I have no idea what is going on in your mind Sonny. Everything that Steve experienced would be exactly the same for any new driver, - with a company or with his own authority. The trips that companys dispatch you on are never chosen by your experience level from what I know.

Driving around with a trainer for a few weeks is not always a good use of time. Like Doghouse said, he is lucky to be alive. And if you talk to others about their stories, very many feel it was a crazy experience and not too helpful.

There are publications to learn about securement. I'm sure you don't need links to those or to web sites, in order for you to understand that load securement is something that can be grasped by a guy like Steve who puts a little effort into learning it.

I checked out that last link you posted. I couldn't find Steve in that story.
Just a truck that lost 500 pounds of I-bars. Thank God. It says there were no injurys.

 

Thanks person. Yup your right. I have heard more than a few times a driver on the CB in Texas or Colorado asking for advise on driving in the snow. They didn't have a choice as they were being pushed by dispatch.

As I've said in my previous posts. I've led MANY convoys of trucks in the middle of the night during wicked snow storms driving 25mph. Asked them many times if they wanted me to pull over to let them by only to hear the reply, no, your doing fine and keeping us honest.

I've been up and down more 8% plus grades at 80,000 than I can think of. I'm the slowest person on the road and 300 feet away from the car in front of me.

After heading through the tunnel in Colorado I'm the only one doing the suggested 35mph down the hill, jake on full, in proper gear and feet on the floor the whole way down.

When I pick something new up I'll ask other drivers for help if I need it. I think flatbed drivers are a different bread and willing to help another driver any time. I have countless emails from many people on this forum sending me PDF files on load securement plus books on the subject. I always ask the shipper for advise also. They do this stuff every single day and seem to be honored that I'm asking for help.

Some people are correct in there thinking. It is my truck, I love my truck and won't come screaming up to a stop because the brakes aren't mine.

I do find trucking very interesting and love to learn and not afraid to ask for help and advise which when I was younger would not have dreamed of doing because of my pride. Those days are gone.

Those brittle air lines breaking in my hands in the below zero temps could happen to anyone. They were brand new DOT approved lines. I blame the DOT for allowing them to be used. I now have heavy rubber lines.

And by the way Sonny. You need to read up on air lines. When they break you don't lose your brakes. If fact, it's just the opposite!!! You see, the air in your lines keep the brakes released. Without air, your brakes are fully deployed.

There are may aspects of driving that you can draw from your lifes experience that still apply to trucks. Like slowing down on the highway in a snow storm when approaching the crest of a hill. Geez, I wonder what's on the other side and can I stop??? Looking down at the road on a cold night and realize your headlights have no effect on the surface below...Hello black ice. Having a VERY light foot on the fuel peddle when slipping in the snow instead of putting your foot through the floorboards.

There is a reason why my insurance is much cheaper for my truck and car then it would be for someone younger than myself. People over 50 are given much more credit for there life's experience.

I'm curious. How long before you consider me an experienced driver? I have $28,000 sitting in my checking account. How much longer before I'm not considered on borrowed time and hey, he's actually making it?

 

I recieved my CDL in 11/04 and after realising that I didn't want to go over the road I sat my ass home and drove straight trucks for 5 months and a courier in a cargo van for about a year.In reseraching about buying a big truck, I took a refresher course which only taught us on backing up.Right after the course,I found found a Landstar BCO on truckpaper who was selling his truck and flatbed equipment.The truck even came with the coffee maker and fridge for 7grand.I then rented a Ryder 53' trailer and drove around the city for 3 days and 400 miles.( I was scared but I took that chance).A month later I was off to the "desperately-seeking" container companys lieing to them that I had experience with XYZ company etc..My first container load was a dry van which I had to slide the tandem.I was clueless but I went on the net the night before and reserached on doing this.
I came on here, told my tale only for almost everyone to laugh at me about my endeavor and how I bought a piss of shit truck and the chance I took.Yes, it was a chance I took and many would not do what I did, but IT frustrated me and work was slim and so I had to take a chance.
I am now moving from cheap as dry van rates with Landstar and I am picking up a stepdeck on friday in jacksonville , FL.I had to take their cargo securement class and I think I will do better.

 

From what I can tell, these schools do little more than help their students get a CDL. There are groups who are pushing for minimum seat time in order to receive your CDL. Much of driving a big truck is common sense. You can't go to school and get that. :wink:

 

 

Well said Steve.

Sonny....what's the difference between Steve at 4 months experience and a 22 yr old kid driving for (fill-in-blank) who had a 4 week "trainer" who barely had more experience than the trainee and ran as team most of the time? I'll argue that there's quite a bit.
I think I'd prefer Steve behind me on a snowy descent at 4 months rather than the latter one.... :?

 

As far as experience. That's crapola, you learn on the road like everyone else. 6 weeks with a trainer is nothing compared with really doing it on your own. I figure it takes 6 to 9 months on your own before you have a good handle on it. If you can survive the first few months your just as good as a Swift driver with 6 weeks riding with a trainer asleep in the
bunk.[/quote]

This is why I took the post to task
Is this the answer from a professional driver?
WTF
I just showed you that they are upping the ante
for trucking mishaps
A 30 yearold guy is sitting in prison,no trial 1mil bail etc
For misreading a turn


If its 6 months with Swiftie or private driver training
so be it

Training and over training is the way to go
Not "do it yourself and if you survive........."

You have to figure that a lawyer is going to look at every angle possible
to wipe you out
if there should be an accident etc
That is how an independant has to look at it
So if you want to just go and start flatbedding without training......

As far as the air line
you were driving a hand grenade
with the pin pulled
It was something your
untrained eye missed



I just wanted to point out that
beware of the info you get on the intern

 

What intern...she said she was a doctor :P

What I am arguing about is what you wrote: “Steve lucked out. He put the public at risk. Consequences for no experience”.
Just how did he luck out? For example, how did his snow driving experience differ in any way from an England driver that did his/her 4-6 weeks training in summer and is now dropping down from Eisenhower at night in their first snowstorm? Well for one thing, it was his rig and his business that was at stake and it seemed like he was quite conservative in how he drove back then and learned well.

My point is that EVERY driver is at that same point early in his/her career whether they are like Steve or fresh out of a meat in the seat trainer company and I would prefer an inexperienced Steve back there rather than that inexperienced England driver. Someone who has his/her own money vested in the enterprise has a lot of incentive to learn and apply that learning well.

 

That air line was brand new. It was my second one. I had 5 break in one month due to the cold. I know, your keen Superman eye would have done a magnaflux scan of the material and deemed it unsafe. Maybe I'll get that 1000 yard stare some day.

 

Sonny wrote:What exactly are you talking about here? Please explain your train of thought.

Steve had private lessons.

Swift turns you loose after 6 weeks, not months, of riding around with another person w/ no guarantee of what went on during those 6 weeks. This is the law. It is how it works in the U.S., and only this way, unless you got some special friend that lets you ride and drive his truck and you have the time off, and he has insurance for it.

And it is really no different than how it is for kids. They learn how to drive and they give them a license and they're on their own. At 16 freekn years old! Their insurance is pretty high but they're on their own. Some kids drive like they have been driving for years when they first start out. Others don't do so well. But after awhile all is well with them too. God bless America.