Today was the first day for our new drivers to be with us. We started out the morning by going over our company. We welcomed them in like family. This week, we have 3 drivers that all have previous experience. One has 6 months, another 8 months and the other has 9 months experience. Why are they with us? Because they have less than a years experience as a truck driver. We do this to be sure they aren't getting into any bad habits at an early time in their careers. It really is a good program.
So, we sat in the conference room this morning and spoke about safety issues. The first one we went over was "Rain." I told them that rain happens all over the country and all year long. When we drive across the country, we must adjust our abilities according to the weather conditions.
Also, when in rainy conditions, we have more traction on the cement surfaces whereas we don't have as much on the asphalt. Ever wonder about that? Probably not, because most of us just drive no matter what the surface is. So, why is it that the traction is so different on the surfaces?
Well, on the asphalt, the oil that drips from our vehicles seeps into the road surface and builds. Then when it rains, the vehicles drive on it and creates a soapy substance. You ever see that? Know what that is from? Cars. They put high-detergent oil in their cars, so when they drip on the road surface and it rains and we drive in it, the oil and water gets all churned up and creates that soapy substance. One thing to remember is that oil and water don't mix.
So, the main thing is, is that we ALL need to slow down when it rains.
Another thing is, most car drivers don't turn on their headlights in the rain, therefore making it very difficult to see them in our road spray. Anyone in dark colored or silver cars are virtually invisible in anyones road spray. We need to take a second, even third look in our mirrors before we make that lane change.
The next subject we spoke about was "Wind." Wind also happens everywhere all year long. We have 53 foot trailers that are suseptable to rolling over in the wind.
Ever go through Nevada and see those cool dust devils? Pretty neat looking right? Well, those things can roll a tractor/trailer if it catches the driver off guard or if it is strong enough. Then they aren't so cute anymore, right?
There are different kinds of winds. There are Derachos...these are straight line winds that form in front of a squall line. They exceed 58 mph in strength and have been recorded as high as 118 mph. One was recorded from Iowa to the Atlantic coast and had knocked over 75 rigs and a 100 car freight train.
Another one is a Downburst. This is where the wind comes straight down from the sky, hits the ground and has nowhere to go but out across the surface.
One time, when I was driving my truck from Lewiston, Idaho to Missoula, Montana on US 12, I had noticed that all the trees on the beautiful mountains had been completely logged down. Then something told me that they weren't logged. Most loggers that cut the trees just let them fall whatever way they want to with some precision. But for the most part, they fall down much like a can full of pick-up-sticks.
These trees were fallen all in the same direction. That is when I knew that something was up. When I got to Missoula, I asked about it. They told me that a downburst had happened and knocked over about 7000 acres of trees. Imagine that hitting the side of your truck? Not fun, that's for sure.
Another wind is tornados. They can range from an F-0 to an F-5, but to the truckers out there, those numbers don't mean anything. Any kind of wind can roll over a rig, so listening to other drivers or the weather stations mean more to us.
Then when we were done talking about those safety issues, we went over our log books and the regulations there. I took them through the anatomy of a log and what was required by the D.O.T. (Department of Transportation).
There are 11 required items. Those are:
1. Date
2. Mileage
3. Company Name
4. Company Address
5. Truck and Trailer Number
6. Co-Drivers Name
7. Driver Signature
8. Hourly Grid
9. Total Hours at the end of the grid
10. Remarks
11. Shipper/Commodity
I then ask them, "what was the one thing on this log that I didn't mention?" Some of them get it right away. Did you?
The one thing is, the re-cap. The re-cap is not DOT required. However, it is just like a checkbook register. If you deposit $70 in the bank and just start spending it without keeping track, you are going to overspend yourself and have to pay costly fees.
Just like the checkbook register, if you start out with 70 hours, use them up without keeping track of what you use, you could go into violation and pay some hefty fines. So, the best thing to do is either keep the daily hours on your log pages or in a notebook, but I don't suggest keeping them in your head because there is too much going on in there with everything else that we have to keep track of while out on the road.
Afterwards, we went over an extensive pre-trip inspection, hooked to a trailer and drove around town. My driver did very well. He even aced backing into a very difficult space while other drivers were waiting for him to complete his task. He didn't even let them get to him. This is good, since some drivers get all frustrated when they are backing, and then get even more frustrated when other drivers are waiting for them to get parked. That is when accidents happen.
Stay calm and let them wait. When you are done parking, they are no longer thinking of you being in their way. Now they are thinking of them having to back in while those other drivers behind them have to wait. The pressure is on them now, no longer on you.
We ended our day by attending a Safety Meeting. We learned about the ISS scores of our company and others and what ISS means. It means Inspection Selection System. These numbers are what the DOT scales use to determine whether or not a truck needs to be brought in for inspection. I will talk more about these numbers in a later entry.
Until now, have a safe trip and enjoy the scenery. Be ready for anything and expect the unexpected. Just because everyone out on the road is a licensed driver (or at least should be), doesn't make them a safe or professional driver.
Expect them to do something dumb or use poor judgement. If you expect that, then you will be ready for just about anything.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
ANOTHER DRIVER ALMOST READY
(Written in 2005)
Today, I took a driver out to get him ready to finish his training with us. He started his training a week ago and tomorrow he will do his final road test. After that, we will take him up to Seattle where he will board a plane, fly to Los Angeles to get his truck and go to work.
This driver has already been on the road for the past 6 months with another company. Our policy is that if a driver hires on with us with less than a years experience, then they have to go through a week of training with one of our in-house trainers. There are 4 of us available.
One of our trainers has been with our company for 14 years and as a trainer for the past 12. Another one has been with us for about 6 years and training for the past 3. Then I have been with the company for 6 years and training for 1 1/2 years and finally our other trainer has been with the company for 5 years and training for 6 months. We are all very well experienced and together have over 70 years of experience over the road as drivers.
My driver today was put through a rigorous driving course that included in-town driving where we tackled difficult right and left turns and safe lane changes in heavy traffic. Then we worked on backing into some difficult areas including blind side backing. That is where you back up and can only rely on your mirrors on the right side of your tractor to see what you are doing. When you can't see anything anymore, then that is when the brakes are set and the driver gets out and looks to assess the situation, make neccessary corrections and back into a parking place.
He did a wonderful job and felt very confident in what I was teaching him. He really enjoyed the week that he spent with me and said that he had learned so much more in this one week than he ever did in the 6 weeks of school he was in or the 6 months he had been out on the road. I was very proud of the work that I had accomplished.
Tomorrow, when he completes his road test, I will be able to meet my new student that I will have over the next week. All my training starts over each week as I take yet another driver through real-life situations to make him or her a better and safer driver out on America's roads.
I hope to soon include an evaluation on my blog of how I grade a driver, and then how the driver grades me and his or her training. Look forward to seeing how that works.
Until then, happy trails and be safe out there. Watch out for those big trucks, because if you can't see us in the drivers seat, we can't see you! Let's work together to stay safe.
Today, I took a driver out to get him ready to finish his training with us. He started his training a week ago and tomorrow he will do his final road test. After that, we will take him up to Seattle where he will board a plane, fly to Los Angeles to get his truck and go to work.
This driver has already been on the road for the past 6 months with another company. Our policy is that if a driver hires on with us with less than a years experience, then they have to go through a week of training with one of our in-house trainers. There are 4 of us available.
One of our trainers has been with our company for 14 years and as a trainer for the past 12. Another one has been with us for about 6 years and training for the past 3. Then I have been with the company for 6 years and training for 1 1/2 years and finally our other trainer has been with the company for 5 years and training for 6 months. We are all very well experienced and together have over 70 years of experience over the road as drivers.
My driver today was put through a rigorous driving course that included in-town driving where we tackled difficult right and left turns and safe lane changes in heavy traffic. Then we worked on backing into some difficult areas including blind side backing. That is where you back up and can only rely on your mirrors on the right side of your tractor to see what you are doing. When you can't see anything anymore, then that is when the brakes are set and the driver gets out and looks to assess the situation, make neccessary corrections and back into a parking place.
He did a wonderful job and felt very confident in what I was teaching him. He really enjoyed the week that he spent with me and said that he had learned so much more in this one week than he ever did in the 6 weeks of school he was in or the 6 months he had been out on the road. I was very proud of the work that I had accomplished.
Tomorrow, when he completes his road test, I will be able to meet my new student that I will have over the next week. All my training starts over each week as I take yet another driver through real-life situations to make him or her a better and safer driver out on America's roads.
I hope to soon include an evaluation on my blog of how I grade a driver, and then how the driver grades me and his or her training. Look forward to seeing how that works.
Until then, happy trails and be safe out there. Watch out for those big trucks, because if you can't see us in the drivers seat, we can't see you! Let's work together to stay safe.
ROAD TEST DAY
(Another article that wrote in 2005)
Today we road tested our students that we had over the past week. This was also the day that we had to road test all the new drivers that came through this weeks orientation. There were 12 in all and there were 3 testers, so we shared the responsibility.
First, our day began in the classroom going over much needed information that would get our students ready for life out on the road, since they would be getting their trucks the next day. We spoke about what to expect when they are out there. Things like how their dispatches would work and how to communicate with their fleet managers. We told them to sign on to their QUALCOMM computers in the trucks. Then their fleet manager would see that they had arrived.
Then they would receive a message from their fleet managers regarding any new loads that are available in the area they are in. If they can do the load legally, then they are on their way into the life of trucking.
Once our morning was over with our students, us trainers had to put ourselves in high gear to get ready to road test those that just came through orientation. These drivers went through a 3-day classroom that covered all aspects of the company. From payroll to 401k; from starting your truck to how to drive it and logging your trips legally. Things like that.
We have a set route that we take our drivers through a rigorous driving route. We show how to start the truck, put it in gear and get it moving. Since all our trucks are automatics, some of the drivers are intimidated by them. They really are very easy to drive. Just like driving your automatic car. The only difference is, is that you have either a 53 foot trailer behind you or two 28 1/2 foot trailers you are pulling.
Once they get going, we go out on the city streets, test them on right and left turns, freeway merges, crossing railroad tracks and lane changes. The whole test takes about 5 minutes, but we really put them through the paces. By the end, the new driver feels much better about driving a truck that they are unfamiliar with.
One of the things that I say to put my drivers at ease is, "you have to learn the personality of each truck you are driving. Much like when you go to buy a car. Do you buy the first one you test drive? No. You test drive several, and in doing so, you have to learn just how each vehicle starts, operates and handles."
These trucks are the same way. We have Freightliner Century Class, Freightliner Columbia's, and Volvos. I really like the Freightliners. The Volvos are nice and have all the creature comforts of a mini motor home inside with a dining table that folds down to a double bed. A top bunk with a ladder to it. Tons of storage space and all the controls right within the drivers reach. The ride, must I not forget, is like riding on a pillow. Nice and smooth. The auto shift transmission shifts each gear like a Cadillac.
So, why don't I like the Volvos? Well, although it has the comforts, it isn't a work truck for me. They are bulky, wide, large and don't have near the turning radius that a Freightliner has. When I tried to back up a trailer with a Volvo in a tight space, I couldn't do it without much work. Back and forth, maneuvering the steering wheel and burning my clutch leg with pain. It was really an easy back, but the Volvo just wasn't doing it for me.
I did the same back in a Freightliner and put the trailer in the spot with one shot. Now, that's a work truck. One that I can depend on doing the whole job for me from the time I turn the key on to the time I'm ready to go to sleep at night.
Well, we got the drivers all tested and headed out to get their trucks. Some are flying out the next day to get theirs, so we put them up in a motel in Seattle for the night and a shuttle will take them to the airport.
The trucking industry is growing and has been for the past 40 years. Things have changed including how we keep track of our driving and off duty times. Some weekend, I will include a log along with all the other things I have promised to show everyone.
Take care and have a safe day.
Remember, road rage can happen as simple as not letting someone on the freeway from the on-ramp. Relax, give the other person some room because you will still get there on time and safely. Share the road, and share it safely and with courtesy.
Today we road tested our students that we had over the past week. This was also the day that we had to road test all the new drivers that came through this weeks orientation. There were 12 in all and there were 3 testers, so we shared the responsibility.
First, our day began in the classroom going over much needed information that would get our students ready for life out on the road, since they would be getting their trucks the next day. We spoke about what to expect when they are out there. Things like how their dispatches would work and how to communicate with their fleet managers. We told them to sign on to their QUALCOMM computers in the trucks. Then their fleet manager would see that they had arrived.
Then they would receive a message from their fleet managers regarding any new loads that are available in the area they are in. If they can do the load legally, then they are on their way into the life of trucking.
Once our morning was over with our students, us trainers had to put ourselves in high gear to get ready to road test those that just came through orientation. These drivers went through a 3-day classroom that covered all aspects of the company. From payroll to 401k; from starting your truck to how to drive it and logging your trips legally. Things like that.
We have a set route that we take our drivers through a rigorous driving route. We show how to start the truck, put it in gear and get it moving. Since all our trucks are automatics, some of the drivers are intimidated by them. They really are very easy to drive. Just like driving your automatic car. The only difference is, is that you have either a 53 foot trailer behind you or two 28 1/2 foot trailers you are pulling.
Once they get going, we go out on the city streets, test them on right and left turns, freeway merges, crossing railroad tracks and lane changes. The whole test takes about 5 minutes, but we really put them through the paces. By the end, the new driver feels much better about driving a truck that they are unfamiliar with.
One of the things that I say to put my drivers at ease is, "you have to learn the personality of each truck you are driving. Much like when you go to buy a car. Do you buy the first one you test drive? No. You test drive several, and in doing so, you have to learn just how each vehicle starts, operates and handles."
These trucks are the same way. We have Freightliner Century Class, Freightliner Columbia's, and Volvos. I really like the Freightliners. The Volvos are nice and have all the creature comforts of a mini motor home inside with a dining table that folds down to a double bed. A top bunk with a ladder to it. Tons of storage space and all the controls right within the drivers reach. The ride, must I not forget, is like riding on a pillow. Nice and smooth. The auto shift transmission shifts each gear like a Cadillac.
So, why don't I like the Volvos? Well, although it has the comforts, it isn't a work truck for me. They are bulky, wide, large and don't have near the turning radius that a Freightliner has. When I tried to back up a trailer with a Volvo in a tight space, I couldn't do it without much work. Back and forth, maneuvering the steering wheel and burning my clutch leg with pain. It was really an easy back, but the Volvo just wasn't doing it for me.
I did the same back in a Freightliner and put the trailer in the spot with one shot. Now, that's a work truck. One that I can depend on doing the whole job for me from the time I turn the key on to the time I'm ready to go to sleep at night.
Well, we got the drivers all tested and headed out to get their trucks. Some are flying out the next day to get theirs, so we put them up in a motel in Seattle for the night and a shuttle will take them to the airport.
The trucking industry is growing and has been for the past 40 years. Things have changed including how we keep track of our driving and off duty times. Some weekend, I will include a log along with all the other things I have promised to show everyone.
Take care and have a safe day.
Remember, road rage can happen as simple as not letting someone on the freeway from the on-ramp. Relax, give the other person some room because you will still get there on time and safely. Share the road, and share it safely and with courtesy.
CAN A TRUCK HYDROPLANE?
Sure it can. Some people think that an 80,000 rig can't hydroplane at all. It is a misconception that a heavy rig like that will displace the water and all is safe. Well, at normal speed limits, water on the road can be very deadly to you as a driver.
Why do I say that? Did you know that the faster you go, the more the truck lifts? That is why I say you can hydroplane. You are literally floating on the water and therefore you can hydroplane and lose control. Use the weight of your rig by slowing down. This way, your rig lowers and the tires have more traction on the ground.
The safest way to keep a truck from hydroplaning is to watch the weather conditions. If you see rain, there will be water on the road and you need to slow down. Every truck is different in respect to the weight of their load and their setup. The lighter you are (empty or light loads), the easier it is for you to hydroplane. You don't have to be going that fast either. I'm not saying that heavy loads (up to 80,000 pounds) can't hydroplane. On the contrary. You can hydroplane at speeds as slow as 45mph in just a little bit of water on the road.
You also need to be sure you have enough tread depth in your tires. DOT standards are a minimum of 4/32 on the steer tires and 2/32 on the drive tires. But if you get yourself a tire depth gauge and look at what that depth looks like, you will want to get your tires changed sooner in adverse weather and seasonal conditions.
Also, there is a wedge of water that forms in front of the tire on the wet pavement. The tire needs to displace that water, but if you are going too fast for conditions, the tire can't do its job and therefore the tire just rides up on the wedge causing the truck to 'float'.
Think of it like this...A water skier is in the water holding the tow rope. He is not moving, but rather waiting for when the driver of the boat is getting ready to pull him. The skier gives the thumbs up and the boat is put into a forward gear. The skier then is getting pulled out of the water. At this point, water is being displaced by the ski and the skier is not quite on top of the water. He is going too slow to float just yet. There is a huge wedge of water just in front of his ski. The boat picks up more speed and the skier comes out of the water and begins to level out. Now the skier has picked up speed (due to the boat) and the wedge of water in front of his ski has just about disappeared. He is now 'floating' on top of the water.
You need to be sure that you know your rig and the roads you will be traveling on while driving your truck. Be ready to change your driving habits at a moments notice as rain happens year 'round and can happen at any given time. One way to be sure that you will be able to maintain good traction on the road is to be sure that your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth on them.
One thing that I have found is that you have better traction on wet surfaces on the cement roads as opposed to the asphalt roads. Why is that? Oil sets on the asphalt and is more ready pulled up during the rainy seasons as opposed to the cement. This theory only works with wet, rainy roads, not icy roads. Be sure you are aware of the outside temperatures also. Falling temperatures will likely turn the water to ice, therefore, your driving habits must be reduced dramatically. Did you know that water will sit on top of black ice? Yep, but that's another subject.
To be safe out on the road, be sure to slow down when there is water on the road. Let the weight of your rig hold you on the road. The more tread you have in contact with the pavement, the better off you are. The faster you go, the more the truck lifts and you will tend to lose control.
Research done on Crash Foresnics
Keep safe out there and look out for your fellow drivers, also.
Why do I say that? Did you know that the faster you go, the more the truck lifts? That is why I say you can hydroplane. You are literally floating on the water and therefore you can hydroplane and lose control. Use the weight of your rig by slowing down. This way, your rig lowers and the tires have more traction on the ground.
The safest way to keep a truck from hydroplaning is to watch the weather conditions. If you see rain, there will be water on the road and you need to slow down. Every truck is different in respect to the weight of their load and their setup. The lighter you are (empty or light loads), the easier it is for you to hydroplane. You don't have to be going that fast either. I'm not saying that heavy loads (up to 80,000 pounds) can't hydroplane. On the contrary. You can hydroplane at speeds as slow as 45mph in just a little bit of water on the road.
You also need to be sure you have enough tread depth in your tires. DOT standards are a minimum of 4/32 on the steer tires and 2/32 on the drive tires. But if you get yourself a tire depth gauge and look at what that depth looks like, you will want to get your tires changed sooner in adverse weather and seasonal conditions.
Also, there is a wedge of water that forms in front of the tire on the wet pavement. The tire needs to displace that water, but if you are going too fast for conditions, the tire can't do its job and therefore the tire just rides up on the wedge causing the truck to 'float'.
Think of it like this...A water skier is in the water holding the tow rope. He is not moving, but rather waiting for when the driver of the boat is getting ready to pull him. The skier gives the thumbs up and the boat is put into a forward gear. The skier then is getting pulled out of the water. At this point, water is being displaced by the ski and the skier is not quite on top of the water. He is going too slow to float just yet. There is a huge wedge of water just in front of his ski. The boat picks up more speed and the skier comes out of the water and begins to level out. Now the skier has picked up speed (due to the boat) and the wedge of water in front of his ski has just about disappeared. He is now 'floating' on top of the water.
You need to be sure that you know your rig and the roads you will be traveling on while driving your truck. Be ready to change your driving habits at a moments notice as rain happens year 'round and can happen at any given time. One way to be sure that you will be able to maintain good traction on the road is to be sure that your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth on them.
One thing that I have found is that you have better traction on wet surfaces on the cement roads as opposed to the asphalt roads. Why is that? Oil sets on the asphalt and is more ready pulled up during the rainy seasons as opposed to the cement. This theory only works with wet, rainy roads, not icy roads. Be sure you are aware of the outside temperatures also. Falling temperatures will likely turn the water to ice, therefore, your driving habits must be reduced dramatically. Did you know that water will sit on top of black ice? Yep, but that's another subject.
To be safe out on the road, be sure to slow down when there is water on the road. Let the weight of your rig hold you on the road. The more tread you have in contact with the pavement, the better off you are. The faster you go, the more the truck lifts and you will tend to lose control.
Research done on Crash Foresnics
Keep safe out there and look out for your fellow drivers, also.
FOLLOWING DISTANCE - LEAVE SOME ROOM
Did you know that according to the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course for Professional Truck Drivers, a fully loaded truck at 80,000 that is traveling at speeds of 65 miles per hour on good and ideal roads and conditions needs about 525 feet to stop?
Something else to think about, a car in the same weather and road conditions needs only 316 feet to stop at 65 miles per hour. Big difference, right?
So, when you are driving your truck down the road, you must leave enough room in front of you while you are following those cars out there. They can stop in a much shorter distance than we can, and if they suddenly apply their brakes and need to come to a stop, they will be nothing more than a messy speed bump to us if we are tailgating them.
Did you also know that once a car at 65 miles per hour has had its brakes applied, that the brake lights come on after they have already traveled about 35 feet? So, if that driver suddenly has to apply the brakes, it may be too late.
One time, when my family was visiting Pennsylvania, my parents and my sisters were in a car traveling on the turnpike. They said that a big rig began tailgating them. They were already traveling at the posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour. This was back in 1986.
Then, as my father was driving the car, my sisters were getting scared because the truck was so close. My father sped up and so did the truck. Before they knew it, they were traveling at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour while that truck stayed right on their tail. My family was clearly frightened by this whole episode.
Finally, the truck driver decided to pass them on a downhill and as quickly as he showed up behind their car, he had dissappeared. They couldn't believe what they had just gone through. My sisters were crying and my Mom was deep in prayer for their safety. My father was visibly shaken by the whole ordeal because their fate was in the hands of his ability to control the car at high rates of speed in unfamiliar territory.
After they traveled several miles, they came upon a sight that they couldn't believe. The truck that had been tailgating them was pulled over on the side of the turnpike in a parking area. The driver was nowhere to be seen. Probably in his sleeper catching up on some sleep and letting his logbook catch up with him.
Now, this scenario was real. It should not have been. There is no reason why anyone should be traveling so close to someone else that they cause that driver to be forced down the road at speeds other than that which is posted or safe.
If my father had blown a tire on the car, or if there were debris in the road, or worse yet, an accident ahead of them, they would have all seen a fate that we just don't want to even imagine.
Kind of a gorry story, but it needs to be told. It is very important that we keep our distance from the vehicles in front of us.
United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) says that we should keep about a 7 second distance from the vehicle in front of us when we are traveling at speeds greater than 45 miles per hour.
When you count that off at 65 miles per hour, it doesn't seem that far away. When conditions change in front of the vehicle you are following and they have to change their driving habits, that 7 second following distance will close up in such a quick time that it will feel like you are traveling at 100 miles per hour or more. It's that quick. A snap of a finger.
You can keep a good distance no matter what the conditions are. Poor visibility, keep your distance even farther, or just pull over in a safe place until the conditions improve. In heavy traffic, slow down to a mere crawl and keep about 3 car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. If someone invades your space, it's okay. They were going faster than you when they cut in. Just let off the throttle and you will regain it. You don't need to brake unless traffic comes to a stop. But as you see, you can keep your distance just by staying back. It is less stessful on you and your equipment.
Tailgating is also very fatiguing. Where is your focus? It's on the vehicle in front of you, not on the road or your job at hand. You stare at that vehicle because you don't want to hit them, yet you feel that you must be so close that you can read the tags on their license plates.
Next thing you know, they take an exit and you remain on the highway. Now what? You have nothing to stare at anymore and you begin to relax because you were so focused on that vehicle in front of you. You begin to feel your eyes get heavy and yawning becomes almost constant.
Before you know it, you want to pull over and go to sleep. By keeping your distance, you don't have to fatigue yourself and you can get to where you need to go just as quickly and safely. Pace yourself. Give yourself time to get where you need to go so you don't have to push others out of your way. Don't be the bully of the road, whether you are in a car, truck or RV.
Safety is number one with all of us out on the road. It takes everyone together to keep each other safe out there.
Something else to think about, a car in the same weather and road conditions needs only 316 feet to stop at 65 miles per hour. Big difference, right?
So, when you are driving your truck down the road, you must leave enough room in front of you while you are following those cars out there. They can stop in a much shorter distance than we can, and if they suddenly apply their brakes and need to come to a stop, they will be nothing more than a messy speed bump to us if we are tailgating them.
Did you also know that once a car at 65 miles per hour has had its brakes applied, that the brake lights come on after they have already traveled about 35 feet? So, if that driver suddenly has to apply the brakes, it may be too late.
One time, when my family was visiting Pennsylvania, my parents and my sisters were in a car traveling on the turnpike. They said that a big rig began tailgating them. They were already traveling at the posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour. This was back in 1986.
Then, as my father was driving the car, my sisters were getting scared because the truck was so close. My father sped up and so did the truck. Before they knew it, they were traveling at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour while that truck stayed right on their tail. My family was clearly frightened by this whole episode.
Finally, the truck driver decided to pass them on a downhill and as quickly as he showed up behind their car, he had dissappeared. They couldn't believe what they had just gone through. My sisters were crying and my Mom was deep in prayer for their safety. My father was visibly shaken by the whole ordeal because their fate was in the hands of his ability to control the car at high rates of speed in unfamiliar territory.
After they traveled several miles, they came upon a sight that they couldn't believe. The truck that had been tailgating them was pulled over on the side of the turnpike in a parking area. The driver was nowhere to be seen. Probably in his sleeper catching up on some sleep and letting his logbook catch up with him.
Now, this scenario was real. It should not have been. There is no reason why anyone should be traveling so close to someone else that they cause that driver to be forced down the road at speeds other than that which is posted or safe.
If my father had blown a tire on the car, or if there were debris in the road, or worse yet, an accident ahead of them, they would have all seen a fate that we just don't want to even imagine.
Kind of a gorry story, but it needs to be told. It is very important that we keep our distance from the vehicles in front of us.
United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) says that we should keep about a 7 second distance from the vehicle in front of us when we are traveling at speeds greater than 45 miles per hour.
When you count that off at 65 miles per hour, it doesn't seem that far away. When conditions change in front of the vehicle you are following and they have to change their driving habits, that 7 second following distance will close up in such a quick time that it will feel like you are traveling at 100 miles per hour or more. It's that quick. A snap of a finger.
You can keep a good distance no matter what the conditions are. Poor visibility, keep your distance even farther, or just pull over in a safe place until the conditions improve. In heavy traffic, slow down to a mere crawl and keep about 3 car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. If someone invades your space, it's okay. They were going faster than you when they cut in. Just let off the throttle and you will regain it. You don't need to brake unless traffic comes to a stop. But as you see, you can keep your distance just by staying back. It is less stessful on you and your equipment.
Tailgating is also very fatiguing. Where is your focus? It's on the vehicle in front of you, not on the road or your job at hand. You stare at that vehicle because you don't want to hit them, yet you feel that you must be so close that you can read the tags on their license plates.
Next thing you know, they take an exit and you remain on the highway. Now what? You have nothing to stare at anymore and you begin to relax because you were so focused on that vehicle in front of you. You begin to feel your eyes get heavy and yawning becomes almost constant.
Before you know it, you want to pull over and go to sleep. By keeping your distance, you don't have to fatigue yourself and you can get to where you need to go just as quickly and safely. Pace yourself. Give yourself time to get where you need to go so you don't have to push others out of your way. Don't be the bully of the road, whether you are in a car, truck or RV.
Safety is number one with all of us out on the road. It takes everyone together to keep each other safe out there.
WATCH OUT FOR ANIMALS!
Drive at a safe speed, since excessive speed reduces your reaction time and increases your braking distance.
Always wear your seatbelt. Did you know that most people injured in animal/vehicle crashes were not wearing their seatbelts?
Slow down and be careful when you approach any horse-drawn vehicle or someone riding a horse, since most animals are easily frightened by motor vehicles, especially big trucks. Allow plenty of room for passing them safely. You should be prepared to stop if the animal you are trying to pass should appear frightened.
Be very alert in the early morning and the evening hours. This is the most active time for deer and other animals.
You should use special caution in areas that are marked with deer or other animal crossing signs.
During the periods of darkness, use your bright lights when there is no traffic approaching you. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of deer and any other animals on or near the roadway much sooner. This will allow you a greater reaction time. Continually scan the roadsides for deer or other animals and the reflection of the light in their eyes. Also, look for any animals silhouettes in back lit conditions.
Slow down when approaching a deer or any other animal that is standing near the roadside. The animal may "bolt out" or change direction instantly before you know it, even possibly onto the road.
If you see a deer or any other animal cross the road, expect a second or third animal to follow soon thereafter. Slow down, approach the area with caution, and be alert.
Focus your vision far down the road as far as you can see, or as far as your headlights illuminate. If the headlights of a vehicle that is approaching you or the taillights of the vehicle you are following should flash, flicker or momentarily disappear, slow down. This also goes for the reflectors on the side of the road. It is possible that an animal or pedestrian is on or crossing the roadway. If the "flickering" should discontinue, don't assume that everything is "all clear." Still continue to approach the area with caution because the animal or a second animal may cross again.
Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn any other drivers when a deer or other animal is spotted on or near the roadway.
Remember where you have seen the deer cross the road. They are creatures of habit and use the same paths. This could also be a migrating area that they use to cross the roads with often.
Watch for any evidence along the road where animals were previously struck by other vehicles. This should be another warning sign that animals are in the area.
If you see a deer or any other animal on the road, honk your horn with one long blast to frighten it. Flashing your lights may cause the animal to further fixate itself on your vehicle. Brake firmly in a controlled fashion and do not swerve. Attempting to steer around the animal may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you must make an evasive maneuver, be sure that your speed is reduced significantly so that you will remain on the roadway and keep control of your vehicle.
If it appears that a collision with the animal cannot be avoided, the it is better to strike the animal with your vehicle rather than trying to swerve to avoid it. Once the animal and vehicle have collided, slow to a safe and complete stop off the side of the road and turn your emergency flashers on. It is better to strike the animal than to swerve and miss it and end up hitting another vehicle, a fixed object or roll your vehicle over.
If your vehicle strikes an animal, do not touch the animal. If the animal is still alive, it will be frightened. It will attempt to move and could hurt you or itself. The animal may also strike out at you in an attempt to protect itself. The best procedure is to get you and your vehicle off the road if possible and then contact the nearest law enforcement agency.
Drive safe out there. You are the one in control of your vehicle. Always be prepared for the unexpected any time you are behind the wheel of any vehicle.
Always wear your seatbelt. Did you know that most people injured in animal/vehicle crashes were not wearing their seatbelts?
Slow down and be careful when you approach any horse-drawn vehicle or someone riding a horse, since most animals are easily frightened by motor vehicles, especially big trucks. Allow plenty of room for passing them safely. You should be prepared to stop if the animal you are trying to pass should appear frightened.
Be very alert in the early morning and the evening hours. This is the most active time for deer and other animals.
You should use special caution in areas that are marked with deer or other animal crossing signs.
During the periods of darkness, use your bright lights when there is no traffic approaching you. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of deer and any other animals on or near the roadway much sooner. This will allow you a greater reaction time. Continually scan the roadsides for deer or other animals and the reflection of the light in their eyes. Also, look for any animals silhouettes in back lit conditions.
Slow down when approaching a deer or any other animal that is standing near the roadside. The animal may "bolt out" or change direction instantly before you know it, even possibly onto the road.
If you see a deer or any other animal cross the road, expect a second or third animal to follow soon thereafter. Slow down, approach the area with caution, and be alert.
Focus your vision far down the road as far as you can see, or as far as your headlights illuminate. If the headlights of a vehicle that is approaching you or the taillights of the vehicle you are following should flash, flicker or momentarily disappear, slow down. This also goes for the reflectors on the side of the road. It is possible that an animal or pedestrian is on or crossing the roadway. If the "flickering" should discontinue, don't assume that everything is "all clear." Still continue to approach the area with caution because the animal or a second animal may cross again.
Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn any other drivers when a deer or other animal is spotted on or near the roadway.
Remember where you have seen the deer cross the road. They are creatures of habit and use the same paths. This could also be a migrating area that they use to cross the roads with often.
Watch for any evidence along the road where animals were previously struck by other vehicles. This should be another warning sign that animals are in the area.
If you see a deer or any other animal on the road, honk your horn with one long blast to frighten it. Flashing your lights may cause the animal to further fixate itself on your vehicle. Brake firmly in a controlled fashion and do not swerve. Attempting to steer around the animal may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you must make an evasive maneuver, be sure that your speed is reduced significantly so that you will remain on the roadway and keep control of your vehicle.
If it appears that a collision with the animal cannot be avoided, the it is better to strike the animal with your vehicle rather than trying to swerve to avoid it. Once the animal and vehicle have collided, slow to a safe and complete stop off the side of the road and turn your emergency flashers on. It is better to strike the animal than to swerve and miss it and end up hitting another vehicle, a fixed object or roll your vehicle over.
If your vehicle strikes an animal, do not touch the animal. If the animal is still alive, it will be frightened. It will attempt to move and could hurt you or itself. The animal may also strike out at you in an attempt to protect itself. The best procedure is to get you and your vehicle off the road if possible and then contact the nearest law enforcement agency.
Drive safe out there. You are the one in control of your vehicle. Always be prepared for the unexpected any time you are behind the wheel of any vehicle.
HOW TRUCKING BEGAN FOR ME
(I actually wrote this in 2005)
Today, being a new year, I will keep a running journal of my life as a truck driving instructor. This should prove to be very interesting. I just hope that others will enjoy my writings as much as I enjoy my job. This is the first job that I have ever had that when my alarm goes off, I am not looking to hit the snooze button. Rather, I get up and am happy to go to work to meet my daily challenges of teaching people how to drive truck properly and safely.
Let me start out today with a little bit of history of myself. I started out in the trucking world back in 1990. I never really thought that I'd even consider doing this kind of a career. Trucks were only big vehicles on the road that got in my way when I wanted to go somewhere. They were slow and it seemed that they took up a lot of space.
It wasn't until one day that I realized that if it weren't for those truckers out on the road, I wouldn't have anything. I wouldn't have my house, my clothes, my food, my toiletries, my car, the gas to heat my house, the gas for my car, etc. In fact, truckers move everything that I use in my life. Even if it moved by rail, truckers still had to move it from the rail yard to the stores so that I could buy whatever it was I needed to survive.
That is when I decided to join the ever-growing industry of trucking.
I went to school to learn just how to move one of those big-rigs down the road. They are usually pulling a 53 foot trailer, the truck and trailer combination is approximately 65 to 70 feet long. There are 18 wheels on one of those rigs including the trailer.
The one that I started on was a small Freightliner CabOver truck. That is a kind of truck where the cab of it is over the engine. Therefore, the term "CabOver." I was pulling 2 trailers each at 28 1/2 feet long with a dolly in between the two. This connects those trailers together with a 5th wheel, air lines and electrical cord for the lights.
After driving that for 3 years, I then went to a Freightliner FLD conventional truck. This truck has the engine in front under a hood, so I was no longer sitting on top of the engine. I was then pulling a 48 foot reefer trailer. That is a refrigerated trailer that hauls ice cream, produce, meat, poultry, eggs, and anything else that needs to stay cooled or frozen.
I did that for about a year and then went on to a Freightliner FLD 120 conventional. This still had the engine in the front under a hood, but this one now has a double bunk in the sleeper. This is just like a bunk bed in the back. I also had a microwave in there, television, VCR and my computer. I was also pulling a 53 foot dry trailer. This could haul paper to be used at the newspaper printing places, clothing for department stores, foods like cereals, flour, sugar, and other dry goods. Paper products such as bathroom necessities, female products, kitchen products and such. Many other items could be hauled like food for animals, and gardening supplies.
Other drivers that pull flatbed trailers, these are the kind that don't have walls on the sides, could haul wood for new homes, pipes for natural gas lines, or sewage lines and such. They could also haul large equipment to be used to make new roads, dig holes for basements to homes or businesses and such.
Then there are the tanker drivers that haul our gasoline and diesel to the stations. They keep our vehicles going by keeping the stations full.
I know that there are many other types of trucks out there, but can't think of them right now. There are so many that do so many types of jobs. I didn't experience any of those, but have seen them on the road, so I knew that they kept everyone going.
One of the trucks that I have driven is the truck and trailer. These look like doubles, but the front 28 1/2 foot box is mounted to the frame of the truck and the other 28 1/2 trailer is hooked by a long pole that can slide back and forth by using a button in the truck. That was a Peterbilt cabover truck. It had a 13 speed transmission in it. That was pretty intersting. It also had a Silver 92 Detroit engine in it. I didn't like that too much because you had to be really fast in order to shift the transmission. I wasn't real good at it at first. I was good at making a lot of hamburger out of the tranny, though. Got that down to a science!
Other transmissions that I have experienced, and did a little better than that previous one, was the Super-10, regular 10-speed and even a 15 speed transmission. You don't really use all 15 gears, though.
I had different engines, too. There was the Detroit 60-series. That is a pretty good engine. The Catepillar engine. The first one I had was a 3176 back in 1991. It was pretty experimental then and it had a few problems. But it was a pretty strong engine. Then there is the Cummins. I really like the ISX engine.
I found out that ISX means "Integrated System" and the X is just the model of that particuar engine. The integrated system is a computerized engine that talks to the rest of the truck to keep things going like they are supposed to. It is pretty cool.
After driving on the road for a few years, I decided to share my knowledge and experience with new drivers coming into the industry just as I had several years previous. I became an over-the-road trainer. There, I would have a student driver with me for up to 6 weeks at a time and I would teach them to do the job that I had done over the years.
I would show them how to get dispatched on some freight that needed to be hauled. Then how to navigate across America using their atlas. We'd communicate with the customers as to our arrival, and then deliver the frieght. Along the way, we'd keep impecible records of our duties in a book called a Log Book. We had to keep track of our morning inspections, stay within a strict driving timeline, fuel the truck along the way, take the required rest periods to avoid fatique, and when we'd shut down at night, perform an extensive post trip inspection to be sure that our vehicle was still in tip-top shape.
I was able to share my experience with several drivers over a 3 year period. I had driven for a few years as a trainer and a few just as a solo driver. Sometimes that could be lonely, but other times it was really nice to be alone. After doing that for a few years, I had met a guy who later became my husband. He is also a truck driver. After 2 years of being on the road as solo drivers, we decided to go driving as a team. That way, we could share the responsibilities of driving and make a lot more money. The truck could virtually be on the road 24/7 as long as we were legal according to the Federal Motor Carriers Association.
We drove like that for 3 years until he got a job in the office of the company we drove for. That is when I got off the truck also for about a year. I replaced my career of driving with an old job that I had done when I was younger. I went back to waitressing thinking that I might enjoy being home everyday. Big mistake. Although I did enjoy being home everyday, I found that I was hitting the snooze button over and over again because I didn't want to go to work. I missed being out on the road.
So, I opted to go back in the truck to be a local driver. That way, I had my career back, but was also able to be home every night. I did that for 1 1/2 years when the phone call that I had dreamt of over the past several years finally came through.
I was asked if I wanted to be a trainer again since it was in my resume from a few years back that I had been an over-the-road trainer before. I told the guy that I'd love to, but I was not interested in going back long haul again. That is where I'd be driving all 48 states and possibly Canada again. I was told that I wouldn't be doing that, but instead working out of the main terminal and showing up every day to train people that come through our weekly orientation class. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was being offered a job to be a driver instructor and to work out of the main building of the company. Two dreams were being offered to me.
I then began a simple negotiation regarding my pay. I said that I would take the job as long as I could get paid fairly close to what I was currently making on the road as a local driver. I had figured it out and found out what I had averaged. I was offered an amount, but it was much lower than I could afford to cut. I had to sadly decline the offer. Then I was given an offer that was much better and I couldn't refuse. Besides, I was being offered to realize a lifelong dream, how could I back down. I knew then that I could easily adjust to my new career and happily accepted the offer.
Since then, I have had 73 students, and have also been able to move forward with teaching classes of drivers in our orientation. I was trained to teach about Hazardous Materials, which in fact was my worst subject. HazMat scared me because it can be so complicated. But once I learned how to teach it, the subject actually began to make sense.
I also teach drivers about Winter safety and how to manuever their trucks safely down the road in adverse weather conditions that include rain, fog, snow and wind. I also show them how to properly put chains on their trucks and trailers, hooking a truck to a trailer and doing a full complete inspection on their vehicles.
Then, when I get my individual students, I focus on their weak points and make them better and safer drivers. We spend 5 days with them and go through a thourough pre-trip inspection inside and outside the truck. We hook to a trailer and continue our inspection. Then we go out on the road and conquer fears such as driving over high bridges, construction zones, freeways and city driving. We also focus on backing, right and left turns and manuevering in shopping centers.
So far, every one of my students have told me that they have learned more over the 5 day training that they go through with me than they did in the 6 week course that they paid thousands of dollars for or in the several months of driving they have done in the recent past. They go away with more confidence to do their job safely and how to keep those of us in our personal vehicles safe. So many times, we forget that the trucks out on the road are there for a reason and they need more room and space to get around. I teach our drivers to remember those people that think we are just in their way and be kind to them and give the right-of-way to them.
We have been told that we are "number one" many times, but I teach my students to deal with "road rage" by accepting the kind jestures given to us. It's okay to just let them go about their previous duties because those people will soon forget that we were in the way and causing a minor inconvenience. Our jobs and our life isn't worth getting all worked up over a small minor detail.
Look forward to more entries about my wonderful and rewarding job as a Truck Driving Instructor. I may also include a lesson or two about how we do a thourough pretrip and some photos to go along with what I am talking about. That way, we can all be all the more educated, right?
Have fun with my new site, as I know I will.
Happy trails to all, and safe traveling....Jenni
Today, being a new year, I will keep a running journal of my life as a truck driving instructor. This should prove to be very interesting. I just hope that others will enjoy my writings as much as I enjoy my job. This is the first job that I have ever had that when my alarm goes off, I am not looking to hit the snooze button. Rather, I get up and am happy to go to work to meet my daily challenges of teaching people how to drive truck properly and safely.
Let me start out today with a little bit of history of myself. I started out in the trucking world back in 1990. I never really thought that I'd even consider doing this kind of a career. Trucks were only big vehicles on the road that got in my way when I wanted to go somewhere. They were slow and it seemed that they took up a lot of space.
It wasn't until one day that I realized that if it weren't for those truckers out on the road, I wouldn't have anything. I wouldn't have my house, my clothes, my food, my toiletries, my car, the gas to heat my house, the gas for my car, etc. In fact, truckers move everything that I use in my life. Even if it moved by rail, truckers still had to move it from the rail yard to the stores so that I could buy whatever it was I needed to survive.
That is when I decided to join the ever-growing industry of trucking.
I went to school to learn just how to move one of those big-rigs down the road. They are usually pulling a 53 foot trailer, the truck and trailer combination is approximately 65 to 70 feet long. There are 18 wheels on one of those rigs including the trailer.
The one that I started on was a small Freightliner CabOver truck. That is a kind of truck where the cab of it is over the engine. Therefore, the term "CabOver." I was pulling 2 trailers each at 28 1/2 feet long with a dolly in between the two. This connects those trailers together with a 5th wheel, air lines and electrical cord for the lights.
After driving that for 3 years, I then went to a Freightliner FLD conventional truck. This truck has the engine in front under a hood, so I was no longer sitting on top of the engine. I was then pulling a 48 foot reefer trailer. That is a refrigerated trailer that hauls ice cream, produce, meat, poultry, eggs, and anything else that needs to stay cooled or frozen.
I did that for about a year and then went on to a Freightliner FLD 120 conventional. This still had the engine in the front under a hood, but this one now has a double bunk in the sleeper. This is just like a bunk bed in the back. I also had a microwave in there, television, VCR and my computer. I was also pulling a 53 foot dry trailer. This could haul paper to be used at the newspaper printing places, clothing for department stores, foods like cereals, flour, sugar, and other dry goods. Paper products such as bathroom necessities, female products, kitchen products and such. Many other items could be hauled like food for animals, and gardening supplies.
Other drivers that pull flatbed trailers, these are the kind that don't have walls on the sides, could haul wood for new homes, pipes for natural gas lines, or sewage lines and such. They could also haul large equipment to be used to make new roads, dig holes for basements to homes or businesses and such.
Then there are the tanker drivers that haul our gasoline and diesel to the stations. They keep our vehicles going by keeping the stations full.
I know that there are many other types of trucks out there, but can't think of them right now. There are so many that do so many types of jobs. I didn't experience any of those, but have seen them on the road, so I knew that they kept everyone going.
One of the trucks that I have driven is the truck and trailer. These look like doubles, but the front 28 1/2 foot box is mounted to the frame of the truck and the other 28 1/2 trailer is hooked by a long pole that can slide back and forth by using a button in the truck. That was a Peterbilt cabover truck. It had a 13 speed transmission in it. That was pretty intersting. It also had a Silver 92 Detroit engine in it. I didn't like that too much because you had to be really fast in order to shift the transmission. I wasn't real good at it at first. I was good at making a lot of hamburger out of the tranny, though. Got that down to a science!
Other transmissions that I have experienced, and did a little better than that previous one, was the Super-10, regular 10-speed and even a 15 speed transmission. You don't really use all 15 gears, though.
I had different engines, too. There was the Detroit 60-series. That is a pretty good engine. The Catepillar engine. The first one I had was a 3176 back in 1991. It was pretty experimental then and it had a few problems. But it was a pretty strong engine. Then there is the Cummins. I really like the ISX engine.
I found out that ISX means "Integrated System" and the X is just the model of that particuar engine. The integrated system is a computerized engine that talks to the rest of the truck to keep things going like they are supposed to. It is pretty cool.
After driving on the road for a few years, I decided to share my knowledge and experience with new drivers coming into the industry just as I had several years previous. I became an over-the-road trainer. There, I would have a student driver with me for up to 6 weeks at a time and I would teach them to do the job that I had done over the years.
I would show them how to get dispatched on some freight that needed to be hauled. Then how to navigate across America using their atlas. We'd communicate with the customers as to our arrival, and then deliver the frieght. Along the way, we'd keep impecible records of our duties in a book called a Log Book. We had to keep track of our morning inspections, stay within a strict driving timeline, fuel the truck along the way, take the required rest periods to avoid fatique, and when we'd shut down at night, perform an extensive post trip inspection to be sure that our vehicle was still in tip-top shape.
I was able to share my experience with several drivers over a 3 year period. I had driven for a few years as a trainer and a few just as a solo driver. Sometimes that could be lonely, but other times it was really nice to be alone. After doing that for a few years, I had met a guy who later became my husband. He is also a truck driver. After 2 years of being on the road as solo drivers, we decided to go driving as a team. That way, we could share the responsibilities of driving and make a lot more money. The truck could virtually be on the road 24/7 as long as we were legal according to the Federal Motor Carriers Association.
We drove like that for 3 years until he got a job in the office of the company we drove for. That is when I got off the truck also for about a year. I replaced my career of driving with an old job that I had done when I was younger. I went back to waitressing thinking that I might enjoy being home everyday. Big mistake. Although I did enjoy being home everyday, I found that I was hitting the snooze button over and over again because I didn't want to go to work. I missed being out on the road.
So, I opted to go back in the truck to be a local driver. That way, I had my career back, but was also able to be home every night. I did that for 1 1/2 years when the phone call that I had dreamt of over the past several years finally came through.
I was asked if I wanted to be a trainer again since it was in my resume from a few years back that I had been an over-the-road trainer before. I told the guy that I'd love to, but I was not interested in going back long haul again. That is where I'd be driving all 48 states and possibly Canada again. I was told that I wouldn't be doing that, but instead working out of the main terminal and showing up every day to train people that come through our weekly orientation class. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was being offered a job to be a driver instructor and to work out of the main building of the company. Two dreams were being offered to me.
I then began a simple negotiation regarding my pay. I said that I would take the job as long as I could get paid fairly close to what I was currently making on the road as a local driver. I had figured it out and found out what I had averaged. I was offered an amount, but it was much lower than I could afford to cut. I had to sadly decline the offer. Then I was given an offer that was much better and I couldn't refuse. Besides, I was being offered to realize a lifelong dream, how could I back down. I knew then that I could easily adjust to my new career and happily accepted the offer.
Since then, I have had 73 students, and have also been able to move forward with teaching classes of drivers in our orientation. I was trained to teach about Hazardous Materials, which in fact was my worst subject. HazMat scared me because it can be so complicated. But once I learned how to teach it, the subject actually began to make sense.
I also teach drivers about Winter safety and how to manuever their trucks safely down the road in adverse weather conditions that include rain, fog, snow and wind. I also show them how to properly put chains on their trucks and trailers, hooking a truck to a trailer and doing a full complete inspection on their vehicles.
Then, when I get my individual students, I focus on their weak points and make them better and safer drivers. We spend 5 days with them and go through a thourough pre-trip inspection inside and outside the truck. We hook to a trailer and continue our inspection. Then we go out on the road and conquer fears such as driving over high bridges, construction zones, freeways and city driving. We also focus on backing, right and left turns and manuevering in shopping centers.
So far, every one of my students have told me that they have learned more over the 5 day training that they go through with me than they did in the 6 week course that they paid thousands of dollars for or in the several months of driving they have done in the recent past. They go away with more confidence to do their job safely and how to keep those of us in our personal vehicles safe. So many times, we forget that the trucks out on the road are there for a reason and they need more room and space to get around. I teach our drivers to remember those people that think we are just in their way and be kind to them and give the right-of-way to them.
We have been told that we are "number one" many times, but I teach my students to deal with "road rage" by accepting the kind jestures given to us. It's okay to just let them go about their previous duties because those people will soon forget that we were in the way and causing a minor inconvenience. Our jobs and our life isn't worth getting all worked up over a small minor detail.
Look forward to more entries about my wonderful and rewarding job as a Truck Driving Instructor. I may also include a lesson or two about how we do a thourough pretrip and some photos to go along with what I am talking about. That way, we can all be all the more educated, right?
Have fun with my new site, as I know I will.
Happy trails to all, and safe traveling....Jenni
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