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Post by Driver8 on Apr 27, 2006 8:51:31 GMT -5
I haven't been online here in a while. I found myself browsing the "experienced driver" forums lately. I am sorry to hear you are quitting the instructor biz. Several of my former instructors at NTTS have left for similar reasons. Well, my training was pretty decent anyway, and I made the most of my time at NTTS. Unfortunately, not everyone at school was dedicated to learning. Some students just sat around and the management seemed ok with it because they paid their tuition. At least the lazy ones didn't stop me from learning to drive a truck. They may have actually helped since they were as motionless as a barrel. ;D I came to this site back in the summer of '04 when I was going to school. Since graduation I worked for three different companies and I disliked all of them. I still enjoyed the job, and I knew I would have to do it my way to make it work. So, in Feb '06 I bought a used FL Century and leased myself to Landstar. Now I am very comfortable with trucking and I have the opportunity to drive legal, drive safe, and drive where I want. I run a clean and efficient truck, and the money is starting to roll in so I believe I can make it work (even with the high fuel prices). I suppose what this industry needs are schools that can mold drivers with a more professional attitude. Trucking companies would also have to treat the drivers better as well (my biggest beef was being told one thing and they do another). I feel like I ran the pit of hot coals, and now I am better for it. The greatest lessons I learned from those companies was how NOT to do things. I would rather they teach how to do things right, but I saw value in learning in spite of them.
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Post by Driver8 on Apr 27, 2006 12:57:47 GMT -5
Has anyone noticed there is no link to the forums on the Newbie Driver home page? I don't see one, and I wonder if that may explain the lack of recent posts.
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Post by FATBOY on Apr 28, 2006 21:29:18 GMT -5
Driver8 you have to click on interactive and then you will see forum. If I remember right quite awhile back we all had to re register and it was a real pain.I think that was when we lost alot of members. Glad to hear you got things going your way ;D
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Post by truckertom on Apr 30, 2006 19:22:44 GMT -5
Fatboy
I was thinking the same thing. The new format seems to have lost most of our regulars, but you have to have some kind of ego to come here and talk to yourself! Plus, the owner of this site never comes here anymore. She may be too buisy working for a living (the nerve!).
BTW, I am going back to teaching. The school I was instructing at has been bought out by some of the empolyees. I had a few ex-students call me and tell me how much it meant to them to have me as an instructor. So I guess I will try it again...
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Post by skullitor on May 15, 2006 21:18:41 GMT -5
Hi Tom; I couldn't find how to get in. New homepage.And was busy in the "ORANGE ARMY"
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Post by truckertom on May 20, 2006 10:49:21 GMT -5
Orange Army....Y'know, I was considering the pumpkin. I had my day of runnin' two log books, dodging scales and stuff like that. I would like finishing my career at a company that runs compliant. The last one I went with had the TRAINER telling me to lie on a log book....I drove for 3 days and told them to cram it.
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Post by truckertom on Feb 17, 2007 17:40:16 GMT -5
I see Arcflash has a birthday today.
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Post by doubleclutch on Mar 1, 2007 22:14:31 GMT -5
WOW! I think its gotten harder to logon to the site. I was just able to get my activation code after numerous tries. I have been checking in every now and then as a "guest" and noticed as you know there's not much action any longer. I'm sure there are still question that are unanswered out there. Sorry I don't have a question to ask but I figured I'd just post something to show that some of us "old timers" still visit the site .
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Post by truckertom on Mar 3, 2007 20:53:44 GMT -5
I'm still here...
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Post by doubleclutch on Mar 6, 2007 22:54:16 GMT -5
This is sad. Only 3 posts so far this year! If it wasn't for Truckertom this place would be a true ghost town. BTW, what ever happened to Rachelle? Did she abandon the site too? Back in the day this place was jumpin'! May be it was the change of format? May be every ones out on the road with no access to a computer? FYI, they wouldn't send the activation code to my AOL address. I had to supply another non AOL e-mail address to get it. Well, I'm glad to see that you're still here, Truckertom. Some one has to carry the torch. I figured I'd write so you won't have to reply to your own posts. I'm sure you were starting to feel like the Maytag man.
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Post by truckertom on Mar 11, 2007 17:52:46 GMT -5
I remember having questions aimed at me from people wanting to get into trucking. My wife and I are considering starting a website that gives and honest look at trucking, including feeback from people who have attended CDL mills, truck stops and companies.
Still thinking about it though, someone needs to let the public know what they are getting into, good and bad.
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Post by Fozzy on Mar 16, 2007 6:24:40 GMT -5
Hey Tom!
I was in or in your stompin grounds yesterday, I had to bobtail down to Haslett TX to pick up a repaired trailer at Stephens Pneumatic. Saw lots of dirt and rock haulers.. and of course that horrible wreck at 114... ouch!
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Post by truckertom on Mar 17, 2007 14:29:01 GMT -5
I would have to say that about %75 of the rockhaulers in town are Mexican, many of these don't speak english. They are owner opperators and I see their trucks on the side of the road broke down, leaking fuel/oil, yet in Bridgeport where the rock quarries are, I never see them getting pulled over for a DOT check.
We had an article on the local news how the drivers in Arlington building the new Cowboys stadium will not tarp their loads, so I wrote to the news station about why they don't and I mentioned thay most of these drivers are not legal, and are using real SS# to gain a Texas Class A license. She just excused my information as the ranting of a racist.
That accident on 114 was caused (from what I was told) by a driver who had a bottle of water fall on the floor and was groping for it when he hit the van........nice.
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Post by Fozzy on Mar 17, 2007 17:09:16 GMT -5
All I saw was a cement mixer and a container hauler that where "cratered". I didn't have any trouble getting onto 114 going west, but coming back, I had to get on 35 going south to the next exit to beck back headed the right way home.
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Post by truckertom on Mar 25, 2007 14:16:48 GMT -5
We may be talking about two different accidents.
There was a company Sunset that was going to hire me as a safety man.....they didn't but they need to, they are some of the worst.
I was going to go to work for Jacobson Transportation. They told me in orientation they didn't pay empty miles yet they told unemployment they did. They lied just like most companies do so I now have a local job. I many return to OTR work one day but for now what I am doing is fine and I do enjoy sleeping in my own bed.
I have turned down two teaching positions in the past three months. Too bad, if they were offers from a trucking company, I might do it but I have spent far too many years helping to build a school and feather an owners nest only to see the owner ruin a school and leave town owing half the county money.
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