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Who here has driven an OTR semi?

Radio Zero

Radio Zero

All-Big Ten
Dec 9, 2019
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Yoknapatawpha County
Curious what it’s about. Like, what do you do if you have to take a leak? I mean, those miles aren’t sliding by while you’re stopped at a rest area. Do the companies provide you with SiriusXM in your cab? Is CB still a thing? ‘Cause if it is, I’ve got a paperback guidebook to the lingo that dates back to the “Convoy” era.

Any insight is appreciated. Thinking of a career change from “loser” to “long haul.”

P.S. If anyone’s interested in the book I referenced, I’d be happy to dig it out of my library and provide excerpts.
 
Yes, sure, but you still have to *stop* to use one. Miles is money. And now I’m also thinking about how weird it must be to sit so high over the other traffic, and the abusiveness of car drivers like myself towards truckers. And I *know* my old lady will miss me as I’m rolling past Sioux Falls or Circle City or wherever, so there’s the entire “You’ve already been emotionally absent all these years and now it’s physical, too?” aspect to consider.

Got a lot on my heart and mind this morning, but it’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to win.
 
Radio Zero said:
Curious what it’s about. Like, what do you do if you have to take a leak? I mean, those miles aren’t sliding by while you’re stopped at a rest area. Do the companies provide you with SiriusXM in your cab? Is CB still a thing? ‘Cause if it is, I’ve got a paperback guidebook to the lingo that dates back to the “Convoy” era.

Any insight is appreciated. Thinking of a career change from “loser” to “long haul.”

P.S. If anyone’s interested in the book I referenced, I’d be happy to dig it out of my library and provide excerpts.
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I have a friend who drives a semi. He said the biggest worry is when cars get right in front of him. With all the weight of the semi and cargo you can't stop on a dime. So when we are driving for instance on I-80 I always try to get five car lengths ahead of the semi before I get back into the right lane. Cbs are still used. I am unsure about the radio features. If it was regular radio then I would keep a log of the stations I enjoy at certain spots.
 
Radio Zero said:
Curious what it’s about. Like, what do you do if you have to take a leak? I mean, those miles aren’t sliding by while you’re stopped at a rest area. Do the companies provide you with SiriusXM in your cab? Is CB still a thing? ‘Cause if it is, I’ve got a paperback guidebook to the lingo that dates back to the “Convoy” era.

Any insight is appreciated. Thinking of a career change from “loser” to “long haul.”

P.S. If anyone’s interested in the book I referenced, I’d be happy to dig it out of my library and provide excerpts.
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That ain’t really Mountain Dew they throw away when they stop.
 
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MyTeamIsOnTheFloor said:
That ain’t really Mountain Dew they throw away when they stop.
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joey-tribbiani-shocked.gif
 
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I suppose that you can always go with the adult diapers strategy to keep rolling.

I would think that, along with a rest stop pee break, a stop provides a needed 5-10 minute mental break every few hours. That would seem to be good, safety-wise. So just stop.
 
I like the adult diapers idea. I may bring that up in the “What questions do you have of us?” portion of the interview, just for kicks. Then I’ll say just kidding but in a perfect modulation to engender doubt.

But for real I like the diapers.
 
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Most rest stops are full of trucks for that reason. The trucking industry is way different than it used to be. Their is no cooking the books or doubling the books. It’s all tracked now.
 
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Radio Zero said:
I like the adult diapers idea. I may bring that up in the “What questions do you have of us?” portion of the interview, just for kicks. Then I’ll say just kidding but in a perfect modulation to engender doubt.

But for real I like the diapers.
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Remember that astronaught lady that used diapers to commit a murder?
 
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I imagine that any significant sized trucking company these days has automated GPS tracking on every semi and sets strict limits on mandatory rest breaks. Hell, that might be set by OSHA these days.

So if you are not 100% independent, it might not be your choice to drive by the truck stops every now and then.
 
RZ, a guy I went to HS with is an OTR driver. During the height of the pandemic, I heard he'd had a stroke somewhere in MS or TX and was hospitalized for a week before he could come back home. OSHA had lifted most of the regulations and he was drinking 4 or 5 Red Bulls/day to stay alert while driving up to 20 hours/day. He's also had kidney stone issues for the last 20 years. Miles = $$$. Just make sure they have a good health plan!
 
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hookyIU1990 said:
RZ, a guy I went to HS with is an OTR driver. During the height of the pandemic, I heard he'd had a stroke somewhere in MS or TX and was hospitalized for a week before he could come back home. OSHA had lifted most of the regulations and he was drinking 4 or 5 Red Bulls/day to stay alert while driving up to 20 hours/day. He's also had kidney stone issues for the last 20 years. Miles = $$$. Just make sure they have a good health plan!
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He was breaking the law. You get caught and its an automatic lifetime ban. Hard life.
 
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outside shooter said:
I imagine that any significant sized trucking company these days has automated GPS tracking on every semi and sets strict limits on mandatory rest breaks. Hell, that might be set by OSHA these days.

So if you are not 100% independent, it might not be your choice to drive by the truck stops every now and then.
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You have to keep really good maintenance records too. Audits suck.
 
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Radio Zero said:
Yes, sure, but you still have to *stop* to use one. Miles is money. And now I’m also thinking about how weird it must be to sit so high over the other traffic, and the abusiveness of car drivers like myself towards truckers. And I *know* my old lady will miss me as I’m rolling past Sioux Falls or Circle City or wherever, so there’s the entire “You’ve already been emotionally absent all these years and now it’s physical, too?” aspect to consider.

Got a lot on my heart and mind this morning, but it’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to win.
Click to expand...
truck stops employ something called lot lizards to enjoy during your breaks from the road, if you choose this life a wife is no longer necessary
 
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Victorbmyboy said:
Most trucking companies limit speed. I could program speed limits with my laptop. Insurance companies like that. Like our oilfield trucks were limited to 75.
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Can I use you as a reference? I think you’re a kind of person I need to know to break into this game. I’ll quit attacking you without warrant if you say yes.
 
Victorbmyboy said:
He was breaking the law. You get caught and its an automatic lifetime ban. Hard life.
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He wasn't breaking any laws. They provided exemptions starting in 2020 and renewed them again in 21.

Extension and Amendment of Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 Under 49 CFR § 390.25 (September 1, 2021) | FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration August 31, 2021 EXTENSION AND AMENDMENT OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION No. 2020-002 UNDER 49 CFR § 390.25
www.fmcsa.dot.gov www.fmcsa.dot.gov
 
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hookyIU1990 said:
He wasn't breaking any laws. They provided exemptions starting in 2020 and renewed them again in 21.

Extension and Amendment of Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 Under 49 CFR § 390.25 (September 1, 2021) | FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration August 31, 2021 EXTENSION AND AMENDMENT OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION No. 2020-002 UNDER 49 CFR § 390.25
www.fmcsa.dot.gov www.fmcsa.dot.gov
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It’s over. It was a 45 day extension that expired on the 17th. Was he running Covid stuff? They had strict guidelines for what you could haul. They even made strict backhaul rules too. God the government makes shit difficult. I actually forgot about those exemptions. This reminds me..I have to get my physical this month.
 
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Victorbmyboy said:
It’s over. It was a 45 day extension that expired on the 17th. Was he running Covid stuff? They had strict guidelines for what you could haul. They even made strict backhaul rules too. God the government makes shit difficult.
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It happened sometime in late 2020.

No idea about what he was hauling, but whatever it was made him exempt from the daily limits.
 
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Victorbmyboy said:
It’s over. It was a 45 day extension that expired on the 17th. Was he running Covid stuff? They had strict guidelines for what you could haul. They even made strict backhaul rules too. God the government makes shit difficult. I actually forgot about those exemptions. This reminds me..I have to get my physical this month.
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You going to pass that physical?
 
I've represented several truck drivers. You have to be a very good driver. 2 tickets and you're pretty much screwed.

Also, if you get a DUI, even in your personal car, your CDL will get suspended for like a year, so you will have to avoid that too.
 
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frikkenfrakken said:
I've represented several truck drivers. You have to be a very good driver. 2 tickets and you're pretty much screwed.

Also, if you get a DUI, even in your personal car, your CDL will get suspended for like a year, so you will have to avoid that too.
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Just having mine has gotten me out of tickets.
 
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