Silenteagle's thread of experience

silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

[h=2]

silenteagle said: ↑

It's been a few weeks since i posted here, so I will share my lastest experience with blind side backing. Now, I sometimes find a really challenging parking spot at these truck stops and attempt to get into them. Not always able to conquor the challenge and often pull out and find an easier spot, but it has improved my skills at the T/S. Tonight I pulled into the Petro Little Rock and there was only one spot left that the rest of the drivers kept passing by. It was a blind side backing spot with about 6 inches on each side of the yellow lines. I barely had enough room to set up (I slid the trl tandems forward all the way) for the backing and an idiot schneider guy parked on the end (not in a spot either) making it more challenging. I had to pull up three times and barely squeeked by the pete classic on the right side. Once I got it going in, I pulled up straight and got it in. I have about 12 inches on each side. Another driver spotted for me, but I still ended up getting out 5 times and moving 5-10 feet each time until I could see in the mirrors again. I would not normally do this, but desparation usually drives people to do challenging things.

For the newer folks that read this, I would recommend that you not try this until you are competent at alley docking in the tightest situations
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[/h]
Another post from my old thread.....

silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

silenteagle said: ↑

Spent the week at home this week. Had to go to the VA to get something evaluated.

Got the truck fixed, the ride height adjusted to level the truck and the right spindle was damaged, requiring replacement. All warranty work. One lesson here people, if you are on hometime, you are not eligible for the $175 breakdown pay per day.

Did the laundry and got the APU put on as well. I have to tip my hat to the APU and Road Assist guys, as they held my APPT until my truck was done at FreightLiner. Kudos....

Coming back to Sprimo on Saturday for a load is risky, as they were 30 loads short. Next time, stop hometime at 6pm Friday and maybe get a load out Saturday. I also found out that layover pay for the weekend is double time: IE: before getting layover pay, you have to be waiting for a load for 48 hours on Friday through Monday.
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And this one too

silenteagle said: ↑

Just decided to share... you can make a great breakfast ON YOUR TRUCK!!! I eat scrambled eggs with sausage crumbles and homefries or hash browns. shredded cheese tops this off. If you go to Wally world, you can get a 3 pack of egg beaters singles, bag of Jimmy Dean sausage crumbles, and bag of hash browns or home fries in the dairy section (not the frozen ones). You will also need Glad steamer bags for the eggs. I cook the hash browns or home fries on my George Foreman grill, seasoning them with season salt, but whatever floats your boat, leaving them on there until the eggs are done, but unplugged. Pour the egg beaters and some sausage crumbles in the steamer bag and microwave them for 2 minutes... if not done, give it another 30 seconds. Put some shredded cheese on top of whatever you want and viola

If you are ever in the same place, just let me know and if I have enough, I'll cook you up some breakfast too
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

[h=2]REPOWER!!! (for lease guys)[/h][h=2]

silenteagle said: ↑

Did a repower today, but had to ask one question... Am I getting paid for the deadhead miles??? big difference in settlement betweek 320 miles and 645 miles, on a 1050 mile load. I have taken the approach to let the FM know that it is a business decision, and the question is always "how will it benefit my business?" Here's the scoop:

1. If you are repowering someone, you have the advantage. The load you give up you should get paid for both empty and loaded miles.
2. Repower guy eats it with a lower CPM on the repower in both directions.
3. If you are getting repowered, you do NOT get paid for the DH miles, giving the repowering guy a better settlement.

I have been on both ends of this, as I dropped a load in sprimo to go on hometime. Did not like driving 780 miles to get paid for 410. Just not a good feeling. Lesson to be learned: DON'T REQUIRE REPOWER!!!!!
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

silenteagle said: ↑

Just thought I would share an experience with trailer brakes. Picked up a 100xxx trailer in Gaffney SC loaded with 42K of Nestle stuff. Did my inspection and everything seemed ok. Went to the scale (anything over 42K I scale) and filled the reefer (macro 52 is my friend) and got on the road. Headed up 26W to 40W and noticed the first downhill that the tractor was bouncing a little as I applied the brake, like the trailer brakes were not really working. Notified RA and they told me to try the back up thing to tighten up the slack adjusters. (they seemed fine when I checked them) Stopped at a rest area and did this, and checked the trailer hubs. One much hotter than the others. (turned out to be the only brake working) RA sends me to a T/A and everything checks out until the Mech has me work the brakes. He finds a slack adjuster not moving the brakes. Getting the trailer fixed, and readjust the 90 appt or repower??? we will find out later. The one hot brake was dragging as well, causing the heat and drag going up hills.

I guess I want to share that many people just hook and run. This was a potential disaster hitting the gorge and hills on I40 through TN with one trailer brake working and 77K. Sometimes even the pretrip won't catch everything, and you should know your truck and how it feels under load, and under braking conditions to identify those possible problems. Also you should be touching the hubs when you stop.
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Lesson learned the hard way last year.

silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

Yes, I came to Prime to be an instructor.

silenteagle said: ↑

I had planned on becoming a trainer here at Prime all along, and if you missed the posts in reply to U2exit's questions, here is a recap. I have been an instuctor for the US Army teaching leadership, vehicle recovery, and heavy construction equipment operation with a combined 6 years of instructor experience, resulting in attaining the Master Instructor level. It would just be natural to bring my abilities to this job as well.

The TnT Class is just less than one day, and requires simulator training as a part of it. The class was okay in the area of prepping you to select a student and try to set up the situation to get along. Establishing rules and being clear about the standards on the truck, as well as what is expected from the student were good things to learn. Where I feel it fell short was with the specific tasks that must be taught. They have, however, come up with a binder that has all of that information, which is not too bad. I would prefer more of a lesson plan with more detail about the task and how it is performed and graded, but crossing over to the civilian world I realize that things aren't quite the same. I got that out of the way and got on the road. The FM got me rolling after the class, and after my first load had me headed to FL, where I picked up my first student who needed 1600 miles to upgrade.

I picked up Fred (changed the name for privacy reasons) and we got a load from St. Pete to Denver. After a few questions as we went to drop off the previous load in Auborndale I got the feeling that this guy doesn't know everything needed to upgrade. When we got to the drop yard, he had no clue how to drop the trailer, or hook up to the empty. He didn't know how to do the drop trailer or pick up trailer reports, nor did he know how to manage his logs. Now before you start thinking he is an idiot, let me tell you that he is not. His driving skills were above expectations, although his shifting was rusty, his driving, entering and exiting the highway, and his city driving were all up to speed. I feel comfortable letting him drive. After some further questioning, I found out that his previous trainer had purposely kept from teaching him all of the tasks necessary to upgrade, and his purpose was to keep Fred on the truck at $600 a week for as long as possible (slave labor so to say) to make some more money. I know this because Fred has picked up what I am teaching him and retaining it, and executing these tasks without supervision later. As far as driving is concerned, and backing as well, he is trained and proficient for the most part, but truck management and QC management are tasks that were never taught to him. The trainer had never even taught him how to trip plan!!!!!

Now, I am not one to go for this slave labor thing that some do, and some of you might think I am crazy, but I just couldn't do it to him at $600 a week. It would be like taking advantage of the other trainers set up. I offered him to run through June at a % split (privacy here please) after expenses. I think that is fair, as he could walk into the Mill bldg and upgrade right now. I do not want this to happen, because Fred would become one of those guys that turn in their truck and tell bad stories on here.

As a progress report, I can say that he is now proficient at hooking and dropping trailers, as well as managing his logs. Fred is learning how to trip plan, and with each trip we take, he becomes more proficient at using the Atlas, calculating fuel and time requirements. I am happy to help Fred become a good driver, and can only hope that Fred leaves my truck he will make me proud and do great things.
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

silenteagle said: ↑

Now to share a new experience with everyone. It is called roundout, a condition where your tire was not manufactured properly and shakes the hell out of the truck. (I think IP or U2 warned me in a previous post that I had this problem, and I shoulda listened) For those of you getting into a truck, new or used, beware of the unbalanced or shaky truck tires. Take it for a spin before turning in the inspection sheet. If it starts shaking badly after you get on the road, have it looked at next time you visit a terminal. The sooner they find that out of round tire, the better chances of getting it warrantied out (so you don't pay for the new one) Why am I going on with this????? I just replaced two almost new (80% tread left) tires because one was out of round. Wish I would have caught it sooner that 50k miles, then I might have only purchased one. Newbie lesson learned, so you don't have to learn this one the hard way.
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Learned about tires the hard way!!! Could have picked up a couple of used ones for 70% of the new price....

silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

silenteagle said: ↑

You guys done with your lovers quarrel on my thread ???? Had to go there....

Well, it was a quiet trip without my "codriver" with me. Pulled off last night in Wytheville at the J after seeing 5 different single car wrecks. I thought about this for a minute... Am I scared of wrecking? No... Can I not handle the night driving in a deluge coming down? I can handle that.... That one factor that is out of our control, OTHER DRIVERS is what convinced me to pull over. Lesson is: If you have the time, don't take the risk to be a super driver. Other lesson: pay attention to the weather and make sure you give yourself time when you can, in case you have to........
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and another pearl of wisdom

silenteagle said: ↑

A couple of quick thoughts today. First, if you have no clue how the 8/2 split works, find someplace that sells clues and get one.(or two) The 8/2 split can be a lifesaver in a tight hours situation that can get you to your 01/90 on time without a logbook violation. I was able to squeeze 12.5 hours of driving legally in one day (one 24 hr period) to get to my 90. Delays such as weather, traffic, and construction are not really factored in to your appointments. You have to know how to make it work in spite of those delays in order to be an asset to your FM. If you are pushing the clock, getting too close to your DDT and your HOS are gonna cause a problem, call your FM. They can take action to keep you from getting a service failure in these cases. Don't put your FM in a position to give you a service failure that was caused by traffic, construction or other situations outside your control.

Second, Family can really stress you out. If you are married or have a significant other, talk to them about stress and how situations at home affect you. Tell your significant other that handling the situation first, then talking about it after is a better, and less stressful way to go. It is very hard to take, listening to a situation that you have no ability to help with, then driving with your mind completely on the road.
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

My transition to my new company...

silenteagle said: ↑

It's been a month since I have posted. My last TnT student took my recommendation and teamed up with another driver for the winter. He is doing well so far. It is good to keep in touch with your students (that make it and don't get fired for stealing a cell phone) and even mentor them. Everyone should have a mentor.

The month of October was not as productive as I would have liked, but it was profitable. I sometimes am reminded that I expect too much and should probably hope for too much but expect less. I did have the good fortune to be able to outfit my wife and two sons with nice hunting rifles for deer season and take two weeks off for the deer season. The deer were more lucky at that point, as I only got one small deer and the rest of the family did not get to even see a deer. While at home I got to rest and unwind my body from 1 year of driving hard. I have come a long way and have accomplished quite a bit.

As of 23 November, my truck is now an asset of Power Logistics LLC. I have started my first company, pushing into business ownership with a very steep learning curve, mostly due to IRS requirements. It definitely keeps me from being bored, and I can't wait to see how it changes our lives. (Yes, IP, I do have an exit strategy) If you all have noticed, my logo is posted next to my name. Hope you like it?!?!

During turkey day week I have also achieved my next goal, becoming a PSD instructor. (for those of you who have not read my backstory, I have been training people on construction equipment, leadership, and vehicle recovery operations in my past and enjoy teaching people) It was an interesting class, with two of us students with Stan the PSD instructor. Of course it went well with such a small class. The Pre-trip class was a great refresher, giving me a chance to establish my notes for teaching the PSD students the art of passing the CDL hands on evaluations. I am now out with my first PSD student, a young man with some good instincts about driving and willing to listen and communicate (very important for a student and instructor) If I planned it right, we will be back in Springfield just in time to test before taking a christmas break. There is plenty of time out here to spend an hour a day on practice, whether it is the pre-trip or backing. If and when I hit the wall of 70hrs, we will have 34hrs to really spend some time backing and maneuvering. (never could figure out why instructors are willing to pass up 34hrs of training time to ensure a tri-fecta) I am also giving him the steering wheel as much as he will take it. It's boring as h e l l sitting in the right seat, but there is alot to talk about, and there's always you-tube, facebook, TTR and games to keep me occupied and from falling into that drooling on the window stupor that you see so often. I keep in mind that this is just the start of the second week, and that things can go Kattiewhompus in a heartbeat. We just have to keep on truckin'
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

Detention ! ! !

silenteagle said: ↑

sat in the friday safety meeting, complete with my free breakfast. During the normal droning the sales guy starts talking about detention. Good information, as some shippers and receivers are now trying to get out of paying because the appointment time is not on the bill of lading. This is a new requirement now, writing your appointment time on the bol. There is a new stamp that will be available soon that will have a place to write in the appt time. I would recommend that you write "appt: #### on ##mo####" above or below your stamp.

Since the subject of detention came up i asked the most innocent question about the subject: How can we check on detention when we are waiting for it? Pretty good question, as alot of drivers have no idea how to followup on detention. You should be checking your detention monthly during your reconciliation process. Keep track of the trip packets that should pay and which ones said "pays when trip pays" as you should see the detention pay the following week or two. (no more than that) detention that pays when the customer pays might take up to 3 months. Another question is "who do we talk to about detention?" and that would be your fleet manager (fm) or your payroll associate. You can do this through the qc or email with the trip numbers, or in person. The phone should be the last resort.

This seemed to garner me alot of eye contact from the big guy... Mr low himself. During his closing speech he touched on detention and made eye contact with me.... Alot.... Of course i met his eye contact with a nod and a smile. Now i am a little curious about this guy.....
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silenteagle · Nov 8, 2013

My knowledge expands to the sales department and how it works:

silenteagle said: ↑

One thing that has been frustrating me is time wasted. You know, that time between your depart receiver and the time you get your next load? Sometimes we wait up to 12 hours to get a load, then find out that we pick up the load in the morning (or evening) pushing the wasted time clock up higher. There are alot of haters that will chastise or even vilify the company for not caring enough. I am more of a business man that troubleshoots the problem to find out what's really going on.

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE: Prime gave me a tour of our sales department (kinda like an open door policy thing) and let me sit down with a sales rep for TN AL MS (a very busy area) for an hour or so to see how things work.

I sat watching him move from screen to screen looking at each load for each truck that was empty. He looked at the revenue on the load, the drivers HOS clocks, delivery and pickup times and deadhead distances.
* He spent about 3-5 minutes on each truck, and double that for anyone that had home time counters set. I can honestly say that these sales reps have zero time to single out one of five thousand or six thousand trucks to mistreat them. (the opportunity might be there, but I will talk about that later)
* We looked at each truck one by one, checking their HOS, and only once the were empty. Those that were getting unloaded took a second priority, and for good reason. (this is why preplans are so rare)
* Once he checked the truck out, he looked at the computer generated load (they have a program that supposedly finds a good match, but the sales guy says it only finds a good match about 50% of the time) and decides if it is a good load, or if there is a better load.
* He considers pick up and delivery times, revenues, HOS times, and home counters. That's all he really has time to look at, although sometimes he read any FM notes on the truck or pushes questions back to the fleet manager. (another delay)
* Once he picked the best load available, he pushes it to the FM, who is supposed to double check the load, the drivers HOS, and any notes and home counters. It is ultimately the FM's responsibility to catch any problems with the load before it gets to the driver.

While analyzing his operations I had three notes to ALL DRIVERS that slow down the process and increase their wasted time clocks:

1. Make sure that you do your "pick up trailer report" macro 41 as soon as you can. If you do not have a trailer attached to your truck, the sales rep will not look for a load for you.
2. Make sure that your HOS logs are straight. If you don't have hours to pick up any loads available (like 2 hours left on your 11 or 14 clock) you are going to have to wait. Those stops you had and left yourself "on duty" and were going to change them later could cost you a good load. Scrub your logs while you are waiting to be unloaded. If you need a 10hr break, go find a place to park and give the guy a chance to find you a good load while you are sleeping. The sales rep is going to take care of those drivers with hours first. (and that's only fair)
3. Your PTA is set by the FM. Once the sales rep gets done with all of the MT trucks, he starts working on those trucks that are unloading, then the trucks that are close to the receivers. If you don't communicate with your FM about your arrival time (and be honest, because the computer is going to show your distance from the receiver and these guys are not dumb) so that your PTA is accurate. The better you are at estimating your ETA, the more confidence your FM will have in setting your PTA to get that next load.

These sales guys see about 150 trucks every day, and over 1000 in a week. They really don't have time to read QC messages or keep track of one guy that gave them a hard time. They will see a truck with a history of turning down loads, and that is not good. The sales situation is also a very dynamic one, with new loads being posted to their area all the time. The guy I sat with received about one email per minute, most of which were from customers either booking loads, changing appointment times, or creating excuses for drivers missing their appointments. Sometimes waiting on your 10hr break allows the sales rep to receive one of those nice paying loads.

I have been around enough to hear alot of drivers complain about sales and how they hate the drivers, or don't care, or are giving all the good paying loads to the company drivers ETC. After learning what they do I can say that is NOT the case. Sales people don't have a job if you, the DRIVER, are not there to pull the loads that they book. They know this. Their success hinges on YOUR success. Period. They are human, and sometimes make mistakes, but don't we all. Your FM is your go between, and good communication is key to success. Speaking of communication, when you QC bad statements about sales (or anyone else in the company) in caps they can read this. I don't know about you, but if someone is talking bad about me, I am probably not going to try to help them out much. If you want to know more about how things work in the company, just ask. I am sure that if you are looking forward and being positive, the people at Prime will be glad to show you how things work.
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