Riverman's Spankin' New RoadBlog

Never take your truck ice-fishing in November!

Hello and once again, Happy Turkey Day- especially to those of you who may be far from home tonight.

Thanks for the input from my last entry and I always welcome input and advice from the pros out there. VM- did you think the truck in the photo in my last entry brought to mind a 'Steer Wide-I Flunked Training' truck? Or (to anyone) could this be the elusive guy who is known to attempt hatching Schneider Eggs by sitting on them late at night on deserted stretches of the Interstate? If it is, I almost don't blame him...

Today I spent a lot of time digesting- both Turkey and information. There are a lot of very interesting forums and message boards out there where drivers can debate the merits or lack thereof of working for particular companies. After reading many of these posts I have realized a couple things.

Some people who post negative stories on these forums clearly would have bad experiences no matter where they worked. "I hated the way they treated me, so I abandoned their truck at a Pilot and hitched a ride home.." or "Why did they fire me... aside from the fact that I tested positive on a drug test AND an old... but still valid... felony arrest warrent came to their attention..." and so on. But there were some very interesting stories which shed some light on driver retention issues, scams to keep recruiting numbers high, and so on. Some companies really seem to have bad reputations- SWIFT being up on top of that pile... But I'm sure SWIFT has many excellent drivers who are very satisfied working there- I'm just reporting an observation. (I know someone in particular who might have something to say about this!:))

I bring this up because I am working on a short list of companies I want to apply to. I am not a complainer by nature- I play nice with others- but I won't be cheated if I can help it. I just want to get trained well, work my butt off, keep my nose clean, and stay under the radar at the very least but excel and become a well-respected and decent high-mileage driver, eventually. To those ends, I have no problem asking for help from the pros- which is one reason why I started this blog. I want to learn from the best source- real drivers. VERY grateful for the feedback so far! The other reason is to perhaps help others interested in becoming drivers in their quest.

I would be interested in hearing about Companies who offer driver training programs- in particular, Roehl, Werner, Schneider, England, and CFI. That, as of tonight, is my 'short list'. But ANY company you have 'the goods' on, please share! Also, if anyone can suggest a website or two that has some good, real-life, no holds barred tales of life on the road, I'd love to know about them, and so would lots of us!

Stay cool ~ R

Category: General

My goal is to not end up where this guy works.

Well, I am back to the blog. I have been feeling much better healthwise, so I have had a lot of business to take care of. It's been one thing after another- but the good thing is that I am making forward progress and I am hopeful about getting into a good training program ASAP. In my spare time I have even been gassing up my car and driving around for hours on end- I have been bitten by the Road-Bug and have come down with a serious case of the Wanders!

I bought a general purpose CDL-A study manual from a huge bookstore here in Buffalo, then I went to the local New York DMV office for an official New York Manual. New York seems different in some ways- did you know there is a seperate license certification for Steel Coils here? I didn't know that. But I do remember some really horrific accidents which happened in Buffalo when Steel Coils got loose from flatbeds. Anyway. I also got a regular driving manual to brush up on the general rules-o-the-road, and even a motorcycle book, because I want to do that someday too. I got a driver's Abstract- I am proud to say I have a SPOTLESS record! Any other background check will reveal that I am also a model citizen and a very good boy:) So I have been reading and reading. Also I have downloaded a few documents concerning the FMCSR's and other rules and regs. It is easy, on the internet, to get sidetracked,too- I have been reading a lot about current debates concerning truckers and things like the HOS rules and other items. I have really been doing a lot of research, and what an education I've been getting. I Strongly recommend all Newbies educate themselves as much as possible.

I have also tied this all in with VM's idea that I should keep my eyes open... I have learned a lot that could be discouraging, if I let it do that to me. For example, I've learned a lot about how drivers will sometimes fudge their log books so that they effectively end up giving away a lot of their time to their employers (who may wink and turn a blind eye) at the loading docks and elsewhere... Drivers really get screwed! I have a newfound respect for the drivers out there who continue to bring us the 'goods' while working under conditions that exist in NO other industry! However, I think our minds are very powerful tools, and that we can all prosper even under adverse condiitions provided we have the right attitude. (BTW- I am NOT accusing ANYONE of having a bad attitude!) So that's what I'm going for- a positive attitude and the knowledge that I am ultimately responsible for my own success or lack of it. I know, easier said than done.... I will be the first to admit I don't know sh*t about the realities of life on the road!

So how about it, pros? What are some of the biggest things to watch out for out there? How will the companies and Shippers/Receivers try to screw us newbies when we get out there? What would you do over or do better if you could start over? Let me and other newbies have it right between the eyes!

Thanks in advance- I have a feeling this will be interesting! ~R

Category: General