Truck Driving Jobs

Mr. Ford95 · #1 10-26-2016, 06:35 PM

Simple question, maybe not a simple answer! Your driving down the road and a heavy gust of wind blows you over, preventable or not? No, I did not roll over, just asking since it's looking more and more like I'm going to end up OTR for a year or two once I get my refresher course done in order to run local. The one thing I fear most is pulling an empty van and getting hit by wind. I've been shoved onto the shoulder at 65mph in the truck in my avatar while pulling our empty flatbed trailer, not fun!

repete · #2 10-27-2016, 05:37 PM

Not your fault, some of the lower rated companies might say you should've pulled over or taken another route but they are also the ones that won't approve that.
The co. I drive for just cleared me of fault for the accident I was involved in, they also consider deer hits as non-preventable. (good thing!) Any idea who your going with?

Mr. Ford95 · #3 10-27-2016, 09:54 PM

If I do the refresher on my own, Schneider. They need drivers locally, bad, real bad to run from the Walmart DC 40 minutes from me. 1 of my friends I went to school with is a dispatcher for them now out of that location, she knew I was looking and called me about it, said they need a handful of drivers strictly for that DC. They are currently using OTR guys to cover the shortage.

If I can't come up with $1k for the refresher course.........I dunno. I had the 1k covered until 2 weeks ago, had carpal tunnel surgery and been sitting at home the last 2 weeks. Today's followup didn't bring great news on that, might be out another week or two as I have to find Hand Therapy. Can't bend my wrist now.

Schneider wouldn't accept my current experience with a 36 ft flatbed and pintle hook setup. Said it had to be at least a 40 ft trailer to count. Though a refresher wouldn't be too bad for me, get me some time in a 10 speed. My truck is a standard 6 speed. I only have about 10 hours of actual driving time in a 10 speed and that was 6 years ago doing some winter plowing for VDOT. Though you stick me in an 18.......get outta my way! I took to that in 2 minutes and I had never drove one!

repete · #4 10-28-2016, 07:51 AM

Jeez your kinda young to be fallin apart like that!
It's to bad you gotta go thru the refresher course because Schneider is going to send you out with a trainer to make sure you do it THERE way. It wont hurt getting a lesson on dropping and hooking too, not to mention sliding tandems. Unfreakinbelievable how many drivers don't know whats legal or how to get there.
My wife and I sat at a rest stop on I40 just before the Ca. line and watch drivers trying to slide and get legal and they had know idea what was a legal weight just hoped it was good to go. One was trainer and student weight was maxed out and when they finally got the pin in the "Ca hole" I'm sure they were way over on axle weight, not a clue!
Hope that Wally gig works out for you. I did that here in NY for awhile and it kinda sucked, having a friend in the office would've helped a lot! Filled in wally DC out west for awhile and they ran my ass off, made good money but ran me HARD. Once again good luck

Mr. Ford95 · #5 10-28-2016, 03:47 PM

Yeah it blows! Working in the construction industry will do that to you, especially when your the go to person to fill in on crews that are short on men when not driving. And we do concrete, THAT is extremely hard on the body. I've seen asphalt guys take one look and say "nope, I'll stick to asphalt." This surgery was 8 years coming though, it would bother me on and off, a month ago it got so bad that I couldn't turn my neck to the left. Just hoping my right hand won't need it, doc was optimistic that it could never need surgery or at least be some more years down the road.

That is kinda what I was told by my friend, that I would be sent to either Charlotte or PA to do training for a week or two since I already had my CDL. But the head office called me to go over my application and said that since I hadn't had any experience with 40 ft trailers that I had to do a refresher. Why 40 Ft? I didn't know they had 40 footers in the US that weren't gooseneck style which you pulled behind a pickup.........guess it's an insurance deal.

repete · #6 10-28-2016, 10:33 PM

Still lots of 40's around, tho you'll never pull one for wally!

VPIDarkAngel · #7 12-04-2016, 01:04 AM

[QUOTE=Mr. Ford95;538841Though a refresher wouldn't be too bad for me, get me some time in a 10 speed. My truck is a standard 6 speed. I only have about 10 hours of actual driving time in a 10 speed and that was 6 years ago doing some winter plowing for VDOT. Though you stick me in an 18.......get outta my way! I took to that in 2 minutes and I had never drove one![/QUOTE]

That's assuming they have any manuals left (Last I heard, they were mostly getting castrated DT-12 auto's).

Mr. Ford95 · #8 12-06-2016, 09:21 PM

Yes, the local DC is hoping to have all autos within 2 years at their location.