Greetings everyone, and Happy New Year! Just wanted to say hi. My interest in trucks started when I was a youngster of 9 years. I actually wrote letters to all the major manufacturers to see if they had any free stuff I could have. Pete, KW, and White Frieghtliner (as they were called back then) all responded with cool stuff. I remember Freightliner offered the most stuff with a patch, and tons of 8x10 glossies of their trucks in action. Pete gave me a cool poster. I guess you could say I was obsessed. My goal in life was to become a driver and unfortunately it never worked out that way.. until now. I've decided to get my CDL. I actually have a lot of experience operating semi's. I worked for 16 years in the steel industry and I was in charge of loading and unloading 13 trucks with structural steel tubing. A dangerous job and aside from a couple of smashed fingers, I made it through unscathed. I had to manuever the trucks around the facility and I got pretty good at backing up and making it around tight corners and obstacles. I'm lacking in any actual road time though.

Anyway, I'm hoping to learn a few things here and I'll definitely be checking in as my career as a professional driver is just beginning.

Bill

 

Welcome to the forum, Bill. Feel free to post any questions you may have on here.

 

Welcome Bill. There are alot of good people here with alot of good information. Nitro Express...drag racing fan?

 

 

welcome aboard

 

I started out the same way that you did, backing up and manouvering trailers in a very tight yard, long before I ever drove one on the road

That is where you will have an advantage, because backing is the hardest part,

Good luck on your career

 

Welcome.

 

Welcome-Good Luck and Go for it

 

Thanks everybody for the warm welcome. Today I am off to pick up my CDL handbook from the DMV. I actually already had a permit at one time and did some driving with a couple of drivers that I worked with. I had this total jerk tester fail me on the airbrake test because I didn't say something exactly how he wanted to hear it. After that I let my permit expire before getting back to the DMV. I regret that a lot now. This time I'm gonna do it though. 8)

 

I am, but not where I came up with the name. Back when I was a kid I bought an album of trucker songs and there was one on there called "Nitro Express." Great album and I wish I still had it. There were some classics on there like, Phantom 309, Tombstone Every Mile, Teddy Bear, and Hello.. I'm a Truck. Good stuff!