High-Seas to Highways

[Goin Fer It]

One good thing is once you are on your own you can choose were you are going to stay! My husband does not stay at the Flying J's at all!

I am glad it is what you thought it would be! Hope you are enjoying your time off!

Goin Fer It's Wife

[broncrider1]

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tru...ly-o-o-25.html

dont know if that will work...if it was me id just sign up using a made up name and stuff....then watch what i say to whom of course, to aviod being "reconized"

im enjoying reading your adventures....alittle differnt than expected im sure , but if ya enjoy it, well than it just about perfect.....lol

[devildice]

Day 19 of OTR Training 07/30/07
I headed back up to Corsicana, TX to my trainers house as it’s time to get back to work. In a sick sort of way, I am actually looking forward to it so that I can get this training phase behind me and get issued my own truck. Besides, after knocking out a huge chunk of my wife’s “Honey-Do” list, I need to get back on the road so I can rest…….LOL

[devildice]

Day 20 of OTR Training 07/31/07
We called into dispatch yesterday afternoon to put ourselves back on the ready board. Our Dispatcher gave us an indication that he might have a load for us out of Houston and that we are to call him very fist thing in the morning. At 7am my trainer called in and he was told to call back in an hour. This went on for a good portion of the morning and as each hour passed it looked grim that we would be getting any load at all. We thought for sure we would not load out until Wednesday.

Right about noon, we got a call to head to Oklahoma before 8pm and pick a load going to Idaho Falls, ID. We arrived at our customer in Madill, OK with a ton of time to spare and were loaded with a little over 42,000lbs on deck. It was not a very hot day as it was overcast, but dang was it humid!!! By the time we were done securing the load we were drenched with sweat. I definitely earned a little of my pay today

[devildice]

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/ask-an-owner-operator/20752-here-we-go-finally-o-o-25.html

dont know if that will work...if it was me id just sign up using a made up name and stuff....then watch what i say to whom of course, to aviod being "reconized"

im enjoying reading your adventures....alittle differnt than expected im sure , but if ya enjoy it, well than it just about perfect.....lol

Thanks!!!! I'll check it out later to see if it works as my connection right now sucks.......................it didn't work, still says I am banned. "F" that site...just sorry I can no longer follow you adventures

[devildice]

Day 21 of OTR Training 08/01/07
We didn’t get too far yesterday as we were exhausted. We ended up stopping and calling it a day in a small town called Quanah, TX which was only about 200+ miles from the shipper.
Today I drove from Quanah, TX to Denver, CO before shutting down. I kept the left door closed the whole time and we made pretty decent time. Only hold up was the occasional town we had to slow down for and a couple of construction zones along the way.

Today was a great day in that it officially marked the half-way point of my training. However, I may be closer to the finish line than I think. I will explain more later if all works out.

[danske]

Day 21 of OTR Training 08/01/07
We didn’t get too far yesterday as we were exhausted. We ended up stopping and calling it a day in a small town called Quanah, TX which was only about 200+ miles from the shipper.
Today I drove from Quanah, TX to Denver, CO before shutting down. I kept the left door closed the whole time and we made pretty decent time. Only hold up was the occasional town we had to slow down for and a couple of construction zones along the way.

Today was a great day in that it officially marked the half-way point of my training. However, I may be closer to the finish line than I think. I will explain more later if all works out.

DD,

When you get a load assignment, does your trainer have you do a trip plan or does Davis give you routing and fuel stop information? I spoke to GFI last week and he tells me that he has a binder from the company with authorized fuel stops and other information. I wonder if you are using this or if the trainer is making you learn by just using an atlas? Maybe you are using mapping software and GPS(Way too easy! )?

Hey, you are going thru one of your favorite state tomorrow! Tell me if you see those WYDOT bleachers I told you about.

Be safe!

[devildice]

DD,

When you get a load assignment, does your trainer have you do a trip plan or does Davis give you routing and fuel stop information? I spoke to GFI last week and he tells me that he has a binder from the company with authorized fuel stops and other information. I wonder if you are using this or if the trainer is making you learn by just using an atlas? Maybe you are using mapping software and GPS(Way too easy! )?

Hey, you are going thru one of your favorite state tomorrow! Tell me if you see those WYDOT bleachers I told you about.

Be safe!

Davis gives the routing but I still check it against the atlas. For example, they (Davis) routed us via I-70 to I-25.....what they did not give us, was that you can take I-270 around to I-25. There is a binder with a list of fuel stops. Most are either TA's or Love's and the ones with an "*" are their prefered stops. However, it's O.K. to fuel up at a place that is NOT in the binder but you can only get enough fuel to get you to a stop that IS in the binder.

I am currently on I-80 in WY and now I remember what those "bleachers" are that you're talking about.

[steelhauler2007]

Quanah is a thriving town isn't it. Did you stay at the "truck stop" that is a Taylor Convience store with truck parking? As you head west out of town on 287 there is a sheetrock plant,I use to pick up alot of sheetrock out of there.

[danske]

Davis gives the routing but I still check it against the atlas. For example, they (Davis) routed us via I-70 to I-25.....what they did not give us, was that you can take I-270 around to I-25. There is a binder with a list of fuel stops. Most are either TA's or Love's and the ones with an "*" are their prefered stops. However, it's O.K. to fuel up at a place that is NOT in the binder but you can only get enough fuel to get you to a stop that IS in the binder.

That is great that Davis gives you the flexibility and that you are learning the many little details of US roads and maps.

I was looking at routing with Google Maps from Madill to Idaho Falls before you stated that you spent the night in Quanah. I knew the way to go was thru Amarillo(Google defaults is up I35/I135 to Salina, KS and that is NOT right), but I missed going straight west to US287. Looks like you are finding your way around.

When you say you can get fuel anywhere if you have to, does have to be a place that takes your fuel card or can you use a Comcheck? I think in my years of driving I only needed to get fuel out of network a couple times and used a Comcheck.

I am currently on I-80 in WY and now I remember what those "bleachers" are that you're talking about.

See you just have to use your imagination to survive WY. I have heard that alot of truckers don't use their CB much anymore. Is this true in WY? I found the best way to make it across WY is run with someone talking on the radio; The miles just flyby!!

Hey, don't hold us in suspense about your training ending early! We all want to know whats up? Thanks.

[devildice]

Quanah is a thriving town isn't it. Did you stay at the "truck stop" that is a Taylor Convience store with truck parking?

Yep that was the place

[devildice]

Looks like you are finding your way around.

yeah, slowly but surely......the best part is that most of the time the scenery on the secondary roads are beautiful.

When you say you can get fuel anywhere if you have to, does have to be a place that takes your fuel card or can you use a Comcheck? I think in my years of driving I only needed to get fuel out of network a couple times and used a Comcheck.

Davis uses T-Checks so you have to make sure the fuel stop takes them, or you can pay out of your pocket and get reimbursed.

See you just have to use your imagination to survive WY. I have heard that alot of truckers don't use their CB much anymore. Is this true in WY? I found the best way to make it across WY is run with someone talking on the radio; The miles just flyby!!

I just can't figure out what all the people that would fill those stands would be looking at???

yeah it's pretty quite on the CB through there.

Hey, don't hold us in suspense about your training ending early! We all want to know whats up? Thanks.

in due time my friend, due time..... :wink:

[steelhauler2007]

Devildice we are close neighbors.I live in Kingsland about 60 miles northwest of Austin. I've been driving a flatbed for about a year.I am going to Orientation with Passmore on Monday.They are out of Altus,Ok. They get you home most weekends.Will see how it goes.Glad you are enjoying flatbeds. It is different sometimes. Have you had the pleasure of hauling coils yet? Wait until you haul a 43,000 lb. coil right in the middle of the trailer.

[devildice]

Day 22 of OTR Training 08/02/07
We got some NOT good news this afternoon while on the road to our customer. We originally had a pre-planned load that was supposed to go from Twin Falls, ID to Seattle, WA with a Friday pick up. Well I guess the customer canceled and the load is no more. The reason this isn’t too good of news is because 1) we want a load that will carry us through the weekend, and 2) usually (not always) the loads that my trainer gets out of Seattle will go to the East Coast, NICE miles. Oh well, guess that’s the nature of the business.

Saw an interesting and somewhat tragic thing today. As we were rolling through Sherman’s Pass on I-80 west in Wyoming, we were coming down a 5% grade where the speed limit is 55mph and there is an “S” curve, well right in the middle of this “S” curve there was a truck rolled over on the right side. The emergency vehicles and wrecker were on the scene. Not sure if anyone was injured or what actually happened, but my guess is that the driver was going too fast and rolled it. I like the way my school and trainer have taught me how to drive the grades….and that is to make sure you’re in the correct gear BEFORE going down, Jake on full, feet flat on the floor. I have followed these instructions on all the mountain ranges that I have driven so far and not one single time did I have to even touch the brakes. Like the old saying goes “you can go down them too slow a million times, but you can only go down it fast one time”

We arrived at our customer after their receiving hours (8am to 11am) and planned on just hanging out there until morning. Well to our surprise, they asked if we wanted to unload today or wait until the morning. I’ll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don’t count…..We called in our empty status and again to our surprise we have a load to pick up in Hyrum, UT tomorrow. It is only about a 150 miles from here and it’s going to Missoula. Not very good on the miles but at least we will be rolling.

[devildice]

Glad you are enjoying flatbeds. It is different sometimes. Have you had the pleasure of hauling coils yet? Wait until you haul a 43,000 lb. coil right in the middle of the trailer.

No coils yet :sad: and I hope we get one soon as I would prefer to haul it for the 1st time while I am still with my trainer.

Good luck with Passmore, please keep us posted on how it goes over there.

[Goin Fer It]

No coils yet :sad: and I hope we get one soon as I would prefer to haul it for the 1st time while I am still with my trainer.

I hope that you get to put up the side kit with your trainer. I know the first time my husband had to put it up on his own he was on the phone with his trainer from Davis for a while. The side kits are a pain and take allot of time. My husband is glad that he does not have to put them up very often.

Goin Fer It's Wife

[terrylamar]

Glad you are enjoying flatbeds. It is different sometimes. Have you had the pleasure of hauling coils yet? Wait until you haul a 43,000 lb. coil right in the middle of the trailer.

No coils yet :sad: and I hope we get one soon as I would prefer to haul it for the 1st time while I am still with my trainer.

Good luck with Passmore, please keep us posted on how it goes over there.

I don't think coils are all that hard. Yes, of course there is that pucker factor. All you do is place your coil racks, lumber and mats, once the coil is placed make sure you placed everything properly and throw your chains, edge protectors and binders and you are done. Takes much less time than most loads.

[danske]

No coils yet :sad: and I hope we get one soon as I would prefer to haul it for the 1st time while I am still with my trainer.

I hope that you get to put up the side kit with your trainer. I know the first time my husband had to put it up on his own he was on the phone with his trainer from Davis for a while. The side kits are a pain and take allot of time. My husband is glad that he does not have to put them up very often.

Goin Fer It's Wife

Did Devildice say that it is a requirement for him to do to finish training in Missoula? I asked DD how pieces and time there were to putting a side kit up, but he couldn't tell me. My day may come soon that I will find out first hand.

BTW, check out my avatar of my old Pumpkin truck! Those were the "good old days"!

[Goin Fer It]

No coils yet :sad: and I hope we get one soon as I would prefer to haul it for the 1st time while I am still with my trainer.

I hope that you get to put up the side kit with your trainer. I know the first time my husband had to put it up on his own he was on the phone with his trainer from Davis for a while. The side kits are a pain and take allot of time. My husband is glad that he does not have to put them up very often.

Goin Fer It's Wife

Did Devildice say that it is a requirement for him to do to finish training in Missoula? I asked DD how pieces and time there were to putting a side kit up, but he couldn't tell me. My day may come soon that I will find out first hand.

BTW, check out my avatar of my old Pumpkin truck! Those were the "good old days"!

I know that my husband put up the side kits once in the yard but when you have to do it alone four or five months later for a load it is a different thing.

Next time you talk to my husband ask him how long.....he hates doing the side kits. But he could tell you more about it. He is glad that he does not have to do it very often.

I noticed your avatar! Cool! What year truck was that?

Goin Fer It's Wife

[danske]

BTW, check out my avatar of my old Pumpkin truck! Those were the "good old days"!

I know that my husband put up the side kits once in the yard but when you have to do it alone four or five months later for a load it is a different thing.

Next time you talk to my husband ask him how long.....he hates doing the side kits. But he could tell you more about it. He is glad that he does not have to do it very often.

I noticed your avatar! Cool! What year truck was that?

Goin Fer It's Wife

It is a early 90's International 9700 Cabover with 350hp Detroit Diesel. Those trucks had a flat roof(no midroof, but FLAT), no floor or cabinets in the sleeper! Can you believe I even teamed in such a vehicle?!? :sad: Yugh!!

I am saving up my questions for GFI the next time I call.

Later