Truck Driver Shortage

[Anonymous]

Dave,

Thank you for that great posting defining B trains. My only experience with them was seeing them operated by Canadian Freightways (Consolidated Freightways's Canadian LTL company) on a 1972 trip to Canada. At that time the trailers where I think about 30' in length.

My wife tells me all the time my tongue is to sharp. Please forgive my sharp replies. I was wrong.

Jim

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033

Dave,

You have just sliped a new term under the table:

QUOTE: In terms of handling, it's my understanding that the "b-train" combo design allows for better driver control than the drawbar pulled trailer design. It shouldn't be too hard to design a b-train combo for double 53's.

Is this a Canadian thing? When talking about a b-train combo, why did you bypass 48's and go right to double 53's.

Don't you owe it to the readers to explain b trains and Canadian doubles, or are you just wanting to impress all of us?

Jim

Not quite sure what you're getting at in that last sentence, but..........

B-trains are a trailer combination set up in which the 5th wheel for the following trailer is embedded into the frame of the leading trailer, in contrast to the drawbar pulled 5th wheel unit where the 5th wheel is located on the drawbar wheelset. The advantage of the b-train is that there is only one pivot point between the 1st and second trailer, compared to the drawbar unit which has two pivot points, one where the drawbar connects to the lead trailer's hitch and the other in the 5th wheel itself. Therefore, the b-train allows for better control by the driver. It's comparable to the difference between an articulated railcar set and a drawbar connected railcar set.

I'm not sure if the Canadians invented the b-train, but they sure have taken advantage of the concept. This is probably due to the fact that the Canadians have allowed higher GVW's on their highways, and this led to the quicker adoption of the concept for the control factors. Compare most Canadian grain trailer combos vs the standard U.S. grain trailer combo's. We have mostly used the drawbar unit, while their trailers incorporate the b-train. The Canadian truckers are allowed to pull two fully loaded 20' containers, and the 5th wheel is located at the rear of the slider chassis, a natural fit. Our GVW regs only allow one fully loaded 20' container per cab unit, so there has been no real incentive to install a 5th wheel in our 20' container slider chassis.

The downside of the b-train concept for a dry van or other rear discharge trailer is that you need an extension in the trailer frame past the rear doors of the trailer to allow room for the 5th wheel and the front of the trailing trailer. Since our trailers are limited to 53' in most states, you could only have a 48' box on the 53' trailer frame, unless the feds allow an exemption to the 53' limit for use of b-train technology. Also, this dead space between the rear doors of the lead trailer and the trailer's rear frame doesn't allow a dry van to park the box flu***o a loading dock, possibly exposing cargo to weather while loading or unloading.

The solution to this dead space is to use a separatable 5th wheel dolly that can fit solidly (e.g. acts as a solid extension of the lead trailer's frame) to the rear of the 53' trailer when in b-train mode yet can be removed easily to allow the box to fit flu***o a loading dock. I'm not sure if such a dolly exists, but I have seen air adjustable dollies that are used to help spread the lead trailer's load over more axles, and I believe these dollies are solid connections rather than pivoting connections.

Here's a good link for pictures of b-train chassis:

http://www.max-atlas.com/eng/train.html

[Anonymous]

B Trains to me here in the usa run about Michigan. They are the only state allowed to run them. They get quite heavy on the gross weight. Much heavier than regular 40 tonners.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by foureasy

As too the double 48 foot trailers,they have pulled them on the Ny thruway for years,along with triple 28 footers.I wish my tractor at the time had the horsepwer those guys had.Live and let live,stay safe no matter rail or road.,Jim

I don't want to shake your universe, but we out west where doing this triple thing long before anyone in New York could count to three!

And of course the whole idea came from Australia and its road trains....

Jim

[Anonymous]

Dave,

You have just sliped a new term under the table:

QUOTE: In terms of handling, it's my understanding that the "b-train" combo design allows for better driver control than the drawbar pulled trailer design. It shouldn't be too hard to design a b-train combo for double 53's.

Is this a Canadian thing? When talking about a b-train combo, why did you bypass 48's and go right to double 53's.

Don't you owe it to the readers to explain b trains and Canadian doubles, or are you just wanting to impress all of us?

Jim

[Anonymous]

As too the double 48 foot trailers,they have pulled them on the Ny thruway for years,along with triple 28 footers.I wish my tractor at the time had the horsepwer those guys had.Live and let live,stay safe no matter rail or road.,Jim

[Anonymous]

ed: Regarding shorthaul, if not by truck, then by what? It's my understanding that trucking owns 99.9% of all shorthual moves. (The 0.1% is accomplished by shortline railroad here in the PNW, where several companies run shorthaul grain shuttles between elevators and barge ports, in hauls under 100 miles). You are correct that if the driver is responsible for loading and unloading the cargo, it takes away from the number of shorthaul trips per day or per week that pay the per mile wages. But if the loading and unloading is done by other labor, then all the driver is doing is taking the trailers from one locale to the next. Or if the driver is heading to or from the intermodal yard, he's not burdened with that requirement on the terminal end. In that aspect, the more the driver can handle in terms of trailers or payload per day or week, the more productive he is to the shipping company. If the company is wasting the driver's high demand skills by having him load and unload cargo while other trailers are just sitting there waiting for a driver to take them where they need to go, then the company is wasting their own assets. I just wonder how much of this truck driver shortage is being caused by these high demand drivers being forced to do something other than driving, something that is better done by lesser skilled labor?

Labor tends to be more productive when it is divided into specifications rather than jack of all trades, at least in theory. The point is to provide enough work hours to make sure each labor division is getting the full 8 to 10 hours per day, and not just sitting around after the specific job have been met, while other work goes begging. If the work requirements are too small to justify labor divisions, then the dual job roles make more sense.

greyhouds: Remember, it isn't the number of trailers so much as it is the total payload burdening the cab unit. I would bet the average 53' dry van trailer plying the Interstates weighs half of the average grain trailer plying the backroads of rural America. If you can keep the total GVW of two 53's under 150k, you should be okay in terms of what the rig can pull.

In terms of handling, it's my understanding that the "b-train" combo design allows for better driver control than the drawbar pulled trailer design. It shouldn't be too hard to design a b-train combo for double 53's.

In the future, if longer and/or higher GVW units are allowed, you might see the concept of the DPU used in trucking. Putting a cabless engine unit as the 5th wheel base between the first and second trailer, and remotely controlled by the cab unit, could have some of the same benefits for trucking as it does for railroads.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

And after all this fun, you might make 30k after expenses. Should we be surprized that the line of qualified applicants doesn't extend around the block?

This is what an industry expert said and I quoted (reposted):

"One expert that was quoted in this article said churn would continue to be a problem until pay for long haul drivers was ratcheted up to $60,000. As a non-expert I’d add the benefit packages might need sweetening too."

The TL portion of the industry, first driven by the Swift model created during 1979 or 1980, was sell them training, endenture them from one to three years and the low wages will offset the churn.

If income in the TL protion of the trucking industry was repersented by fair wages, most longhaul loads would hit a ramp for a trip over a railroad between origin and destination.

Only the most valuble or time sensitive loads would be trucked nationwide by highly paid teams. Think I full of it?

Read a past issue of Trains Magazine or was it Pacific Rail News... about JP Hunts response to driver shortages more than ten years ago. Its good reading, long haul driver's wages went from 32 cents a mile to 42 cents a mile. The bulk of the low margin traffic that would not support higher wages went to intermodal.

Jim - Lawton, NV MP 236.0

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by passengerfan

To all those drivers running I-80 west of Larimie over El Mountain in the winter their is a much safer way and the old timers know it. That is the old route 30 that parallels the UP main and stays down in the valleys. And if you are a train watcher you will see plenty of action along the route. First starting running this route before I-80 was completed it was the only route. After one trip over Elk Mountain in blizzard i reverted to the old route and found I made just as good a time. Just because it looks shorter on the map doesn't mean that it safer or any faster. This is just one case of where older is better.

I don't know if this is true or not, but I was in a truck stop at Rawlings, WY in 1972 and overheard a rancher from that Elk Mountain area state that the Union Pacific once had its mainline run over this region and some twenty years later (1880s) realigned its track to that route that you mentioned running through Medicine Bow rather than over the grade at Elk Mountain.

Then, must have been 1973, heard that because the feds didn't take the advice of the Wyoming DOT, all snow removal on I-80 through the Elk Mountain area was from then to now paid for by the feds. Again, don't know if there is anything to this, or if its just rural-myth?

Also, although I-80 was not completed through Elk Mountain, it was opened for traffic without its finish layer of asphalt, the top coat. This during late fall of, I think 1973 - I could be off, plus or minus a year. Anyway, deer and elk are great jumpers, but antelope are not. Well, I come around a bend to see the largest heard of antelope I'd ever seen, they were caged-in a meadow by the newly installed I-80 fencing.

Well, I spied a pickup truck with driver and two hunters in the back, road hunting this herd from I-80, pissed me off! The hunters were about to take their shots. I laid down on my air horn and sent that heard back up ELK Mountain. I think I'd wrecked those road hunter's shot.

Before anyone jumps to a conclusion, I have no reservation about hunting. I do have a conceived idea of how it should be done, and certainly not from the back of a moving pickup truck on I-80!

Jim

[Anonymous]

greyhounds,

I really enjoyed the story about that Iowa trucker and how he moved three loads to Chicago with one line haul move and then back hauled three more loads back to Iowa with one move. He was a smart cookie!

QUOTE: Any of you drivers want to take twin 53's over Donner in January?

Can't speak for back east, but in Nevada its only twin 48's that are allowed. In the western states anytime chains are required these extra length combinations are not allowed. In the case of triples the 3rd box and second con-gear must be dropped, the same with the rear 48 ft trailer and its con-gear. With a "Rocky Mountain" set (48' trailer and con-gear and 28' trailer) the same is true in Nevada and Utah.

If it was legal, I would not mind triples or twin 48's over Donner, but never with chains. With wet or dry roads it wouldn't be much different than a set of doubles with the exception of the much higher gross weight.

Its interesting to note that CalTrans along with the California Highway Patrol tested triples on I-5 during the late 1970s - early 1980s, can't remember the exact year. The tests results were positive, but the California Automobile Association lobbied very successfully to keep these combination off of California freeways. And in my opinion probably best for California.

QUOTE: I'm open to correction by a driver - but there are a lot of problems with them.

From my experience they are no more problematic than a set of doubles.

QUOTE: When a heavy truck starts, something has to slip. The engine is turning, the wheels are not. Either the clutch or the wheels has to slip during starting. What was demonstrated was that a tractor pulling two 48's up a curving on ramp could have problems. If the driver had to stop, and that's going to happen, he couldn't get the highway train moving again. He was stopped with a heavy load on an up grade on a curve. Throw in some ice/snow, whatever and the vehicle isn't going to move.

My bid truck at work is a two axle 1987 GMC Brigadier with a 240 hp Cummins matched to a 7 speed transmission. I like to call it my "18 year old, single owner, low mileage classic!" Many times taking this tractor up to Stead on the 6% of US 395 during traffic with a set of "Triples" its stop and go, the grandma gear gets it going every time after a stop on grade. And a "heal and toe" on the fuel peddle, without clutch, gets it into 2nd, and so on...

QUOTE: "Turnpike Doubles" are allowed in certain states on certain routes. As are three 28 foot trailers behind one tractor. It's not going away, and it's not expanding. Heavy trucks beat the Hell out of the highways. From what I know, these routes for the "Turnpike Doubles" are toll roads that charge proportional to use. Unless the states do that, they're going to dig themselves into a big financial hole maintaining their highway networks.

In Nevada these over-length combination are allowed on most highways and streets where regular heavy duty commercial traffic is permitted.

This just for fun, for most people in the trade a "Rocky Mountain" set is configured as follows: truck-tractor, 48' trailer, con-gear, then the 28' pup. Where I work, none of our 48' trailers have pintel hooks. So are "Rocky Mountain" sets are configured as truck-tractor, 28' pup, con-gear, then the 48' trailer.

Another just for fun; I get a buck - yes, that is one dollar, a "Washington" if you will, for pulling one of these over-length combinations. But, before anyone gets excited, I get paid by the hour. More trailers...more drop and hooks, and the longer it takes.

Jim - Lawton, NV

[greyhounds]

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

Here's a thought: If you are a husband and wife team, wouldn't you make twice as much if you each drove a separate rig? Ideally, regarding what greyhounds was pondering, if trucks were mostly relagated to out and back day hauls between origin and the railhead instead of these long hauls, a husband and wife team driving separate rigs with loads originating in their general locale, and only going as far as the rail terminal and back home that evening, could really rake in the dough, right? Two 53' trailers pay twice as much as one, right?

The other side of that coin is the idea of allowing a single rig to pull tandem 53's on certain Interstates, and then separating them for the local haul in the warehouse district, or the rural roads, or the run from the distribution center to the store, etc. This assumes the trucking companies would actually pay more per mile for pulling multiple trailers...

OK, I want to be very clear here. I do not, in any way, shape, or form, support government economic regulation that would limit what types of freight hauls could be done by trucks. The government can not possibly do this with any chance of success. Let the free market place sort things out.

Any of you drivers want to take twin 53's over Donner in January?

I did work in marketing for International Harvester/Navistar when it was the largest truck manufacturer. We took a good look at "Turnpike Doubles" (what they call one tractor pulling two full sized trailers). We concluded it would hurt tractor sales. (That was tough to figure!). I'm open to correction by a driver - but there are a lot of problems with them.

When a heavy truck starts, something has to slip. The engine is turning, the wheels are not. Either the clutch or the wheels has to slip during starting. What was demonstrated was that a tractor pulling two 48's up a curving on ramp could have problems. If the driver had to stop, and that's going to happen, he couldn't get the highway train moving again. He was stopped with a heavy load on an up grade on a curve. Throw in some ice/snow, whatever and the vehicle isn't going to move.

"Turnpike Doubles" are allowed in certain states on certain routes. As are three 28 foot trailers behind one tractor. It's not going away, and it's not expanding. Heavy trucks beat the Hell out of the highways. From what I know, these routes for the "Turnpike Doubles" are toll roads that charge proportional to use. Unless the states do that, they're going to dig themselves into a big financial hole maintaining their highway networks.

[MP173]

Dave:

I am not a driver, but I think I can answer that one, or at least start the discussion. Trucking is very asset dependent for an OO. the trick is to keep the unit moving as much as possible.

Generally speaking, short haul trucking is a very difficult proposition....just look at the stories that are being told of loading and unloading. Granted, quite a bit of the freight is palletized, but on intermodal (particularly container loads) it will not be palletized and the loading/unloading would really be tough.

The drayage of intermodal is generally handled by specialized carriers that deal with that sort of business, know the ins and outs of it and have contracts to handle larger volumes of trailers.

ed

[Anonymous]

Here's a thought: If you are a husband and wife team, wouldn't you make twice as much if you each drove a separate rig? Ideally, regarding what greyhounds was pondering, if trucks were mostly relagated to out and back day hauls between origin and the railhead instead of these long hauls, a husband and wife team driving separate rigs with loads originating in their general locale, and only going as far as the rail terminal and back home that evening, could really rake in the dough, right? Two 53' trailers pay twice as much as one, right?

The other side of that coin is the idea of allowing a single rig to pull tandem 53's on certain Interstates, and then separating them for the local haul in the warehouse district, or the rural roads, or the run from the distribution center to the store, etc. This assumes the trucking companies would actually pay more per mile for pulling multiple trailers. Or the idea of replacing the GVW limits with a per axle max, thus allowing more payload per rig while keeping the total weight spread out over the multiple axles to reduce road damage.

Either way, make it more profitable to drive trucks (regardless of whether it's a short haul to the nearest rail terminal, or a long haul with more trailers and/or payload per rig), and more people will sign up.

[MP173]

Really fascinating stories.

I was asked if I pulled pups in LTL....no. I was not a driver, but was in management and I never learned to drive. After 13 years in the industry, I saw the light and realized it was time for a career move.

I worked in the traffic dept, which for this company also included sales and claims. So, I wore a number of hats. Looking back, I stayed too long, but it was a very fascinating industry. LTL trucking, such as Yellow, Roadway, USF Holland, is a very interesting business. I compare the railroad's carload business to it. Very similar with consolidation points (yards / LTL terminals) in which either trains or line haul loads are built. An LTL terminal at night is a very interesting and dynamic place.

Have any of you ever delivered to either the Fulton District or old Water Market district in Chicago?

The Fulton (meat market) is still around, although the loft and condo folks are making inroads and do complain about the noise at 2am!!! Buyer beware, they should have done due diligence before moving in. The old Water Market district sounds like Hunts Point in NYC. That place was wild. I would be interested in your stories about it and how it compared to HP.

Water Market is in the process of converting to housing condos believe it or not. The fruit and vegetable folks have scattered. One of the nicest locations is not too far away on Ashland, a company called Anthony Marano has an absolute palace of a produce warehouse. The offices are incredible.

The entire transportation industry seems at this time in a position of strength for the first time in ages. Rates are improving. Many of my customers are trucklines. I respect them as very smart businessmen. They know their company, their customers, and the competitors very well.

Walmart...as a salesman, dont get me started either! I lost the last bit of respect (and it was small) over the last fiasco regarding the Vice Chairman who was resently fired....along with the VP who reported him for his indescretions.

ed

[edbenton]

You don't need to tell me about lumpers I drove for a company that has maroon trucks and trailers out of WI. They paid you to unload a trailer a grand total of 15 bucks IF you had to unload. I had multiple loads where the reciver did not allow drivers to unload you had to hire a lumper the lumper wanted 50 bucks to unload either you paid them or did not get unloaded. My dispatcher aka the SLAVE DRIVER refused to authorize the payment of said bill and just took it out of my pocket instead turned him in since corp polilcy was any and all requests for a lumper are to be approved.

He starved me out of there within 6 mos. I was lucky if I got 1200 miles a week after I turned him in The worst thing he did to me was gave me a load to eastern PA total of 1300 miles and I had 5 days to do it in tried to get to come home HE SAID IF YOU GO HOME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE OUT OF RTOUTE MILES talked to his supervider who had the backbone of a jellyfish he agreed with the dispatcher. LAst load i pulled for them.

[Anonymous]

Trucker pay for long haul is based on mileage pay. There are additional money generated by the truck that goes to the company. I believe tarriffs and negotiated rates per mile via contract to shippers and recievers apply here.

Trucking companies do a good job of keeping the drivers out of the room where rates are set on the loads. I suppose if a trio of Aluminum coil pays 2.30 a mile from Kentucky to Virginia they dont want the driver to know this rate. (HE probably made about .27 cents of that.)

Trucks are expensive to operate. Wanna own one and drive it too? Wal.. Insurance, fuel, payroll, permits etc etc etc infinite nasuem.... reckon about 1.10 a mile if you wanna keep solvent. Then you add in the profit margin you will make and then the driver's pay.

So I think most loads run 1.50 or so a mile. However time in the truckstops reading load boards for adhoc delieverys convinced me that loads sometime sell for maybe .78 cents a mile to the O/O (Owner operator) I could be wrong.

You will be expected to drive 500 miles a day. Sickness, persnal inability to sleep less than 8 hours, time management and other issues on the driver's part better not interfere with the strength or desire to run 500 miles a day.

Teams can do 1000 miles a day. I am being very conservative here. I have put away miles so high it is difficult to log it legal both as a single driver and as a team driver.

YOu probably will run about 7600 miles to 15,000 miles a month. Feast and famine as a single driver. Teams will put away at least 150,000 a year. My last full year as a team with the wife put about 230,000 on the truck which was less than 2 years old. This was in 10 months.

You will be paid according to Houshold Miles. Rand McNallys mileage guide the entire industry agrees to use.

Forget everything you know about how far it is from scraptown USA to Bumtown USA. According to the Household Guilde.. these two "Fantasy" destinations are 1000 miles apart.

Actual travel from the truckstop empty to the customer might get paid. Very little if any. The customer is 30 miles north of Scraptown. You dont get paid the mileage inside and around scraptown. You may find yourself running 1200 miles to get to Bumtown.

"Hey! You show me 1000 pay miles on my payroll check!! My truck shows 1500 miles on this trip!? You owe me 500 miles worth of PAY!!"

Sorry. You will be paid 1000 miles for the trip. If you have to unload boxes out of the truck on that delievery, you probably will be paid 40 dollars. 45,000 pounds require a good man with a strong back several hours to unload. (5-9 hours) You could hire two people called lumpers to do it.

Better keep them down as close to 60.00 as you can. Companies pay out "Lumper rates" at about .05 cents a case. If you have 1200 cases total weighing 45,000 pounds then the lumpers should accept a rate of about 60.00

Lumpers know these rates. They know what your company will pay. They have gotten more money than that out of your company before.

Pffth. Hire the darn lumpers and MAKE SURE dispatch says "OK" AND... get a Purchase ORDER number for that money. So they can make a comcheck, pay the lumpers and keep your pay safe.

If YOU cannot get OK for that money from dispatch and YOU hire the lumpers at 80.00 or whatever they ask for YOU will pay them. Not the company. You could try to redeem the lumper fee but the company probably will not reimburse you.

The best companies hire lumper companies on contract. You find the lumper office and say here is my load, unload me please. And it gots done. No money involved on the driver's part.

Dont get me started on walmarts. That is worth a whole another thread.

Food.

MMM...MMM..MMM nice eggs, bacon, omlette, sauage gravy, buscit, coffee, pretty waitress and everything is right with the mawning.

12.00 please. WHAT!? For BREAKFAST!? (20 years ago it was 2 bucks with bigger portions)

You drive 4 hours or so, get hungry. Stop for lunch. Salad, Cheeseburger and fries in gravy. (That stuff is nasty but soo good) and soda.

6.00 please. Now you have 6 hours to go and need a nap to sleep this off.. getting a tad tired are we?

You struggle thru your tired afternoon thru two cities worth of rush hour and fighting cut thorat commuters who dont give a *** about your big slow, smokey rig that is in thier way.

Tired and shaking from exhausting you stagger into the truckstop restruant for a evening of food, coffee and fellow ship.

One pound steak, salad, taters, greens and ice cream as well as finger food and 3 hours later you stumble to your truck fat, happy and 15.00 short.

Total for the day in food: 33.00

You will be allowed to deduct your expense at a flat rate come tax day. But need to show your time away from home.

That 33.00 in food is = to about 66 miles at .25 cents per mile. But since you drove 600 miles today, you did pretty good.

7 days later you have spent about 225.00 in food. Your 600 miles a day comes out to $150/day or $1050 gross pay. Taxes will take about 40 cents of every dollar you make. Then your benefits will take away even more.

so. Net pay approx 600.00 Food bill 225.00 remaining $375.00

You will need 225.00 for next week's 7 days of food.

Take home $150 for 60+ hours **no.. make that 90 hours of work.

If you dont make the mileage then you will probably get a comcheck for next week's food placing you at the mercy of the company which just became your friendly short term lender and will recoup thier money from your paycheck the following friday.

It is quite possible to go negative and see your debt climb weekly until they cut you loose as a liablitiy.

That food aint so good now is it?

Reality sets in.

Breakfast.. coffee, biscuts sausage gravy and some coffee. Hardly any green, meat or real protein 4.00

Skip lunch. maybe eat a candy bar or a bag of chips and a soda.

Dinner you eat a bowl of chili. Perhaps a Mc donalds.

That mcdonald's food will last you an hour if you are working hard.

Total maybe 12.00 a day. But you are shorting yourself on calories a day.

When you are at work you need about 3,000 calories a day. In Winter storms throwing chain and fighting man killing cold your calorie requirement will top 8,000 per day.

That driver pay has improved somewhat. But it is far better to stop at walmart, buy 2 week's food at once store it in a cooler and a rack. Cook it yourself. You need a pots and pan situation just like home and time to cook the meals. You will learn to use the waiting time that is soooo long and tiring in doing house work tasks about your rig and resting.

You will spend less, be free from the truck stop and if a team show dispatch the ability to be ready to go 24/7 at a moment's notice. No need to stop to eat breakfast for a couple hours. Your spouse can cook as you drive. That is the best of trucking. You better do the dishes when it is your spouses's turn to drive.

I kept things very simple with this post on pay. There is many ways to get paid in trucking and there is a great deal of money involvoed in this business. I am talking as if you are a company driver who is unmarried.

If you have a house, cars, kids and other things to pay on like maybe child support etc... that pay check may be insufficient to cover it all. In the mean time your body get tired and weak from lack of nutrition.

Be careful out there.

[Anonymous]

Actually less than 30K. Ill ponder the subject and get back on this. It's time we talked pay. It is NOT what the recruits seem to think it would be.

[jeaton]

And after all this fun, you might make 30k after expenses. Should we be surprized that the line of qualified applicants doesn't extend around the block?

[Anonymous]

Watch a Semi truck at any traffic intersection.

The driver "Should" come out of the turn lane on his green gently. Before you know it he is sitting half in the intersection postioned to sharp left when the opposing traffic light goes red clearing the way.

The cab will jack to the left with the radius sharper and sharper and reaches maximum "Jack" (Jackknife) and pivot the trailer into the turn. This can be done forwards or backwards.

Another kind of turn for right hand turns involves bullying your rig into both your right lane and also teh left lane. This prevents folks from sneaking by on the right.

Passing a truck on the right = Death
Passing on the left = Life

But you dont want folks passing on either side as you will swing first to the left until the trailer reaches it's halfway mark and swing hard to the right. Sometimes cars have to back up to let you clear the turn the trailer wheels should just miss the corner on the right.

JB Hunt's Tire Budget for the two right side trailer outside tires approach millions of dollars simply because poor drivers grind em up on a right turn.

Backing a truck.. whew. I cannot write about that here. You can only learn by doing. In my driving school we used to hold contests in rodeo style barrel racing backwards with a trailer.

(You insurance types disregard my last paragraph)

Sometimes fun and games driving backwards makes a skillful driver. But when you approach a food market jammed with trucks inches from each other it becomes very very seriously important to do it right.

That 300 pound bubba whose headlight you just broke probably will not be in any mood to talk insurance or payment.

Seriously tight spaces exist. You think driving school was tight.. whoo hoo boy... that is spacious and free in terms of room.

At times I have been in total tears and weeping because I cannot back worth a hoot. Or actually broke something trying to fit in that ittle bitty spot I think I can.

Get out and check behind ya!

Once I was so fatiqued I was at a ware house with many doors. I had the entire place to myself. I was told, pick a door.

2 hours later I paid another driver 10 bucks to back me in. Fatique is worse than being drunk. Dont drive sleepy. (Crazy aint it?)

You will be backing trucks inside buildings, under ground.. oh yes there are whole warehouses under the ground you gotta go down under the earth truck and all. Some miltary areas have cities where nothing above but prarie grass and wind. Awesome.

Then you might be backing a truck on a mountain top. Outside your right hand window is a 3,000 foot sheer drop filled with spear like evergreen trees and birds while to your left is all kinds of stuff you dont want to hit while under your wheels is loose shale or rock causing your traction to slip and slide you and the whole rig towards that 3,000 foot cliff.

Time for some whiskey and smokes.. might be the last as I drop to my death.

Sometimes you think your number is up, Im still here. I guess it's aint my day to die just yet.

I have seen folks injured or die on the road for some of the most stupid of causes.

I witnessed a convertable zip by me at 90 mph in the left lane of the interstate. We both head into mt eagle westbound in the driving rain.

Halfway up the mountain, the convertable is on it's roof on fire crushed against a rock face on the left while the body of the man in the hurry lies nearby.

In a hurry? slow down, you may not live to get to where you gotta go in the hurry.

[greyhounds]

What's a "J Hook"?

If I had to guess, and I do have to guess, it would be a left turn where you first have to steer right, then make a sharp left. Or the other way if you are trying to go right.

I drove a tractor-trailer one time. It was when I was in the Army and training to be a 2nd Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. After basic I went to a railway unit, then I was assigned to a duece and a half platoon that had straight trucks.

My hat's off to anyone who can handle those things. To this day I can only back up a trailer with extreme difficulty.

[Anonymous]

Routerock very good post.

You wonder why many of today's trucks have "Clean" sides on the tractor without handrails. That is one of the reasons.

The lizards are part of the scenery as well as the bums and such. I dealt with them politely but never ever did business with them no matter how long I was away from home. There were *ahem.. other venues and if you had a girlfriend or a spouse then there was no need to be looking for these lizards.

If you pass a truck, look for the stickies that have a symbol of no drugs and no sex and similar. Once you have one of these on your rig near the bottom of both doors the hassle level declines greatly.

I have seen a great increase of behavior that I dont approve of among men. But you deal with it and move on. The restrooms in rest areas are filled with graffitti. You think you have seen dirty bathrooms, you try some of the ones Ive seen. I believe down in Mexico the food codes dont cover some of the bathrooms.

You had a chemical toilet on the truck. That also frees you in the eyes of the law to inhabit the vehicle for extended periods of time. If you had a inverter that generated 110 volt electricity that was approved by the company and installed by the truck's dealer not anywhere else and inspected for wear on the wires daily you were in good shape.

I still advocate gensets. The 5,000 dollar expense will be offset over time by fuel savings by not running the big engine. And they provide a chance to stay hot in winter or cool in the summer if your big engine did fail.

The backrow or the party row as it is known is the last row the furthest from the restraunt building of a truck stop. Usually truckstops try best to secure the place and keep "traffic out" but the fact of matter is.. stuff goes on. The most common problem besides lizards was the form of justice that some drivers recieve that no one will ever report to law enforcement. There are some people who insist on being boors or really bad towards fellow drivers and need to be "tenderized" that is all I have to say about that.

Another issue was robbery. In the older trucks it was possible to use starting fluid (A specific type of chemical but wont metion it here) where you would spray the can into the air intake of the truck's heating or aircondition system or simply thru a side vent. Wait a while. Use several more cans. Then you are able to get inside the truck and actually root in the drivers bunk while the unconsious driver knows nothing. That was one danger that the engineers design against today.

Today's trucks have "Buried" air intakes and reconfigured the vents so it is very difficult to get to them from the outside. Much safer today.

You would buy a television set for your rig, vcr's dvd's maybe even a sony playstation video game. Some drivers have hobbies. I built athearn or other car kits in HO during times of extreme waiting. Books, computers, cell phones and the old Park n View system (will describe next paragraph) are really great.

Truck stops have video games, store and other things to spend money on. Casinos are the ultimate in fun but cost alot of money. Some places like the Mall of America in MN have truck parking where you can spend your day "Decompressing" from stress.

In worst case scenarios a motel (Super 8 or hampton is best) is good for recovering from illness provided you dont need to visit the ER. Being sick on the road is really really bad on everyone. When I was sick with high fever and sweat I usually inform dispatch, trade the load off and work my way towards home and family with a bobtail. The closer to home you make it the better it is for everyone in case you do require medical care.

You have a park and view system in the truck stop where your parking space has a yellow cap. Inside that cap is a video line, telephone line hooked into the truckstop's internet, cable TV (Satellite) and telephone system. You purchased a card that would provide service to you personally anywhere in the USA.

It took several years to install in the truckstops at great expense and finally the company over extended themselves and was bought out. There are not enough truckers sitting still long enough in the truckstop. Everyone was either late, in a hurry or doing everything BUT watching TV inside the Cab (I know the TV room is packed full on football or sports nights schedules be ***ed but that is something else)

Eventually for several thousand dollars you were able to purchase a satellite system that kept you "Locked" onto the TV while on the move anywhere in the usa. Sirus radio and other perks improved life out there. Being tied into the TV set during 9-11 was one of the most difficult times and for two whole weeks that television set was on and I have NEVER EVER EVER lost the channel due to range. I think this was the power of the USA in television broadcasting that is only reserved for wartime.

If television service was that good in peace time, I would not have a need for satellite. But oh well.

[route_rock]

Oh yes HighIron Montegl was one that I got comfortable with over the years. The JB boys scared me on any mountains. I saw one fly by on Mont with brakes spitting at me ( molten brake pads are hell on a windshield) Grapevine where one went by me so fast I had lost the door decals! And good old Cabbage! You were right on locale we were coming out of Portland and it was 60 degrees across till you got to the base. It looked like a scene out of a scary movie the top of the mountain had blue clouds and i mean almost thunderstorm style blue black. So we stopped int he old truckstop with the shirts for sale ( I survived Cabbage!) and waited it out. Chain law got lifted and bam up the hill we go only to get to the top and still have a foot of chewed up ice all over hte road! Oh what fun. You got to haul flowers you say well wow more power to you I have seen the stress those folks go through with picky customers and stoke prone dispatchers (if my BP was that high 24/7 Id stroke too)
Speaking of "Unauthoried riders" a buddy of mine was unloading up in the Windy he got up on the expressway from surface streets and it was a J hook type ramp. He looks over in his side mirror to see a face looking in! Guy had hopped on when he slowed to get on. SO here we have malcontent on the side yelling let me in my buddy yelling back no. Malcontnet then says well stop the truck then so I can get off. ( we are now at 45 mph) Buddys response " You got on when I was moving you can get off while I am moving" he got her up to 65 and never looked back. Not sure where he lost the guy at if he lived died whatever. Its a hard world and by god out on the road if your trying to do something nasty unto me well turn about is fair play [:D][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][;)]
And the lot lizards dear god my wife wanted to see one so bad when we first got out there. Well wishes come to those that make them. SHE got hit on by one I thought it was hilarious as it was your typical I have to work the back row where the lights are dim lizard cause am all washed up and you wouldnt sleep with me if I paid you kinda girl. She never wished for that again.

[Anonymous]

Some companies advertise they dont run NYC or offer extra pay for NYC. Take Hunts Point market.

Note that NYC has done a great deal of cleaning up in the last 10 years or so.

You ran into the New Jersey from whereever your load came from and found a truckstop about an hour or two away. Usually you got rested and had a last meal and talked with others going into NYC. It usually would find groups of drivers start to get together about a day or so before actual arrival.

Late in the day, you headed out onto the interstate with the goal of crossing the GW "George Washington Bridge" which was I-95 and a major crossing. I would have a map out.. in the day you took photocopies of mappbooks pages down to the alley level and you knew exactly where you needed to go. It was planned with military precision as you were going into a dangerous area.

One scam was they would approach you at a light... (Oh no. did you actually stop at the light in the city at night?) and ask if you knew where you were going. These locals already know where you are trying to go. IF you look like you know your stuff they will back off. But not before asking for ciggerettes, money or other tidbits as a tribute.

That was one of the reasons you kept moving. I usually brought along a warchest of small bills, ciggerettes and what not as peace offerings to som of these people.

The cost of these items are much less than the cost of assault, injury or worse. That was one way you bought friends for a while so you did not get vandalized or worse.

One of the streets I traveled to hunts point had a elevated subway track, the two poles confront you in the night. You remember that "Offset" training from driving school? Wal... here is an offset that will do a great deal of damage if you hit it.

Money. You needed toll money, tribute money food money and more money. Upon arrival at the gate to Hunt's point market they will charge money to get you inside.

Expensive huh? You aint done yet.

YOu would go to wait with other trucks in a area off to one side. There was a little porta-potty and perhaps a food stand open for part of the night. I swear that same porta-potty was there in the same spot for 10 years or more. The fence behind you has holes in it.

There are people of the night that seek illegal business with you and if you are smart stayed clear of it. each preposition or converstation will deplete your warchest of ciggeretes or small change.

When you are called to back in to unload, you would get more money out to pay the man for assistance with the cargo. There are many people willing to "Help" you with the cargo in different ways. Actually what they are doing is breaking up the order at which it was loaded so that the next reciever will have to rearrange the cargo and charge you for it.

If a dispatcher says dont let them touch the freight then you dont. YOU touch it. It takes a while.

When you are empty you leave the gate at near sunrise. If you are lucky the traffic will be nil and the people in bed. This is your chance to get out of the area. Once the traffic rush kicks in you are part of the exodus and will lose alot of time. Sometimes it will be noon before you get out of the City and back to your truckstop.

Only then do you call in for your next load. This is where qualcomm shines....

Today you can literally type your load request while at the Hunts Market, get your information, open your laptop computer with GPS street mapping, cell phone and have yourself set up and rolling to your next load knowing exactly what is going on.

Now. I have been lucky over the years with NYC, Boston and other cities in markets. Some drivers have not. The last time I had a situation in Rochester NY where waiting on a load of ale in the bullpen (A place for drivers to wait) I had a hooker preposition me and my wife heard the talk thru the window. I informed her that I am married and my wife is about to do something if she did not leave right away. She left. Good thing she did.

Of course I had briefed my spouse co-driver that these situations will come up and while she was upset she took it into stride. So that worked out well.

NYC and other areas have some of the greatest people you ever will meet and one of the joys is meeting people and learning new things. Good things and bad things.

One thing that happened alot was people would jump up onto my "Catwalk" which is behind my cab on the tractor with the goal of severing my airline and the qualcomm connection.

The only thing I will say is this: A sharp turn of the wheel into a J turn to jack the cab 90 degrees to swing the cat walk under neath the reefer unit of the trailer usually sweeps em out. To this day I dont ever have any idea if they lived or died. I will find out when I die and meet with the lord.

But I think they all got out. I usually check the trailer wheels and listen for screams. Nothing so far.

Welcome to Hunt's Point, we hope you enjoyed your stay.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by greyhounds

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173



Greyhound, that story of the Iowa trucker was great. Does the CN still run intermodal over that route to Iowa?

ed

I think a 3rd party intermodal company that aggregated these opportunities to get the attention of CN and others could make a good buck. But I have no idea how to start sutch an enterprise.

I will tell you this: It would only be worth the hassle if the railroad already has some freight opportunities that currently go begging. That's one reason a few of these 3rd party outfits have worked in the PNW. There's alot of empty containers heading west, so if you can fill 'em up with something that's already going that direction, so much the better. You still have to lobby the railroad until you're blue in the face, and it gets frustrating because the benefit is so obvious to anyone with any business sense.

I'll put it this way: If the grocery stores did business like the remaining Class I's, they'd only be selling the high margin products like cigarettes and beer, and the idea of selling the lower margin essentials like baby formula and toilet paper would be rejected by management as "not worth our while". There's an obvious reason for this.........

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, here's an analysis from the financial sector regarding shipper preference rail vs truck. It does bring up the point that the current situation is a temporary glitch, and sooner or later the trucking sector will catch up with it's natural demand curve. If the railroads really want to keep this piece of the pie for the long term, they better come up with something more tendable.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/freightnews/article.asp?id=6722

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Gabe

I don't think your group could get a majority vote on a yes or no question.

Jay

Laughing: yeah, that had occurred to me.

Gabe

One "yeah"
One "nay"
One abstain.

There you have it. Democracy in perfect synchronicity.[:p]

[greyhounds]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edbenton

A 500 mile run could be made by a driver in under 8 hrs as long as you keep the left door closed. I have repeataly done a 550 mile run in just over 8 hrs key is keep the left door closed and run like the wind.

Yes, and if it's gotta' get there in eight hours, it's gonna' go by truck.

Most of the freight isn't that time sensative, the shippers generally want reliable transit times, not fast transit times. We hauled water heaters from A.O. Smith at Kankakee, IL to Omaha day in and day out with a 24 hour transit from the Chicago ramp to the Council Bluffs ramp. A day's inventory cost on a load of water heaters isn't that big of a deal. What kills railroad competitiveness is erradic delivery, not one day slower delivery.

You can often buy a day with a rate. And that's what the railroads have to do with their intermodal service. Provide reliable, consistant service at good rates. The transit time has to be reasonable, you couldn't sell seven days from Kankakee to Omaha, but we could sell 36 hours dock to dock and make a buck doing it. And we did.

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Gabe

I don't think your group could get a majority vote on a yes or no question.

Jay

Laughing: yeah, that had occurred to me.

Gabe

[jeaton]

Gabe

I don't think your group could get a majority vote on a yes or no question.

Jay

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by greyhounds


I think a 3rd party intermodal company that aggregated these opportunities to get the attention of CN and others could make a good buck. But I have no idea how to start sutch an enterprise.

How about you, me, and futuremodal pool our resources, go into business together with it, and agree to take no action unless we are all in agreement?

Gabe