Ride along and advice
 

Seeking ride along and advice to enter the industry. San jose ca.

What you will find is that no motor carrier allows unauthorized passengers. Reasons include insurance issues and, if I recall, a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation that prohibits passengers in trucks unless
driver, passenger, and carrier have it all worked out in writing before said passenger even touches a door handle. The passenger would have to sign an insurance waiver and a hold-harmless agreement, and that's IF the carrier even allows it. Even guys who want to bring their wives along often have to sign waivers and agreements. I had to and my wife had to sign, as well.

I think you've asked this question before, but I'm not sure if you ever got an answer. If you're looking for advice about trucking, you've come to the right place--fire away.

Virtually every company I've worked for will allow a passenger in the truck, but will charge the driver for the extra insurance they require, even for the wife. But, it does seem that the amount of that insurance varies from one carrier to the next. Where I am currently working, about $110 covers you for a full year. 365 days.

Over the past two years, I've had more than half a dozen people ride along with me to see if they wanted to spend the money on driving school. Out of all of them, only one actually did. The others are working at other jobs. Nearly all of them thought it was fine until I had to jockey the trailer into a nearly impossible dock, with traffic flowing on the street.

If more people got to ride along, we would not have so many posts by people that can't get out of this industry once they get into it.

The carrier I ran for didn't allow unauthorized passengers. Authorized meant ONLY: spouse, SO, one--just one--son or daughter (no nieces, nephews, cousins) at least 10 years old and only during Summer (hey, that was the policy) and only after hold-harmless papers (which included paragraphs on mandatory seat belt use and the promise that the passenger would not EVER get behind the wheel or do any work involving the truck [i.e., no assisting with hooking up, loading/unloading etc.]) had been signed and only after a medical exam. No pregnant women. The driver had to pay for the extra insurance--I don't remember how much, the point being the carrier didn't pay and didn't want to be on the hook if something happened.

As long as a carrier allows it then it's fine. I can't imagine that any carrier's going to look the other way when it come to unauthorized passengers. 831mateo just has to find a carrier that allows authorized ride-alongs. I agree with you that it's a good way to learn about trucking.

Years ago I rode along for a day with a local/LTL outfit. We went all over the Napa Valley to wineries (talk about narrow dirt roads and tight docks!), and it was a fun day. The company did it all the time. No papers to sign, just hop up to the jump seat. The unofficial deal was that you'd buy the driver breakfast and lunch. Wives brought picnic lunches. I threw freight at one stop. It wasn't a big deal back then, but now it is.

The authorization papers are actually required by law...

Found it!

FMCSRs, Subpart G -- Prohibited Practices; 392.60--Unauthorized Persons Not To Be Transported.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...016334800238f6

Thanks, allan5oh. I do recall hearing that. With everything's that's at risk, and lawyers hiding under every rock, I'm not surprised.