Qualcomm

and what kind of a fool would do that?????????

 

If U shut off the engine, going down hill, while the tranny is in gear, the crankshaft is still turning, but the oil pump is no longer delivering engine oil to vital moving parts !! DO NOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE WHILE GOING DOWN THE HILL !! If your objective is to save fuel, then put the tranny in neutral and let it coast, but WATCH YOUR SPEED while going down the hill. Bears are fully aware of this trick, and will be waiting with his radar gun at the bottom of the hill, or half way down B4 you reach the bottom. Bring the engine RPM up to match your speed, then re-engage the tranny WITHOUT GRINDING GEARS. If U don't know how to re-engage the tranny without grinding gears, then DON'T PUT THE TRANNY IN NEUTRAL AT ALL !!

 

He is not trying to save fuel, he is trying to read qualcomm while driving.

 

They have different settings. Some will allow you to read messages but not type or send any while the truck is in motion while another stricter setting doesnt allow any usage (such as switching from screen to screen to read directions), and some will have the system "open" meaning you can read and send messages while the truck is in motion. This last setting is usually permitted for a team operation.

There are different types of mesages such as the macro or "canned message" which has sections for a driver to fill in such as a loaded call typical info required would be trailer #, bol #, piece count, weight, seal, and "freeform" messages which means you can type out a message to your dispatcher.
As LogsRus stated; qualcomm does charge for each letter, symbol, and transmission sent and/or received, so sending unnecessary messages may get you a reprimand from your dispatcher. Many companies will have a list of approved symbols to represent terminal locations and a list of "shorthand" commonly used to save the company money.

 

First, I was describing the macros at my employer as examples, so a different employer may have a completely different set of macros.

As for paying by the letter vice by thw word, Logs is correct and I am wrong. I recall now, it is by the letter transmitted.

We have an old post that may not be here any longer, but it was from a driver from Chizek Trucking out of Wisconsin, and the company charged the driver for the cost of any Qualcomm messages they sent beyond a certain point. To me, that was incredible, and one of the cheapest things that I have ever heard of a company doing, but it definitely was talked about here.

Where I work, w use the QC to communicate, and in addition to the usual expected messages, I will get offers of weekend work on it, they will tell us of traffic delays and accidents in an area, they will even notify us if the Illinois Toll Road sets up portable scales. The theory is that once they went to the expense of having a way to communicate with us, why not make use of it. Last week I got a notice that one of the terminals was having an open lunch for anyone in the area, so we make use of it. The cost is a minor thing compared to the usefulness of the system.

 

transport america did all the usual macros. The best one (can't remember the number now) basically *I need directions to the shipper or receiver*

The directions came from the qualcom but were written by drivers drivers that had been to the shipper receiver before.

"I-80 take iowa exit 242 eor (end of ramp) turn south, thru 2 lights, turn right on gravel road at tracks, enter at the second gate by guard shack.
no smoking on property. have control # for guard"

it was the best thing since sliced bread

 

Where I am, Macro 11 gets me directions to any customer. All customers have a 6 letter code that identifies them. If i type in macro 11, and ask for "QUKAMI" I will get directions for the QUala Wash Tank Wash in KAlamazoo, MIchigan. Of course, I also have a GPS in the truck, so I don't use 11 as much as I used to, but it also includes phone numbers and contact names for the customers.

 

The answer is the kind of a fool who forgets that Werner paid out over 12 million dollars as part of an accident settlement several years ago because the timing of the Qualcomm messages proved that at the time the driver had the accident, he was not paying attention to the road, but was typing messages on his Qualcomm.

 

The oil pumps are mechanically driven on CAT's, MACK's and VOlVO's, so as long as your engine is turning the oil is pumping.

Mark

 

I usually turn off the truck while going downhill and then step into the back to make myself a sandwich, use the phone, go to the bathroom, etc.

OMG, seriously Bubba... you ADMIT turning the truck off to read the Qualcom while going downhill? I'd fire you for even THINKING about doing that.