A 30 minute nap is WAY better than any other cup of coffee! Pull over and take a quick nap if you're feeling tired! You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel and how much more alert you'll be with just a short nap!
A long time ago when I was a road trainer. I had one hard rule for all of my students. If you were tired, sleep in the bunk. The reason being, if you can fall asleep in the passenger seat; you can fall asleep in the drivers seat.
With these newer trucks they won't allow you to do so. My t680 has a radar that tells me how fast someone is going within a 300ft span and if I get to-too close it will apply the brakes and slow down, normally around the 40-50ft range
The never drive tired is very critical. When I was with my trainer, we were diving doubles for the last 3 weeks of my training. I don't sleep well while moving and it was starting to build up. One day I could feel myself about to fall asleep and I just said "f@ck it, I'm not killing us" and I pulled over on the side of the next exit ramp and got an hour nap in. That was enough that I was confident I could get us to an actual truck stop and we "wasted" half a day. My trainer wasn't upset or angry, he said you absolutely did the right thing
I said, "Earl this hill can spill us, you better slow down... you gonna kill us. Just one mistake and it's the Pearly Gates for them 85 crates of USDA-Approved cluckers. ... You wanna hit second?" Wolf Creek Pass, way up on the Great Divide, truckin' on down the other side... Sorry, I couldn't resist a little CW McCall. :)
I truly agree with all points I want to go home to my wife and family not them having to come get what's left after and bad decision ... Speed can kill everyone
It was almost 20 years ago, I was young, totally green, and crossing the Rockies for the first time with a flatbed load of steel. I knew Jake Brakes existed, but no idea how to use it. "Blood runs cold when you see smoke streaming from you brakes " is an understatement. Finally got to a flat enough spot to stop, pulled over, and read the truck's manual about Jake Brakes while I waited for the brakes to cool down.
In the Dakota's truck drivers will be going 70 when its 10 below and a blizzard out. Allot of them are fed ex and XPO logistics with the 2 dolly trailers. And allot of them end up in the ditch.
Smart-Trucking.com No doubt, I run doubles and never out drive the weather conditions or myself, the freight is not worth lives or license... great video.. You did forget the guys that eat and/or watch videos/movies while driving down the road. 22 years driving and nothing ceases to amaze me anymore. Keep the shiny side up and have a good weekend. Tom.😎
As a driver of a 4 wheeler, I love your videos. And you're right about this. I've seen other 4 wheels (and motorcyclists) do stupid shit like cut in front of other people and force them to slow down or change lanes to avoid a crash. Case in point, keep up the videos Dave :)
Just this past winter I was up in Oregon and some guy was on the CB yelling at me calling me a p*ssy he flew by me then about an hour up the road he was sideways in a bank of snow... Mind you I'm super green but I know what my truck can and can't take
Smart-Trucking.com same here! I’ve been driving 30+ years and never ended up in a ditch, can’t stand that super trucker mentality! Let’m fly I say, time will weed them out
Andrea Star yep the brains on the shoulders of people keeps getting smaller. The Billy Bob Big Rigger Super Trucker awards are flying off the shelves for people like what you dealt with. They land trucks in ditches faster then airplanes at an airport runway! Lol
I don't run with a CB because of this sort of thing and all the other BS these days..I would have been laughing so hard at the driver hitting the bank I would have had to pull over! hahaha
Never ever cheat on cranking the landing gear all the way up as far as it can go! When I was a rookie I was always in a hurry working Intercity runs and some types of landing gear were damned long winded, so I would crank em up 6-8 inches and go. Never had a problem UNTIL-----Road closed Detour. No problem. Young, Dumb and full of Scum away I go. Thank God the traffic I was following was crawling slow across the double Mainline RR Track Grade Crossing. I felt and heard a shudder as the rig stopped dead on the tracks. WTF--- O Shit the landing gear? Wow-I was luckyyyy, There is one bent foot and NO leg damage --Trailer is empty, maybe that's why? I've got traffic backed up and irritated at me as I get the gear engaged and then I here IT! THAT was a TRAIN horn in the distance! Man I went berserk on that crank handle an the gears in the truck getting off those tracks for sure. Needless to say, from then on this SOB cranks landing gear up every stinking crank I can get on them.
i always crank them up all of the way anyways. i do local milk hauling. i drive on uneven farm driveways and often times the farm is on a hill. the thought of it bottoming out bothers me.
These are all common sense. If someone does this stuff they don't need to be driving anything especially a big rig. But Like my Grandpaw told me.. "common sense ain't too common now days".
Back in early 2015 when I was out with my Swift mentor, we were running loads out to western Pennsylvania. Two nights in a row, while I was driving, we came across emergency crews at two different truck accidents at the same location. I no longer felt bad going down that curved hill slower than anyone else.
I always drove with two rules or thoughts in mind. #1 the faster you drive on snow covered roads the farther you are going to have to walk to get back to the road. #2. It is a lot easier to explain why the load is late than why it never got there at all
From what i understand ELD only helps us home every night short haul guys because we can use it as a reason to why we missed our last two stops, you know, the eld ran out of time and we had to get back cause we cant fudge the numbers. But i cant imagine what they do to the over the road guys.
Just because you've had 10 hours off doesn't mean you have to start driving again. Stick to a routine that works for you. If dispatch is hassling you about getting moving, it's time to find another company. With the way things are right now, if you have a clean abstract and CVOR, you can name your terms. Better late than never.
The 14 hour clock is one of the major problems for drivers. Trying to maximize their time, they continue driving when they are tired instead of taking a break like they used to.
I found myself to be one of those people and have since changed. Now i only do short haul home every night kind of stuff, but where i used to take a break knowing if i was a little over time i could just fudge the book a bit (and i was never out of time anyway) now with the ELD's i was finding that i would push myself and set the eld to off duty for my mandatory 30 minute break while at my stops instead of taking that time to actually relax and rest just out of fear of running the clock out, or even jsut to get that day done in 12 hours instead of 13! Like i said, i finally had to convince myself to relax about time and now i make sure to take that 30 minute break when im supposed to, because it really does help with fatigue and such. Now im sure its different for over the road guys but my point is that eld sure can be stressful BECAUSE there is no good ways to fudge the numbers so to speak. Im not saying you should do that anyway, but it was at least a peace of mind if you messed up your schedule and ran over time by an hour or so. Everyone should take the breaks required, and more if necessary. Couldnt agree more with that never drive tired.
I blame the 11 hour rule more than the 14, especially on a long haul. Take 11 hours of driving, subtract about 45 or 30 minutes for finding parking, add about 30 or 40 minutes for breaks during the work day, and then add 10 hours off to get the next day, and your “day,” as defined by a bunch of legislators who have never driven a truck, or apparently never looked at a clock, is 21 hours long. Do that for a few days, and by the second day of that you’re expected to start rolling five hours earlier than you got up on the day you loaded.
kobudo What? I drive long haul, about 1800 mile loads all the time. I take about 12 hours or more off each day and get up around 0800 everyday... I’m confused as to why you are starting so much earlier each time. You are not required to do only 10... you can take as much time as you need to get fully rested. If you’re fired or reprimanded for doing so it would be a violation to the company because you are protected by the STAA that clearly states that a driver only moves that truck when he/she dems it safe and you are not fatigued. Let a company ever try to say I’m late to my fault and I will sue them into a cardboard box. I’ve had to do that with 1 of the 3 companies I’ve worked for in 15 years, got an under the table offer in the six figure range, they learned their lesson. If more drivers stopped driving their asses ragged just to make a few more bucks and instead started to speak up not being afraid of being fired, all this crap would end. Remember, work smarter not harder. If you want more money, you don’t drive more miles, you get a position that pays more per mile.
I've been trucking since 1984. My dad before me. I learned from him. He did teach me one thing about mountain driving and I live with today. ( you can drive off a mountain a thousand times to slow.... or one time to fast ) I still live that code
#5.) is a good one to remember. After a certain number of hours you can become "drunk-tired". In other words you may as well be drunk. Reaction time slows and your decision making ability diminishes.
I spend a lot of time running through the Smokies and Appalachians between PA and GA. If I got a dollar for every time someone blew past me only for me to cruise past them at the bottom of the hill because their brakes are toast, I'd be eating steak for dinner every night. I try to make a game out of descending hills... I win if my truck stays at a steady speed and I never have to hit the brakes.
A few days ago I picked up at Budweiser in St. Louise, MO. I was about 3 miles away on the highway and it was raining, speed limit 55. A car shot past me on my left around a curve and a few heart beats later they were pinballing off both side walls of the highway. Thank God I was already go slow and I was paying attention or I would have ran right over them.
Great 5 advices..Anyone of them could save your life if followed. Love watching your videos and find them full of wisdom, experience and some side story to make most of us smile. Keep up the great work.
You are a good man, thank you for your great videos. Been driving 17 yrs with the last 2 OTR, still enjoy your content! I've smoked my brakes going down a canyon my first year, was a bad deal, but I made it out unscathed. I've also came really close to running my reefer out of fuel last summer. Just managed to stop just in time, could have easily decided to run another 50 miles or so. Thanks again and have a good one!
I just got my CDL in October 2022 but I’m starting my road training now in December and I’ve seen so many potential hazards do to other drivers going too fast or being on their phones 📱😳 thank you sir for all your advice on trucking I really appreciate as a newbie newbie 🥰🚛🛣️
At a company I once worked for the dispatcher like sending messages on the Qualcomm in the middle of the night that the reefer was registering below temp and that we (driver) needed to go out to check it (even though nothing was ever wrong) So the third time he did it to me I sent him a message that I'll be sure to inform the receiver, which was Walmart that he sent me a message that the meat had registed below temp and had HIS MESSAGE to prove it. I could have gotten Walmart to reject that entire trailer full of meat just by mentioning what he sent and needless to say he never f*#ked with me in the middle of the night again lol.
I'm one of the lucky ones still on paper logs. Small company I work for maintains and older fleet, drive sa 96 international. Still enjoy my mid day naps wen I need them lol
0:28 Dead man's bluff????.... What could go wrong? 6:07 And don't drive too slow either.... If you do, get out of the left lane. This applies virtually to stupid four wheelers that stay in the left lane pacing themselves with other idiots who don't know to handle a couple of snowflakes. And (6) Avoid driving angry. Almost every incident I had was when I was agitated about something.
I completely agree with #4. I hate impatient truck drivers that pass others even when the passing lane is covered with thick snow! (Vehicles being passed are travelling below 100kph but above 70kph) That is completely in disregard of other's safety.
Great advice,its a shame we all see these unsafe behaviors everyday. What will this industry be without all you old school drivers around. We will miss the old heads out here. Be safe driver.
If only the Companies gave a damn. There is a company (that will remain un-named) that my buddy drives for. They want you to drive for 11 hours, and then sleep for 10. Problem is, that's not how the human body works. You're supposed to be awake for 16 hours, and asleep for 8. The awake 11 and sleep 10 method destorys this, forcing their drivers to ALL drive tired. The problem really lies in "Appointments". There should be no such thing. Drivers should be required to deliver a load on a date, not a specific time. These companies don't give a damn if you die out there, they just want the money. "Slept for 3 hours? You're good! Drive or get fired!" they say.
Appointments should be banned. Most places don't utilize them properly & just put them in place as a possible excuse to snake their way out of paying well-deserved detention time.
Thanks for the great tip Dave, on cooling the brakes! While I do use my tire chalks quite often for various reasons. This one, was not one of them. Great tip from the pro.
Yes 5 things. 1 don't get a cdl. 2 never buy a truck. 3 don't expect a marriage to last. 4 don't think its only temporary. Its not.5 don't expect the next company to be anything other then a different colored truck.
A Good tip in the big hills Especially with a super B go down it the same gear you used to go up. I hauled black slag from grand forks into Sask For many years on Hwy 3 the Salmo - Creston I know those hills very well they don't look too bad but they can sure enough take your life if you don't give them the respect they are due
thebard320 why do truckers wait till they are going up a hill to try to pass another truck, can't pass it, and hold up traffic for miles? And the problem seems to be getting worse!
I don't care who I tick off. If I'm tired, I'm stopping. No load is worth my life or somebody else's life. And the high priority loads like disaster relief usually go to teams who can drive nonstop, so I do not have any life or death loads that I have to push on for.
@3:28 You're also an idiot if you thumbs down this video! Seriously, whats wrong with those 4 people at the time of this comment? There's never a bad time to listen to good advice. Keep up the good work.
Another great video ... I have been driving for almost 30 years now and I wish you were my trainer back then . My very first day back then they just gave me my paperwork and truck # and said have a good day , I didn’t have any trainer but I learned real fast , I started out with Yellow Freight System . I love hearing your stories from past experience , some of them I can really relate to . Keep the videos coming , I for one really enjoy them .
bosco358 lol I'm creeping up on 30 years pretty fast too, my driving instructor who will remain anonymous actually dozed off in the passenger seat on a lesson LOL when he finally woke up I said "well good morning I'm glad to see you're very comfortable with my driving" LOL
bosco358 "Sink or swim" school of truck driving! I think some of them are better than these "anyone can drive in 3 weeks" 'SCHOOLS'. Funny thing is, that's what CDL laws was 'supposed' to prevent.
300hp Mack, probably an e6 mechanical Mack engine, with a 5 speed, jake on full blast just making noise. Better off holding your hat out the window, itd drag ya down more then the jake lol. Love them old macks, dang good trucks. Not speed demons or great riding, but got the job done. A man's truck.
I dont know how many times I pulled over at the top of Saluda grade on I-26 back when brakes had a 9/16 adjuster , and wound them up and started off in granny low to get down with those loads of paper. No jake brake , and holding on tight all the way.
Smart-Trucking.com Sorry, i dont agree. You said: No one ever died from going down the mountain too slow. I think it depends on the situation. I think that if you was on Mount St Helen just before it erupted................... Sure sure, volcano. Still, Mount. Anyways, ofcourse i agree with the rest you said. Just, you might get killed if the mountain is puffing some smoke and you are taking your time to get off and away from it. Is all im saying.
I actually have a question about mountain driving. What is a safe speed going downhill in the Rocky Mountains? I tried 45 mph, but all the other truck drivers kept passing me, so I slowly accelerated until I matched their speed and that speed turned out to be 70 mph. I'm not sure if that is safe, but my trainer never commented on it, so I wasn't sure.
I am not sure of a number, BUT as with any hill, regardless of what anyone claims is a safe speed, it is NEVER safe to drive faster than you feel safe driving. If you only feel safe driving 45, and other drivers are passing you at 70, well, I would feel unsafe going down hill at 70. Would you rather be late or dead? Never outdrive your comfort zone. If you don't feel safe, you aren't.
Trainfan1055 The old rule of thumb was go down the same speed you went up. But it really all depends on what the posted truck speed downhill is and how heavy you are, if your top heavy and condition of the road. Don’t go faster than you are comfortable. You can go too slow down a lot of hills but you’ll only go too fast once.
If you aren’t familiar with a hill you are about to descend then drop off the hill in a gear that will hold the truck(along with jake brake) all by itself. In other words,a gear you won’t have to touch your break pedal. If the hill steepens, you must get on your brakes to lower your gear. After you become more familiar with the hill,you can adjust your gears accordingly. All hills are different and you must get to know them. Also, please check to make sure your brakes are in adjustment prior to driving. If you are driving on slick roads, please know how to chain a trailer wheel. It isn’t always necessary but I assure you it’s no fun trying to outrun your trailer while descending Monarch Pass in Colorado (1974).
Don't worry about the other drivers. I'd rather go down in control. I like to go down at a speed where the jake does almost all the work and you only need to touch the brake every once in a while for maybe ten seconds and then let off and let them cool. Dave
Another good rule of thumb is DO NOT take exit ramps and curves too fast. Your load can shift and over you go. Wish I had a dime for every truck I've seen on its side from trying to blow through a curve....I could retire very comfortably.
CastleGar ?..... Alberta trucks are legend for the road into Trail ....... I missed one by a minute ; just smoldering engine block , and the belts on the radial tires left ....
You want to hear an incredible true story? I was traveling over the Blue mountains on I84 westbound in Oregon. and a driver found out fairly early descending the pass. on the west side that he had used up his brakes. and asked for help what too do and should he use one of the escape ramps. and another amazing driver offered to help him. so he sped up and got in front of him. and gradually slowed down until the other driver was able to hit the back of his trailer. which still smashed the front of his tractor. but the other driver was was able to get him stopped. you might think I made this story up but I absolutely tell you I'm not lying. I watched the whole thing happen.
I drove OTR all over the country back in the 70s and 80s before ABS and traction control systems. An old-timer gave me some advice for hill driving - go down the hill in the same gear you climbed the hill. I always did this, and never had downhill speed problems.
I'd say honorable mention should be know you rig's height and the the height of any bridges you might encounter, plus routes around them if needed. Also, never forget to do at least a walk around if not a full pre-trip inspection every single time before leaving anywhere just so you don't run over kids that could be hiding in the fenders & stuff.
23 years driving in mountains and the snow with doubles or heavy hauler T&T. #4 was spot on. Slow down and do a break check from a stop to 5 mph to see how the snow is. Or how slick it is. I’ll even stop someplace safe and get out and check with my boot. Snow type, out side temp and different weather conditions can change how you should drive in just a few miles. It’s never fun when you think it’s sticky snow pack going around a long corner then realize you’re on slick snow/ice going 5+ mph to fast and you’re drifting. In the winter time in the mountains I learned to just take my time and go slower than posted speed limits and the yellow recommended speeds on corners. I’ve seen a few trucks who passed me in the ditch up the road.
Thanks for your posting. I'm a new driver and appreciate your experience and suggestions. I don't need to reinvent the wheel. I'm a fuel tank driver and learning every day. Taking time, planning ahead and avoid getting impatient go along way in preventing problems.
all brakes should be popped w/overheated brakes,leaving the least amount of brake surface exposed to oxygen(best way to prevent🔥).Chocking/scotching of wheels & releasing all brakes is wrong,Wrong,WRONG!!!
Greetings from Finland. One thing for #4 There Will Be The Day you have to take brake because of Winter conditions. For me IT was when was -8°C and raining (Water! ) I tell you Road was slippery. 4 hours wait side of The Road and weather changed so much that Road was drivable again.
1. Yep done that,scared the crap out of me. 3. Yep that too,back before the refer will self prime,still have a refer fuel cap with a valve stem in it. 4. Can also tell alot about the company too by how many of them are in the same ditch 5.learned that lesson in KS on 70..last yard sticker I saw was 30 next one was 270ish...that God it was at night.
Yes sir! Early in my career, I was driving for Prime and they forced me to pick up a load ( I was a newbie and was nervous about saying no) I did say no, and the DM said what? Are you refusing the load? I took the load, but drive so tired only the Lord kept me alive. That's when I decided to tell Prime goodbye. Been a happy driver ever since and making better money.
I like this emergency declaration for this COVID thing because with what I haul I can run without federal limits just run with my physical limitations I am more tired with the mandated HOS than I am without I think the HOS should be personal preference as well as a privilege signed by DOT with regulations regarding consequences
Your vids are great... Wondering your thoughts on going to an affiliated trucking school vs. going to a school on my own and then choosing a company to drive for? I don't like the idea of being an indentured servant to a company having to fulfill a contract. Feel like that gives the company power to treat the driver like garbage b/c they have that power over the driver. Thoughts? Thank you...
Best thing you ever said "Mack R model" then r models are unstoppable off road carrying 107,000 lbs full of logs going through tough terrain. Paccar have problems to low an light get stuck easy
If you got your own truck install air baffles to the brake drums. They will significantly prevent overheating. It costs a little to fabricate but worth it.
I started driving in '87 and drove OTR until 2009. I was taught 5 - 10 pounds of brake pressure going down a long grade. I have gone down many hills and never smoked the brakes (even without a jake brake) When I heard about the "stabbing method" I thought somebody had a screw loose. I tried the stabbing method once and only once on Route 15 in PA just past the Turkey Ranch truck stop. That is not that big of a downgrade but the brakes started smoking less than 3/4 of the way down the hill. I was going the same speed and had the same load as I always had going down that hill using the other method. BTW ... it's brakes, not breaks.
It's weird to me how everyone is saying don't text while driving. I'm a young buck. My phone gets tucked away when the tires are rolling. It's not hard folks.
Twenty years running and thank God above I've never had these problems, if I'm tired to hell with everyone I'm napping out at least two, three hours if your texting someone your an idiot if you don't pull it over, and Never drive a truck that has no Jake in it
That's a bad feeling Dave to see the smoke coming out of the trailer wheels and your gaining speed. Thank God you got to a flat spot to let that oool off.
YOU SIR JUST SPOKE WORDS THAT IF FOLLOWED ARE GOLDEN AND TRUE. SPOKEN FROM I BELIEVE A WISE MAN."NOT THIS MAN'S FIRST RODEO" RESPECT AND THOSE FIVE RULES WILL KEEP YOU AND MOST LIKELY OTHERS ALIVE TO DRIVE ANOTHER DAY MAKING ANOTHER DOLLAR. NEVER FORGET? SHIT HAPPENS.MAY GOD BLESS PERIOD
I have never ran in Canada. with exception of dropping a load across the border sometimes. but I have traveled over cabbage hill, or normally what is called the blue mountains in Oregon on I84. and they have escape ramps there for a reason. a simple rule is never descend on a pass in any higher gear than than you climbed the mountain. and don't run out fuel in a Cummins or Detroit powered truck. I used to run hard I normally would have keep three log books. but I learned all the techniques on how to stay awake. I Will give away one of them. take your tongue and real lightly rub it across the roof of your mouth. the sensation will wake you up just try it.
You are on the right path watching these types of videos. Particularly this guys videos. He offers a wealth of knowledge. Good luck in your career and be safe!
Dude don't be excited. You just a slave in a shinny metal box. Don't listen to dispatch, do it your way or die in a wreck. Dispatch wants to impress and doesn't care about you at all
Road condition deal is 90% new guys and I have no idea so when they pass when the road conditions are not off to SPAC they blind the other person with the snow. And the other part of it is they lose attraction and end up in the ditch I have 2 million miles experience I'm still a wimp in the snow scared to death of it I've had my mistake I have a feeling a lot of the guys you're talking about here did not have that mistake yet
