Can't add a microwave if I can't plug it in :roll:

Accessories?
 

I wouldn't worry too much about all the extras you want. You probably won't have time to use them anyway. At least for the first few months. I used to have a TV, DVD, laptop, refridge-freezer, etc. Usually by the time the day was over I would turn the TV on and I was sleeping in five minutes anyway. You will find that you won't have much time to kick your feet up and set watching TV Unless you are sitting waiting for your next load. The satellite dishes are mostly reserved for the reefer haulers :)

You know there was a time when just the most simple things such as a/c and am/fm radio were not even heard of in the trucking business..


http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3..._conv_blue.jpg


Be happy with what you have, not what you do without.

Here's you a cab over Peterbilt, see if Harold can seat you in a truck like this one for a while.. :D


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Okay this would be better for pulling a flatbed

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NC, i see that you made it home. i didnt get loaded until 545 and had to stop in ok city for the night. needless to say i am getting my weekend even if it means delivering monday afternoon. of course no one answered the phones in dsm when i called. didnt even get a return message on qualcom. i guess some folks started their 4 day weekend at about 230 today. how did your deal work out?

Not to mention truck WITHOUT FRONT BRAKES... damn we have it so easy. :):)

Mapping Software
 

Greetings TMC Warriors,

As opposed to posting in a thread more appropriate, I post here because only the finest and intelligent reside here; TMC drivers and those that aspire to be.

Anyone have an opinion on mapping software? I am getting a laptop and putting a mapping/gps program on it to help me improve my OOR. A TMC brother recommended Delorme Street Atlas, another MS Streets and Trips, and yet another Co-Pilot. I are so cunfuzed.

I have Kung Foo Grip when it comes to computers so I understand that bad software sucks and will haunt you forever.

Although I am a cheap bastard, I am willing to pay for the added expense (like $200) for Co-Pilot because it has trucker related stuff; the kind of information that truckers need like practical miles, hazmat stuff, and toll avoidance. However, in the software world I have had many experiences with industry or hobby specific software that is very poorly written. It can screw up your PC, doesn't work well, and is generally annoying.

Any opinions?

Re: Mapping Software
 

well i can tell you what i use and it works pretty well. i have a Cobra 3000 Navone GPS that does ok on the routing but FANTASTIC in cities. i let it do the routing and compare that with ms streets on the laptop. the navone is pretty bad at distance routing and likes to route easy miles but it takes forever if i followed it. I.e, houston to joplin, it would route up 45 to 75 then onto 40 to okcity up 44 instead up just straight up 69. there is supposed to be a software fix is out to fix this but i havent downloaded it yet. on ms streets. i have downoladed most of the fuel stops and can incorporate them into the map and routing so that helps. all the major truckstops have compiled there stops into an excel format that one can insert into the program an shows points and allows routing thru during a trip. and i still have and use my trusty ole' rand mcnally. my last snapshot was 5.8% oor. be advised. the log department will get you for speeding if you use it and shave time off of the run. it happens to me every month. dsm is horrible about this. next driver roundtable i will bring this up.

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I think you must be thinking of some place else, I had the Country fried steak and potatoes and it was nothing less than a great home style meal..

You have your opinion, and you are certainly welcome to it, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a great place to eat and take a break.

No, it's the same place NC. Their is a smaller one I believe just south of the one at Raphine. The one at Raphine has a yard behind it for Yellow Transportation or Estes. Maybe they finally got some good cooks there that don't grease the heck out of all the food, that or the VA Health Dept gave them a good hard inspection and got'em to clean their act up. The truckstop that used to be up by me off of Rt 17. and I-95(Servicetown) was the same as White's. Health Dept nearly shut them down 2 and a half years ago. Health Dept puts the write-ups of all inspections they do monthly online and there's was scary to read some of the stuff found. Truckstop ended up being bought out by Target Co for a Super Target to go in.

ya know really the only play toy I have on the road is my laptop... I can watch movies play games or about what ever I want, BUT and I mean but I really don't have much time to do those kind of things out here. Right now I am in Haubstadt, IN waiting until about 1930 hrs because I got pulled this morning for a level 2 DOT inspection. took her about an hour to do everything but she told me that I should take my 10 hr break here, which I am. So I figure I can get in a couple hrs relax time then head on down the road so I can be first to unload in the morning.


And ya know the only thing that she had to say was that she hated such clean trucks... and I told her that at TMC we care about our equipment, and take really good care of it

yea i got pulled out back in ok for a level 1 last week and the guy said that as long as the truck is clean and not dinged up, they usually will just send us on the way with just a level 1 but if things dont look good then stand by to stand by.

I wasn't even out of the parking lot before she had another trucker pulled over for the same thing

Does the TMC trucks come with the sleeper curtain or will I have to buy it seperate when I get my own truck after training?

Would she have perfered a leaking dirty truck? I can bring her one :twisted:

You're good there. They don't have the window versions, just the thing separating the cab from the sleeper.

Whence you get out on the road you will notice that most/many of the other trucking companies are making you drive in crap trucks. TMC does not officially promote crappy trucks although they are flushing out old stuff.

Anyway, everytime I put up my recliner it shifts the truck into another gear, then my TMC/GPS-John Madden Mobile TV dish receiver shorts out my TMC black and gold microwave. That causes me to blow by weigh stations, which gets me tickets, which I just explain to the DOT and they say "Dang, how do you drive such a P-O-C truck?"...and let me go in shame.

Happy Fun Fourth of July To All!

ya know this has to be the worst week I have had since being out on my own. I am stuck up in Gary, IN having to wait ubtil tomorrow night because I ran out of hours and no where to manufacture any more time. Just have to get my 34 hr restart so that I can get home this weekend.

From what I understand, you can drive home and not be under DOT guidelines. As long as your on your own time (aka not getting paid). It's called personal time.

Any other opinions?

I believe, and I could be wrong, that driving the truck is always driving the truck. I.E., you are always under the DOT rules and regs. I know that there are exceptions to the HOS rules but those usually associated with driving in bad weather to get to a safe place to stop.

You can drive the tractor without the trailer and log it off duty as if you are drving the truck as a POV.

Better clarify that with the disclaimer: If allowed by the company. Some/most companies do not allow this, and/or the qualcomm will show log violation if this is done.

You can also drive within the limits of one town/city for local pickup/delivery and log it on line 4 on duty not driving.

:D
NC. how is the week working out so far? to the oldest child out this week and he had fun. he just stayed in the sleeper watching movies. i wouldnt have ever known he was there except he ate all my food and wanted to eat every 2 hours. i guess you have to feed a growing kid. he could do more work though. :twisted:

It's been okay I guess, I just got home a little while ago, I had to pick up in Birmingham yesturday, and got to sit around half the day to get loaded, always a great way to spend a friday right?

I stopped for the night in Temple Ga. at the Pilot there, got my fuel and a shower, and made my way home at 0300 this morning..

It's Good to be Home! :D

yea i had one of those late loads last week. i didnt get home until saturday morning but was able to deliver monday afternoon and still get a decent start on the week. i think i am staying out this next weekend. i may try to get that load out of houston to nev. that pays pretty good and just run.

So you didn't go home this weekend?

It's time for some humor, my favorite kind of humor just happens to be political humor, so please, just play along and enjoy it for what it is.





Are you a Republican or Democrat



Are you a Democrat, Republican or Southern Republican?

Question: How do you tell the difference between Democrats, Republicans and Southern Republicans?

The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock cal 40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Democrat's Answer:

- Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!

- Does the man look poor! Or oppressed?

- Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?

- Could we run away?

- What does my wife think?

- What about the kids?

- Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?

- What does the law say about this situation?

- Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?

- Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?

- Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?

- Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?

- If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?

- Should I call 9-1-1?

- Why is this street so deserted?

- We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.

- This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.

- I could shoot in the air and maybe scare him off but that may be interpreted as some sort of torture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Republican's Answer:

BANG!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Southern Republican's Answer:

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click.....(sounds of reloading).

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click

Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points that I bought you for your birthday?"




http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/hgary2003/az.jpg

An oldie but still a goodie. I love that one.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

http://bestsmileys.com/shooting1/21.gif

well my week started out pretty good i thought. got unloaded early enough all that jazz. got me a load that put me right between Gary and Indy on Thursday. wouldn't you know it NOTHING going east. so i got a load of paper going to Tennessee. sent my empty at 0720. wouldn't you know it. i ended up being bounced 151 miles further south ended up over 800miles away from home on friday. need i say more? :evil:

It seems like the only freight that is moving is coming out of the steel mills out of Indiana or cheep freight like I picked up on Friday. A load of Concrete to be delivered to North Carolina.

Low freight levels are very common this time of year. Auto plants shut down for 2 weeks which cause other companies to slow down or close, especially during the week of the 4th. They cant get anything done. You'll be back to normal by the end of the month and you should be rocking from Labor day till after Thanksgiving.

i've been running pretty hard lately. i have stayed in the central states though hauling mostly building products. NC, i was going to stay out next weekend but the wife says that i have to do some stuff around the house. so i wont stay out after all. gotta be in little rock in the morning. :cry:

I'm about to head out the door here in about the next hour or so, I'm taking my load up to Oxford N.C. that's only about a 2 1/2 hour drive from here but I would still rather just get on up there and go to bed and get the load off a.s.a.p. in the morning so I can move on down the road to the next adventure.




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I know how you feel. I just got to finish packing anf then head out... I have to be up NC myself about 3 hrs from the house. would rather get up there now then wait till morning and deal with Charlotte traffic[/quote]

Hey guys I just started school today and hope to be in Des Moines in a couple of weeks. Brand new adventure, I'm a little nervous plus this is a total 180 from what I've done for the last 16 years.
Later.....

you will do fine if you keep your wits. this is a tough job but very rewarding in the long run. there are a bunch of folks on here that will be more than glad to give you a few pointers. pm if you dont want to ask everyone.

Thanks, I actually have followed this board a great deal. The drivers from TMC have posted a lot of good info and helped me decide to go with TMC. I,m lucky that I also have a freind who is a trainer and only lives about 6 miles from my house.
I may very well ask more questions after I've learned enough to know what I don't. lol
Thanks

Report From The Mother Ship
 

Spent the weekend in DSM. Attended the mandatory safety meeting and TQM.

Safety
--Per Todd, all logging is to be done legitimate. Always, no exceptions. No 64 MPH rule. No backlogging. No poopy-stink no mas.
--We had great fun watching accident pictures. (Hey, did you know that if you get into an accident the following could occur: the truck is broken, you and other people may get hurt or die.)
--Todd put out of service tags on a bunch of trucks that were in town for TQM. Some serious, some not. Dudes, when you go to Des Moines take the blow up doll out of the cab, kill the hookah and beer cooler, and secure your loads according to the book!

General TQM Opinion
I did learn that TMC is a good solid company that cares about their drivers and "generally" does the right thing. They care about the equipment, the money we make, and our general happiness. They are not without fault.