go anyway you want, they only pay Routed miles though, so it dont do you any good to drive and extra 100 miles because you will not get paid for it unless you have the route approved ahead of time (this is mainly for OVER SIZE loads when you have to follow some crazy route the state gives you that can add 100's of extra miles to a route)





American Trucker

 

Yep, i love small companies. Its like Cheers "where everybody knows your name"




American Trucker