What Thing(s) Improved Your Trucking Experiences

Driving night time its so Peaceful for the most part.

 

Got out of pulling reefer. Bought a gas stove & charcoal grill to cook as often as I can. Put a big screen in the truck. Moved to a company that runs weekdays with weekends off instead of running recaps 24/7, and pays more.

I'm a simple man.

 

We got unloaded, then an 8 mile DH, then reloaded, and there's a gas station with pizza and coffee next to the shipper.

This greatly improved our truck driving experience.

 

This morning we stopped for coffee and to wash all the glass.

You new folks will quickly discover in the more moist, and especially the frozen tundra locations of our great nation, you'll need to clean your windows and mirrors A LOT.

We picked the magical fuel lane cause we got the only squeegee that wasn't frozen in it's bucket, AND hadn't been snapped off by it's handle by a mega carrier in a fit of rage.

AND there were paper towels.

This greatly improved our trucking experience.

 

For me, it was the HOS change to 11 hrs drive time. That change allowed me(and scores others) to get home every morning, instead of those asinine ‘lay down’ runs that requires every other nite being in a hotel.
The biggest thing that happened to me that degenerated my trucking experience was my then employer purchasing nothing but auto-shift tractors.

 

In my case, I returned to college to complete my degree in mechanical engineering (while working part-time driving tow-truck, moving trucks, etc.). After graduating, I worked for a year and a half inside at a general freight carrier, a carrier which I would NEVER had considered driving for back when I drove OTR. The local economy was in a mess, so I sucked it up working for these thieves until finally they started to go bankrupt and I was let go. Today I work as a quality engineer in manufacturing, mostly on military/aerospace components. And, frankly I'd rather retire than ever work for another transportation company....

 

Apps used by mega carriers that show dude's wives exactly where they are at any given time was one of the greatest improvements.

 

I do miss the kootchie bar, fuel stop, full service restaurant, polish shop emporiums that used to dot the western states before these ##### travel stops took hold……

 

Corning used to be good when they were still building I-5. If you had the money you get anything you wanted at Corning.