What does running hard mean to you?

see post below. can't figure out how to delete double post

 

What the F*** is wrong with you?! That's quite possibly one of the worst things I've seen anybody say to another person on this forum. You've got problems dude.

And btw, tell me where I said anywhere that trucks are causing all the accidents and the most dangerous things on the road....never mind, go **** yourself.

 

Ah, Mr General Public, refuses to educate himself, and wants to blame someone else for his inability to drive. If I tell you that I see a fatal car accident every single day (saw one this morning as a matter of fact), you ignore that. But if it's someone you know, then all of a sudden, things change? My heart is suppose to bleed just because victim number 364 is related to you?

Instead of trying to decide whats fast and whats safe for me, why didnt you ask what you could do to help your family to be safe when they travel the road? Some of us have been driving millions of miles without a blemish on our driving records for decades, mayhaps we know something about road safety.

But no...its so much easier to point fingers at the big rigs, isnt it? You could have prevented tragedy, but you chose to take the low road. Sorry sir, my heart doesnt bleed.

 

Did you actually even read any of my posts? I want you to find where I clearly stated that "big rigs" are a menace and the only vehicles on the roads causing accidents. Show me where I said truck drivers are the worst drivers out there and it's never the fault of the 4-wheeler. And show me where I said anything at all about my driving abilities, or according to you, my lack thereof since I am not a truck driver.

I'm pretty sure that most of what I said had to do with speed and my opinions on speed. Which I did clarify when I said I had never driven truck nor west of the Mississippi and was basing my opinions on that fact. And, just to appease you, maybe it is possible and safe and there is no risk whatsoever in driving 75mph across the wide open spaces out west, but tell me, would you drive that way EAST of the Mississippi? Which, in my personal experience, means lots of other vehicles on the road and towns and big cities.

And just how, exactly, do you propose that I "educate" myself? I already said that I've seen the statistics on accidents involving big trucks. I've posted links to other threads on this forum about what experienced drivers consider drivng safely. I've read numerous posts here trying to educate myself about the trucking industry as I have no direct experience whatsoever. Short of quitting my job and going out to become a trucker tomorrow, I don't see what else I can do to "educate" myself. I guess I should just read every post you've ever written and take it as gospel?

And out of curiosity, morbid I suspect as it means continuing with this, when did we start talking about people being killed in accidents?

 

Nice! Now that's running hard!

 

View attachment 40014 Some what running hard Rawlins to Council bluff's Ia. With the cruise set at 63 well when the rain wasn't 2 hard that is. Nice 7.3mpg and still had 38 mins to go before the fat lady sang.

 

I feel the need to throw this in real quick. To all the rooks out there reading this...don't think u can go out and do this straight out of school. It takes time to get your body used to the lifestyle. Don't go out and burn yourself out or drive beyond your means because u see guys on here knocking down 600-700 miles a day consistently. You don't have to come out the gate guns a blazing and in 6 months you're not worth your salt anymore. Drive til you are tired or need to stop and stop. Freight CAN wait. There is a little rule in the fmcsrs that states that you have the legal right to shut that truck down if you feel that you can't operate it in a safe manner. We do hold all the power. Do what is right for u til you get used to the industry. If the company you drive for gives you greif...read the fmcsr rules like the bible and quote it. They'll get off your back.

 

We run ONT to DFW in 22 hours (1411 Miles) and back 44 hours (2822).

Our companies have teams that do this 4 rounds in 6 days (11288 per week) . That's running fairly Hot.

The Peterbilt tractors that run this have a frig, microwave, 4500 watt Tripp-inverter built in. Also have the boss hogg drivers seat it's almost a recliner (very comfy though). 16 liter Cats, 13 speeds, 3:55 gears, and not governed. once out of cali they run 70 -75 most of the time. just watch Tx after the sun goes down.

These loads only go to drivers that have been with the company for a while. Not a starter load.

 

I hope it did not destroy the message, but do realize while your quoting the rules to your dispatcher you will be getting plenty of rest. They will park you. If you can not run for 10 hours then you are in the wrong industry and you will not make a living here. Over the years I have heard almost every argument and I can tell you most of the time the company can aford you sitting easier than you can. I can run hard and run legal I can run safe my track record verifies that. As far as speed, it is not speed thats the problem, it is lack of following distance, you can not out drive your ability to stop. And if your running between Blythe and Dallas I will be there and probably be on the top side of 75 most of the time. But I wont be on your ###. Dont believe in it.... Run Safe, Run True, and Run Fast at least thats what they taught us in the Navy....

 

I appreciate your point of view, but, you have more power than you realize. The company can get in trouble for penalizing you for doing what's safe. If the case may be that you are sitting a lot after you tell them you need to shut down because it's not safe for you to be out there. If there is real cause that they are punishing you for that, then there are outlets to FMCSR that can fix that problem. They only have power because drivers let them have it. I've been everything from a dispatcher to an operations manager to a lowly driver. I'm here to tell you, there is a higher power than that dispatcher behind the desk. So often they don't get used. There are tools in place that we can use if we use them. I'm not saying that if you can't run 10hrs a day that you should be out here, but asking someone coming from an 8hr a day/5 day a week job to jump in and run like they've been out there for 20 years is a little unrealistic. It takes time to transition to this lifestyle. I've been driving most of my life so I'm used to it now, but I do remember after I first started OTR how it was a tough transition from my old life to this one. All I'm saying is that the rooks shouldn't have to feel pressured into running like a pro right off jump street.