This is topic Need advice on a new career path....Tim Reed....I could use you... in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 10-16-2006, 07:14 PM:
 
Hey everyone.

I'm in a dilemma...

Currently I'm driving pizzas and miserable as HELL. I want to make a RADICAL change. I like the alone time of being on the road and I don't have any family, aside from immediate, parents and brother. I think I'd like to consider truck driving.

I have found a company that as long as you stay with them for 1 year, they will cover tghe entire cost of training you. It is a tanker company hauling sulfur. It is local routes, home every night...I'd make about 200+ more dollars take home a week than I do with pizza.

I've also found that this route is a better way to go to get into OTR driving. If I wanted to get my start OTR immediately, I'd probably be miserable as I would have a partner...unless she's hot....

My goal is to have my own truck and be OTR...

I'd appreciate any and all input on this subject that can be given...it's a path that I am SERIOUSLY considering.

Thanks in advance.
 

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Posted by Edwin Sheldon (Member # 4001) on 10-16-2006, 07:35 PM:
 
I actually thought briefly about doing that while I was returning from Alabama last night. Fourteen straight hours, most of them at night, and I didn't feel tired at all...in fact, I loved it. I don't think I could keep it up for long, though.

I imagine doing local routes would be easier to do for a long time, and you could actually have a social life! They'll cover all your training, HAZ-MAT and everything?
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 10-16-2006, 07:41 PM:
 
They'll do the Haz-Mat and tanker endorsements...you need them for sulfur
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-16-2006, 08:58 PM:
 
What happened to the club job?
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-16-2006, 09:57 PM:
 
Any of the majors (Werner, US Xpress, Swift, Schneider, Roehl, et.al.) will happily start you out OTR. Driving team and OTR are not synonymous, though. You can be an OTR solo. I started out that way and after about a month, landed my dedicated route and stayed with that for the remainder of my 3 yrs. as a driver.

Dedicateds are very good because they offer consistent miles, you go the same places all the time, and you know when you're going to be home every week. On the other hand, you get to know every bump in the road. And, enough time OTR, you also get to know most of the interstates in the US, by mile markers. If you hire on with a major, be sure to get in line early for any dedicated accounts in your area.

One potential problem to be aware of, living in FL... it may be difficult finding loads going back home. Depends on the company, though, and if they're currently hiring drivers from your area. A lot depends on the freight lanes. So you may be better off local. It would pay to check your options. Also, running local, you will most likely be driving a daycab with no radio and no air conditioning. You will also have no sleeper berth, in which you can take naps if you need to.

The hours are irregular, but you WILL eventually get used to it. I did, and I was one who needed 10-12 hrs. of sleep a day before. After driving for a few months, I could run hard, and only get 4hrs. a day sometimes here, and a couple there. You do what you have to do. It works out.

I have let my haz-mat rating expire, because of the increased fees, the fingerprinting and FBI check BS they put you through. Not worth it. Besides, since those laws went into effect, a lot of carriers no longer require haz-mat of their drivers anymore.

Richard, the deal you mention -- school in exchange for a year's committment -- is fairly common. Depending on the company, it's not a bad deal. The fly in the ointment, however, is that 70-80% of people who go into the industry quit within a few weeks, when they find out they're not going to be hangin' out at truck stops all day. It's never what they expect and they get homesick.

I would have no problems recommending my old employer to you (especially since they have very nice trucks, and the fleet is 100% autoshift), but they don't have a school. You have to have a CDL in hand.

After a few months with most of the majors, you can make in the low to mid .30's (cents per mile), which isn't bad. Of course, the magic numbers are when you hit that 1yr. experience level with no accidents. The better jobs open up to you then. You can pretty much have any job you want after 3 yrs., with very good companies that pay well.

Check out the Newbies forum at: Truck Stop USA .com You can find a lot of different kinds of info there, from driver testimonials to what you should carry on the truck with you. Some good people run that site. Stay away from Truck.net, though. You can't rely on anything you hear there... lots of abuse and false info deliberately to mislead beginners. Good luck, and if you have any other specific questions, just let me know and I'll try to help where I can.

EDIT: WARNING! Do NOT. Repeat, DO NOT let a recruiter talk you into a lease/purchase deal! Stay in the business no less than a couple of years before you even CONSIDER getting your own truck! It will take that long for you to discover all the nuances of the business and whether or not it is for you. Don't be enticed by the high per-mile pay for O/O's. By the time you pay for tires, maintenance, fuel (even WITH the surcharges), you will make about the same as a regular ol' company driver. Sure, you'll hear all the "success" stories, but believe me, there are far more stories of failure in lease deals. All you're doing is paying for the company's truck for them.. let them do that. You be the company driver.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-16-2006, 10:04 PM:
 
But, uh....yeah, what happened to the way cool night club bouncing job? Inquiring minds want to know.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-17-2006, 09:36 AM:
 
More thoughts re: driving local. The better local jobs are open to drivers with those years of experience I mentioned. Newbie local jobs are often not as good as they sound, because they can offer that "be home every night" line to beginners, who may be afraid to venture out across state lines, and who will accept lesser pay for the "priviledge".

Be aware that many of these jobs may "get you home" for only a few hours a day, and then expect you to be right back out. I could've been home every night on my dedicated, but I opted to stay out, get my runs done in 3 or 4 days, and then have several quality, contiguous days off; rather than being home every day (just long enough to go to bed and get right back out again).

Also, running local, you will be driving in the city a lot... with all the tight turns, traffic jams (hope you're getting paid by the hour), parked cars, and other obstacles. If you start going down a dead end or make a wrong turn, guess what? You can't always just turn around. You have to have room to do that. And, if you can't get turned around, the police will have to come and clear traffic while they back you out. This will incurr a fine. A ticket that may cost $75 if you were driving a car will cost $400-$800 or more in a big truck!

Newbie local jobs also involve local deliveries; to stores, and in the case of your tanker-yanker job, to bulk customers. The big local job the trucking school here bragged about was Coca-Cola. They gave the impression that you'd be running between DC's (distribution centers, not Digital Cinema ) all day, but the actual job was delivering product to grocery and mom-and-pop stores. You unloaded every case of soda off that trailer and stocked the store shelves -- all for $11 an hour!

This is why I liked pulling a dry van. My job was all drop-and-hook, and then head it down the road. No loading or unloading. In fact, most companies don't even want you to do that -- they want you to drive. In the whole time I drove a truck, I only unloaded a trailer one time; and I volunteered for that, just to see what it was like and to say that I'd done it. (For the record, I never want to do it again, even as I am getting in shape.)

Reefers and flatbeds also involve a lot of extra work, on every-single-load, that it doesn't really pay you to do it... especially since you'll be very tired at the ends of those runs (e.g., you just got through driving 700 miles, and now you have to tarp a flatbed load in the rain or snow). With dry vans, you can sleep while you're parked in the dock door, being loaded/unloaded.

With tankers, you'll be climbing up and down all day, handling hoses and/or dump valves, and getting the trailer washed out a lot. It's hard, dirty work.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-17-2006, 11:23 AM:
 
I have new respect for truckers, reading these posts. I've always tried to be a responsible "4 wheeler" driver when encountering trucks, but I'm sure I've made a few bonehead moves over the years.

Thanks Tim!
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-17-2006, 11:30 PM:
 
What a strange case of syncronicity!

I was listening to the radio this evening and the story was about how trucking companies are having a hard time finding drivers.

They talked about the incentive packages that companies are offering drivers and they said that, if a new driver stays with a company for about 5 years and keeps a clean record and works hard he can earn $60K-$70K.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-17-2006, 11:49 PM:
 
You could also land a job as a field service tech in this industry and you can still call it OTR, you can have the same accounts, do the same route, make the same stops, know the same bumps and mile markers. After a couple of years you know the cashiers at the gas stops by first name. You can also own your own truck AND your own cool test gear and tools. Like me you can occasionally spend so much time in one town that you get to see gas go from 2.69 down to 2.12 a gallon and you get to gain almost 6 lbs as the gas prices drop while eating out. If you're smart you schedule calls to allow some fun time along the way.... I don't know how much fun time trucking would actually allow since you have limited driving hours.... no limit on driving hours in this buisness... you can drive till you drive yourself right off the road! And sometimes if you get lucky you still get to drive all night to get to a call by next morning. In this buisness you also get to meet nice theater owners like Mike Blaksley instead of some moron driving a forklift at the next warehouse. You get free lunches at nice restaurants instead of gas station food! Driving so much and eating so much good food you also get to gain as much weight as if you drive your own OTR truck.... gee, I am driving my own OTR truck.... its just a tad bit smaller.

So many parallels.....

Mark
 

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Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 10-18-2006, 12:23 AM:
 
Hey Pizza Boy! Bobby wants to know about the Bouncer job...and I wondered what happened to the drive-in theatre manager's job? Fill us in, dude!

Whew, Tim's the guy to chat with regarding the truckin' biz of today...especially for beginners!
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-18-2006, 02:16 AM:
 
RICH: Ditto what Justin said!

Mark, FINALLY(!!!) ***YOU*** make a post that makes "common" sense!
 

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Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 10-18-2006, 10:17 AM:
 

quote: Mike Heenan

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What happened to the club job?

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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But, uh....yeah, what happened to the way cool night club bouncing job? Inquiring minds want to know.

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quote:

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Hey Pizza Boy! Bobby wants to know about the Bouncer job...and I wondered what happened to the drive-in theatre manager's job? Fill us in, dude!

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quote: William T. Parr

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OK OK I will fill ya in. They Hired a Cooler named Dalton, badass mofo from NY to help clean the place up. After a few days of watching how they were handling the misfits. Dalton decided Richard did not have the right temperment for the job and was let go from the Double Duece. Was told to try Barber College as he left.

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Actually that's kind of accurate....

The club ended up being not for me..so I left shortly after I started. The theatre job ended up being a case of corporate espionage. They went corporate and ended up cleaning house COMPLETELY.

So TIm, you're saying that I can still get the CDL and go solo OTR? Will they do my training with one of those companies? I'd rather not do locals as it involves lots more work for little money...

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to go to my local Flying J or T/A and ask around the lot for opinions...what do you think? This is something I REALLY want to do...
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-19-2006, 09:59 AM:
 
Yes. In a nutshell, they will train you in a classroom and on a test range for several weeks. Then, you go for your CDL exam and take the roadtest. After you get your license and start working for the company, you will be on the truck with a "trainer" for 4-5 weeks, for on-the-job training. This is to get you used to driving the truck and learning the company's procedures, etc. After your OTR training, you will take another road test to be upgraded to a first-seat driver. That's when you get assigned to your own truck.

Some companies may do the drill with slight differences, but this is essentially the procedure.

Yes, go to a truck stop and chat up some drivers. A lot of times you'll find them standing around waiting for showers to be cleaned, or in the game or TV room killing time. Look for teams driving for the majors... there's a good chance you'll find a trainer and student combo. Often, trainer's trucks will say "Driver Trainer" on the side (Schneider's trucks say, "T-E.. Training Engineer" ) Be prepared to hear some of them try to talk you out of it, though. This is the only thing a lot of these drivers can do and they have no other life outside of trucking, so they like to feel they're doing something no one else can. To me, it was an easy job -- but I was dry van, too, doing drop and hook. It's demanding, don't get me wrong, but just driving the truck itself was easy.

Also, while you're at the truck stop(s), be sure to pick up a Trucker's Connection magazine. They're free, and can usually be found in a rack near the doors to the (trucker's) fuel island. You'll find a lot of free recruiting mags to help you learn the different companies out there, and see what they offer. Do your research online, though, because they ARE trying to recruit, don't forget. And, if you settle on a company or two that you like, let me know and I'll tell you what I've heard on the road about them, if anything. Good luck!

One tip for now: stay FAR AWAY from C.R. England and Prime! England has one of the worst reputations for driver treatment and abuse. And they both push heavily to get newbies into lease deals. They're always being sued by OOIDA (Owner-Operators Independent Driver's Association).
 

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Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 10-19-2006, 09:51 PM:
 
Oh, and Richard: beware the "lot lizards" and "pickle parks," unless you are into experimentation!
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-19-2006, 10:55 PM:
 
Hahahahaa!
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-20-2006, 06:56 AM:
 
Yesterday after counting 9 semi's that had wiped out along I-80 in the storm a few days ago between north of Rawlins,WY and Rock Springs I would never even consider that kind of work. There were the remains of two semi's north of Ralwins that had obviously had a head on collision at fairly high speed... All that was left of each tractor was the chassis! I'd pick delivering Pizzas over trucking any day!

Mark
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-20-2006, 10:09 AM:
 
The trucks wiped out not by chance, Mark, but by the drivers who did not shut them down when they should have or who were driving too fast, or following too closely, for conditions.

Consider that it's way better to get hit by a truck when you're IN a truck, than when you're in a car. I'd take that option any day, bro. In most car-truck accidents (which, incidentally, are almost always the fault of the car driver) the trucker is able to walk away.

Truckers are most-likely to die in rollovers. These happen when the driver does not keep his unit in control (driving too fast on curves-particularly critical with tankers, over-correcting, letting the truck drop off the road, etc.).

I drove for 3 years without an accident, in some of the worst New England snow storms on record. Certainly, there are several accidents that I would have been involved in, had I not been vigilant and kept my gaze far down the road, and I've seen some very bad wrecks, but a person isn't at any greater risk driving a truck than not.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 10-20-2006, 12:06 PM:
 

quote: Tim Reed

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In most car-truck accidents (which, incidentally, are almost always the fault of the car driver) the trucker is able to walk away.

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Sorry Tim, but that is BULLSHIT!! I drive on interstates in my car, and have had many "incidents" where a semi has tried to change lanes as I was passing them, or a semi driving on my ass because they couldn't change lanes. I have been forced off the road and into the median while I was driving the speed limit and passing a semi who was changing lanes because of the slight incline and the truck in front of him was carrying a heavier load.

Rick
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-20-2006, 12:42 PM:
 
Tim - Did you ever have to drive up one of those "runaway truck ramps" you see in mountain areas? (They're a soft gravel road.) We have several of them in Montana. I've always wondered what it would be like to drive a truck onto one of those at high speed.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-20-2006, 01:00 PM:
 
I have to agree with Rick on this one. I see so many truckers that seem to have no concern for road laws at all. I understand about blind spots and sometimes they change lanes and can't see a car that is beside them, but when they change lanes without signaling and at 80+mph that is just being irresponsible. I also see a lot of them just drive right past a red light and make a left turn. I don't mean they run the yellow light, I mean they will flat out ignore the red light and block traffic to make their left turn.

I also love how anytime you are on the ON ramp behind a semi they can only do about 20mph, but if you are in front of them they will ride you all the way onto the highway.

I'm sure the large majority of truckers are good drivers/people, but it is the bad ones that really stick out.
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-20-2006, 01:33 PM:
 
Sorry, going with Tim on this one. For the MOST part to me it seems like Truck drivers are much more careful while driving then most people in cars.. no I don't drive a truck but while driving cross country in my car I always paced myself with the truckers taking the same route. I can't tell you how many times I've seen cars tailgating, cutting off, or slowly (because so many people are afraid of it) passing the trucks. Obviously its a lot harder to stop and control a truck so I wonder why the drivers of these cars put themselves in positions where they could be causing such a problem.. eh.

Truthfully, while growing up my dad did dispatch truckers and I can't begin to tell you some of the stories they would tell about cars purposely swirving in front of the trucks and doing other reckless things. Don't get me wrong, yes, I've seen truck drivers that shouldn't have been drivers... simple as that.

And just for the record, while driving cross country alone I do sleep at truck stops and I park with the trucks because truckers look out for one another. I'm just a trucker girl without the trucker...

<Rachel's tip of the day!>
Oh, and be nice, when you see a truck trying to switch lanes in front of you into the traveling lane, don't speed up and cut them off. Flash your lights and let them know they can move on over and then pass them in the passing lane.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 10-20-2006, 02:01 PM:
 

quote: Rachel Gilardi

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Oh, and be nice, when you see a truck trying to switch lanes in front of you into the traveling lane, don't speed up and cut them off. Flash your lights and let them know they can move on over and then pass them in the passing lane.

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quote: Richard Hamilton

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Sorry Tim, but that is BULLSHIT!! I drive on interstates in my car, and have had many "incidents" where a semi has tried to change lanes as I was passing them, or a semi driving on my ass because they couldn't change lanes. I have been forced off the road and into the median while I was driving the speed limit and passing a semi who was changing lanes because of the slight incline and the truck in front of him was carrying a heavier load.

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quote: Richard Hamilton

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Sorry Tim, but that is BULLSHIT!!

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quote: Rachel Gilardi

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Sorry, going with Tim on this one. For the MOST part to me it seems like Truck drivers are much more careful

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Thanks, Rachel! Shall I spring this on them, sweetie?

quote:

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From: Identifying Unsafe Driver Actions that Lead to Fatal Car-Truck Crashes

Prepared by: Lidia P. Kostyniuk, Fredrick M. Streff, and Jennifer Zakrajsek
University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute

Prepared for:
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
1440 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 201
Washington, DC 20005
www.aaafoundation.org

April 2002

The results of this analysis corroborate earlier studies of car-truck crashes showing that there are many more unsafe actions by car drivers than truck drivers. Also as expected, the crashes were much more dangerous for car drivers than truck drivers; car drivers accounted for nearly 98% of driver fatalities.

Most research aimed at understanding the causes of crashes between cars and trucks indicates that the actions of car drivers contribute more to car–large truck crashes than do the actions of truck drivers (e.g., Schwartz and Retting 1986; AAA Michigan 1986; Massie and Sullivan 1994; Braver et al. 1996; Blower 1998; and Stuster 1999). It has been argued that the average motorist assumes that the operation of cars and large trucks is virtually the same (Mason et al. 1992) and that motorists are poor judges of the speed, maneuverability, braking, and acceleration capabilities of large vehicles (Ogden and Wee 1988; Hanowski et al. 1998; Stuster 1999). It is probable that educating motorists about the risks of driving near trucks or training motorists how to drive near trucks would help promote safer driving practices.

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quote: Gerard S. Cohen

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After reading all the above pros & cons, do you still want to be a "Double-Clutchin'Motha-Trucker?"

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Gerard, the real difference here is the "cons" have never actually driven a big truck.

quote: Mike Blakesley

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Tim - Did you ever have to drive up one of those "runaway truck ramps"

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quote: Tim Reed

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Oh, yes, I forgot to add, if a car comes on in front of you, he will go slow. If he comes on behind you, he can't get around you fast enough! Happens 98% of the time.

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Trucks have the excuse, though, that if they are empty, they can out-accelerate you if they want. Loaded, it's gonna be a L O N G time..
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-20-2006, 09:35 PM:
 
Yeah, my grandpa owns an old 80's model cab-over truck (not sure what brand) and that thing without a trailer will hit 100mph in nothing flat.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-20-2006, 09:41 PM:
 
I used to do a ton of roadtrips between here and LA a few years ago, and I can't recall any bad experiences with truckers. The only bad experience I can remember is driving at night, following a truck in the passing lane passing another truck, while yet another truck is right behind me. The high beams certainly didn't make it easy to drive.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-20-2006, 09:50 PM:
 
Ok, I have another question. I am bored and don't have anything else to do.

Tim, what kind of cars do you notice are the worst drivers?

I live in the poor part of town and work in the rich part of town and I have noticed on a consistent basis that the richer areas have the worst drivers. Mostly BMW and Lexus drivers that seem like they own the road. Most mercedes drivers are pretty courteous as well as the exotic sports car drivers (lambos and Ferraris.) I think that is because they actually paid a serious amount of money for their vehicles versus a mere $40k for a beamer. In fact I dont think I have ever seen someone in a Lambo cut someone off, but I see it all the time in camaros and mustangs. Given that I do see many more camaros so my logic is slightly flawed.
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-20-2006, 10:40 PM:
 

quote: Rachel Gilardi

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Oh, and be nice, when you see a truck trying to switch lanes in front of you into the traveling lane, don't speed up and cut them off. Flash your lights and let them know they can move on over and then pass them in the passing lane.

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quote: Richard Hamilton

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So when I am driving 70mph in the passing lane, and a truck quickly gets in front of me so he can pass the truck that he is following and makes me slow down to 40mph, only to travel at 40mph for miles because both trucks can't get enough speed to get up a slight incline, sorry Rachel, I'm gonna pass them first.

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Ummm, if you read it again. I did state if you were in the traveling lane. You're on a whole different subject there. Have a nice day.
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 10-20-2006, 10:52 PM:
 
Ok, Tim...

I went to my local Flying J last night and met a nice guy with the CB handle, "Rattlesnake". He was a trainer for a company named "Trans Am". He is a recruiter and gave me the normal schpiel of information. He did say, that I don't have to go local to get my CDL.

The best way I've found is to go to a place like Roadmaster and at the most, I'll be teamed with a trainer for 4-6 weeks OTR. Then I'll get my own truck. He did say some training companies...

Werner
Schnider
Swift
J.B. Hunt among others...

Also, have you heard of Southeastern Freight? Apparently they are also a training school and go regional only...

The nice folks at TSUSA.com told me that it isn't a great idea as a newbie to be driving tanker...also apparently many companies don't even recognize local experience in OTR consideration...
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-20-2006, 11:53 PM:
 

quote:

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Truckers are most-likely to die in rollovers. These happen when the driver does not keep his unit in control (driving too fast on curves-particularly critical with tankers, over-correcting, letting the truck drop off the road, etc.).

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Aah!! The dreaded "Slosh Factor"! The truck goes in one direction but the 10,000 gallons of liquid inside all want to go in the OPPOSITE direction! (Paging Mister Newton! Mister Newton, please pick up the white courtessy phone!)

I've never driven a truck but I have spent lots of time on the road with them, like the others. The all-time number ONE thing I hate is when people (cars) pull up along side a truck and just ride there! OOH! That gets my goat!

Yeah, I realize it's probably because they are scared to pass but, if that's the case then what the hell are they doing along side a TRUCK in the first place?! Don't they realize they are in the worst possible place? If that truck driver changes lanes and can't see the car in his blind spot the car will be squashed like a grape!

When I have to (want to) pass a truck, I stay behind where I can see the driver's face in his mirror until the lane is clear and I can pass him in one swoop. Then I downshift and step on it so I can spend as litte time in the "crease" as possible.

I've seen a few ass hole truck drivers, too, but it makes no difference to me. He could be the best driver in the world. He could be the worst driver in the world or he could be a total greenhorn driver, hauling his first solo. I give them all a wide berth. That truck is probably loaded down with 50,000 pounds of cargo in the back. It would take an act of God to stop it before it ran over me!
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 10-21-2006, 01:29 AM:
 

quote:

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Your perception is skewed. Richard, I have several hundred-thousand miles behind the wheel of a big truck,

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quote: Richard Hamilton

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Tim, I have more miles behind the wheel of my car. Sorry, but my perception isn't skewed.

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Man, neither is mine! I have only been driving in this profession for 26 years now... probably close to 2 million miles worth of driving. I would consider Tim to have been a short haul driver so he may not have run into the iddiots I run into that driving long distnces x country. Many of these guys are either asleep at the wheel of hate their x country jobs so much that is reflected in the way they drive.

Tim, Why not come out here and we could make one hell of a bang up documentary about the rudness and stupidity of X country truck drivers.

Mark
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-21-2006, 08:40 AM:
 
Haha, maybe it's just because East Coast drivers are better.... right Tim?

Yeah right...
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 10-21-2006, 08:44 AM:
 
*whistles* off-topic...
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-21-2006, 12:39 PM:
 

quote:

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the leaper and leapee will stay side by side for several miles at about 55-65mph resulting in some unecessary traffic jams!!!

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quote:

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Woman killed in 121 crash

Plano: Rock hauler ran red light and hit her car, witnesses say

12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, October 19, 2006

By LAUREN D'AVOLIO / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO – At first, Amani Carter mistook the accident at State Highway 121 and Custer Road on his commute to work Wednesday as construction. But his gut gnawed: Something was tragically wrong.

He called his wife, Cynthia – a fifth-grade teacher at Ferris Intermediate School – on her cellphone.

She didn't answer. Ms. Carter never made it to work. She died in the fiery crash.

"I had a funny feeling about that accident," Mr. Carter said, sobbing, trying to compose himself to tell their three young children their mother was dead. "If she's going to be late, she usually calls. I immediately left work and called McKinney police. They told me to call Plano police, so I called Plano, and they asked me to come to the police station."

Ms. Carter, 33, who moved with her family to McKinney from Mesquite three weeks ago, died at the scene. Witnesses said a rock hauler weighing up to 80,000 pounds ran a red light at the quadrangle where Allen, Plano, Frisco and McKinney meet and hit her Ford Focus.

In the accident, which occurred just before 7 a.m., Ms. Carter's car was dragged about 150 yards beneath the truck before catching fire under the trailer, which lost part of its load of sand, Plano police traffic investigator Andrae Smith said.

Officer Smith said dental records must be used to confirm the victim's identity, which police had not released.

The truck driver was not injured in the crash. Plano police would not release his name late Wednesday but said that criminal charges could be filed because witnesses say he ran a red light.

Charges could range from a ticket for disregarding the red light to criminally negligent homicide or manslaughter, Officer Smith said.

"We know the Ford Focus struck the dump truck in the cab and rotated the vehicle and brought it under the truck," he said.

The driver of a second car involved in the crash, Laurie Worman of McKinney, was released from the hospital Wednesday.

"It was a very unfortunate accident, and I just thank God my children weren't with me this morning," she said. "I feel really bad for the other woman."

Ms. Worman said that all she remembered was debris flying and that "it happened in two seconds flat."

"I don't know what hit me, if it was the woman's car or the 18-wheeler," she said.

That stretch of Highway 121 is busy, but it doesn't have more accidents than any other stretch of roadway, said Jason Brodigan, an area engineer in the Texas Department of Transportation's Collin County office.

"There is more truck volume on that road because of construction, but not a high number of accidents on that road," Mr. Brodigan said. "There are more trucks, so there's more opportunity for something to happen regarding a truck."

The truck involved in Wednesday's accident is registered to Billy Ray Keel of Princeton, a rural town just east of McKinney. In 2002, Mr. Keel also owned Keel Recovery, which appears to have been a tow truck company.

Mr. Keel could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

A review of records found one driver for Keel Recovery with numerous traffic violations who was involved in another accident. No one was injured in that accident in McKinney in August 2002. But that driver has a criminal history and eight traffic citations in Collin County between 1999 and 2003, including tickets for having an unsecured load, brakes being out of adjustment, and a driving while intoxicated conviction.

Wednesday's accident closed the intersection and a ramp to Highway 121, causing a lengthy traffic backup.

Ms. Carter's death is the third traffic fatality in Plano this month and the seventh in 2006. Officer Smith said Plano typically sees eight to 12 traffic deaths a year.

Mr. Carter said his wife was outgoing and bubbly and was silly with their kids: Kiaundra, 13, A.J., 11, and Alicia, 8.

The family united for "the happy dance" if something good happened to them.

He said Ms. Carter ate pretzels like it was her hobby. She also was a soap opera groupie.

"She was a good teacher, a good mother and a good wife," he said. "She was simple. She went to work, she worked hard, she came home and she took care of us," he said.

Ofelia Grass, assistant superintendent in the Ferris Independent School District where Ms. Carter taught, said word of the accident spread quickly Wednesday.

"It's a small district, so we all know each other and it affects everybody," Ms. Grass said.

The Carters would have celebrated their 15th anniversary in August.

"My wife, I hope she didn't suffer, but the fact is that she's gone," Mr. Carter said. "She's gone."

Staff writers Tiara M. Ellis, Steve McGonigle, Gregg Jones, Molly Motley Blythe, Darby Tober and WFAA-TV (Channel 8) contributed to this report.

E-mail ldavolio@dallasnews.com

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For those who don't want to read: (I didn't read it all, I just saw it on TV)

"Semi truck runs red light and drags gay little ford focus 150 yards killing the woman driver inside."
link

As I said before, I see them run red lights all the time.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-21-2006, 01:40 PM:
 


Aftermath of a semi hitting a Phx bus. I didn't find out who was at fault... but it's pretty nasty.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-21-2006, 06:46 PM:
 

quote: Richard Greco

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He was a trainer for a company named "Trans Am".

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quote:

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The best way I've found is to go to a place like Roadmaster... He did say some training companies...

Werner
Schnider
Swift
J.B. Hunt among others...

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quote: Richard Greco

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Also, have you heard of Southeastern Freight?

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quote: Richard Greco

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The nice folks at TSUSA.com told me that it isn't a great idea as a newbie to be driving tanker...also apparently many companies don't even recognize local experience in OTR consideration...

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Yes, that's right. On both counts.

quote: Richard Hamilton

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Tim, I have more miles behind the wheel of my car. Sorry, but my perception isn't skewed.

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And I bet I have many more than you do in a 4-wheeler... but you have ZERO miles in a big truck. So yes, you're perception IS skewed - you called a hard and fast statistic bullshit, because you were speaking only from what you've seen driving cars... and you assumed that truckers cause more wrecks. Are there jerk truck drivers out there? Certainly. I encountered them all the time as another trucker -- but there were MANY MORE jerk 4-wheelers, out there doing so many dangerous things around trucks.

quote: Will Kutler

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What these truck drivers love to do is play "leap-frog". While in a convoy they will leap around each other at about 55-60 mph!! And to make matters worse instead of letting the "leaper" pass, the leaper and leapee will stay side by side for several miles at about 55-65mph

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It has to do with inertia; momentum. Trucks cannot just slow down and pick up speed as rapidly as cars do. Rachel knows the score.

quote: Mike Blakesley

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Would it kill the passee to tap the brakes for one freaking second to let the other guy around, so all of us cars behind can get by?

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I actually used to do that, a lot. I paid for it in lost motion and getting back up to speed, but that's just me. The reason most of them don't, though, is because if the passer can't overtake, the passee will just get back in front of him again on the next hill. If you slow down going up a hill, you're screwed. You'll be down to 35 or 40mph before you know it. It's just safer to not have as many lane changes. There are huge blind spots.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

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I have only been driving in this profession for 26 years now... probably close to 2 million miles worth of driving. I would consider Tim to have been a short haul driver

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Mark, you forget that I also ran service for just as long... but I also have nearly 1/2 a million in a big truck. Believe me, I used to think the same way you guys did, UNTIL I started driving a truck. It's the difference between night and day; perceptions, that is.

quote: Chris Hipp

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Tim, what kind of cars do you notice are the worst drivers?

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Limo drivers. Bar none. 4-wheelers in general I noticed no distinctions, other than people on cell phones being totally unaware of anything.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-21-2006, 06:59 PM:
 
Eastbound and down.... loaded up and truckin... we gonna do what they say can't be done... we gotta long way to go and a short time to get there... I'm eastbound just watch ole' Bandit run




 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 10-21-2006, 08:25 PM:
 
Hey Tim, I don't want to go back and forth arguing about what we each believe. I respect you, and your probably great behind the wheel of a semi. We've each have had our own experiences on the road. Back to the topic on hand, Richard, good luck if you decide to do this!

Later, Rick
 

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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 10-21-2006, 09:16 PM:
 
Oh, thanks, Mike. *That* was the song I wanted stuck in my head tonight.
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 10-21-2006, 10:38 PM:
 
Tim, yes, Roadmaster is a CDL school. One of the 3 week schools.
Here

Trans Am is a good company then?
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-21-2006, 11:56 PM:
 
Adam: Lol.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-22-2006, 12:26 AM:
 

quote: Richard Greco

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Trans Am is a good company then?

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They checked out fine w/me, and I've also talked with a couple of their drivers over the years. Haven't heard anything bad, or any rumors. I just couldn't go that reefer route; too many grocery warehouses with the requisite lumper BS, and just another system that can crap out and cause you to be down. Reefer loads aren't as flexible on delivery times, either, if you run into trouble. Government regulations also dictate how long meat loads, for example, can stay on the truck.

TransAM does have autoshifts, though. So does CFI, PAM Transport, and Interstate.

Make a list of your absolute must-haves for a company, and cross-reference the pay rates, benefits, driver satisfaction feedback, equipment and maintenance, average miles per load, miles per year, etc. I don't give the initial cpm figures much weight, though, instead favoring things like driver support and benefits. A lot of companies win recruits by offering a high per-mile rate, but skimp on things like vacations, medical plans, or time-off schedules. US Xpress has consistently been about the 2nd highest pay of all the training companies, and they had an excellent driver support structure and dispute resolution. The equipment was always well-maintained.

In the end, though, there's probably not that much real difference in the various training companies. It all boils down to what you absolutely have to have, and what you can live without. Your dispatcher can also make or break the satisfaction factor. I had about 8 dispatchers over the course of my time trucking, and the last one happened to be the very worst. The one before him, though, was the best - and all the rest weren't bad. But that's purely the luck of the draw. (Night and weekend dispatchers are traditionally unreliable, because they typically handle 2x - 3x the drivers on their boards as day dispatch.)

Richard H..., not at all (note my 's). Thanks. I didn't mean to imply that what you've experienced isn't valid; only that there's a bigger picture.

As far as Mark's concerned, though, I did.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-28-2006, 08:20 PM:
 
So, Richard... did you take the plunge?
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 12-16-2006, 01:34 PM:
 
<bump> Saw you posted on the Godfather thread, Rich... welcome back. So how'd you make out on trucking?
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 12-16-2006, 11:27 PM:
 
What I decided to do at the moment is to get money saved up in order to take the necessary training courses. I am currently cabbing in order to get a certain amount saved so I can take a month off to concentrate on driving training.

I think this is the best course of action to do for now.

I'll bump this as soon as I know more.
 

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