Getting back on the big road.

[Custom Hearse]

Excuse me? I have a lot to learn about courtesy? Just because I don't run illegal and don't appreciate those who do? Especially someone who comes on here and openly brags about it?

Why don't you get your facts straight before you run your mouth, pal.

Why don't you get over yourself? If you don't like what someone say's, go on with your life, and learn to deal with it. As for the facts, I have them all straight, and the fact is, nobody's perfect (except you, of course... ). So get off your soapbox, and go find something else to whine about...

[Thatswhatshesaid]

If me not running illegal makes me perfect then I guess I am. I'm also smart enough not to come on a public forum and brag about it if I was.

Funny thing is, my comment was originally directed at Highway, not you. So thank you for inviting yourself in.

[Custom Hearse]

If me not running illegal makes me perfect then I guess I am. I'm also smart enough not to come on a public forum and brag about it if I was.

Funny thing is, my comment was originally directed at Highway, not you. So thank you for inviting yourself in.

You're very welcome! Matt is my friend and a REAL truck driver, not someone who claims to be...

Any braggadocio that I have noticed, seems to be coming from your mouth. If you want someplace to whine, get a Facebook page of your own, and cry a river there. Guaranteed I won't friend you.

You have a pleasent day...

[Thatswhatshesaid]

Obviously we having differing opinions on what makes a REAL truck driver. Again, if me not running illegal and being smart enough not to brag about it on a public forum is 'braggadocio' in your eyes so be it. I haven't said anything about my driving other than I don't run illegal.

Aww, you won't be my Facebook friend? You just landed the knockout punch. But this isn't middle school, I'm not a 14 year old girl and I don't care that you won't 'friend' me. I hope you gentlemen have a wonderful time on your coffee date.

[Casey]

Obviously we having differing opinions on what makes a REAL truck driver.

Yes, you do, so accept them as differences and move on. If you have a personal problem with what someone posts here, take it up via PM, instead of hashing it out in public on the forum.

[ap40rocktruck]

A simple FYI that can happen when the rules are not followed.

http://www.theifp.ca/news/crown-seeks-lengthy-jail-term-for-driver-in-fatal-crash/

[Thatswhatshesaid]

Thank you for sharing the article. I hope everyone takes the time to read it.

[niteowl7710]

A simple FYI that can happen when the rules are not followed.

There in lies the rub to the "Oh it's no big deal to drive outside the HoS...". You could collide with someone who was 3x the legal limit drunk, with a suspended license, after just committing a murder, while fleeing the police, and it would STILL be YOUR fault the accident happened, because legally YOU shouldn't have been there in the first place. The fines here in PA for driving over your HoS are over $1,500 at this point. Facing jail sentences, loss of your lively hood, or at least blowing an entire week or two worth of salary for what...a couple hundred bucks at best? Completely and totally not worth it in any way, shape or form.

[highway]

Hey everyone, I get a little chance to actually check in from a customer that I could get an internet connection from here in Cambridge, OH first off hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year holiday season. I got to be home for all with the family, and really enjoyed being able to be with the better half and her daughter on Christmas morning, and I'm looking forward to many more! The better half even made sure I had new pics of her and "our" little one to put in the truck so I remember what I'm out here fighting the nasty winter weather for, which is starting to get nasty here in OH. The deep freeze in on it's way, and the wind is howling and rocking the truck here in the parking lot, and it looks like the rain is changing over to snow now as I type this. That's why I'm here in the truck right now and not snuggled in my bed at home, I thought it best to beat the weather and pick the loaded trailer back up tonight that I left here at the customer Saturday on the way home instead of fighting the ice and snow in the morning to get here. I'm just hoping I can get the internet turned on at the house soon so I can at least check in when I'm home on the weekends.

Ya lucky so and so! My ex wife wouldn't let me work on a model anywhere! Glad to hear you're still going strong and the job is working out! You just need to stop drag racing those little ol' ladies... you're wearing out the trucks!

I know what you mean about courtesy among drivers. It's a lost art. Mr. McGillicutty has a lot to learn about courtesy and that no'one is better than anyone else... We all have our faults and specialties.

The "daddy/daughter" buiding time sounds like an awesome idea!!! You two will have a lot of fun building models together.

As for me I'm doing good. The doctors have discovered that I have a touch of emphysema, but it's not bad. I have to use inhalers now, but it could be worse. And my heart is still ticking on, so the defibrillator hasn't shocked me into submission yet...

If you get a chance, stop in and I'll buy ya a cup of coffee(or hot chocolate, or Pepsi...). Be safe, and have an awesome Thanksgiving!!!

My truck is only a 68 MPH truck, those little old ladies are beating me! My truck decided it needed a Thanksgiving break, it started dropping oil pressure and then decided after that was fixed (overdue PM ) it didn't want to start! It dropped the starter in our yard, so it got a new starter along with everything else in the past couple months. While the truck was on vacation and I was using one like it and unhappy my dispatcher ended up sending me out the Sunday after Thanksgiving instead of getting the full weekend off like he promised I would have just the week before, I was even more unhappy with him after I got something I haven't had since very early on in my driving career, A SPEEDING TICKET! I was thinking about how I wasn't happy to have the weekend cut short and not being in my regular truck and was going down a grade on US 23 in Delaware, OH and realized that other than being less powerful than my regular truck (regardless of the fact it is more or less the same truck as my regular ride), the spare also has less powerful Jake Brakes! I started slowing down when I noticed I was going 66 MPH, but unfortunately it wasn't before the Ohio State Trooper at the bottom of the hill had also noticed I was over the 55 MPH speed limit. He checked out my paperwork and everything was in proper order, and then gave me the ticket. Oh well, that's life!

I did finally get the "daddy-daughter" time I wanted, and we had a ball! I must say, it's a VERY colorful Mack firetruck! I think the little one was using almost half of my paint box on it! My "brother" was also over the same night and was working on his Pete 359 I got for him when I got her the firetruck, and he had me stretch the frame on it, and it's turning out decent too. I even got a few minutes to work on the big Ford, and I found some flocking powder I didn't remember having and flocked the floor in it a chestnut brown that gives a little extra contrast to the other brown shades in the interior. Once I get some internet on at the home 20 again, I'll post some pics. My brother couldn't understand why I'd let "our" little one to use all the different colors on her firetruck, but just like I told him, it's her first model, the point is for her to have fun with it and do it how she wants to do it.

I'm still waiting to head that way, but you'll know when I do!

There in lies the rub to the "Oh it's no big deal to drive outside the HoS...". You could collide with someone who was 3x the legal limit drunk, with a suspended license, after just committing a murder, while fleeing the police, and it would STILL be YOUR fault the accident happened, because legally YOU shouldn't have been there in the first place. The fines here in PA for driving over your HoS are over $1,500 at this point. Facing jail sentences, loss of your lively hood, or at least blowing an entire week or two worth of salary for what...a couple hundred bucks at best? Completely and totally not worth it in any way, shape or form.

.....and neither is a $135 speeding ticket in Delaware, OH!

[Custom Hearse]

Sounds like your little one had a blast! Everything I hear about what kids do makes me smile! They are the future, and they deserve a wonderful childhood. You have to post some pics of the fire truck. Be safe, and stay warm. It was -9 degrees here this morning.

[dad vader]

When I came home from the Army,I got a job as an apperentice at the Cummins distributor here locally, after about 8 months I got laid off. Couldn't find another wrenching job in the area,so I took to driving a truck. After a couple different companies where I couldn't make any money,I landed a job with a medium size flatbed/steel carrier. I learned the different equipment quickly and soon became one of the fleets top money makers. I pulled standard spread axle flats,tamdem axle stretch traiiers,spread axle and tandem covered wagons, even double drop and lowboys. I was on a percentage pay,made 23% of truck gross. Stretch freight and dropdeck work usually paid over dimensional pay,and I did alot of it. All steel was paid by the 100lbs,so the more weight I hauled the more I made,the more loads I pulled the more I made. I was rarely legal,Weight wise and HOS wise and have over 700.000 miles of accident free driving. The only accident I had was when a little gray haired lady pulled out in front of me in Philly. I destroyed her 1976 Delta 88,(And the front of my brand new 1987 International 4300)and she walked away with just a cut on he forehead fron the saftey glass. When I got the truck stopped and ran over to her car,she had a deathgrip on the steering wheel and looked up at me and said "What happened?"I was empty and had just started my day after delivering the evening before,and well rested.

But I get off my point. I was almost never legal as far as weight,when a shipper,who had more the one load for our company would ask me how much weight I could handle I would ask,how much weight I could carry,I would ask how much weight he had. But in the late 80's that is the way it was done. We all ran heavy and over hours,it was the only way to make money.

In 1990 I went back to wrenching and only drive big rigs for road tests. Though I still retain an "A" CDL with doubles,and tanker endorsments.

I currently work for a Volvo truck dealership,and I see both sides of the coin.... I see old timers who have alot of respect for other people and young guns straight out of truck driving school whose ego's are bigger than their trucks. It saddens me that it has come to this. If I am working on your truck and you come give me attitude,I pull it into the low side and roll along at a crawl. If you are respectfull,it goues in the big hole and I do my best to get your wheels rolling again. I realize you dont want to be there,and you aren't making money unless the wheels are rolling. But dont pi&^ me off.

In conclusion,we do what we have to to make a living. If you get caught you get caught.Take your lumps and move on. If you prefer to run within the letter of the law,and starve,then dont critisize those who know there own limits. I am thankful for all the drivers out there who move freight everyday to keep us fed and clothed,keep up the good work.

One last thing,for the drivers. Kind of a public service announcment. When you bring your trucks in for service,remember we may have to get in your cab to work on it,please try to keep them clean,when they need service.

Edited January 6, 2014 by dad vader

[niteowl7710]

.....and neither is a $135 speeding ticket in Delaware, OH!

Ya know the only two speeding tickets I've ever received in a big truck, both were in a 3 year span for allegedly going 65 in a 55 - MALARKY I SAY!! - in Ohio. Fortunately that was 15 & 13 years ago, and well before all the CSA score nonsense, and as an Ohio resident if I paid the fine there were no points, and if you didn't get another ticket within 6 months they didn't go on your driving record. Still showed up on your evil DAC, but didn't jack my car insurance rates up any. Got that second one almost exactly 3 years to the day when it would have been beyond the old "Have you had any moving violations in the past three years? application question.

[highway]

Sounds like your little one had a blast! Everything I hear about what kids do makes me smile! They are the future, and they deserve a wonderful childhood. You have to post some pics of the fire truck. Be safe, and stay warm. It was -9 degrees here this morning.

Yes she did, and she worked on it some more a few weeks ago, and she spent more time picking more colors out of my paint box for it! Of course, she's just brush painting it, but the big thing is she's having fun! I even broke out the big Ford and spent a little quality time with it, finding a jar of chestnut brown flocking powder I didn't even know I had and found it went nicely with the other colors I have in the interior, so the floor of the cab is now carpeted!

Anyway, I get the rare chance to spend some internet time thanks to the snow here in central PA, I'm currently in a little fuel stop with free WIFI in Ebensburg, PA shut down until morning to (hopefully) finish getting to Bellwood, PA just north of Altoona. US 22 in this area was not the greatest for an empty trailer today, and there was no way I was making it to the pickup by the time they closed at 3:00PM thanks to the road conditions. It took me 3 hours just to go the 92 miles I did drive today from Leetsdale, PA just outside of Pittsburgh to where I'm sitting now, and a couple of the last few big hills I had to climb were slick and I felt the drives losing traction a few times, so I found the next safe place to stop and called it quits for the day. At least it looks like it may be clearing up just north and west of here, I see a hint of blue in the sky in the distance, and according to the Weather Channel, it is supposed to be clear tomorrow where I'm heading, just freezing cold with lows tonight below 0 and highs only in the single digits tomorrow.

[highway]

Ya know the only two speeding tickets I've ever received in a big truck, both were in a 3 year span for allegedly going 65 in a 55 - MALARKY I SAY!! - in Ohio. Fortunately that was 15 & 13 years ago, and well before all the CSA score nonsense, and as an Ohio resident if I paid the fine there were no points, and if you didn't get another ticket within 6 months they didn't go on your driving record. Still showed up on your evil DAC, but didn't jack my car insurance rates up any. Got that second one almost exactly 3 years to the day when it would have been beyond the old "Have you had any moving violations in the past three years? application question.

Yep, well mine was 66 in a 55, and it was no malarky! I glanced at the speedometer and the GPS when I noticed the nice reflective markings on the cruiser and the speedo was in the 65 range and the GPS said 66!

[Greg Cullinan]

When I came home from the Army,I got a job as an apperentice at the Cummins distributor here locally, after about 8 months I got laid off. Couldn't find another wrenching job in the area,so I took to driving a truck. After a couple different companies where I couldn't make any money,I landed a job with a medium size flatbed/steel carrier. I learned the different equipment quickly and soon became one of the fleets top money makers. I pulled standard spread axle flats,tamdem axle stretch traiiers,spread axle and tandem covered wagons, even double drop and lowboys. I was on a percentage pay,made 23% of truck gross. Stretch freight and dropdeck work usually paid over dimensional pay,and I did alot of it. All steel was paid by the 100lbs,so the more weight I hauled the more I made,the more loads I pulled the more I made. I was rarely legal,Weight wise and HOS wise and have over 700.000 miles of accident free driving. The only accident I had was when a little gray haired lady pulled out in front of me in Philly. I destroyed her 1976 Delta 88,(And the front of my brand new 1987 International 4300)and she walked away with just a cut on he forehead fron the saftey glass. When I got the truck stopped and ran over to her car,she had a deathgrip on the steering wheel and looked up at me and said "What happened?"I was empty and had just started my day after delivering the evening before,and well rested.

But I get off my point. I was almost never legal as far as weight,when a shipper,who had more the one load for our company would ask me how much weight I could handle I would ask,how much weight I could carry,I would ask how much weight he had. But in the late 80's that is the way it was done. We all ran heavy and over hours,it was the only way to make money.

In 1990 I went back to wrenching and only drive big rigs for road tests. Though I still retain an "A" CDL with doubles,and tanker endorsments.

I currently work for a Volvo truck dealership,and I see both sides of the coin.... I see old timers who have alot of respect for other people and young guns straight out of truck driving school whose ego's are bigger than their trucks. It saddens me that it has come to this. If I am working on your truck and you come give me attitude,I pull it into the low side and roll along at a crawl. If you are respectfull,it goues in the big hole and I do my best to get your wheels rolling again. I realize you dont want to be there,and you aren't making money unless the wheels are rolling. But dont pi&^ me off.

In conclusion,we do what we have to to make a living. If you get caught you get caught.Take your lumps and move on. If you prefer to run within the letter of the law,and starve,then dont critisize those who know there own limits. I am thankful for all the drivers out there who move freight everyday to keep us fed and clothed,keep up the good work.

One last thing,for the drivers. Kind of a public service announcment. When you bring your trucks in for service,remember we may have to get in your cab to work on it,please try to keep them clean,when they need service.

Philly gets em every time,lol.

It's a new world now a days. And I don't think better as the dive we are in. Everyone is soft. When I was younger, men were men and so were the women. Now the men are women! We have rules for our rules and everyone is sissified. I am not condoning nor condemning anyone. Just my perspective.

Keep on trucking Highwayman.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Greg Cullinan

[Custom Hearse]

Philly gets em every time,lol.

It's a new world now a days. And I don't think better as the dive we are in. Everyone is soft. When I was younger, men were men and so were the women. Now the men are women! We have rules for our rules and everyone is sissified. I am not condoning nor condemning anyone. Just my perspective.

Keep on trucking Highwayman.

Amen Greg!

[highway]

Well, since it has been a while since i checked in, I figured I would let everyone know I found a new and better job last month. I traded the blue Intertrashional for a (at this time anyway) 2006 Freightliner Century painted a nice Pumpkin orange! That's right, I joined the Pumpkin truck fleet, Schneider National, and I'm working in their Dedicated Services fleet running out of the Walmart distribution center in Wintersville, OH delivering to stores in the western PA, northeastern OH, and most of WV. My time at home has greatly improved, I can come home almost every night if I choose to, and I have regularly scheduled days off every week. I'm enjoying the new job a lot more, and I don't have the hassles of the last job, especially with trying to get home.

[Custom Hearse]

Well... now when I see ya tooling down the road I'll wave and yell

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN!!!

[highway]

Well... now when I see ya tooling down the road I'll wave and yell

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN!!!

Yeah, but now I guess you'll have to come over this way sometime so the coffee can be on me, I don't cover MO anymore!

[Custom Hearse]

I wish I could my friend, I wish I could...

[highway]

Yeah, I know, but I wasn't talking about being in the big ride. You never know, you might get an itch to show up to a Pittsburgh model show!

[Custom Hearse]

Only if they have a fund raiser for me...

[Thatswhatshesaid]

2006 Freightliner Century painted a nice Pumpkin orange! .

Hey! You got one of their new trucks!

[niteowl7710]

Hey! You got one of their new trucks!

I had a 2014 Cascadia when I was doing the Wal*Mart Dedicated account. There are actually very few old trucks left on any of Schneider's dedicated accounts at this point. Just some for the part-time "Flex" guys and the n00bs like Matthew. He'll get his newer white truck in a couple of months once he passes the probationary period.

Edited March 10, 2014 by niteowl7710