Syracuse to Springfield and back

Pushing this one back to the top.

Wow been a while since my last post. The site has changed may take a little getting used to it. Been a very busy truck driver trainee running up and down the great and not so great roads of America. I didn't have much time for internet and posting (drive, eat and sleep), while teaming and not having coverage rolling down the road.

I guess I can catch everyone up. I am back here in Springfield, Mo waiting to start my upgrade classes Monday. PSD and TNT are completed and checked marked off the list of things to complete on my way to being a Prime driver. I can't say how happy I went flatbed. Yes, it takes a little more work and you get a little dirty but we never waited more then a few hours to be on or off loaded at the customers and load assignments came in within a few minutes of sending the depart receivers message. This is main reason for not having time for posting. Never had a customer not take us if we were earlier then our scheduled appointment time and they all were excited to unload us and get us on our way. For those of you who think I may be bias. I did my PSD in a reefer truck. Plus, the lunch wagon at a metal tube manufacturer is more appealing without having smell of dead chickens like you get at the Tyson plant.

I have hauled about every piece of building material there is even coconut trees and a few farm implements. I have been from California to Florida then New York. I visited all three of the Prime terminals, which they all seem to take forever to get through the in/out. My favorite load was the huge ingot of aluminium, mostly because it looked cool having big block of metal on the truck but also didn't require a tarp. The most unusual was the coconut trees, which lost of few coconuts on the way (still drying them out to eat later). The worst load was tempered glass, I was covered in little pieces of glass and the load required tarping. I welcomed a shower after that tarping session.

When I started this adventure I was amazed with both my instructor and trainer in their ability to know location of truck stops to stop out across the country but now know how and why. I have started to build a few of my own. Petro in Kingman, AZ great place to fuel, truck wash and eat before going into California. TA (east and west) in Ontario, Ca great place to escape to after departing the receiver and waiting for new load assignment. Never failed though, we would get ready to order a sit down meal the load message would come through.

I have also learned which highways are good for sleeping in the bunk and the ones not so good. I have built a love and hate relationship for road construction crews. Appreciate what they are doing and know roads that deserve their attention but wished they would make those lanes a little wider and not shine the lights right into on coming traffic.

Anyone starting their TNT learn to love those long hauls and appreciate the trainer when he says hurry lets get moving. It can mean the difference of getting one more load in before the end of the week. My trainer kept pushing and keeping us going which was nice when we would turn in over 5000 mi weeks. My suggestion is make sure to remind your trainer about showers because they can make a difference both in the truck and washing away the stress and crud from the road. Take every opportunity to ask questions and better understand why you are restraining the load the way they want. Remember your trainer is driving and assisting with loading and can be just as or more tired when they end their shift of driving. Plus they are managing their truck and managing you the trainee.

Well that is about it for now, I could add a lot more but this is a forum not a book. Thanks to everyone for their post, humor and positive feedback especially to those that took the extra time to meet up with me at the truck stops to bs. I hope to be more active on the forums now that I will be taking my 10 hour stopped and not bouncing down the road and dropping my internet connection because there is no coverage.

If anyone has some inputs for my next phase of upgrade pls post it up and/or pm me. Extremely excited and a little nervous about getting my own truck and running solo, hope I don't screw up, get lost or ding the truck.

 

Well made my first solo run with out any hitches. However on my way from my next 01 to the 02 my A/C went out. NOT FUN. Drank 4 Liters of water from Muskogee, OK to SPRIMO for repairs.

Freightliner had a bunch of recalls due on my truck so all the little annoying things are getting fixed. Bad news I spent 26 hours in SPRIMO when I could have been sitting close to home and wife could have met me. All is good though should be getting home time after this load, which is well over due been about 9 weeks since I have seen home.

Truck is running good now. I was able to hold 9 mpg most of the trip but not bragging I have really light load (10,000 lbs). Hoping to maintain close to that as finish out the trip. See what my next load with some weight gets me.

Thanks again to everyone for the positive feedback.