[StevenD]

I'm a Career and Technology high school teacher, and also a third generation trucker who drives part-tme on weekends. It is amazing how many of my students think they can turn to trucking if they fail high school.

I would like to develop a list of questions and/or situations that will make my students THINK about what they consider to be an easy occupation.

How about some help?

I know that simply gleaning questions from the CDL manual given to those preparing to add the endorsement to their license will probably suffice, but I would like to add situations that we face on the road that one can only experience through years of 'practice'.

For example: You are hauling a load of building supplies, someone calls you on the CB and tells you some of the boards are sliding out, you know you have used all your straps, so what do you do now?

Another example: You pick up an oversize load from a farm, your appointment at a port is tomorrow AM but the person you picked the load up from does not have your permit. What do you do?

Those are just a couple of ideas of what I am looking for.

Steven

[COLT]

Give your students a copy of the "hr's of service" regulations, test on Monday... :shock:

[Fozzy]

Originally Posted by StevenD

I'm a Career and Technology high school teacher, and also a third generation trucker who drives part-tme on weekends. It is amazing how many of my students think they can turn to trucking if they fail high school.

I would like to develop a list of questions and/or situations that will make my students THINK about what they consider to be an easy occupation.

How about some help?

I know that simply gleaning questions from the CDL manual given to those preparing to add the endorsement to their license will probably suffice, but I would like to add situations that we face on the road that one can only experience through years of 'practice'.

For example: You are hauling a load of building supplies, someone calls you on the CB and tells you some of the boards are sliding out, you know you have used all your straps, so what do you do now?

Another example: You pick up an oversize load from a farm, your appointment at a port is tomorrow AM but the person you picked the load up from does not have your permit. What do you do?

Those are just a couple of ideas of what I am looking for.

Steven

I may have some old course outlines laying around, Ill try and dredge some of them up. The trip planning and bridge law / weight and size regulations should make their pointy heads hurt! And to be frank, I've had plenty of grown people sitting in my classroom telling me how easy this is and how much money they were going to make... all of course while running out and buying their own truck upon graduation! LOL

[Mackman]

Originally Posted by StevenD

It is amazing how many of my students think they can turn to trucking if they fail high school.

Thats what i did. I got my GED now but when i quit high school i went into truckin. My dad only has a 9th grade edu. and has been O/O for around 28years. Trucking is not all that hard really. Its just the long hrs and all the other BS that goes along with it. There are alot og BS regs you have to deal with. But then again i grew up in a truckin family so i learn everything i know growing up and am still learning.

[WildK9]

Originally Posted by Mackman

Thats what i did. I got my GED now but when i quit high school i went into truckin. My dad only has a 9th grade edu. and has been O/O for around 28years. Trucking is not all that hard really. Its just the long hrs and all the other BS that goes along with it. There are alot og BS regs you have to deal with. But then again i grew up in a truckin family so i learn everything i know growing up and am still learning.

It's just one big jigsaw puzzle, that changes pieces everyday. :wink:

[Roadie]

Originally Posted by Mackman

Its just the long hrs and all the other BS that goes along with it. There are alot og BS regs you have to deal with.

That is no different than MANY career fields out there. anything from banking and all the regs and rules for everybody from tellers to loan officers, etc, Anyone work around aviation? FAA rules, company rules, airport rules, etc.
And hours; anyone had their own business can relate to hours. 15-18 hr days are not that unusall. And I gaurentee they are not sitting for 4-8 hours at a time.
Days off? 49 days without a day off between 3 jobs. Looking forward to 11 hour days, 70 hrs in 8 days, and the 34 hr reset.

Bottom line is MOST jobs have their good and bad, and no one has the market on the BS rules and long hours.

I dont mean to make this sound like you are all complaining, just that others have similar problems to yours.

Make the best of whatever situation your in, and your Blood pressure will be thankful for many years to come!
Cheers

[Part Time Dweller]

Originally Posted by StevenD

Another example: You pick up an oversize load from a farm, your appointment at a port is tomorrow AM but the person you picked the load up from does not have your permit. What do you do?

In your case, sit until the proper permits are obtained, getting paid to do so or leave and haul something else.

That is called poor planning. The permits are most always the carriers responsibility and obtained in advance of arriving to pick up the load. The rate charged in an oversize move can't really be figured until the cost of the permits and any out of normal route miles required are calculated into the price. Also, anyone that ships OD loads regularly would inform the carrier of this when ordering a truck as not to add any delay.

[GMAN]

1. You just picked up a load on Monday in Atlanta going to Union City, California. It is 2,289 miles (not exact miles- for demonstration purposes only) from pick up to delivery point. How many hours will it take until you can deliver and still be compliant with the hours of service regs. How many hours must you drive each day? What must your average speed be to reach your goal? An added twist might be that you must deliver by 11:00 am on Thursday. There is a time differential between eastern and pacific time. As a driver they should be able to calculate whether they can make the delivery.

2. You are picking up 26 pallets with a weight of 45,000 pounds. You are only allowed a certain amount of weight per axle. How can the pallets be loaded to be certain you can legally scale the load?

3. You load a van and check the weight on a CAT scale. Your gross weight is 79,500 pounds, but your drives have 37,400 pounds on them. How can you make the load legal? If you slide the trailer tandems how many pins must you move them to be legal?

4. You pull a flat bed. Your empty weight is 30,253 pounds. How much weight can you put on the trailer and still be legal?

5. You have a single coil on a trailer which weighs 46,250 pounds. You are allowed 40,000 on a spread axle. Where do you place the coil to be legal?

6. You have 2 coils. One weighs 23,250 pounds, the other 22,460 pounds. Can you haul this load legally? If so, where do you put the coils to make sure the load is legal?

7. You have a 45,000 coil on a flat bed. How many chains do you need to use to properly secure the load?

8. You have just picked up 500 pounds of class 1.1 freight. Are there any precautions or special regulations which apply to this shipment? If so, what are they?

9. What is G.O.A.L.?

10. What is a PTI?

11. You have been on duty for 4 hours. You have just loaded for Oklahoma City. You are now in Tampa. How many hours can you drive today and not be in violation of the hos? When will you reach Oklahoma City?

12. What is the proper way for a bill of lading to be worded for a hazmat load?

13. What is a UN code?

14. Your truck holds 300 gallons of fuel. You currently show that you have 1/2 tank of fuel. Your truck gets 6.15 mpg. How far should you go before you must fuel?

15. How many gallons of fuel must purchase to make a trip which is 873 miles if you get 6.35 mpg if you have approximately 130 gallons of fuel in the tanks?

16. You are planning a cross country trip. You want to maximize your fuel purchases to take advantage of the most cost efficient fuel taxes. Where should you purchase fuel to save money on your purchase and still pay the least amount of fuel taxes?

17. You will be traveling from Florida to Tennessee along I-75. Where is the best place to purchase fuel?

18. How do you get the actual cost of diesel fuel?

19. You have driven 58 hours this week. You have been on duty not driving for 5 hours. All of this has been during the last 5 days. You can legally drive up to 11 hours per day or combine driving and on duty not driving for no more than 70 hours in 8 days. How many hours can you legally drive today?

20. What is the optimum point to shift gear for maximum fuel economy?



These are a few things which come to mind. Good luck.

[StevenD]

Great Stuff, Thanks!

[geomon]

Gman...great questions.

Is that Chapter 1 in the book you need to write? :P