Truck Driving Jobs

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 5197 Location: Green Bay, WI

I fail to see what the point is in knowing "how fast the truck will go". What purpose does it serve?

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2251 Location: Concordville PA

Rev.Vassago wrote: I fail to see what the point is in knowing "how fast the truck will go". What purpose does it serve?

So you can talk alot of sh*t on the CB. 8)

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 5197 Location: Green Bay, WI

You can talk the sh*t without actually doing it.

mozzi · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Central Illinois

Ok, Hi all… I’m new to this forum and…. Oh well…. You’ll get over it…

Introductions are in order:
I’m a driver with some 21+ years and 2.5 million+ miles under my belt… mostly flatbed and stepdecks but, I’ve also pulled reefers, dry vans, stretch trailers, dump trailers and pneumatic tanks. I’ve literally hauled almost everything there is to haul (don't we all say this though 8) ) on a truck from steel & lumber of any and all types to an airplane and yes, even the kitchen sink. I’ve hauled heavy, long, wide and high. I can’t say accident free but, I can say that my accident was not my fault… and I was not speeding !

I don’t drive OTR any more. I do still drive though… a concrete mixer.
I drive a truck that gets loaded with a liquid load that is constantly moving (revolving). When loaded my truck weighs approx. 65,000 #s legally. My truck has one 20,000 # steer axle, two drive axles and one fold down tag axle. And “TOP HEAVY” is always an issue.

I learned to drive in 1983 running not only 48 states but, running snow & ice in the mountains. I had thousands of miles under my belt before I ever applied for a learners permit. No truck driving school taught me to drive.
I’ve driven through snow & ice storms that you 2… 3… and even 5 year rookies can’t even imagine. Before you even think it (“you should have parked and waited it out”) understand this… Parking is not always an available option.

Yes, I used to be one of those “Super Truckers” that you steering wheel holders like to bad mouth. I’ve dodged probably every scale in this country and maybe one or two in Canada as well. I’ve snuck into So. Cal without authority… delivered, reloaded and escaped without issues. I’ve left Washington DC loaded wide and heavy (90,000 +) and delivered safely in Iowa without waiting for the proper permits (That were supposed to be ready and waiting for me !) for my own reasons… I used to load (regularly) in Oregon… 84,000 #s and deliver to points in Va. Nc. and Sc. without issues. Once, I even drove without a license for 6 months because the scales on I-70 west of St. Peters Mo. took them for no good reason.

You might say that “I’ve been there and done that”.

And despite what many of you may think, I always recieved a lot of respect from my dispatchers and boss’ where ever I worked… as well as the respect of the drivers that I ran with or helped out on the side of the highway… or pulled out of the ditch or whatever. I also received respect from many of the officers that pulled me over… Not all… but many... as well as a few scale house officers that had the pleasure of argueing with me and seeing me win... although they didn't like me in Tn. at the scales west of Nashville... Supervisor said "Get that son-of-a-Bitch out of here". Screw him anyway... I was right and there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

Some of you people are really something else.

This thread has rustled a few of my whiskers so, here goes…

Zz4guy:
You’ve done 100 mph in your camaro… oh boy ! Just how old are you… I get the feeling that your a 17 or 18 year old trucker wannabee. (I see that you claim to be an engineer) Now don’t be offended… Hey, that’s O.K… we all started somewhere… and I, myself, was a wannabee at the age of 3.
Your quote: “Personally I'd rather be trained by somebody who's pushed the machine to its limits”
This in itself is a good idea but, not for the reasons you claimed… down hill grades are something that you just don’t train for… believe me YOU DON’T.
If you ever end up barreling down a grade faster than you want too, you will just have to improvise….
YOU TRAIN TO GO DOWN A GRADE PROPERLY….
NOT IMPROPERLY !!!
See "Intro to truckin 101"... http://www.newbiedriver.com/articles/intro_trucking.htm

Speeding in a big truck isn’t just for fun… it can be dangerous.

Have I traveled at a “HIGH RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION” ??? I’ll tell you later in this post although, you probably have already made up your mind that I have...

Ironeagle2006:
Epilepsy is a good reason to “RETIRE” from trucking. The fact that you use the word “FORCED” seems to reflect that you don’t agree with the decision… If you’ve got the miles that you say you do then you should agree that anyone with epilepsy doesn’t belong in a truck… too many things can go wrong…. Right ! A wise man would re-write his signature.
Not getting your med’s ontime is the biggest and easiest problem. I personally know about this little issue…as I used to take anti-depressants… when you run out of med’s on the road it can be a real bitch dealing with the withdraw symptoms until you get home to get your refill. And I don’t care what the Walgreens commercials say… you cant get certain medications from anyplace other than where your doctor faxed the prescription to.
Been there… Done that.

One other thing Ironeagle2006… claiming miles under YOUR belt that SOMEONE ELSE drove is a chicken $&!+ way to build you own reputation… trainer or not.

Yoopr:
You’d better go re-check Parley… it’s there.

Rev.vassago:
Sir, aren’t you a bit arrogant…. maybe a bit hipicritical even ?
Runaway ramps are for ANYONE who has trouble on the grade… whether it be an idiot who thinks that he’s indestructible or a driver who’s equipment has failed him (or her). Equipment failures are unfortunate (and many avoidable) but they do happen.
The more I read of your posts… the more I doubt that you can even drive a truck.

Jagerbomber:
If you were truly a “Super Trucker” you’d know the answer to your question regarding how those triple digit cowboys know how fast they were going…
It’s simple…
It’s called VASCAR…. Remember what that is…?
Before RADAR was ever used, the police used to use VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder). http://www.vascar.com The concept is really a stopwatch coupled with a calculator.
It’s simple… The # of seconds in an hour (60 seconds X 60 minutes = 3600 seconds) divided by the # of seconds it takes to travel one mile. This is actually more accurate over a longer distance… say 10 miles or so. It’s simple math. And yes, I carried a stopwatch (of sorts) in my truck all the time. Speedometers are notorious for being wrong ! I always checked every truck that I was issued so that I KNEW what my actual speed was without having to be told by a HIGHWAY PATROL officer.

P.S. There are 150 mph speedometers out there… just ask your local Peterbilt or Kenworth dealer. They can be bought and installed.

Traveler15301:
You sound like a real driver… possibly even a trucker. (A trucker and a Steeringwheel Holder are two different things entirely).
But, I’d like to address the issue about the steer tire blowing out. Bare with me please.
I’m not condoning high speed trailer truckin’ to the bunch of drivers out there today… but, there are still some who can and will do it.

One has to have SOME (even a little) understanding of physics here to understand what I’m about to explain.

Ever seen a dragster being launched off of the starting line…?
What happens… ? The front of the car lifts up off of the ground… he pulls a “wheelie”. Right ! What’s actually happening here though ?
We’re talking about torque. As the engine produces power or force… this force is transferred through the driveline to the axle. As the force to the axle is increased the weight (or downward pressure) on the steer tires is decreased. This happens with every vehicle… EVERY VEHICLE.
In a truck traveling down the highway, the amount of downward pressure on the steer axle is less while the vehicle is in an “ACCELERATION” mode than if it were sitting still. That same pressure would be “MORE” while in the “DECELERATION” mode which explains why your nose dips down when you hit the brakes. The faster the truck is accelerating, the lighter the pressure on the steer axle. At high speeds the steer axle is actually floating on the road… this effect is what causes “HYDROPLANING” on wet pavement.
If a driver is aware of this concept… while a steer tire blows… he need only apply the trailer brakes gently (PROVIDED HE/SHE HAS A TROLLY BAR) to keep the front end of his/her tractor “UP” while decreasing the vehicles speed.
Now you can say what you want too but, when I’m doing something that I think might be a bit risky… I want to know how to reduce the risk as much as possible

Top quality steer tires in very good condition are an absolute must too, not no cheap junk.

Random Facts:
Anyone who travels at triple digits for just a few miles here and there is just doing it for the kicks… It is stupid and yes, they are not saving any time… just wasting fuel. The drivers who speeding for a living are doing it “FOR EXTENDED” periods of time… many many miles. They don’t stop at every truckstop as the story goes but, rather … keep the left door closed and the hammer down…. Gougin’ on it !!! And they aren’t worried about their 11 on and 10 off or whatever the HOS rules are these days either. They are “TRAILER TRUCKIN”. And I can speak from experience … you can make up a lot of time doing this…this is how I often made my sleep time but, it’s not for everybody. Not everybody’s bodys are accustomed to working for 18 – 20+ hours a day like some are…

A little something else here “IT’S A PROVEN FACT THAT SPEED DOES NOT CAUSE ACCIDENTS. ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY DRIVER ERROR AND OR NEGLECT” This statement told to me by a Minnesota State Highway Patrol officer while he was writing me a WARNING ticket for 15 mph over posted. The only reason he even pulled me over (according to him) was because I “blabbed” his location on the C.B. radio… “If you would have kept your big mouth shut… I’d have left you alone !”

Jiptwoo:
Yea Buddy ! Gougin’ on it aye ! You’re a true trucker from “back in the day”.

Dawn - Super Trucker:
Get real girl…….Your not a super trucker by any means….. you’re a steering wheel holder…. If it’s O.K. with you then it’s O.K. with me… but, stay out of the way.

Nightprwlr:
Yes, I have…. Not a dog though… does a deer count ?
90 mph… west bound on I-94 in Montana… Wee dark hours in the morning…I had leaned over in my 359 Pete to spit in the waste basket (had a bad cold and was coughing up phlem). When I came back up there she was… in the middle of the road… nothing to do but hit her…. Dead center.
Nothing left of that deer to even come out of behind the trailer… according to the driver following me. Not a dent or scratch in my Pete either… just a bunch of raw meat and hair. I had a “Bulldozer Blade” under my Big Chrome Texas Square bumper. Really, a 9/16” thick plate of steel welded and braced with 2” square steel tube tucked in behind that big ol’ bumper.

Hey Nightprwlr… I remember Pete Oliver Trucking…
Do you remember Bell Trucking in Auxvasse ? I drove for George Schaffer leased to Bell… Fire brick from Mexico, Fulton and Vandalia (I think) going to Chicago, Detroit & Cleveland… Steel coils or rebar back to K.C. or there abouts… put a lot of miles across hwy 54.
I used to leave out on Sunday and arrive back on the following Saturday morning. 4 hours (total) sleep while on the road and a good nights sleep on Saturday night. Lots of miles too…

Stinkyfinger:
Your just plain stupid for going down Flag at 100+ mph… just plain stupid.
Glad to see that you feel differently about it now… ?

Now then……………………….As for the rest of you so-called drivers… personally, I think that most of you are all a bunch of steering wheel holders… but, that ain’t all bad… The times are different now and the days of Super Truckin’ are almost over. There’s not as much space on the roads as there used to be…. Too many four wheelers and way too many “Stupid Truckers” that think it’s funny to pull out into the left lane after checking their mirror and seeing that a“Large Car” is coming up the rear.
REAL STUPID !!!

REAL F#$%ING STUPID !!!

But, many of you so-called “PROFESSIONALS” think that this is amusing… Really now, who is dangerous ? Me in the left lane doing 75 or whatever just trying to do my job… or the guy that waits for me to catch up behind him in the left lane (watching me in his mirror) and turns his truck into my lane causing me to slam on the brakes, knowing full well what he’s done… and why he’s done it… Who’s the dangerous driver ?

Dipshits anyway !!!

Aside from many company trucks (most of which never exceeded 79) I owned two trucks myself... a 1987 359 Classic Numbered Peterbilt and also a 1997 Freightliner classic condo. The Pete had a 425 manual with a 15 double over and 355s... the condo had a 500 detroit with a 13 and 370s... the pete would top out around 120 or more... the condo topped out at 97.6 mph.

The difference between a "big truck" and a "large Car" is:
A big truck will climb a mountian as fast as it can... :lol:
A large car will climb that same mountian as fast as it wants too... :P :P :P

Have I ever drove at higher than posted speeds ???

402 miles across the state of Wyoming in 5 hours flat…State line to state line… loaded.

85 mph across OHIO on I-70 around 2:am (Wee hours) with an Ohio State Patrol running the front door… He was following me talking to me on the C.B…. I suggested that he run the front door… and he did !
go ahead… call me a liar.

85-90 mph west bound on I-40 in Az. (again… wee hours) State patrol said over “his” radio (not a C.B.) heard on my scanner… “Keep your foot into it driver, your doing a fine job”. I had no idea he was behind me… and he didn’t have any lights on either !!! Sneaky little guy.
Again, call me a liar.

Too many stories to tell….
Why a driver is driving faster than you might feel comfortable with is none of your business… just stay out of the way and pray for him or her.

That driver might be trying to get to a hospital to see his spouse or child after receiving a phone call from an emergency room. (My wife had to do this once… in her camaro……)

That driver might be trying to deliver a critical load for someone special…
Remember Desert Storm… I could tell you a story about this… but, I save you the trouble…
Suffice it to say….Army Depot in Tooele Ut. to Kennedy airport on Long Island in NY city in 57 hours… via Effingham Il. with a stop in south west Neb. to service tractor & trailer per boss’ request. My route proved to be 2665 miles… 57 hours… not a single cop anywhere the whole trip… not even Ohio.
Below are the basics of that load.

Military load (27 loads to be exact)… 18 crates per truck…30” x 30” x 22’ long each.
Must go…
Must be received…
Country at war…
Tomahawk missles… Any questions…?
High Speed Trailer Truckin’ ain’t for everybody… but, it can be done safely.

Oh, last but not least… that driver that you condemn for driving faster than you, he/she might just be trying to support his/her family and make his/her mortgage and truck payments.
Everybody isn’t as fortunate as you might be… everybodys needs are not the same as yours are… and everybodys skills are not as limited as yours might be…

SAFTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A ISSUE WITH ME… WHATEVER SPEED I WAS DRIVING………… FAST … OR SLOW……………………

Truck on driver…. Truck on…[img][/img]

mozzi · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Central Illinois

Rev.Vassago wrote: You can talk the sh*t without actually doing it.

Only in your dreams Rev.... Only in your dreams. :roll: :dung:

Scout · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:34 pm Post subject:

mozzi wrote:

One has to have SOME (even a little) understanding of physics here to understand what I’m about to explain.

Ever seen a dragster being launched off of the starting line…?
What happens… ? The front of the car lifts up off of the ground… he pulls a “wheelie”. Right ! What’s actually happening here though ?
We’re talking about torque. As the engine produces power or force… this force is transferred through the driveline to the axle. As the force to the axle is increased the weight (or downward pressure) on the steer tires is decreased. This happens with every vehicle… EVERY VEHICLE.
In a truck traveling down the highway, the amount of downward pressure on the steer axle is less while the vehicle is in an “ACCELERATION” mode than if it were sitting still. That same pressure would be “MORE” while in the “DECELERATION” mode which explains why your nose dips down when you hit the brakes. The faster the truck is accelerating, the lighter the pressure on the steer axle. At high speeds the steer axle is actually floating on the road… this effect is what causes “HYDROPLANING” on wet pavement.
If a driver is aware of this concept… while a steer tire blows… he need only apply the trailer brakes gently (PROVIDED HE/SHE HAS A TROLLY BAR) to keep the front end of his/her tractor “UP” while decreasing the vehicles speed.
Now you can say what you want too but, when I’m doing something that I think might be a bit risky… I want to know how to reduce the risk as much as possible

I have to disagree with this.
[quote=Wikipedia]In automobiles, weight transfer (often confused with load transfer) refers to the redistribution of weight supported by each tire during acceleration (both longitudinal and lateral). This includes braking, or deceleration (which can be viewed as acceleration at a negative rate). Weight transfer is a crucial concept in understanding vehicle dynamics.

Weight transfer occurs as the vehicle's center of gravity (CoG) shifts during automotive maneuvers. Acceleration causes the sprung mass to rotate about a geometric axis resulting in relocation of the CoG. Front-back weight transfer is proportional to the ratio of the center of gravity height to the vehicle's wheelbase, and side-to-side weight transfer (summed over front and rear) is proportional to the ratio of the center of gravity height to the vehicle's track.[/quote]There's no way you can slow a vehicle while keeping "the front end of his/her tractor “UP”. Google "weight transfer" and there are several good articles.

mozzi · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Central Illinois

Hey Scout...
Your wrong.... Just plain wrong.

For starters, a tractor trailer is not an automobile. When will you rookies realize this ?

Secondly, GOOGLE doesn't know S&*t about weight transfer in a tractor trailer.

I have personally seen (with my own eyes) my own steer tire fly past my mirror and window on the drivers side. There was nothing whatsoever to indicate that the tire was flat or even completely seperated from the rim until I let off the foot feet (Gas pedal for you rookies) at which point the nose settled down and the left side dipped down. At this point, the left steer rim hit the pavement and I was absolutely positive that the tire that I had wittnessed flying by my window was mine.

So you can't tell me that I'm wrong.... you just depend on your GOOGLE to tell you about life and I'll go on living it and learning by EXPERIENCE.

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 5197 Location: Green Bay, WI

mozzi wrote: Rev.vassago:
Sir, aren’t you a bit arrogant…. maybe a bit hipicritical even ?

hypocritical :roll:

And no, I'm not. If you disagree, prove me wrong. :roll:

Arrogant? Sure. Who cares? What's your point?

Quote: Runaway ramps are for ANYONE who has trouble on the grade… whether it be an idiot who thinks that he’s indestructible or a driver who’s equipment has failed him (or her). Equipment failures are unfortunate (and many avoidable) but they do happen.

Your point? What does the above drivel have to do with a thread about how fast people have gotten their trucks up to?

Quote: The more I read of your posts… the more I doubt that you can even drive a truck.

Luckily, I could care less what you think. Your 25 million miles is irrelevant.

jiptwoo · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 120

Mozzi, you have a great memory and my hat is off to you; ---jiptwoo.

Phantom433a · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 313 Location: Chino Valley, Az

ironeagle2006 wrote: Also I did not get my CDL from a driver mill I got mine the old fashion way MY FATHER sitting in the jump seat training me when I screwed up he let me know.
Yea.... I bet he did the same to you that mine did to me when I did something wrong.....slapped the S**T out of me and exclaimed "this is MY truck....you break it and YOU can make the payments." Swift is great at taking a driver with 6 months wheel time and making them trainers.

The fastest I've gotten my truck up to....its governed.....75....thats the top speed here in Az, where I run the northern part.

GI_James

zz4guy wrote: I was doing 100 in my camaro yesterday and it got me thinking - what would it be like to have an 80,000 lbs rig going that fast?? :shock:

Post your stories and locations of where you hit the speed.

I had a military Armored 5 ton almost to 60 mph...

ladykatrina · Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Connecticut

what a fun read this whole thread was, guys,thank you for all the free amusement! :D

Scout · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:46 am Post subject:

mozzi wrote: Hey Scout...
Your wrong.... Just plain wrong.

For starters, a tractor trailer is not an automobile. When will you rookies realize this ?

Secondly, GOOGLE doesn't know S&*t about weight transfer in a tractor trailer.

I have personally seen (with my own eyes) my own steer tire fly past my mirror and window on the drivers side. There was nothing whatsoever to indicate that the tire was flat or even completely seperated from the rim until I let off the foot feet (Gas pedal for you rookies) at which point the nose settled down and the left side dipped down. At this point, the left steer rim hit the pavement and I was absolutely positive that the tire that I had wittnessed flying by my window was mine.

So you can't tell me that I'm wrong.... you just depend on your GOOGLE to tell you about life and I'll go on living it and learning by EXPERIENCE.

OK then, what was holding the wheel up in the air while the tire was passing you? Even bobtail you've got a good 10,000 on the steer axle, and you're telling me that 5k was just floating above the road waitng for you to brake? I don't believe it.

Fredog · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2135 Location: North Georgia

zz4guy wrote: I was doing 100 in my camaro yesterday and it got me thinking - what would it be like to have an 80,000 lbs rig going that fast?? :shock:

Post your stories and locations of where you hit the speed.

240 mph
but it was on a computer game

Fredog · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2135 Location: North Georgia

[quote="Rev.Vassago"] ironeagle2006 wrote: 39 months total time OTR driving I was not a 6 month wonder. Also I did not get my CDL from a driver mill I got mine the old fashion way MY FATHER sitting in the jump seat training me when I screwed up he let me know.

Something stinks here, and it ain't me.

ironeagle2006 wrote: Forced off OTR driver with 1 million miles accident free name the commidity I pulled it. Dead bodies?

/quote]

1,000,000 miles / 39 months = 25,641 miles per month. Care to explain how you managed that? :roll:

I smell B.S.

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