Every morning as I roll out of bed, I give Heather a kiss on her lips as she growns and moans. I grab her doubleshot out of the fridge, light a cigarette, and start the coffee pot. Smoking a cigarette, as I take a sip of coffee, out the door I go.
I check in with the customer, I walk back out, and start to unstrap and untarp, as Heather has risen from her cave and started the morning search of the load boards. The customer gets the last piece off, the bills get signed, and I climb back in asking Heather, "Anything worth a hoot?" She says, "no," so off to the truck stop we go, waiting for a load to pop. Searching for more than $1 a mile.
We check in with the office, checking to see what they have. They hear "thanks, but no thanks," as Heather continues looking. Some of you reading this are probably thinking that this sounds like a lot of headaches and work, and it is. At times, it makes a lot of unneeded stress, but at the end of the day, I say it's all worth it. I can say we are making it and doing it on our own, learning every step of the way. Yes, I do have a leg up due to Heather's unwavering dedication and great negotiating skills with brokers. She finds the $2-$4 a mile freight. She always lets me make the final decision on any loads we take, running every detail by me.
There's been days that we've sat a day or two, waiting for something worth taking to pop. There's been times that we put the truck in the wind, deadheading several hundred miles to escape the $1 a mile freight, but it's worth it. I will not deny the fact that we've butted heads with the outfit I'm leased to in a constructive manner. In the big scheme of things, this is my business, and my decision to what happens to my truck, and it should be able to be my call. I may be wrong in this line of thinking, but I strongly feel this way.
I am leased onto a small, 60 truck fleet. They have what you can consider agents, or dispatchers, that have a customer base of their own. The rates are okay, and you may be able to manage an okay living with their freight base. I also have the option of finding my own loads, which I mostly do. My feeling here is why not shoot for the stars if I can instead of settling for the status quo? You're probably wondering where I'm heading with this, so here you are:
Am I better off with a mom and pop, small fleet operation instead or a mega fleet carrier?
My view is if you have determination, passion, and put the extra work needed so you can run a successful operation, and want to be able to sit with the owner, and him know who you are, a smaller outfit is the right call. For some drivers, they love the mega carriers, it just isn't for me. In my opinion, (no offense toward those with mega carriers, especially the lease ops), with all the hoops, forced dispatch (whether or not the drivers want to admit to it or not), countless can's and can not's, comes off in my eyes that they're a glorified company driver. The mega fleets run you like a company truck, passing the buck for expenses onto you. Mega fleets view you as a number, not a person. I've been there to this extent when I was at ATS. They treated me well, but a lot of owner ops and lease ops were forced into loads because they would be told "This is all we have." The same load would be offered to them, day after day, hour after hour, until they would finally cave and take it. Unlike mega carriers, I can pick and choose, and sit, and bounce, for whatever I want, therefore, being the sole one responsible for my revenue. This can allow me to accel better, or will give me enough rope to hang myself.
To put another spin on this, I took a load from Landstar out of the Kubota plant in Ft. Worth, TX paying $2.50 a mile. Said mega carrier loading next to me, with equal miles, and a stop, was making $1.50 a mile, loading the same stuff, out of the same plant. Another mega carrier, comparative miles, was pulling $1.25 for the same freight due to co-brokering. I never have to hear you're number 20 out of 100 after emptying out, and to wait for my turn in line.
I plan my own routes. I don't have a bean counter telling me where and how much fuel to put on. I get fuel discounts at TA and Pilot, and TA is $0.02 cheaper per gallon on average (I guess I could just easily say TA since you know my stand on Pilot). I don't have to keep a certain idle percentage, like one mega carrier in particular, in order to obtain these discounts. I pull my own trailer that I am responsible for the maintenance on. I choose my own shops for the trailer and tractor, and the maintenance is determined only by me and DOT. They don't force me into their own slow running shops, where an alternator replacement takes 12 hours.
A driver leasing a truck should not be forced to run team or train to make ends meet. I am simply saying whatever a driver may decide is up to entirely themselves. They must choose what will work for their lifestyle and needs. My advice is simple.
1. Do your homework.
2. Don't go in blind due to it being a big, shiny, fast truck.
3. Run the numbers, talk to drivers. Take what they say with a grain of sand. Look at pay statements and 1099's for the truth, for everyone will say they make six figures, when their take home could be only four figures.
4. Know your expenses to run your truck. Can your freight base cover your living expenses while also paying for your truck.
5. Put money aside each week in a maintenance and reserve account. You will need this to fall back on if anything goes wrong.

The biggest thing that will cause a driver to fail is that they keep the company mentality. You are running your own company. This is a business, not just a job or career. You wouldn't sell $20 items for $1 all day. Take that perspective into it when you are looking for loads.
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Just Shove It! 07/06/2011
 
Heather and I have had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of great people, and some real sorry people, through Trucker's Voice. They all get a nickname, including our little Hole in the Head.
Our friend Michael (MPG) has been having issues with his now former boss. He leased onto a company who couldn't grasp that he needed to get paid on time.
He's had enough, and told his boss to shove it! So, as a friend, I'm going to do whatever I can do to help him. I want to have him unburied and busting my chops again (he's good at it). His truck's for sale. I digress, his entire set up is on sale. Make this go viral and help me help him get this done.
The following is on his facebook with the picture of the truck. (This truck is featured on this website under his page, and on the official release on YouTube of Chicken Lights and Chrome by Jesse Watson.)
For Sale: $77,500.00

2002 Peterbilt 385. ISM Cummins 425-Horsepower. Eaton Fuller 10-Speed Autoshift Transmission. Dura-Lite Charge Air Cooler. Turbo 3000D. Centramatic Wheel Balancers. Michelin X-One Wide Singles. Weld-it 2-compartment (2,400/1,900) Cargo Tank. Double Bulkheads. Blackmer 3" Transfer Pump with Diverter Valve. Fully Piped from Pump to Rear of Unit. Street Side Discharge. Both Compartments Manifolded with Air Interlocks on Manifolds.

Comes with 2002 Weld-It pull trailer. 3-compartments (1,500/1,000/2,900). Single Bulkheads. Street Side Discharge. Fully piped for Cargo Pump. Custom Fitting Box. Manifolded with Air Interlocks. Michelin X-One Wide Singles.

Serious Inquiries Only Please.

Private Message Me Here or Call My Cell (323) 595-5868.

Let's get this done.

update! truck has been sold! MPG is
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Some make the claim that once you pass the test in driver training, you are a professional truck driver. By all job classifications, you'd be correct in stating this. Many close minded only see new truckers as steering wheel holders, not me.
Yes, I do remember I started somewhere. I was not born with diesel in my blood and a steering wheel in my hand. I am a 10 year rookie, and was taught by old school drivers. I am not saying that my way of training makes me any better than the guy sitting beside me in the truck stop who went through a driving school. I started out in a single screw, 10 speed cabover with no air conditioning. You would be lucky if the heater would work on a mild Iowa day, and had no power steering. I still remember having to use cardboard into spots to keep the wind out, scraping the frost off my window with my CDL, and using moving blankets to keep from frostbitten feet. My training included being slapped in the back of the head for missing a turn, missing a gear, or anything else I might do. My trainer stayed awake the whole time and actually trained. I was taught to have pride, common sense, and sense of values. I consider it old school rules, and believe the new age truck drivers (steering wheel holders) also need to incorporate them. If you think for one second I have any pause in calling a 30 year veteran a steering wheel holder, you're dead to rights wrong. I'll call out old or new if they're acting like one. Without further ado, here goes my thoughts on who fits the description of steering wheel holder.
A steering wheel holder is a driver that insists on tailgating other trucks or cars. He's that driver that has to grab 3 or 4 gears in the truck stop parking lot. The driver that throws his/her trash and piss bottles in the middle of the parking lot. The driver on the phone/with ear plugs and a radio blasting in their ears while not paying enough attention to give an oversized load (OD) room. A steering wheel holder that is only here to collect a paycheck and don't give a d**n about the others out here, only out for themselves. The driver that's got to pass a 64 mph truck with a 65 mph truck in a 70-75 mph speed limit, only to back up traffic for miles to come. (Going one mile an hour slower won't kill you.) It's the driver that lacks the concept of parking it because road conditions are too adverse/dangerous because his dispatcher says he must go (your dispatcher isn't there, can't see what the road looks like, and probably can't drive your truck 5 miles on a straightway).
Basically, my feeling is that a steering wheel holder is a person who lacks common sense, courtesy, and lack of respect for his own life and those lives around him/her in truck stops and on the road.
Please, help cease this growing epidemic. Take a look around at how you act on the road. If you're reflecting yourself in a matter unbecoming, please pop yourself in the back of the head and bring back the professionalism. Video yourself and how you act behind the wheel for a week. Ask yourself "Is this how I want people to see me?" If not, fix the issue. Just remember the person next to you on the highway or in the truck stop is someone's family member. The car you just cut off/tailgated could be the owner of a customer who was already thinking about dropping your company.
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A picture of a tailgater sent by Mike Harahuc on Twitter.
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Once again, the debate of driver training has hit the surface after a certain truck was running 5 mph in a 75 mph zone while the trainer was fast asleep in the bunk. This resulted in the tragic death of a driver.
Some say there is no need for change and current conditions are fine. I beg to differ on this.
Trucking expert Tim Brady has suggested the following:

TruckersU.com My recommendation for restructuring Truck Driver Training. The first step to improving highway safety from the trucking side of the issue is: 6 months classroom and trucking course with at least 240 hours of behind the wheel instruction.

6 ...months with a qualified "licensed" driver trainer (5 years 500,000 miles driving experience with no accidents and no more than 3 points on their CDL DMV report plus completing a course and exam to be a "Licensed" Driver Trainer). The driver trainer must always be in the right seat awake, observing and instructing the trainee. Under no circumstances can a driver trainer be in the sleeper while the trainee is driving.

At the end of the six months with the driver trainer the apprentice trucker must be able to blind side back a truck to a dock in under 5 minutes plus other on the road and tight quarter skills and be accident and ticket free to get their CDL.

I agree on this aspect.
Far too many companies have ran drivers through what I consider a driver mill. Forcing new drivers in to lease trucks while they're barely making ends meet financially. They then dangle this trainer title in front of their face. They take it for the money, and run the training period like a team instead of actually training. The trainer has little to no experience to top it off.
I, myself, will admit I went through the school of hard knocks of driving. I also spent a few years riding shotgun as a lumper for a line haul driver before I began driving. I jumped at any chance I could get to practice backing at the agents, while keeping an eye and ear open so I could learn as much as I could. I was fortunate enough to have had veteran drivers take me in and give me the help and guidance needed to become a good driver. On the flip side, you can take a driver, put them through the best school and training company, and if they don't have an open minded approach, they will learn nothing.
I believe some are just not cut out to be a professional driver. I know this is a harsh reality. Yet, the same can be said about the trainers who are willing to have the patience and to take the extra time to properly train drivers. The trainee is not an extra log book, extra money, or a team driver.
I feel a driver who has respect for himself, his company, his truck, and this industry period, and who keeps an open mind should be some of the characteristics looked at when properly evaluating trainer material.
It takes devotion, dedication, open mindedness, and a gypsy soul to appreciate this lifestyle. This lifestyle is not for everyone.
Just like in the education field, we have some great trainers, some okay trainers, and some poor trainers who are training for the almighty dollar and not to educate.
While on this subject, I saw one trainer say that this would not be cost efficient. It would cost the companies more money for experienced trainers, cause less trainers, and cause a driver shortage. I say to this, how do put a price tag on the lives it would save? I would much rather see quality in driver training rather than quality. Safe practices would save the company a lot of money in the long run. When you figure wrecked equipment costs, cargo claims, the price of paying for the fatality; which is cheaper? The biggest issue is safer training practices cause safer roadways and people arriving alive, which is priceless.
Do I truly believe that we will ever find the solution to the driver training program? Probably not, but upping the standards of being a trainer and ending the practices of the six month or two year lease operator/purchaser from being a trainer is a damn good start. Stopping the process of operating a training truck as a team is a step in the right direction. Hold the big companies accountable for forcing trainers to run team (I'm sure the CEO would learn if facing manslaughter charges) would be a huge step in the right direction.
In summary, I believe, a good structured program and a well-qualified driver trainer with a student that has dedication and open mindedness to learn, we would have a better driver being trained out here.
I stand behind Tim Brady and Trucker's Voice in having people write and call Ray LaHood to get the training and schooling facilities regulated. I'm not for more regulations, but this is needed highly.

Ray LaHood
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000

United we stand, divided we fall.
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I worked for a fleet that I volunteered to try EOBR's out. thank goodness I had a dispatcher that knew I would be on time and could preplan my truck to keep me running. Yes, being in the specialized flatbed industry, there were times out on a windmill site that by the time you got loaded or unloaded, my 14 hour clock was up. So, I would have to call it a day out in the sticks, with nothing around for miles and miles. Luckily for us, we had a fridge and an inverter with the ability to be able to cook and take care of essentials. All we could do was pray we didn't need to poo.
My point here is, even with the best laid plans, drivers will still be stuck at shippers and receivers because of electronic logs (EOBR's) when the unexpected delays occur. I am fortunate due to the industry I am that I am well prepared, but some box and reefer drivers are often stuck with shippers and receivers who will threaten to have them escorted off or detained by law enforcement for not leaving. If these are going to work, they need to first get the shippers and receivers to timely and efficiently load/unload these trucks. For, the true issues lie with them, not with the truckers. My fiance informed me of one who texted her asking what he should do because they were threatening him with the police and his 14 had ended before they had unloaded them. She informed him to call DOT, and DOT refused to get involved and help the driver uphold the laws. Without proper back up, do you really think EOBR's will work?
On the other hand, I see the big fleets that are currently running EOBR's, cutting their drivers miles, only to shove their load off on another driver or utilize rail.
I feel EOBR's are going to do nothing in the way of safety or fatigue. If you want to fix the fatigue issues, let us stop the clock and take breaks without worrying about losing the hours. EOBR's are not going to stop the drivers in big fleets who's trucks are cut to 65 mph from speeding through speed differential states, work zones, city speed limit zones, or SCHOOL zones. EOBR's will not stop the steering wheel holders while tailgating while their foot is on their dash and they are talking on the phone. (Before you say anything, I've seen this too many times, and I don't care to see this kind of careless, irrational, unprofessional behavior.) Case in example. My truck runs 75 mph, and I go exactly 55 mph, unless there's traffic, in California. All the further cut, 62 mph, fleet trucks, zing past me, cut me off, tailgate me, and like today, intentionally swerve at me for being in their way for they're going 62 in a 55. How will EOBR's fix this?
Maybe big fleets should take a good look at the drivers they want employed by, and representing them. Instead of an *** in the seat. They'd prefer steering wheel holders to pay $1000 weekly for a truck while making $1 a mile, and yes, I know some that do this as a lease operator (that'll be saved for another blog).
Basically, I'm competent enough to do my own log book and can figure out 6 am + 12 = 6 pm, 6 pm + 2 = 8 pm. It is a slap in the face to me for you to tell me, as a responsible, professional adult, that I don't have the intelligence to do my own log book and should have a computer (p.s. they malfunction, I was written up during my test period for mine malfunctioning until they figured out I really didn't unplug it) do mine for me.
To put it bluntly, EOBR's takes the little guy out, while helping ensure that OTR is further fading into the sunset. All I have to say is, do you want real drivers or do you just want steering wheel holders?
Safe trucking to yall.
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Tarping 101 02/14/2011
 
It comes to my attention that some flat bed drivers have the mentality of "well, at least it's tarped" and off they go down the road, tarp flapping, rips and gouges all the way down the road, looking like a shredded parachute.
Here's my thoughts on this. I will take the extra time to ensure the extra padding is on and the tarp is nice and tight before leaving the shippers. I'm not a big fan of sitting on the shoulder trying to fix a tarp falling apart cuz I didn't take the extra time in the first place to do it right.
A loose tarp will shorten it's life span by wind making it flap in the breeze, causing it to rip and flap. It will also cost you money for new tarps and freight claims when the elements are exposed to your load and the tarp beats your load. I haul a lot of high end machinery for major companies. Think about the price of that load when that nicely painted machine gets the life beaten out of it.
Another excuse I hear a lot is "they're not my tarps, they're company tarps. The company will give me new tarps." I'm sure they will, but at what cost? Better equipment or pay raises being forsaked because they had to replace your tarps? Food for thought.
My final point is this. A well tarped load will help with fuel mileage compared to the parachute tarp, which is catching wind the entire time you're going down the road. Also, it saves you a lot of time at the end. You don't have to tarp, fix the tarp 10 times going down the road, and then spend a minimal hour patching the tarp.
I will say it one last time, it falls under pride in your ride. If you were the shipper/consignee/broker, would you want your load on a well-tarped truck or a "at least it's tarped truck." And remember, your load, and your tarping job, is on display for the whole world to see. It reflects on you, your company, and the customer.
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Good tarping......done by me
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To all the drivers who insist on tailgating me, to the point where you can't fit a car between them and my trailer, I have every right to throw uncooked eggs at your windshield, or whatever else I can find, to get you to quit tailgating me.

***This is for humor and is not highly encouraged. You will go to jail***
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    For some of you who may not know, I am a company driver. Yet, I get a lot of compliments on the truck I drive. People are shocked when I tell them it's a company truck.
    I started out in the household goods industry as a lumper. I was taught by owner operators and learned to treat my equipment and my truck as if I owned it.
    Yes, I hear it all the time. "Why are you polishing your truck? It's not yours?" "Why are you wasting your money on that truck? It isn't yours?" "Why do you care what that truck looks like? It's a company truck."
    My response? "I am in a rolling billboard. It reflects on me as a person and a professional. It also reflects on my company. This is our home. This is where we live. It should be as clean and nice looking as a house."
    First impressions leave lasting impressions on everyone who sees your truck. Put yourself in the shipper/consignee/broker/company owner's shoes. Are you going to want your high-end, expensive freight on a truck that shows it's taken care of and the owner has pride. Or would you prefer it be on a truck that has dirt on it from three years ago, the floor and dash are a miss, and where is that smell coming from?
    And on this note (now that I've left you with food for thought). let me close with the words of Al Fry and Jamie Jones (my deceased cousin), "A clean truck is a happy truck."
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    I will start off by saying this is an industry of independent minds. One thing we can agree on is to disagree (as so many have showed in light of recent events).
    One thing I believe we should all agree on would be to bring back the word professionalism to the industry.
    I'm singling out the driver in a truck castrated who is trying to pass another castrated truck and holding traffic up for miles, only to fly through construction zones or small towns when the posted speed goes down to 55 mph or slower. They think the speed limit does not apply to them, only to you. Yet, out on the open road, they tail gate each other and cut everyone off. These are probably the same drivers sitting in the truck stops or cb's complaining about four-wheelers. NEWSFLASH! You aren't any better!
    Then, you have the driver who sits in his cab only to poke fun at fellow drivers (some putting the slander they speak while videotaping it on youtube) trying to back into a spot. Maybe you should get off your fat *** and lend a hand, and an extra set of eyeballs. We all started somewhere. Next time that could be your truck getting hit by a novice or veteran driver. Even I have bad days parking. We are all human, not perfect, and all make mistakes.
    This goes out to you throttle jockey steering wheel holders who have to race through the parking lots and cut trucks off trying to park or kill someone walking through the parking lot because for some reason waiting and slowing down is the end of the world. Too many drivers have been run over by you idiots. Slow down! It's a PARKING LOT! Just because you can't go 70 on the highways doesn't mean you need to make up for it in the parking lots. Some of the real drivers have their kids out there in the parking lots. They shouldn't have to worry about their kids getting run over because you steering wheel holders act like you're still in preschool.
    Another issue I have is drivers parked on the shoulder trying to do paperwork or get directions. Maybe you should've gotten this all worked out by turning the key. You can do your paperwork and routing instead of trash talking on the cb all night. That's part of professionalism. You would not have to drive like a bat out of hell because you actually did your job instead of spouting your mouth. And the shoulders/off ramps/on ramps are not for your snack time purposes. You should only be there if you're broke down or some other urgent situation arises. If you are on the shoulder, turn your cb on so I can know you're okay for crying out loud!
    Driver, your truck is not a couch. Get your blasted leg off the dash. I don't know how many drivers I see do this when I pass by them and theses steering wheel holders are the same ones tail gating me! Think about it. I have to lock down, where are you and your footstool of a dash going to go? You can't react fast enough.
    One last thing, when you see an oversized load, these drivers have enough on their plate. Give them the extra room they so much need. Get on the cb, make sure you're clear to pass. Fellow oversized haulers, turn on your cb so that you can hear them.
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Another tailgater from Mike Harahuc.
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I'm at the Petro in Laramie yesterday once I-80 got shut down yesterday, with every guy possible cutting off a truck with 4ways on. I patiently let two other trucks park and then had to fight for a parking spot. It made me start to think about the way trucking has been going. How everyone's in a big hurry and only out for themselves, common courtesy is entirely out the window.
I still had a little faith in it today. But after riding down the road today, listening to others fight someone and threaten them over charities because they want the fame, forgetting what the cause is, and trying to ruin someone who wants no credit, no fame. I don't care who else is involved in the charity, it is a charity. We will still entirely be willing to support it even with our worst enemies involved in it.
I now have no faith in this industry or the people in it. I hope I'm proven wrong, but after my charity was butchered to it's knees for others to gain from butchering it, I really don't think I am.
People wonder why being a family is gone. It's due to people wanting fame instead of wanting to do what's right. So, you have differences???? Put them aside for once. Accept the olive branch we've handed out to everyone or quit complaining cuz you're the problem!

(Picture courtesy of our dear friend, Vern Lampman, aka Wealthy Trucker. Depicts the unprofessionalism of a truck driver when they didn't like where he parked. Sorry you couldn't get the parking spot!)
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