IAMA New Long Haul Trucker, Ask Me Anything.

1) What type of music do you play during the journey?

2) How do you keep awake?

3) What's your typical meal?

4) Favorite place so far?

5) If you can go anywhere in the country for a long vacation, where would you want to stay?

1) I really like xm radio, Lithium station and road dog trucking station. comedy is great, and im a Drum and Bass fan so some High Contrast on a beautiful morning is a great way to start the day.

2)Best way to stay awake is to not drive fatigued. Thats how accidents happen, and our number one rule is "protect the motoring public". with electronic logging and new DOT regulations I have no trouble getting good rest.

3) I like a decent breakfast, eggs hashbrowns and sausage. I eat subway a lot too. big rule is No Soda! ive lost 27 lbs just by cutting out the soda.

4) So far, Columbia river valley in washington state. Driving the GW into new york was sweet too.

5) Anywhere, as long as I can spend it with my kids and wife. Thats the worst part of being out here, loss of family life. But probably in the mountains somewhere, being from texas mountains still amaze me.

Good questions btw.

Edit for spelling.

upvote for the High Contrast love

BOH!

Try listening to books on tape. When I work on my own for extended periods of time I cant imagine not listening to them, especially after switching from music. Been doing it for years and have gone through dozens and dozens of great books.

the hobbit, unabridged. nuff said

fuck yes to #4! the gorge is amazing.

fellow Texan here, how would one get started?

www.becomeadriver.com i chose them because they have the most intensive training in the industry

What is your opinion on the moon being made of cheese? Do you agree or disagree?

agree

Next little kid you see will you honk your air horn for them(and for me in spirit) thanks!

consider it done!

Have you had any run ins with lot lizards lately?

I'm married, and prefer not to become diseased and divorced. Oddly enough the only place ive even been asked is in a walmart parking lot.

How many gallons of fuel is your truck hauling? How many mpgs? What's the specs on your engine?

right now im in a 2011 freightliner cascadia with a cummins engine, this week i ran 8.9 mpg over 1488 miles, but i had a light load, if you are getting over 7mpg you are doing good. we have 2x 100 gallon tanks.

Thats a good machine. I'm a tall guy and loved the headroom. Do you have the full sleeper model?

yes, with dual bunks.

Do you really piss in empty water cooler jugs?

no, thats nasty. in a pinch while snowed in i did use a powerade bottle, but i disposed of it properly, not leaving it on the side of the road or a parking lot.

Thank you, I recently did a highway cleanup and I found probably 8 Gatorade/water bottles full of pee in a one mile stretch. Nasty.

you are welcome!

I've heard of drilling a small hole through the floor and using a funnel+tube.

from what i understan DOT can write you a huge ticket if they find that setup

How often do you go to Cracker Barrell?

To be honest, I dont like Cracker Barrel. But one thing you learn fast is there is not many good restaurants you can get a semi into easily. So usually truck stop restaurants.

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lol, there is one across the street from this TA, but leaving your truck alone can be a huge mistake.

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we have meat locks on the trailer that can only be cut off, sometimes you can get approval to leave it in a secure area. just have to have approval. i am no longer with my trainer, im in a trainee trainee phase right now.

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35 days with trainer min 8500 miles bump a dock on west coast, nyc and gulf states, 3 major mtns 2 w/o jake 1 with. then 21 days min 7000 mile on truck with another trainee driving as a team. trainee trainee phase helps polish off what you may have not learned with your trainer, or just another method of doing things. after that you solo truck it.

What is the purpose of the tiny door at the rear of a refrigerated trailer?

inspection door, to check on the load.

Did you have that glorious beard at your desk job too?

yes.

What is more difficult, staying awake or sitting for a loooong time?

You try to never drive tired, or at a point where you are trying to stay awake. So i would say sitting, 11 hours a day and sometimes your butt will just go to sleep or hurt lol. and i drove a desk for 10 years before this!

Lost it at "drove a desk". As a fellow desk driver, I think I would prefer the scenery of the open road to my cubicle walls.

i whole heartedly agree.

So what's more difficult, driving the desk or or this? Also, what's the mileage on a desk? I might get one soon. Oh and so far, what do you mostly deliver so far or does it range?

each has its differences. millage on a desk is male pattern baldness. we run reefer trailers so usually meat or other refrigerated items. yesterday we delivered 17 tons of bagel bites, ive carried things from apples for whole foods to prime rib for tyson.

What are the DOT driving limits? Is it possible to drive over your limit and get away with it? I understand the good intent of the law but when I drive long distances in a car all I need when tired is a quick nap at the next rest stop.

no more that 11 hours driving, then you need to have a 10 hour break, keep in mind you have 14 hours from the start of you day to finish the 11 hours drive time, and no more than 70 hours drive time in 8 days. Some old trucker run paper logs and keep 2 books, but if you kill someone and they find out you were running illegal its 10-20 years in jail. no joke. run it legal, run it safe.

Your fleet manager ever try to make you drive off duty? When I drove we always had that problem. Being forced to shave a few minutes here and there to get to the appointment on time, and if we tried to stick to the regs we always had to bobtail a longer distance for a load. Sounds like you drive for a decent outfit.

if they ask me to do something i dont think is legal i tell them to send it across the qualcomm, that way there is proof. that usually shuts them down. so far havent had to. plan your trip, trip your plan!

I'm assuming "the qualcomm" is some sort of satellite dispatch and/or logging system used by your company to track and handle their trucks that may or may not be manufactured by Qualcomm?

yes, and it is by qualcomm

do trucks have speed limiters?

we are governed at 62, with my company

I was browsing some site a while back that was making the case that speed limiters can get you in an accident/killed in the event of blowout. I guess you're supposed to speed up or get on the gas when a tire blows in order to maintain control. Is this true?

no, you push in the clutch and come to a stop slowly

Do you shower at those huge gas truck stop stations? I always passed by them on a road trips and I wondered if the showers were clean or just what you'd expect from a gas station.

Big name truck stops (TA, Petro, Pilot/Flying J, and Loves) have pretty high standards for showers. Usually super clean, and its like a little hotel bathroom in there, everything you need to relax after a long day.

Wow, that's really neat haha. I'll keep that in mind for this upcoming summer road trip.

remember they usually cost 12 bucks unless you get at least 50 gallons of fuel!

Are there drivers that own their own truck? How do the economics work if you own the truck? Are you able to get your own routes and make more than if you drive for a trucking company?

yea of course, economics are you pay for everything and keep whats left over. you can chose your own routes, but usually they end up being the same, and you can make a lot more, but sometimes not.

As you've seen, what's the general attitude among truck drivers toward female drivers? How are they treated?

no mater where you go there are shitty people, remember that. but they get respect from most drivers. driving a big truck aint no joke

What's the coolest thing you've hauled so far? One of my freinds dads hauled tank barrels for a while, that was cool.

18 tons of steak, we mostly haul food, as mentioned earlier yesterday i delivered 17 tons of bagel bites.

God damn...do companies ever give you stuff for a successful delivery?

some shippers like hershey sometimes have candy and such in the shipping office.

sometimes reefer drivers will be left with spoilage- busted boxes that came off the pallet or arranged on a skid wrong by the shipper usually. Sometimes a driver can donate it or find a reseller. I gave mine to the gate guards usually.

ive heard of a drive who had 400 lbs of steak left a rcvr wouldnt take, he made some extra money reselling. but a lot of companys frown on that

1) What's the process like to get your job? Is there a driving test? 2) How do you learn to drive a truck? Is there a training process? 3) What technology do you use? Does the truck have a nav system? 4) What apps do you use on your phone?

i went to a school sponsored by the company i drive for, there is a state driving test for your CDL. we use qualcomm electronic logging that has a built in nav system designed for trucks. and truck stop apps are total win, as well as a walmart locator for my company the website to learn more is www.becomeadriver.com

Proof?

http://imgur.com/8hPARXq

Any stories about weird truck-stop sex stuff?

nope, not yet. and unless my wife is ridding with me there wont be any lol!

How/when do you exercise? What I'm mostly asking is, how do you combat the roids?

i walk a lot when i have time, and watch what i eat. comfortable seats+fiber= no roids

Do you drive a sleeper?

yes, im running with a co-driver right now, so we have a dual bunk sleeper.

Does this mean the truck is moving 22 hours a day? How do you decide who gets the night shift?

we are a trainee trainee team right now, so our truck must be off for 8 hours a night before rolling, but a true team can keep the truck rolling 24 hours a day

What are the strangest/coolest things you've seen on the road? Anything that just made you be like WTF?

drivers of 4 wheelers (regular vehicles) not even glancing at the oncoming traffic while merging at an entrance ramp. and ive seen a few nasty wrecks. for me the coolest was the winter weather, being from houston i had never really experienced it.

I wouldn't recommend midtown Westheimer with a transfer truck. Its... nasty. lol

ugh i used to live of wetheimer and taft so i agree! downtown hershey pa was bad, no traffic but narrow streets with a lot of curves. receivers in nyc can be a pain too

I stayed away from the east coast at any cost. I made the CrossBronx Expressway once and with all the construction and sudden stops and maneuvering across the George Washington Bridge it was like flying the Millennium Falcon through the Death Star. Was about five days out of school and my trainer was a lot more brave than I was.

lol!

Do you agree when people refer to truck drivers as the "modern day cowboy?"

I like "Knights of the Road"

What is you opinion of freight brokers or 3PLs?

No opinion, only becasue i havent dealt with them.

Ive never really had a calling in life. Ive tried college twice now and i just dont care for it. Ive recently started thinking about becoming a truck driver. I love road trips and have driven across country multiple times.

As someone who is fairly new in the industry, would you recommend it to someone closing in on 30 with no idea what he wants to do when he grows up?

im 31, i got sick of being told i had a "career" while making 12.47 an hour.

I committed to one year with this company, because they paid for my schooling. I recommend giving it a shot. Its a blast.

What is your pay now?

im in my last phase of over the road training, so im still at a flat rate of 400 a week, after that .26 a mile, but my company excels in getting you the miles, with frequent jumps in pay.

How big of a role does technology play in today's trucks? What about.any advances in "clean" trucking?

a big role, some of the newer trucks actually exhaust cleaner air than the take in. DEF systems really helped clean up the exhaust, plus apu's in the trucks so idling is not necessary to remain comfortable while parked.

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig.

its has its ups and downs. it was a lifelong dream

I always wanted to be a pilot. Trucking seems like a more practical version of the same concept.

same here!!!!!

How long is a long haul? How do you balance it with your family life?

2k-3k a week. Its tough on the family, but i want to be able to provide what they need, the industry requires one year over the road experience, so maybe after a year i will look for something that gets me home more. or what they call a dedicated route in my home area.

What kind of truck do you have? Im the logistics manager for my company and hire hundreds of air ride trailers per month. What do you transport?

I work for one of the largest reefer carriers in the country, as a company driver. so we transport a lot of foodstuffs. Currently in a freightliner cascadia

Are all of Stevens Trucks equipped with APU's as a standard item, or only on Owner Ops trucks? Also, what is your favorite abbreviation for a trucking companys name? e.g. Swift=Sure Wish I had a Faster Truck! I drove for Swift for 3 years and they really SUCK.

yes apus in all trucks. we call road barrels schnieder eggs! that we as in my friends not the company.

I heard that when truckers let one another pass, the way to say thankyou is to tap on the brakes twice, just so the lights blink twice so to speak, is there any truth to this? And would a trucker recognize it if a sedan were to do the same thing?

hazard lights!

How did you get started driving trucks?

www.becomeadriver.com

What would you like to haul across the country the most?

im indifferent, but hazmat loads pay more.

If you had one piece of advice for all drivers (not just truck drivers), what would it be?

look to your left when entering the highway, if a semi has to swerve he can roll very easily

i have considered this before. Would you recommend it to me?

How long did it take you to from deciding this what you were going to do, get trained, and on the road? or to rephrase, how much time went by from when you decided it was for you and when you were doing it?

imma check to see if you may have already answered this. I appreciate the info. and your time.

i had 3 weeks of school 1 week of orentation, then started out with my trainer. so in total about a month before hauling freight. of course in school you start out slow, then progress to highway driving before your test.

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about to head to jackson oh, closer to shipper for mondays load.

How do you feel about other motorists? Ordinary cars, RVs, motorbikes etc?

they will never know the stupid stuff they did, unless they rode with us for a day. it takes a truck traveling at 60 about 540-600 feet to stop. and if we swerve lanes loaded you trun it over. we need more respect. its always our "fault" even thought studies have shown 80% of accidents are caused by regular cars that involve big trucks.......and we still have to play CYA cause the lawyers try to come after us no mater what. we are held to a higher standard. we are professional drivers.

What do you do if you have a flat tire/break down. I am assuming you can fix some stuff, but if you can't fix it, is there a towing company that tows big trucks?

they come out and fix it on the road, tires that is, and easy repairs, if its bad you get towed