[VPIDarkAngel]

Originally Posted by DriveItUSA

um yeah, what did I just read?

That would be part of RoadHog's crush on Shania Twain. You just happened to discover it quicker than most folks on here.
On a somewhat unrelated note, welcome to CAD and welcome to Werner. Oddly enough, on this very day six years ago, my friend Alex hauled me up to the Springfield, OH terminal for me to start orientation on the 31st, and I've been with them ever since.
In which division will you be driving? If you're going to be OTR or regional, you won't spend nearly as much time in reverse as those on Dollar General (where I am) and Family Dollar. Even with those yellow and white boxes behind me, folks still have given me grief when backing at truck stops. I'll take THAT grief any day over the grief that comes from a collision.

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by DriveItUSA

um yeah, what did I just read?

um yeah…. it's called a fart joke

sheesh I guess you DO have problems driver, if you can't even recognize a joke for what it is.
I may have been too quick to welcome you to CAD.

[wally world]

ALWAYS keep your radio on when backing. thats another good way to avoid meeting someone by accident.
goal and radio combined, you can't go wrong. MORANS are always gonna have snide remarks regardless, but REAL DRIVERS will take care of them.
TAKE YOUR TIME AND ENJOY WHAT I HAVE ENJOYED FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS.

[DriveItUSA]

well been a blur. got my own truck, it had a qualcomm issues. it would boot me off (log me out) while i was driving and power down. they cant find the gremlin, but it hasn't done it since they did a complete power cycle, so that's good. the bad is my qualcomm's gps is shot so putting in a request on friday to get the qualcomm replaced.

i did learn how to disable the damn qualcomm voice through the truck speakers, so I can enjoy my music without being interrupted. Now it just goes directly from the qualcomm but its still loud enough I can hear it. i know too much about computers, haha. now if only I could figure out how to disable that anti-idle auto shutdown crap....grrr, that is just annoying.

My first day was a helluva day. Took an empty from the terminal to a beverage place to get a live load. Got there, and got all backed up with only 1 pullup attempt (see rookies can back up!) only to have them tell me they wouldnt load me because the trailer smelled like hay. it was clean inside, had been swept out, but it stunk like hay/animal feed. so that load got cancelled, and I took a loaded trailer to a paper recycling place in long beach. backed up just fine there, took 2 pullups, but I got it. After putting my tandems all the way back I went to backup and couldn't...I forgot to release the johnson bar and couldn't figure out why my truck wouldnt go backwards or forwards lol, but a quick call to my trainer resolved that. I was so embarrassed, but it was my first day out on my own, and I just had the jitters, so I figure if that's the WORST thing that happened to me on my first day, well then...I'm doing alright. got unloaded, left, did my paperwork, found a spot to park for the night and then hit the hay. Got a nice 10 hours of sleep!

got up this morning, picked up a load in Commerce, CA, had a little fun finding my way there via the "truck route", since my QC's GPS has crapped on me, but using my phone's gps and reading signs, I did make it with no problems. had a very tight spot to back into, and got it on the first try! yeah! got loaded up, and hit the road to Vegas. I stopped at the TA in Barstow and bought a map book and one of those windshield suction thingies that hold your phone...and whoa, those make a helluva difference! Plugged my phone into the cd player via the line in jack and was rocking the tunes on my phone and was in a total groove today! Hit a drop yard in Vegas, and dropped a trailer for a split, and had fun with that backing job...took me about 5-6 times to get it, but I got it. Picked up an empty and I'm sitting at a truck stop for the night.

I'll pickup a load in Vegas, and head to Denver thursday, and get in Friday afternoon. Ready for some home time!

I got through the past 2 days without wrecking, hitting anything, tearing anything up, getting pulled over, getting pulled into an inspection station or anything big/major, so I guess I'm doing pretty good, lol. Starting to gain my confidence. Today was awesome!

[wally world]

well alright then..............you will always remember your 1st trip and yours was a success.
JUST REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR TIME. GOAL, GOAL, GOAL.
enjoy the ride.
CONGRATULATIONS

[Bigmon]

Great job....especially in the So. Cal. area....btw....you should have told them their beverages smell a lot worse then hay....hahahaha.

[VPIDarkAngel]

Originally Posted by DriveItUSA

i did learn how to disable the damn qualcomm voice through the truck speakers, so I can enjoy my music without being interrupted. Now it just goes directly from the qualcomm but its still loud enough I can hear it. i know too much about computers, haha. now if only I could figure out how to disable that anti-idle auto shutdown crap....grrr, that is just annoying.

I've had that Qualcomm problem too, except when I routed the audio through the Qualcomm's internal speaker, my left front speaker would often get disabled at odd intervals (That happened in two different trucks).
As for the idle, that depends on what engine you have. If you have a Cummins (in a KW or a Peterbilt), turn both the front and rear blowers on and wait for the dash display to start flashing. Press the clutch. If it's over 75F, it'll idle. If it's below 25F, I don't think you'll even need to press the clutch.
If you have a Detroit DD15 (later Cascadia's and all of our Cascadia Evolution's), there *should* be a sticker on the dashboard detailing the operation of Optimized Idle. I can't remember the specifics, but I do have the information sheet in my truck.
If you have a Volvo D13, I've no clue (although most of those trucks had APU's on them).
I can tell that you didn't get my old truck (59005), because the anti-idle shutdown was disabled by the folks in Omaha for some unknown reason.
'Tis good to hear that things are going [relatively] smoothly.

[DriveItUSA]

my trip back to Denver was awesome. I went I-70 through the Rockies, but only after checking the forecast and CDOT app to make sure there was good roads, clear conditions and easy sailing. The journey was FANTASTIC! I-15 to I-70, saw so much gorgeous scenery I haven't ever seen before, I was in awe.

I got pulled into the scales in Georgetown, but just a random check, and my permits and registration and insurance were all current and up to date, so she said have nice day!



Cruised into Denver, pulled into the werner lot, and my trailer had been flagged for a Safety Inspection. Did that, passed with flying colors, and then dropped my trailer, did my macro's, my 46, and went off duty, and logged out for the week.

A friend picked me up from the terminal and we got beer and steaks and enjoyed the evening at her place!

so nice to get some down time to relax, enjoy a few cold beers, and being NOWHERE near a truck or my car. Steak was awesome!

been busy running errands today, I'm being lazy tomorrow and sleeping in.

[DriveItUSA]

it's been an exciting month since I've been out.

making some decent money. been grossing close to or right at $800 a week. Running hard, 2500 miles + a week, still trying to eclipse 3000 miles.

so far so good, they've treated me quite well, not much to complain about off the top of my head. I love it all so far!

Originally Posted by VPIDarkAngel

In which division will you be driving? If you're going to be OTR or regional, you won't spend nearly as much time in reverse as those on Dollar General (where I am) and Family Dollar. Even with those yellow and white boxes behind me, folks still have given me grief when backing at truck stops. I'll take THAT grief any day over the grief that comes from a collision.

somehow I missed your post, my apologies. I am 48 state Van Division. there was no way in heck I was going to take a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree/Dollar General account as my first assignment.

Back roads, most of them with low clearances and poor directions from the employees that work there because they drive it in their cars but dont take into account some roads are restricted to CMV's and have low bridges. Combined with tight backing and having to unload my own truck...no thank you.

OTR is best for me and i love it out here! Each day is completely different from the previous. the anonymity of each day and the open road is what I love!

[ElCaminoMan]

Hi DriveitUSA, ElCaMinoMan here. Congrats on the J.O.B.! Just do the best you can,,,,,, don't let anybody hornswaggle ya,,, and just take your time with the backing thing. Nobody out there should be counting your pull-ups, and if they are they need to either mind their own business or if it's really tite, at least get out and help. Hell,,,,, I've even seen an older gentleman that looked like he's been driving for years,,,, and for whatever reason, he kept leaning further and further out his opened door until he actually fell out!!! I felt so bad!
So we've all been there. Taken your time. Laugh at yerself. and have a good time doin it!
Later