Dale
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by Dale on Feb 6, 2006 22:46:57 GMT -5
Hello guys. I did get the job w/ Werner Enterprises driving van, solo 48 states! I was on the road for 4-5 weeks. I have been given a truck (Freightliner Century/Class w/ a CAT C15 dual exhaust). I have it in the shop for repairs(the former driver neglected it, and beat it up some too;)
Anyway, I have yet to do any of my own loads (solo) yet. And I don't mind telling anyone that I'm scared nutsless! I worry about getting lost, bad trip-planning, being late, scaling and tandem sliding, DOT fines, etc. My trainer didn't scale or weigh, or slide tandems, so I didn't learn much from him!
Does anyone have any "nifty" quick-tricks to figuring out how many miles, or how long it will take to get somewhere by a certain time? Seems like everyone that I ask, says that they don't trip-plan...they just go by the Qual-Comm directions and just "verify" that the are alright? Thanks again.
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Dale
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by Dale on Feb 6, 2006 22:54:06 GMT -5
BTW, The third paragraph is supposed to read "scared nutsless!" Don't ask me "how" it was transformed into "nutsless" ? it's not, what I wrote. It is funny though?
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Dale
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by Dale on Feb 6, 2006 22:56:20 GMT -5
I see that it...did it again! Can we say nutsless? Oh well.
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Dale
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by Dale on Feb 6, 2006 22:58:56 GMT -5
d**n! I guess not! I give up! Sh*tless?
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Dale
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by Dale on Feb 6, 2006 23:00:06 GMT -5
Eureka!!! Now, any responses would be most welcomed! Thanks again!
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Post by truckertom on Feb 12, 2006 12:12:48 GMT -5
Dale. I have to admit this board seems to have become deserted of late. It used to be an active board with posts everyday.
Best thing you can do with qualcomm is to back up the info....some of these dispatchers wouldn't know the difference between a 3408 Cat and a 6-71 Jimmy. So back it up. Sliding tandems are somewhat of an art. I you weigh and have too much on the trailer tandems but still have some to go on the truck tandems, you slide your trailer tandems back to tranfer the weight from the trailer to the tractor. If you had the trailer at 32K and the tractor tandems at 35K, you would slide the trailer tandems forward to transfer the weight from the tractor to the trailer tandems.
On your sliding 5th wheel, you would only use that if your trailer, was at the limit, your tractor tandems were say 5 to 800 pounds over and you need to transfer some to the front steering axle. But again, states are different on steering axle limits. Cat scales seem to be the ones that will back you up should you get an overload ticket after weighing legal on their scales. Portable scales that fit in the back of the DOT wagon may not be as accurate as driveover (Cat) scales.
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Post by Pcuthbert on Feb 14, 2006 14:17:27 GMT -5
How to plan the time?
I figure, if the company has a speed limit, use 75 to 80% of that number, and divide the distance. This will give you an approximate time for the highway.
For cities you transit through, I add 1/2 hour per 500,000 people. Adjust this up or down depending on the time of day, and the day of the week. Kind of a fucge factor. You will figure out what is appropriate for the places you go.
Add one hour for finding the delivery location the first time if it is in the center of the city. Half an hour if it is the outskirts.
For long haul, take your anticipated time, divide by 10 hours to give you the number of days, and plan your departure accordingly.
But then you have to consider that dipatch calculates the time differently. They look at the mileage from the wash and wear map (it seems to shrink everything) and decide you can make it at 10% over the company or posted speed limit.
Tom has you pretty well figured on the scales and axles. Remember that a platform scale that weighs the whole unit is more accurate than an axle scale.
Pat
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Post by truckertom on Jul 5, 2006 6:08:38 GMT -5
Oh I got a laugh this morning. I hired on with a company but when I got to the truck, all the other drivers were telling me to RUN! LOL!
That is pretty bad when the company drivers are telling new ones to run from the company.
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