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Let's talk trucks
- Thread starter LumbermanSVO
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Thanks.
I LOVE this new truck. I just sent this message to the owner: "You'll have to club me over the head then cut the truck from around me to give this thing up."
When I stepped up from a Freightliner to a Volvo I was amazed at how much better the Volvo was. Comparing the new truck, a Kenworth T2000, to the Volvo is even more dramatic.
It is quieter, has a MUCH smoother ride, the seats are more comfortable. It has a REAL mattress unlike the other trucks and it's even a full size and not a twin! The interior materials are much higher quality, even the dash switches have a much better feel to them. The A/C even kept up in the 113ºF weather in Calexico, CA yesterday.
I'm also finding that the company treats the owner/operator people a bit differently, much more like adults. That alone is a nice relief.
I will be putting together a picture tour of the truck on my website soon.
I LOVE this new truck. I just sent this message to the owner: "You'll have to club me over the head then cut the truck from around me to give this thing up."
When I stepped up from a Freightliner to a Volvo I was amazed at how much better the Volvo was. Comparing the new truck, a Kenworth T2000, to the Volvo is even more dramatic.
It is quieter, has a MUCH smoother ride, the seats are more comfortable. It has a REAL mattress unlike the other trucks and it's even a full size and not a twin! The interior materials are much higher quality, even the dash switches have a much better feel to them. The A/C even kept up in the 113ºF weather in Calexico, CA yesterday.
I'm also finding that the company treats the owner/operator people a bit differently, much more like adults. That alone is a nice relief.
I will be putting together a picture tour of the truck on my website soon.
going back to the original "ask a trucker" format, Have you been to all of the lower 48, and if so which one is the most boring to drive through?
From what I've seen, truck drivers have actually been quite safe when compared to some other drivers on the road. Never had any trouble from a truck driver. This is especially surprising when I look at how far you drive every day.
I agree. I feel safest in my little Jetta near trucks because I know they know what the hell they're doing out there. Unlike the 16 year old girl on her cell phone ready to plow into me from behind...
Wowsers. I got my first check after running with the new truck. I'm looking at around $4-600 a week more than I was making before as a regular company driver.
I'm very excited.
I'm very excited.
Believe me, I have moments where I question my sanity for doing a job like this, but I doubt I could ever go back to a 9-5 again. I love my job, I only wish I would have started driving earlier!
No. I have my doubles/triples endorsement I just haven't done it. I wouldn't want to in the winter, that's for sure!
This morning I passed a truck pulling doubles that had gone off the road, probably fell asleep. The truck and first trailer were still upright but the second trailer was laying on its side.
The hours of service are the same, but there are days where it is just simply a bad day to be pulling doubles/triples. You also want to make sure the trailers are in order by weight, heaviest in front, or you will have some serious issues in an emergency maneuver.
Idaho, Oregon and Utah all come to mind as states that allow triples. If I see a set parked somewhere I'll take a picture for you.
I've never driven a Mack so I don't know.
I have driven a handful of International day cabs. They were all very well put together trucks, nothing fancy though.
I drove a Sterling once, it felt odd and I still didn't really feel comfortable with it by the end of the day.
I've driven a few Isuzu cab forward trucks. Once you get used to the idea of sitting in front of the front axle they are alright. They have an impressive turning radius for a truck.
My first truck at Swift was a Freightliner Columbia. It is a truck that will get the job done but you won't get many, if any, extras. Not even a real mattress.
The Volvo's I drove were nice. I was impressed with my first one before I even fired it up. Once I did start it I was impressed at how much quieter it was compared to the Freightliner. There are lots of storage bins and a very comfortable mattress.
I rode in a Kenworth W900L and wasn't really impressed. The narrow cab was the biggest drawback. There was no room to stretch out in the truck. You could literally reach the passenger window from the driver seat.
I've done some stereo work on a friends Kenworth T800. Same small cab as the W900L but the truck is built more for heavy duty use. 76' long with a GVWR of 105,500lbs
The Kenworth T2000 I'm in now blows them all away. There is a ton more room inside, it is much quieter and rides much smoother. It's hard to imagine it could get much better.
If the hype around the new International Lonestar is true then they will have a winner on their hands, if not a game-changer. The only problem is that I have yet to see an International with a decent sized sleeper.
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MacNut, I thought I'd expand on the over-dimensional stuff a bit. While a truck pulling triples doesn't have any HOS (Hours Of Service) restrictions, other over-dimensional loads do. The (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations) does restrict over-sized loads to daylight hours only. Some states require pilot cars, some don't. The states are also free to make their rules more strict than the FMSCR rules.
I just went through the T2000 brochure on the KW site. I could definitely do that!
Then again, if I were lotto rich, I'd use that chassis as the basis for a "**** it all" RV...
Then again, if I were lotto rich, I'd use that chassis as the basis for a "**** it all" RV...
I thought I'd update this thread a bit. I just got done training my first student and I'm digging the whole training thing so far. Having someone around who is genuinely interested in learning this stuff is great.
It also comes with a nice pay increase. I've made $5700 this month so far and I still have one more payday left. I should be at around $7k for the month.
This setup where I am driving my buddies truck is great. He pretty much leaves me alone and lets me do my thing. I send him a text message once a week letting him know how many miles I ran that week and a few days later he send me one saying how much I made. The perfect boss!
It also comes with a nice pay increase. I've made $5700 this month so far and I still have one more payday left. I should be at around $7k for the month.
This setup where I am driving my buddies truck is great. He pretty much leaves me alone and lets me do my thing. I send him a text message once a week letting him know how many miles I ran that week and a few days later he send me one saying how much I made. The perfect boss!
Yeah, I just quoted myself, that never happens. I wish I had never said that.
I have a friend that constantly tells me that if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any at all. Sometimes I almost believe that.
So I went and bought a nice new Pioneer DEH-P800PRS CD player for my big truck, I dug up my Pioneer iPod adapter and installed them both and a Pro-Clip pass through iPhone holder all in one shot. It worked great, playing my iPhone music through the radio was much nicer than the hardwired FM modulator I was using before. Then it happened, about a week ago the iPod adapter fried my phone. Yay for me. Luckily I had a parts phone and was able to swap the mother board out, it won't make calls but I can still use it as an iPod, but I am back to less than graceful ways of listening to it while driving.
But that's not it. My power inverter decided to die on me, and it took my 17" SR MacBook Pro with it. It turns on but doesn't boot, doesn't make the startup chime for even try to read any of the drives, the screen doesn't come on either.
This happened in Redding, California, I was on my way to Yakima, Wa where I figured I could go to the Best Buy about two blocks from the truck stop and pickup a new computer. Nothing is ever that easy for me. This Best Buy doesn't sell apple and didn't have any netbooks that I know are hackintosh compatible. One of the employees gave me directions to the local Apple retailer, a "20-30 minute walk" from there. Yeah, it was about twice as far as he thought. I bought a new white MacBook, the next day I bought a new inverter at the TA in Boise, ID.
So today I pulled into the Denver company terminal to stay the night, I figured I'd hop in my pickup and go get a real mattress for my big truck but there was a problem, my pickup was nowhere to be found. It had been stolen. After several phone calls the police finally informed me that it had been reported as abandoned in the next city over last month, it had been sitting in the tow yard since. I called the towing company and it will cost me $735 to get it back, cash only. What. The. F. I am going to have to spend nearly 15 times more than I bought it for just to get it back, and I don't even know if it still runs. Yeah, this is gonna be fun. Once I get it back I gotta get it home then get myself back to Denver.
About the only good thing to happen lately is that I have a date lined up for me when I get home next weekend. My luck she will pull a gun on me and rob me, or turn out to be a dude, lol.
Well, I gave up on training new drivers after only 5 students. It was ridiculously stressful and the extra pay didn't make up for the extra stress. It wouldn't be so bad if the students actually wanted to learn instead of just ride along. Only 2 of the 5 students completed their 6 weeks on my truck.
Trucking has really taken a beating in this economy (go buy stuff people!) and my miles were really taking a hit. There was a point where I made only $60 for 3 weeks worth of work. I started asking around about dedicated accounts and two months ago I was accepted on the Dollar Tree account.
One thing I knew when I asked about this account was that I would have to actually WORK. Basically, I pick up a load in Salt Lake, drive a day, then deliver it and get a load going back to Salt Lake.
The delivering part is where the work comes in. I have to unload the trailer myself, box by box. This means I'm unloading anywhere from 30-45k lbs in a day in all types of weather. My first three trips were to Vegas and Phoenix where it EASILY got over 120ºF in the trailer. I drink a LOT of water when I'm down there. For the first two weeks I thought they were trying to cook me.
The great things about being on this account is that my miles are now consistent from week to week. No more fluctuating from great pay one week to a loss the next. My mileage pay went up 2¢. Drivers on dedicated accounts have priority on loads getting back to the DC they work out of, if there are no loads then they pay to come back empty. I get paid to unload the trailers, and my extra stop pay went up $5. Time seems to fly by because I am so busy, it feels like I've only been on the account a few weeks.
I also am losing weight! I was 197 (5'8") when I started, I don't know my current weight, I'll update this when I buy a scale in the next week or so. I played 18 holes of golf recently and wasn't the least bit tired, normally I would be dragging by the end. I no longer need to carry load locks so I am using the load lock rack to secure my mountain bike and am riding again. I've been going for walks semi-regualrly too.
Overall I am pretty happy to be on this account.
Now for something odd. I was down at out Phoenix terminal getting something to eat and saw my old team driver, the one where when we parted ways I ended up being fired. Well, he smiled and waved me over. I'm a pretty forgiving guy, and it has been over a year since things went sour between us so I figured having a chat wouldn't be such a horrible thing.
We talked a bit about the events on that lovely day in Salt Lake that ended with me being fired and I learned some interesting things. According to him, he actually told our driver manager and the people in Salt Lake to let me be and when he learned that I was being fired he defended me. He told them repeatedly that I never took a swing at him. It was actually some woman in the terminal who fired me, someone who I never actually talked to!
The next day I was talking to the person who got me back in with the company and she said it was our driver manager who approved me for re-hire and that what Orlando (old team driver) told me matches up with everything she had heard about that day. How crazy is it that someone who wasn't even involved in the events was pushing for me to be fired?
Anyways, Orlando is now training new drivers because he doesn't want people to get as bad of a start in the industry as he did. He said that me getting off the truck because of his driving ability really pushed him to become a better driver. He still uses, and teaches, some of the tricks I taught him and even showed me some pictures of some backing situations that he was only able to handle because of what I taught him. We chatted for a couple hours and peacefully went on our ways. I'm glad he is doing well.
Trucking has really taken a beating in this economy (go buy stuff people!
) and my miles were really taking a hit. There was a point where I made only $60 for 3 weeks worth of work. I started asking around about dedicated accounts and two months ago I was accepted on the Dollar Tree account.One thing I knew when I asked about this account was that I would have to actually WORK. Basically, I pick up a load in Salt Lake, drive a day, then deliver it and get a load going back to Salt Lake.
The delivering part is where the work comes in. I have to unload the trailer myself, box by box. This means I'm unloading anywhere from 30-45k lbs in a day in all types of weather. My first three trips were to Vegas and Phoenix where it EASILY got over 120ºF in the trailer. I drink a LOT of water when I'm down there. For the first two weeks I thought they were trying to cook me.
The great things about being on this account is that my miles are now consistent from week to week. No more fluctuating from great pay one week to a loss the next. My mileage pay went up 2¢. Drivers on dedicated accounts have priority on loads getting back to the DC they work out of, if there are no loads then they pay to come back empty. I get paid to unload the trailers, and my extra stop pay went up $5. Time seems to fly by because I am so busy, it feels like I've only been on the account a few weeks.
I also am losing weight! I was 197 (5'8") when I started, I don't know my current weight, I'll update this when I buy a scale in the next week or so. I played 18 holes of golf recently and wasn't the least bit tired, normally I would be dragging by the end. I no longer need to carry load locks so I am using the load lock rack to secure my mountain bike and am riding again. I've been going for walks semi-regualrly too.
Overall I am pretty happy to be on this account.
Now for something odd. I was down at out Phoenix terminal getting something to eat and saw my old team driver, the one where when we parted ways I ended up being fired. Well, he smiled and waved me over. I'm a pretty forgiving guy, and it has been over a year since things went sour between us so I figured having a chat wouldn't be such a horrible thing.
We talked a bit about the events on that lovely day in Salt Lake that ended with me being fired and I learned some interesting things. According to him, he actually told our driver manager and the people in Salt Lake to let me be and when he learned that I was being fired he defended me. He told them repeatedly that I never took a swing at him. It was actually some woman in the terminal who fired me, someone who I never actually talked to!
The next day I was talking to the person who got me back in with the company and she said it was our driver manager who approved me for re-hire and that what Orlando (old team driver) told me matches up with everything she had heard about that day. How crazy is it that someone who wasn't even involved in the events was pushing for me to be fired?
Anyways, Orlando is now training new drivers because he doesn't want people to get as bad of a start in the industry as he did. He said that me getting off the truck because of his driving ability really pushed him to become a better driver. He still uses, and teaches, some of the tricks I taught him and even showed me some pictures of some backing situations that he was only able to handle because of what I taught him. We chatted for a couple hours and peacefully went on our ways. I'm glad he is doing well.
nice rig...just to add a piece our company has two semis and none are as nice as what you are sitting in! One is W900 aero cab that hauls lumber and logs. THe other is a log trailer that just hauls logs from log yards to the sawmill.
btw- those new diesels SUCK!!! Theres a Kenworth dealer nearby and they have had a hell of time with them. Plus with that new emissions crap it jacked the prices up another 20k.
Be careful out there!!
nice rig...just to add a piece our company has two semis and none are as nice as what you are sitting in! One is W900 aero cab that hauls lumber and logs. THe other is a log trailer that just hauls logs from log yards to the sawmill.
btw- those new diesels SUCK!!! Theres a Kenworth dealer nearby and they have had a hell of time with them. Plus with that new emissions crap it jacked the prices up another 20k.
Be careful out there!!
That is my old rig, my new one is an '08 Kenworth T2000 with a Cummins ISX and 9-speed. Even nicer than the Volvo was.
And yes, these new emissions engine suck for reliability.
I have read your blog and I liked it. I liked hearing all the updates, although now it may not be due to the continuous route I guess.
I think driving a truck would be a great way to see the country and get paid.
I think driving a truck would be a great way to see the country and get paid.
I just finished my 28-day training period (more like 32 days) with CRST, and I've never been happier to be home and to be around my family. I've got everything down pretty good, and when I go back later this week I'll be out with a co-driver who I know from training, and he's a pretty cool guy.
Let's see... the prettiest places I've driven through have to be the outskirts of Ft. Worth on I-20West East after the I-30 split, and I-85 in North/South Carolina. I have to agree with Lumberman about Arizona being one of the most boring states to drive through (along with New Mexico and SW Texas). I think the scariest portion of road I've been on is I-68 through Maryland. Not only is it very mountainous (which I'm fine with), but at the time, it was also dark, raining, and foggy.
Let's see... the prettiest places I've driven through have to be the outskirts of Ft. Worth on I-20
Thanks, I haven't updated mostly because I just haven't felt like writing, and a lack of feed back. Of course, I'm not the greatest writer so that might have something to do with the feedback
once I feel like writing again the updates will start back up.There is a blog I read from another driver. He updates it about once a every week or two and is a much better writer than me. He does a regular-ish route like I do now and still has plenty to write about.
Trucking is a very "interesting" way to travel, you get the tour of the country you wont find in a travel agency pamphlet
I just finished my 28-day training period (more like 32 days) with CRST, and I've never been happier to be home and to be around my family. I've got everything down pretty good, and when I go back later this week I'll be out with a co-driver who I know from training, and he's a pretty cool guy.
Let's see... the prettiest places I've driven through have to be the outskirts of Ft. Worth on I-20 West after the I-30 split, and I-85 in North/South Carolina. I have to agree with Lumberman about Arizona being one of the most boring states to drive through (along with New Mexico and SW Texas). I think the scariest portion of road I've been on is I-68 through Maryland. Not only is it very mountainous (which I'm fine with), but at the time, it was also dark, raining, and foggy.
Two years ago today I was out on my first load with my trainer. You should keep some sort of blog or journal, it is very interesting to go back and read my stuff from then. Even though I already had three years of city driving when I went out with my trainer I am still amazed at what I've learned. For the first 6 months I was only able to update the website when I was home but it was still worth it.
How do you like the gig so far? I still have days where I question my sanity for doing this, but I doubt I could go back to a 9-5.
Ddi you find that how you drive your car has changed?