My Life As A Trucker

I've been set up with a trainer and will leave sometime tomorrow morning. I wish I had some more time, but I need to get out there and get this career moving. I have purchased myself a Verizon Mobile Hotspot so will be able to keep in touch with everybody. Also, give you guys daily updates on my progress in this thread. So I may be leaving home for several weeks, but you guys will still have me around here, sorry .

On the road again, just can't wait..........oh, sorry. Don't hit anything bigger then you.

Well, it probably won't be tomorrow. He still has a day to get back and he wants to spend a few days at home (providing the company allows it). If all works out, I will be leaving Sunday afternoon. Gives me some time to slow down, as I was rushing myself today to get things ready. Also I have a day or two to visit with my mom before I go.

'My Life As A Trucker' sounds like a new band name. I think they're on a bill with I Wrestled A Bear Once and Between the Buried and Me  

I hope DB has a monkey with him like in BJ and the Bear. That would be cool. They could solve crimes and stuff.

Good luck DB. Watch out for this guy out on the road. I hear he can be a real suuuummm-bitch.

to all three of you.

Everything is going good so far. There were some delays the first day or two, but things are picking up. I'm currently in Chicago for a load not due til 3pm. Unfortunatly, I can't get my computer to charge but once I do and if I have time I will go into more detail. Until then, stay metal my friends .

DallasBlack wrote:

Everything is going good so far. There were some delays the first day or two, but things are picking up. I'm currently in Chicago for a load not due til 3pm. Unfortunatly, I can't get my computer to charge but once I do and if I  have time I will go into more detail. Until then, stay metal my friends .

Excellent. Good luck my friend.

We set off on Sunday evening with me driving. We were set to deliver to Colorado the next night. However, once it got dark it became apparent that the trailer lights were not working. We had to park overnight on the side of the road until morning. My trainer took over the next morning and we went to Amarillo, TX to get it fixed. After going through fuses to locate the problem, the mechanic got the lights working. However, the truck would not start, so we had to give the trailer to another driver and get it towed to a dealership and wait many hours. Turns out another fuse had blown so we finally were on our way. We picked up a load in Dodge City, KS that had to be in Chicago today at 3pm. Tuesday morning my trainer, Abel, drove us through Kansas and I took us the rest of the way, just outside Chicago. We are now waiting because the customer does not take early deliveries.

I am driving an automatic so shifting is not something I have to worry about. The first day I spent too much time looking in my mirrors but once I got lane position figured out I was able to limit it to turns and curves. Haven’t done much backing yet, but Abel tells me toward the end of the week I will start doing a lot more. When I get that figured out and all the paperwork (logbooks, etc.), I think I may like this job. Of course, the trainer has a very nice automatic (Volvo) while, my first truck will be a crummier older automatic (International). However, once I prove myself I will be moved up. So far so good. When I get another chance I will update everyone. Until then:

 

Glad you are enjoying it! Every job takes time to learn the ropes and feel comfy with what you are doing.

Can't wait to see you on that trucking reality show.

Once you're driving on your own you need to put something on your truck so we'll know it's you if we see you on the road. 

I have a million suggestions on what you could use...

Glad it's going well!

tohostudios wrote:

Once you're driving on your own you need to put something on your truck so we'll know it's you if we see you on the road. 

I have a million suggestions on what you could use...

i think we could all think of just one there toho...

Give us the deets when you kill your first prostitute.

We made our delivery to Chicago and made our way to Houston, TX. After waiting 5+ hours to get unloaded we went to Freeport, TX which is where we are now waiting for the load that will take us to Denver, CO. That allows me to visit my mom for about a day as we will get home tonight and leave Sunday. Nobody need worry about me unless they are driving on a US highway after dark. I'm doing real well, but I do miss my turn once a night and last night had to do a sudden stop. Nobody was behind me at the time so I have yet to have a real close call. I take that back, there was a car on the side of the road (parked askew) with it's door wide open and I had to drive the guy next to me onto the shoulder to avoid hitting it. I know you guys are just joking, but either way, none of you guys are in danger unless you're the one driving like an idiot .

Oh, and I'm allowed to listen to music when driving on the open road, so there is another thing.

Sounds like a cool, manly job

Yeah trucks are kewl......I am doing more heavy equipment this year on the highway crew. Gettin to play with big Tonka toys is a blast. The next job, they are throwing me back in the belly dump being it is an overlay and not new roadbase construction. Glad you are gettin dialed in DB, confidence is great to have but remember you still are learning. Having a CDL make you a professional driver and have alot of things apply to you that are non-existant to regular drivers. Learn to remember that there are 4 sides of the road and you cannot always see everything that is going on all 4 sides. Make a habit of always being aware of what is happening directly in front of you, a half mile in front of you, directly behind you and things coming up the road behind you, and what is happening on either side of you. It can change in an instance and having it being something you are aware of before it can surprise you keeps you from over reacting or getting scared. Take your time and focus on the task at hand, soon all this will be second nature and automatic things you do while driving in different conditions.

James B = OTR master yoda

DB = young trucker jedi

I very much wanted to be a trucker but from what I've been told it's just not a family friendly job. And that's from talking with a lot of truckers. If I were single, though, I think I'd like it.

corplhicks wrote:

I very much wanted to be a trucker but from what I've been told it's just not a family friendly job. And that's from talking with a lot of truckers. If I were single, though, I think I'd like it.

My dad's a owner/operator local trucker who hauls materials like sand and rock and such things for construction companies. You don't have to be a long-distance driver.

GrandNational wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I very much wanted to be a trucker but from what I've been told it's just not a family friendly job. And that's from talking with a lot of truckers. If I were single, though, I think I'd like it.

My dad's a owner/operator local trucker who hauls materials like sand and rock and such things for construction companies. You don't have to be a long-distance driver.

Yeah, I have heard of guys "driving local" but I guess it's a lower-pay scale; true/false?

Eyesore wrote:

Give us the deets when you kill your first prostitute.

 

Wouldn't that make him the worst serial killer in history?