If You Got It - A Trucker Brought It!
Think about it... Look around you and try to find something that wasn't in some way involved in a
truck.
I've had people tell me that all those trucks don't need to be on the road, we could move
things just as well by rail. Well, folks, the sad truth is the railroad tracks don't come to my
local grocery stores here in Gloversville, NY.
And, come to think of it, if they did, the same people would probably complain about the train
whistle at 2 a.m.
My Soap Box
As it says in the about me
section, I am an OTR(Over The Road) Truck Driver. Many people forget that Truckers are people too. We
have families waiting patiently (and not so patiently) at home for us. It's just as hard for the
family at home to be away from us as it is for us on the road.
Driving is NOT a game, yet many times it feels to me like people in cars want to see if they can play
"Chicken" with me. I guess they just don't comprehend what would happen to their lives
and mine if they lost. I have been lucky and never hit anyone, but there were times I know God was
driving that rig, not me.
I know how impatient people can be while trying to get 80,000 pounds of iron rolling. I have had
people STUPID enough to pass me on a two-lane road coming through the intersection. I wonder how much
time they would have saved if there had been another truck coming the other way and made a flattened
tin and oil spot out of their car?
If you are a driver then you should understand the following points. They're by no means a
comprehensive list of driving tips, but they're some of my pet peeves:
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Be aware of your surroundings on the highway.
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Don't worry about the idiot behind you - it's the idiot in front of you you're more
likely to hit.
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Give yourself plenty of following space behind the vehicle in front of you. The distance between you and the vehicle in front of you can determine whether or not you will stop in time to avoid a collision.
The Four Second Rule will help you establish a safe following distance.
Just leave at least 4 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.
You can determine this by selecting a fixed object on the road side, say a sign post, or tree, at least make sure it's not moving!
Then when the vehicle in front of you passes the object, start counting ..
1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi.
If you pass the object before you've been through Mississippi 4 times, you're too close (slow down and maybe go through Alabama)
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That's NOT a phone booth your driving. Hang up and drive!
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When passing a big rig - Get out, get around, and get back in. Don't spend any more time along
side a truck than you have to.
If the Trucker has to swerve or has a tire blow, you and your 3000 pound car lose when it's an
80,000 pound truck coming over.
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Never pass a big rig glued to the bumper of the car in front of you.
I have times where there were 2 and even 3 cars in the length of my truck.
A standard big rig is about 75 feet long. Most cars are less than 20 feet long.
If you have 3 cars in a space of 75 feet travelling at 65 mile per hour, with a big rig on one side and a grass median (if your lucky) on the other side, there's no place for cars two and three to go is something causes car one to slow down.
If something had happened, there would have been at least 3 vehicles involved in the wreck.
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So there's a wreck(fire, riot, good looking person of the opposite gender, whatever) on the
other side of the highway, don't slow down and gawk.
You could be the first one to the next accident when you hit the car in front of you while not
paying attention.
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Don't tuck up close behind that Truck. You're not saving any time, and the few cents worth
of gas you save isn't much compared to what the medical bills could be if he/she (Yep, Lady
Truckers - some of the finest people I've had the pleasure to know) has to stop in a hurry.
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The most important rules of driving are they same ones you learned in kindergarten:
SHARE.
Ok, I had to get some of that out of my system. Now here are some links to Trucker's home pages,
Trucking Family support groups, and Trucking Stuff.
Truckin' Links And Driver's Home Pages
KWFlatbed's site with links to trucking, police and MIA information.
Layover.com is a nice site with a caring attitude to driver's and their families
Trucker's Wives and Families are welcome at ProudRebel's Truckers Wives Club
(Driver's can stop by,too)
The Home of the Semi-Sweet WebRing
CW's Page - Dedicated to Drivers
These links are presented in no particular order. I am not associated in any way with any commercial
links except for the three immediately below this section. Please note that I WILL NOT allow this page
to be used by recruiters and headhunters for any company I have not personally worked for. The four
trucking companies I will recommend are listed here:
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Schneider National
Carriers Took a chance on me and gave me the chance to learn the business. It is a good place
to get your feet wet, and then look around and stick around. I was there for 4 years, and I'm
pretty fussy about who I work for. They take a little getting used to, but be patient and loud when
necessary and you can make a good living with them. They didn't get to be the Largest Truckload
Carrier in the USA by not knowing their business. I'm proud to say that my father also drove
for these folks many years ago.
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Keen Transport
Is the second carrier I worked for. If you want to try "Heavy Haul" and be treated as
good as any driver can hope for, check them out. I liked them so much, I had my son try it out
before he went back to hauling regular freight because the pace in heavy haul was much slower than
a twenty-something wanted. I had to leave when my knees started giving me too much grief climbing up and down the machines.
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I drove for
Roehl Transport
for seven years. They're a good place for new drivers to consider. They have several different work schedules including some options for drivers who want a little more home time while still running over the road.
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I'm currently working for S.L.A. Transport.
They're a small regional carrier located right here in my hometown. I'm home most nights but still get to run a little distance.
All other links that are of commercial nature are here because I found them interesting and hope you
will,too. I will happily accept recommendations for this page but I reserve the right to refuse to list
ANY commercial links.