waltuh edition
2nd week of living in a truck with my trainer. Starting to think suicide was the better option.Never have I worked so hard and received so little in return.
>>28853280I knew team driving wouldn’t work well for me, but I had no idea how bad it would be until I started training. I never got used to sleeping in a moving truck, so I ended up becoming more grateful that I signed up to do solo trucking, once that was over.
There were 0 spots left in the 100 spot parking lot at 8:30 AM on a Saturday and I was running out of time so I had to park second row in the back and now I'll have to spend the whole fucking weekend wondering if the cops are gonna fuck me
No more half measures, waltuh.
>>28853594Couldn’t you just… crawl to a spot when it becomes available, or do you work for a company that has the ELD set so that you immediately go into Driving with the slightest forward/backward movement?
While I understand why construction zones, and some places like certain areas of I-70 in Indiana, will have trucks use the left lane, I’ve never figured out the proper etiquette for what to do when other trucks want to pass you.Should you stay in the left lane or move over to the right lane? Staying in the left lane ensures you are continuing to obey road signs, but passing on the right lane is dangerous, so is it the passer’s or the pass-ee’s responsibility to ensure that overtaking is done as safely as possible?
>>28853798The legal answer is that they shouldn't be passing since the law is Trucks Use Left Lane not Trucks Use Left Lane If They Feel Like It.More pragmatic answer is Maintain Your Lane. If they want to pass that's their problem, not yours. If you move and anything happens it'll all be on you because you weren't in the proper lane.
>drive pedo van with glass rack>on interstate a lot>depend on mirrors a lot>flash lights to signal truckers safe to merge a lot>get curtesy brake light flash, not a lotI think the trucking industry is being infested by shit people who are shit drivers. I'm glad there's some of you fags still around though.
>>28853842I don’t trust four wheelers to tell me it’s safe to move over. If I move over when you indicate I can, it just means you’re going to disappear behind my trailer and I cannot have that.
>>28853854Fair point.I guess I do it cuz I spend so much time in my mirrors and it does help. I also like a safe distance, but I get why you say that.
>>28853768The tacho machines in Europe immediately pick up movement and go into driving, at best you can move like one meter.
>>28854098Gay
>>28853842thank you for flashing your brights while im looking directly at your front bumper, us truckers famously have no idea where the rear of our trailers are and need you to flash us. next time you do that ill do more than tap my brakes and the next thing youll see is me pulling your ass out if your truck and slamming your face against your glass panes :)
I’ve been trucking for almost a year, now, and 45 degree backing hasn’t been an issue for me, for quite some time. Current account I’m on requires me to set up for straight line backing, at times, which I’m getting better at by figuring out when and how much to steer in order to be perfectly lined up with the dock I’m try to back into. I still need to work on blind side backing but I’m able to work on that, as well, at certain places.…I’ve still never attempted 90 degree backing. I don’t why but I better work on that, since I strive to master the skills I’ve acquired. Perhaps start by backing into areas with several open spots in a row and go off from there.
>>28854249Why would I flash my brights at you anon? I can flash my lights by flipping my headlights to DRL and back.You seem upset, calm your tits.
>>28854372>Perhaps start by backing into areas with several open spots in a row and go off from there.Just so's you know, that doesn't work that well. It's a known thing that you can hit a tight dock like it's nothing but when you've got room to fuck up you can't hit the spot to save your life.
>>28854549I know, but it’s more for “calibration” thing, so I will be able to see where the trailer goes. I’ll have to do it several times based on where the tandems are set, so I will know how to set myself up for backing.
>>28853545It's mainly the fact that my trainer is a fucking retard who throws toddler temper tantrums at the slightest inconvenience, English is his second language, and is generally insufferable to be around. He makes everything harder. Eceryohas to be a fiasco with this lunchmeat brained asswipe
>>28854611Oh, damn, it’s that bad, huh? I guess I was one of the lucky few in my mega/terminal who had a decent trainer, based on what my fellow new drivers have said. He was concise with what he wanted me to do and how to do it, he was very safety-conscious, and he never got impatient with me – I try to be humble about everything, since anyone can fuck up, but I like to believe I’m only a handful of drivers who are potentially good at truck driving, so I think my ability to produce results quickly made things easier for my trainer, that month. The only things I didn’t really like was his smoking, since I’m a non-smoker, and I just wasn’t thrilled with the team driving aspect of it all, as mentioned before.
My trainer had a dedicated account so I slept in a hotel every night, which sounds awesome, except my company was horribly incompetent at keeping the hotel booking maintained so I ended up getting kicked out of my room several times during training and had to live inside peoples assholes while driving all day to make sure all my shit didn't get thrown out onto the street before I got back. Went through the exact same shit when I was down for two weeks for warranty recall repairs. I'm beyond certain I would've probably gone to jail or prison if I had to live in a sleeper cab with a rando for a month and that's exactly why I'll never be a trainer for anyone unless I have a dedicated account and they'll be in a hotel room every night. My trainer was awesome though and was a true mentor in every sense of the word. I still stay in touch with him and when I'm in his part of the country we go get food and drinks and talk shit the entire time about the companies we're currently working for. He hates cubans so much it is unreal, he talks about his family killing them back in the day like a fat bastard at the bar talking about their football team winning the superbowl and he called me a faggot for not wanting to say nigger in front of him because I was worried he would be offended. We even hotswapped one time towards the end of my training which was pretty cool and frankly if you're both not retarded you can totally do that without issue. I love that motherfucker. But yeah, trucking is very similar to the military, 90% of the time you could be a braindead troglodyte and do it and 5% of the time you have to actually think and 5% of the time it's so stressful that suicide and/or homicide seem like viable solutions and it will take everything in you to not follow through with one or both of them. Welcome to hell, get out of non-hazmat dryvan as soon as possible and leave that shit to the jeets.
Nothing like strong gusts of wind to rock you to sleep, in your truck.
>>28854639Yeah I'm with Stevens who mainly seems to employ mentally impaired people for drivers as far as I can tell
For example right now we're stopped at a Walmart and he had another meltdown simply parking, whining about "oh they're going to kick us out!!" told me to get in and out fast, which I fucking did, spent no more than ten minutes in there, missed a bunch of shit I needed to buy because of that, and here I am 30 minutes later sitting in the truck alone waiting for his retarded ass. I fucking hate this asshole. I think he might actually be mildly mentally retarded.
Work tomorrow but can't sleep, life's a cruel bitch.
>>28855606>50mg diphenhydramine (2 benadryl)>5mg melatonin swished around the mouth / under the tongue then swallowed.That'll do it, as long as you don't every day.I would say liquor but... what are the rules on alcohol for truckers, can you drink at night if you are on the road the next morning?
>>28855518Does he use Trucker Path for parking? If not, he probably should.
>>28855733They weren't even there for parking but for shopping. And probably at the one in Lexington NE that has truck parking to boot.
Nearly had an entire month without nonsense when the guys from the depot fucking broke the wall of my trailer during loading.
>>28855609Federal rules are four hours bottle to throttle or until sober. Realistically you shouldn't be driving until it's been long enough to be at 0.00000 BAC and realistically it should be at least a day between your last drink and when you start driving. I'll occasionally have one tallboy before taking a 10 if it's been a particularly shitty day but otherwise I don't drink while OTR and if I do I get a motel room for the night to sleep it off before going back to the truck.
My ex employer just paid me like half a month's wage and idk why
>>28857322They either want you back or they’re doing whatever they can to avoid a potential lawsuit.
I'm tall so I can't stand up in my cabin without slightly bending my neck and I think it's fucking up my spine. Manlets have a legit advantage in this job.
>>28858075Are you driving a day cab, anon…?
I wish it were legal to run four wheelers off the road.
Why do truckers always give me space when im filtering on my bike when cagies seethe or even try to block me?
>>28859435Truckers err on the side of safety, as professional drivers trained to operate a 40-ton vehicle, so anything we do as a courtesy to other drivers/riders is done to reduce the chances of an accident occurring. We’re monitored closely by the Department of Transportation, so if anything happens on the road and a semi truck is involved, law enforcement is going to see how the trucker got involved.
Found this secret parking lot off the highway out in the woods. Ain't fucking nobody here bro!
I have worked in retail and manufacturing for many years and have nothing to show for it. I always imagined how much better it would be to be doing lots of road trips across the country, seeing great scenery, sort of an adventure every day by being a truck driver. Researching it, I have found that most drivers hate it and there's a million things that suck about it, the worst being dealing with receivers and getting unloaded as well as finding a peaceful/quiet place to park for the night to sleep. I also hear a lot about fuel island drama with truckers pulling pins and fighting, sometimes even with a knife or gun and some end up dead that way. Is it better to stick to dead end retail these days or is it worth it to get out there anymore?
>>28860630Anything can happen anytime, anywhere, regardless of profession. I’ve only been trucking for almost a year, now, and I haven’t had/witnessed any drama amongst other truck drivers, but I also avoid other people whenever possible. Have I dealt with long waiting times because some shithead decided to take a shit without pulling forward after fueling? Sure, but I just let it be. I’m just a company driver who will get paid after delivering a load (after the pay period that is), so there’s no point in me picking fights with other people. Also, only fucktards do not check their fifth wheel after returning to their truck or during their pretrip.Will other aspects in trucking be stressful? Of course it will be, from four wheelers and other truckers on the road, to shippers/consignees taking forever to (un)load you, to dispatch either not responding to your messages or not giving you the proper load numbers to pick up the load. At the end of the day, it’s up to you, the driver, to decide if you should let the stress from that get to you.The best thing you can do is roll with the punches and realize that all of this are just bumps on the road… and the road is I-24 between Nashville, TN and Oak Grove, KY… or I-70 in Indiana.If you start off doing OTR for a carrier, you’re going to start off with shitty pay, but the benefit is you will be sent around the country and see different scenic places that will make OTR worth it.
>>28860783Fuck, I miss doing OTR now, but I was only earning 46 cpm. Being on a dedicated account gives you higher pay and more predictable routes, but you’re stuck in one region.
>>28860784Why do Americans use these monstrosities instead of flat cabin trucks? That thing would be literal hell to maneuver through a parking lot in Europe, you would get stuck at the first rastplatz you enter past 6PM.
>>28860811Roads are larger in America, so once length restrictions got lifted in the 1970s, truckers switched from cabovers to long nose trucks due to their longer wheelbase, making rides smoother and maintenance easier. Class 8 cabovers ended production in the early 2000s.
>>28854098Incorrect. You can move up to 29 seconds per minute if you manually set rest mode each time you stop, because tacos have a temporal resolution of 60 seconds.
>>28860886I guess you can if you time the last tick? But I wouldn't risk it.
>>28860889You can simply drive ten or twenty seconds, rest a minute, and repeat. It's a really long time to drive when you only have to maneuver around a parking lot.This also works when you're stuck in traffic to rest 15 minutes, sometimes.
>>28860811>Why do Americans not live in vantablack brimstone niggerhell? That's not how we do things in germany.
some retard hit my truck 3 weeks agoi might get it back tuesday
>>28860895That's wrong, but I won't correct you.Good luck.
>>28862178I nose in to parking spots often to prevent that exact thing as long as I can get out safely and quickly. Could give a fuck if they tear up the trailer but putting me out of work by hitting the truck has a non zero chance of ending up dead.
>>28862470I’m too new to bother doing this, but I’m also unsure I ever will, despite the benefits of parking that way.
>>28862470nah he drifted over into my lane. i went left to avoid a head on, and he hit on my inside axle. Tore out every bit of my suspension from the driveshaft back, no body damage tho.
>>28862519pic sorta related
>>28862493It's really funny, guys think nosing in is smart when the first start usually but then stop doing it when an idiot says it means they can't park. Then they get hit in a parking lot or see someone get hit right next to them in a parking lot, and they start doing it again because that fucking sucks to have happen as is way more likely than anyone ever thinks until it happens to them or right next to them. If you can nose in safely and get out safely after doing it, you should nose in. Way quieter and safer that way. Only thing better would be a pull through spot in a big ass lot but those are rare. >>28862519>>28862527Oof. I figured you meant in a parking lot. I've yet to be hit on the road but I've had some close calls. The temptation to maintain my lane so that retard dies would be immense desu. Hell maybe if I'm lucky it takes me too.
>>28862554I think they stop nosing in after they figure out that they can't back out in the morning because someone creatively parked and now they don't have the room to maneuver. Besides, most truck stops only have less than 10 spots where backing out would be possible in the morning and those are all taken by 4pm. With only 2 of those being placed such that they can't be blocked without blocking the entire aisle (which still happens occasionally).
>>28863261Yeah but the solution is simple, you just knock on their door and ask them to move. If they're an asshole about it you just tell the truck stop and then they either send security to go knock and tell them to move or they call a tow truck that tells them to move and if they still don't move they get to go to jail. And you just tell dispatch what's going on and send pictures and it's not your problem. Besides, every single time I've seen someone creatively park like an asshole blocking traffic it's been a turdie shitbird that's too fucking stupid to live and watching them get harassed by pigs is hilarious every single time.
I keep lowering my expectations with four wheelers and they still make me expect too much from them!FUCKING PASS ME YOU RETARD!!!
Supertrucker tip #57: Before paying for a shower first check to see if the previous driver actually brothered to lock it. Half the time they don't.If someone comes to bother you during your free shower shout and act very niggerly, threaten to come out cock-in-hand. Ignore any threats about calling the police, that's just the sound of them internalizing the fact that they won't do shit.
>>28865483I’m usually threatening with vag-in-hand from the lot lizard I decided I wanted to keep as a fleshlight.
Just got this clean base model 2013 taco, last night. What should I expect? I know that it only has an inline 4 engine rather than a v6 but overall it’s not bad for a first car. Great for learning stick according to my friend who’s teaching me how to drive manual.
>>28865709>four wheelerAnon…
>>28865945What I didn’t buy a lemon did I? I heard it’s a reliable year.
There's this chevron gas station off the I15 outside vegas think the place is called Crystal. Never any fuckin trucks there despite it being a huge ass lot albeit dusty. Next stop is loves which is packed. Why dont u come park here niggers?
I felt really bad when I got a call from a guy who on his first load was just getting bloody, uncleaned animal hides dumped into his like brand new trailer. I did compensate him for getting it cleaned at least. But for a first load that's rough. The shipper was a fucking asshole for that.
Why do you guys insist on trying to pass each other on 2 lane highways and basically stagnate traffic until one of you either wins the race or concedes and goes back to going back to being behind the truck you were trying to pass?
>>28865957>major truck stop chain>rewards program with free shower credits after fueling 55 gallons>easy-to-use app for accessing your rewards, paying for fuel, and purchasing showers>relatively clean facilities compared to other major truck stop chainsTrust me, there’s a similar situation occurring near the place I operate from, so I get it. There’s a small mom and pop truck stop that rarely fills up because there’s a small Love’s (50 parking spots) across the street, which becomes overcrowded overnight because it’s such a popular truck stop chain.
>>28865970I try to avoid this situation, when I’m passing, and will drop my speed by 2-10 mph (depending on traffic), if I’m being passed. Most trucks are governed to a certain speed, somewhere between 60 and 70 mph, but it depends on the carrier, so the faster driver will usually try to overtake the slower driver, even if there’s a 3-mph difference in their top speed. The geography and how much the truck weighs also plays a crucial part in why trucks will try to pass each other – trucks that are deadheading or lightly loaded will try to pass slower trucks going up hills, and heavier/fully-loaded trucks will try to pass other trucks going down hills, while also only going fast enough to continue maintaining control of the truck.The reason why trucks try to pass one another is the same reason why everyone else tries to pass each other – it’s just more noticeable with semis due to the larger size and slower speed, compared to four wheelers. We all want to reach our destinations as soon as possible because it’s psychologically rewarding.
>>28866145>it’s such a popular truck stop chainIt's popular because it gives fuel price breaks to fleets. That, in turn, means the drivers have their shower credits there and not at the mom 'n pop place across the street. Same story for the other big chain truck stops and also why the little guys can't compete.
I don't understand why this pays so little and demands such ridiculous hours when it's literally essential to the functioning of our nation.
>>28866256It really is insane, I worked in the industry from the white collar end of things. The issue is desperate truckers trying to find loads, shippers looking for the cheapest prices and brokers who absolutely don't care who is driving the load as long as it makes them a profit. Being a company driver makes more sense than getting your own authority unless you really know what you're doing. Fucking miserable industry
>>28866256Here it pays like 3 times the average wage.
>>28866256Idk anon, I’m content with earning $1500+/week.
>>28866644It's really not that much given how much time you spend on the job and how much of a pain in the ass it is. You make a little bit over double what a random shithead working at a grocery store does for example.
>>28866256It's only really bad your first year. After that you go somewhere that won't treat you like a rented mooncricket fleshlight. It'll never get any better because nobody has the balls to kick turdies out, not even trump and duffy for all their blustering, because that would make the price of everything to up and cattle would be big mad and might start demanding higher wages across the board. Honestly if I didn't get paid to play videogames in my bunk I wouldn't do this job anymore.
>>28866256being a company slave hasnt been too bad for me, only real shitty part is you cant get in contact with dispatch or driver services unless you want to be on hold for a hour. ill probably stick around after the "first year" but if it doesnt get any better ill look elsewhere, probably local or government. having back to back live loads and unloads is particularly frustrating bc then 1/4 of the time youre sitting around waiting not making money waiting for appts
Flying Jew
>>28866929Tits (and) Ass Travel Centers of America
>>28866858I've had to live in my dispatches anus to get paid on detention time. Technically I'm not supposed to get paid detention unless it's been more than two hours and I've been on duty the entire time, so if I go off duty to recover time it shouldn't count, but I've made it clear I'll happily burn my clock in on duty to make sure I get paid which makes dispatch shit a brick so now they have unfucked themselves and I get paid even if I'm in off duty to recover clock. I probably spend a solid three hours a week bitching at people to make sure I get paid what I'm owed. It's incredibly goddamn annoying. >>28866929Loathes
9/11 Pilot
What's /tfg/s favorite croozin tunes?
>>28867535Stoner rockDesert rockStoner metalCrackhead rapHeroin junkie bluesFent tranceBorat music
>>28867535Classic country when I'm on the open road, orchestral when I'm somewhere pretty like up in the mountains, death metal/metalcore when I'm somewhere frustrating like Dallas or Nashville. Old country or youtube vids for background noise or racist podcasts.
>>28867691Industrial/EBMEDMRockMetalVideo Game Soundtracks that are just licensed songs of above genresStandup Comedy (observational/blue/dark/dry humor)
Why did the orange nigger do this?
>>28868476Muh fureedumzAlso, oil.Venezuela will be the 51st state; Iran(out of fucks) will be the 52nd state.
>>28868476>>28868612But the ultimate reason for this is because Trump wants to take their focus away from the Epstein investigation or whatever – I don’t keep up current events, but I’m not completely ignorant about what going on in the world.
>>28868476Strong performance in conflict often translates to popularity among the voterbase. Make of that what you will.
>>28868476>he pays full price for dieselLMAOing rn (right now)
Nothing like core punching a thunderstorm while deadheading.
>>28869263Fuck it we ball
Taking my God-mandated 67 hour break. This job is so based.
>>28853280an ukrainian refugee trucker literally did this to me a little over a week ago
>insurance went from 1600/mo to 2000/mo>because we let some FNG on our DOTThat's it, I'm done. I would like to get out of trucking altogether but at the very minimum get out of owning equipment, it's a scam.What companies don't suck, and have company positions where if something breaks I don't have to pay shit? At this rate if I took home 1500/wk after taxes and benefits I would be happy. No megacarriers, at all. No drive facing nanny cams. Flawless 11 year record, tanker endorsement. Willing to move to non-communist states but Ohio would be nice. I can get my hazmat.
>>28869585Aha, so you Americans make 4000-4500$ per month then. That tracks.
>>28869585>No megacarriers, at allShit, you’ve lost me, there. Trainers can earn six figures on certain dedicated accounts. How about joining Walmart’s private fleet? You will be slip seating, but you already knew that.
>>28869585Crete is probably the least bad of the megas. They only do the nanny cam for about a month. They're also one of the few places you'll actually make that kind of money running OTR once you've put in a year and you're on the profit sharing program. They're where I plan on going after I finish my first year with this fucked up retard company I'm currently with.
>>28870095Is Prime really that bad?
>>28870158It is now, used to not be. I'm on their logistics side and they require us to carry ridiculously high cargo insurance to haul high value freight and then when I get the HV loads they pay like a dollar a mile or maybe 1.50I ran the week of that bad winter storm in Evanston, went from Marshall, MO to SLC and then from Hyrum UT back to Minneapolis, drove through a white out blizzard, parked at Little America, then went around the pileup in Evanston, skated on the ice, put my 11 year perfect record on the line, ended up 161 dollars in the red that week. Decided that's it, no more shitty ass cheap ass Prime freight. Has anyone here hauled Tyson? >>28870095 Crete, I've been to a lot of the same places as those guys. Do they have the scammy CPAP shit Prime does? I have been tested twice for it and passed both times.>>28869636I looked at Walmart, they make good money but from what I understand you aren't even allowed to use a headset to BS with friends while driving and that is a huge dealbreaker for OTR. Maybe on a local account.Is anyone here hauling fuel? I can get my hazmat pretty easy. I already have my N endorsement.
>>28869585>>28870216You motherfucker doin this shit again, makin me break my silence with your play pretend.Either way if youre serious get the hazmat before bothering to even apply every hesitation some HR cunt has puts your chances of getting hired lower and lower, that being said, all the big fuel haulers are hiring and every single one (with very little exception) are exactly the same. Same product same tasks same wages and same shithead dispatchers, you'll have to either get over the no cams or know someone who knows someone cause I know PFJ (tartan) loves (gemini) rutters nittany united refining sheetz and kenan disadvantage all have them i am unsure about sunoco though im told theyre actually respectable to work with but all their loads are proprietary and I haven't had supply from one of their terminals since July so I dont get to talk to em much. I bring home 1500 on a good week at 30/h for ~60 hours certainly room for improvement and im gathering word of mouth from drivers with cargos more expensive than mine, it may be a place to start yourself, otherwise take your resume and set up a stand outside your nearest fuel terminal (may have to slip the operator a couple bucks)As for box I haven't heard negative things about watsontown trucking company, I see their trucks all over the damn place and per their website they have a terminal in Columbus, I would never join up with walmart cause I dont wanna do the walmart chant
>>28870507>I would never join up with walmart cause I dont wanna do the walmart chantI’ve worked closely with Walmart a couple of times and I’ve never seen them do this with their drivers at their transportation office. Some distribution centers seem to pamper their drivers with cookouts and such.
I've always wondered what would it be like if you pulled the parking break while driving? Would it just be instant death?
>>28870596It would be very painful.
>>28870525Oh yea on top of the rather great pay they get all kinds of benefits, ive seen from posters during my deliveries; MPG bonuses, fresh continental breakfasts for safe driving streaks, yearly big ticket item drawings (grills tvs other appliances), they host a truck rodeo with its own prizes and rewards for good show and you bet they have cookouts, feels like damn near flip a coin if I deliver to walmart in the summer someone will hand me a hot dog.Those are just the ones I remember seeing so theres probably more that I dont know about or forgot but they treat their drivers probably best in the industry but they do expect you to prostrate yourself with cameras and little dances and having to work with women. I dont struggle at all to think of how guys get 500k - 2 mil miles workin for walmart like i do for the niggas who stick with megas for years, I want to ask those guys why they did it a couple responses have basically amounted to "i didnt wanna change whats been good to me" lol ok 1 million miles of raped
>>28870596It's about like hard braking. The spring brakes don't really have the oomph that the service brakes can develop. Don't do it empty though, that trailer be hoppin' then lol.
As an experienced greenhorn, I honestly have no real advice to give to fresh greenhorns, other than common sense, if I’m ever asked to give some. I suppose the most important ones mainly have to do with downhill mountain driving: 1) Slow and steady wins the race, and 2) Do not bypass brake inspection areas, even if you’re deadheading.
Potential truckers should be given a 50-page coloring book, as part of their written exam. If you are unable to color WITHIN the lines, you do not get a CDL.Dropping a trailer in the lines isn’t fucking hard!
Left my headlights on during the night and had to jump-start my battery from another truck
>>28871465My advice is dont do things the easy way til you've tried the hard way at least twice as there are times and places where the hard way is the only way and you will get no warning beforehand>>28871771Get a noco if you plan on doin that again, honestly a little surprised your truck didnt have a 12v battery disconnect
I drove mixer trucks for two and a half years and now I'm a plant manager. If any of you steering wheel holders want to sleep in a real bed and learn how to actually drive you should apply.
