A word of advice...... make SURE you and you wife are on the same page about trucking. You will be gone AT LEAST 6 weeks at first, then home MOST weekends. A Maverick "weekend" is usually about 34-48 hours. Even with you being home every weekend, it's still only about 8 days per month...... If there is ANY doubts from either of you now....it will only be magnified 10 times when you walk out the door. Not trying to discourage anyone, just being honest.
It does take some "adjusting" that is for sure. Read these threads for best descriptions of what's ahead: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/maverick/202583-my-maverick-experience.html http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr.../101564-heading-for-little-rock-maverick.html
Sitting at Nutra Blend in Neosho, MO, loading Thursday morning. It's another dry load. Haven't had to turn the reefer on since last Friday. Kinda weird and nice not having that thing running all the time!
I really appreciate the quick and informative answers. My experience is current and still training. Really tired of running the NE so much and want something more challenging. Again, thank you both!
I've been curious as to how the battery powered APU's have been doing in this heat. Are you all able to stay comfortable on your breaks, or do they give out quick, or not work at all?
Ohhh they work lol. If you close the middle curtains there, that thing can easily freeze you out on its highest setting. The biggest problem is that they ARE battery powered, which means at some point, the power runs out. I'd would say that 95% of the time, I don't have an issue with it shutting off at all while I'm on a break. The other 5% of the time, it usually goes off when I'm on a longer break (more than 12 hours) or on a restart. In those cases, you have to get up and idle the truck for awhile to recharge the system. It happens so infrequently though that it's really not a big deal. I try to reduce the power is uses by flipping on the rear air control about an hour before I stop for the day, which cools down the back and keeps me from having it on full blast for an hour to cool everything down.
I delivered my Nutra Blend load on Friday morning in Des Plaines, IL, which is in the Chicago area. I then drove to Delavu, WI to pick up a preloaded candy load located at Andes Candies. So now I can add another state to my list that I have been too! First time for me to Wisconsin. The load I picked up in Wisconsin gets delivered tomorrow morning at Tootsie Roll in Covington, TN. I am currently sitting at a Pilot in Hayti, MO taking my 34 hour restart. I also pick up a load in Covington, TN at the same place I am delivery to, Tootsie Roll. That load is a multiload and I will be delivering it in Columbus, OH, and then to Romulus, MI on Tuesday.
I'm in Covington, TN, just dropped a trailer and hooked up to another trailer. Waiting to get loaded now. Its a multistop load. First stop is in Columbus, OH, last stop is in Romulus, MI by Detroit.
