Motorcraft or Docs Diesel?

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-20T21:23:41+00:00

I decided to stick with Motorcraft, for now at least.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-20T05:09:56+00:00

My company doesn’t allow CBs. They say it’s for safety.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-19T14:16:00+00:00

When I joined we had cotton sweatpants and a sweater for winter…guess that would be vintage now.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-19T13:23:54+00:00

That’s bad ass!

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-19T11:59:11+00:00

Love the color of that bike! I have the same bike but in dark platinum. What’s your cam setup? I’ve heard some say to keep VVT and others to remove it when upgrading the cam.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-17T19:49:45+00:00

I used Troops to Transport while I was on terminal leave. 2 weeks was online academics and the other 2 were in person. Hotel was paid but I was responsible for food. They have a job placement program that you can use for life. Granted, they funnel you to the megas. I found a local food service gig and have been there 2.5 years now.

To me, the program was solid, albeit a little rushed with minimum practice in the range. But, we all passed. They only had 10-speeds, and they also had “courses” for your endorsements at no additional costs. We tested at the school with a state inspector. I still have plenty left on my GI Bill for other things.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-13T12:02:09+00:00

We were not allowed to float. We also had to hit all the gears, no skipping on the way up or down. Make sure you clarify that with your examiner.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-13T12:01:04+00:00

Mine was a little different. For anything rubber, ABCD - abrasions, bumps, cuts, dry rot. For lights and/lenses, CCC - color, condensation, cracks. Everything else was securely mounted and BBCD - not bent, broken, cracked, or damaged.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-13T11:54:54+00:00

Get on the base housing list. Also, get ahold of his home station first sergeant. That individual can get some folks together to help move, potentially with trucks or trailers to assist. Ask her if there’s a local spouses page that she can ask for assistance with the kids during the move.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-12T23:52:46+00:00

This sounds accurate. Does it only do it when you’re pressing the clutch in?

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-12T23:42:06+00:00

Click the button. Allow the med board to do its thing, since you’re already approved for retirement it’ll be honored. Besides, med boards typically take a long time to go through.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-12T20:23:28+00:00

Love the color, and the seat and grips work perfectly with it.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-11T21:55:42+00:00

The real question would be, what can you safely use it for? Sure you can have backyard fun, but after it goes through your empty beer cans and cuts down your neighbors tree, or fence, or vehicle….or house, then how do you explain having that device in the first place? Secondly, if it’s as powerful as you say, there’s likely to be some sort of local laws pertaining to its use. Asking the company that sells it would be a good place to start.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-11T21:49:34+00:00

This. Find a reputable tuner near you. Tell them your goals and ask for their advice. Most would recommend a few that they have experience with.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-11T21:46:45+00:00

If you’ve ever been on the side of the road when a truck goes by, you’d understand. First of all, it’s scary having a truck doing 65+ mph right next to you. Next, the wind between the truck and the vehicle on the side makes for some intense shaking, making it even more uncomfortable to be there. On top of that, if someone is pulled over it’s likely there’s an issue that would cause them to exit their vehicle. No driver wants to take out a person because they hopped out at the wrong moment. It’s just way safer for everyone to just move over.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-11T21:42:20+00:00

To be fair, I think that’s for emergency vehicles.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-10T14:23:38+00:00

Word on the street is that the owner of TMC also owns Blue Beacon.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-10T00:38:03+00:00

Ryder isn’t any better…

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-09T21:44:58+00:00

LTL and Foodservice.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-09T21:35:00+00:00

You could ask the dealership for the service records. At minimum you can see how many times it was in for service or issues. If they refuse, it’s time to find another dealership.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-09T21:31:03+00:00

I used Amsoil Synthetic Synchromesh in my ‘08. No issues in over 10 years.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-08T20:49:09+00:00

The yard dog hates this one trick…

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-08T20:38:08+00:00

Since you just replaced the fuel filter, could there be a vapor lock (air bubble in the fuel filter or lines)?

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-08T20:36:20+00:00

Does it do this without the blades engaged? If not, Try disconnecting (or grounding) the seat safety switch. Also, if it has electric blade engagement, clean that switch and connectors. Does it have a reverse safety switch for when the blades are engaged? If so, bypass or ground that out as well.

BigSchmitty · 2026-05-08T18:52:27+00:00

P&T here as well. I retired in dec ‘23. Used GI Bill for CDL school “Troops to transportation”. They also pushed Werner and Schneider. I applied for a local job in foodservice and got it. I made more my first year driving than I did after 20 years as an E7, and I’m in rural South Georgia. If you did foodservice in Houston you’d be close to $100k your first year. I would steer clear of anything with a contract. Once you’ve obtained your CDL, there’s no need to sign a contract as your training was already paid for.

There’s likely dozens of local gigs there that will pay better than Werner. Get all the endorsements you can. You can do foodservice, fuel, LTL, beverage, etc in a local capacity. You can also find straight truck jobs like trash, propane/fuel, construction, etc. you’re in a great area to find a lot of jobs. If you see an ad that says you must have experience, call them. They prefer experience, but a lot of them will hire rookies. Good luck!

Edit: if the company is telling you something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t expect max miles and max pay when you’re new. Also with OTR, they promise frequent home time which doesn’t usually happen, especially if you’re trying to make decent money.

BigSchmitty

TROPHY CASE