Thread 28702182

What's work like in one of these things?

>>28702182 (OP)
No clue – I’m an American, driving a conventional semi truck, which is like sleeping in a closet.

>>28702182 (OP)
Who knows but there's one in my area who always hauls jeep products and gets real mad when I tell him he's got a load of dogshit on over the CB

I can’t risk getting onto a dedicated account, if I’m wanting to become a fuel hauler, one day. I better stick with OTR.

What the fuck an employer actually replied to my application.
Talked a bit in text with the recruiter guy, he said
>it's fine I'm a beginner, they can teach me
>they work with box trailers, containers, tarped trailers depending on the particular client
I'm supposed to call back on thursday.
Kinda small company but they're advertising good wages.

>>28702348
How long have you been in the closet?

>>28703790
Smartass

>haven’t parallel parked since trucking school
>manage to pull it off at a rest area
This isn’t one of those never-forgetting-how-to-ride-a-bike moments – how the fuck was I able to pull that off without fucking anything up?

>>28703982
Parallel is easy as fuck doe with all the mirrors you have. Being fresh out of driving school what really scares me is having to back up a long trailer in between 2 others for example.

>>28703982
Wait now that I think about it the parralel park trick we're taught here in Europe might not be possible with the long-nosed jew trucks in America...

>>28704002
You think straight line backing is difficult?

>>28704010
No, but 45° because you don't have enough space looks scary.

>>28704002
My achilles heel back in the day used to be angled parking spots in very tight areas, but I’ve encountered my nemesis again, recently, and fucking conquered it! It just shows how much I’ve improved as a truck driver after all these months. I just need to watch myself and become complacent.
Complacency can be dangerous for truck drivers!

>>28703738
Smaller companies are either based as fuck or total dogshit. You should talk to them. Just ask the right questions, and if possible talk to one of their drivers and see how they like it.
>>28704024
>got complacent and accidentallied a word
It's over, surrender your license to the dmv immediately

>>28703738
Shop around and call different companies. Don't get on with the first place that calls you back, these places are DESPERATE for drivers.

Some of the national outfits do actually treat their drivers pretty well.

>>28704023
Ah, so you've never touched a truck yet. That's how you park in every single truck stop and every single shipper, sorry.

Honest answer: Go play a truck simulator. Get into the mindset that your cab drive tires are the steering tires of the trailer.

>>28704404
I've noticed that the first guy called me back after I uploaded a CV document so I tried submitting more applications like that and holy shit now I've got like 10 replies. I'm gonna have to pick and choose who I call back tomorrow.

>>28704417
Call them all back. Ask a lot of questions.
Ask them how they'll move you down to the headquarters, plane or bus?
Ask them if you've got a roommate in the training hotel
Ask them what kinds of dedicated routes they have around the country and if they do hazmat training, tanker training, etc

I dunno man, ask chatGPT for a list of questions, I've been out of trucking for a decade

See this shit just happened in Louisville? This is why I quit. Planes always trying to hit me everyday

>>28704465
Oh fuck, I was driving down I-81 earlier, when I saw Louisville signs for I-64.
Which truck stop is that one? Better not be the Pilot north of Louisville, since that truck stop saved my ass from an imminent HOS violation back in May.

>>28704647
I’m a fucking retard – that’s clearly a drop yard and not a truck stop. Not my concern, anymore.

>mega remotely installs a weather app onto smart dash cam
>volume is too low to safely hear any weather alerts even when radio is on mute
>always gives me alerts in regions I’m nowhere near

Somehow managed to land an in-person interview at one of the best trucking companies in the country. Gonna meet with them on Tuesday.

Do truck drivers carry a weapon to protect themselves from niggers who want to hijack their truck?

>>28706412
Company policy bans weapons, so no. I only have a pocket knife, mallet, wasp spray, and a breaker bar that I can potentially use in self defense.

>>28706430
“Forbidden” is a better word for it. While I could carry a gun and no one outside the company would give a shit (as long as I don’t use it, of course) if they spot it in my tractor, it will be a fireable offense if someone at a terminal spotted it.

>>28706412
Back when I was last mile delivery in some shit parts of PA I carried a 6 D cell maglite from my belt, fucker was longer than my forearm and it certainly sent a message to any crackheads who thought I was easy pay cause I was at work. Now that i do different loads that don't go to extraordinary shitholes I only carry a small can of pepper spray and a hateful right hook

How are so many drivers able to keep in shape working 14 hours a day? Especially when you consider half the time OTR you’re stuck somewhere without showers. Are they just sweating their asses off after going 1-2 days without a shower?

>>28707536
Part of it is being too busy going to your destination that you end up skipping meals. And what makes you think semi trucks don’t have a/c to keep us cool?

>>28702182 (OP)
>july
>bunk AC busts
>november
>bunk heater busts
>mfw

Fuck US Foods in Pittston PA. Those tight fucking alley backs should be illegal for 70' trucks. Its a wonder I made it in with only 10 minutes, 2 near misses on the dude next to me and a smoked clutch.

>>28707536
Its easy to gain weight if you eat when you're bored but if you make nothing from a mega like I did I was too broke to snackmax so really all I ate was gum and a peanut butter sandwich or tuna packet at the end of the day. You dont really use a whole lot of calories sittin there especially if youre tanker like me.
>>28707862
I highly recommend https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/sleeping-bags-beds/sleeping-bags-by-temp/north-rim-adult-mummy-sleeping-bag/SAP_2205651.html I carried one of these in my sleeper and never even used the bunk heater (if it worked i couldn't tell ya) July however really does just suck ain't found a solution to the deep south and its humidity

>>28708019
Can't stand bein swaddled, I'm a tosser and turner big time. My future wifes gonna fuckin hate sleepin with me. Just gonna bobtail to wallyworld and get a space heater that won't set my truck on fire.

I'm the guy that was asking about paid CDL training programs for otr in the last thread...

Got the test for my CLP at the DMV scheduled. Had to book an appointment in advance. Soonest I could get was 11 days out. Been drilling practice tests every day to make sure I pass 1st try.

Should I wait until I have my CLP to apply? From what I've read these companies won't consider you if you don't have it yet?

>>28708026
Project farm recently had a video on those, I personally trust his opinion and test techniques and would recommend giving that video a watch before jumping on whatever is cheapest at the ol everything store