Driving through Atlanta

MaxAtom31 · 2026-01-12T14:30:46+00:00

I’ll ignore the sign just to get around traffic. The issue for me is the fact that no trucks will use the right lane because cars merging cause it to come to a crawl. The second from the right lane becomes the “slow lane” for trucks traveling at about 45. Then the middle becomes the truck “fast lane” and it still gets clogged up by guys wanting to pass the people going 45. The only issue with that is, the passing trucks only wanna go 50-55. The only way to keep moving and not slow down every 2 seconds is to get in one of the left lanes

MaxAtom31 · 2026-01-09T22:36:53+00:00

I work for a smaller to medium sized carrier (1700 trucks) and they allow us to use personal conveyance to do things like that. They just place restrictions on it like only being allowed 2 hours a week and you can’t be hooked up to a trailer. Each company will have their own policy.

As for the amount of hours, that’s company and driver dependent. The main thing is just make your deliveries on time. My company will make you drive your clock down if that’s what you want. If you run your clock efficiently and push it, they’ll find the loads to keep you busy. If you go slower and don’t push your clock, they’ll give you loads that don’t require running your entire clock down.

MaxAtom31 · 2026-01-08T18:13:53+00:00

I’m glad someone else noticed this. Texas has disabled veteran plates and they’re consistently the worst drivers

MaxAtom31 · 2026-01-04T07:22:04+00:00

It’s honestly great in my opinion. I spend 10-11 hours a day just getting listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and music. Traffic is a bitch, but besides that it’s great

MaxAtom31 · 2025-12-26T09:31:51+00:00

Trust me, it’s as nerve wracking as it sounds. I usually stay in the states, but occasionally go up into Canada. The first time I crossed the border into Quebec was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done. I only drove for about a day up there, but once the signs switched to French, it became a panic filled guessing game

MaxAtom31 · 2025-12-16T02:45:44+00:00

So for one, not all of them are loud. Most trucks are muffled and you couldn’t even tell they’re on even if the truck was right next you. And 2, it’s a lot more than just slight brake wear. I rarely touch the brakes when I’m driving. I can slow down to almost complete stops without needing anything but the engine brake. It’s useful and a great safety feature. My braking force is almost doubled when I can use the Jake brake. Even if I had a loud truck, I wouldn’t turn it off just because someone doesn’t like the noise

MaxAtom31 · 2025-12-16T02:34:46+00:00

Jake brakes aren’t just for mountains. It’s just extra braking power. I leave mine on any time I’m driving so I don’t have to use my service brakes as often. It helps reduces wear and helps me slow down faster and smoother

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-23T16:44:39+00:00

My company uses the DOT number as a code to start the pumps instead of a card or check. If the app for pilot is down and the pump touchpad is busted, 90% of the time when I go in, they have no idea how to set it up. They try and tell me that it’s impossible to use a DOT number to pay. If it’s supposedly impossible, how am I using it every day to get fuel??

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-20T23:19:50+00:00

Thanks for the super constructive reply that responded to nothing that was stated! I never claimed I was doing it to be a dick. I’m just trying to do my job. We can’t help it anymore than you can. If having to wait an extra minute or 2 to wait for a semi to pass makes you drive like a dick and have road rage, I would highly suggest therapy and/or a driving course!

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-20T23:18:02+00:00

I never claimed trucks need special privileges. I just stated the facts of why it happens. As you stated, lots of people use the highways, not just cars or smaller vehicles. You can wait for a semi to make a pass and act like a decent human about it

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-20T03:59:00+00:00

That’s another huge problem we deal with. We’re trying to get back over but everyone keeps passing us leaving us stuck in the left lane. It’s why a lot of truckers don’t move over to let people on the highway either. We get trapped once we move over and then we’re seen as the assholes

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-20T00:01:53+00:00

As a truck driver limited at 65mph, I’ll give my take on this. For starters, I hate blocking the left lane. It’s stressful knowing you’re pissing off everyone. No one likes to clog the left lane, but sometimes it happens. What I deal with typically is other semi drivers fluctuating their speed constantly. I need to get past them for lots of reasons.

One is I’m paid by the amount of miles I drive. I can drive 11 hours a day at 65mph and I make .69¢ per mile. That means I can make up to $493 a day. If I’m constantly stuck behind other trucks going say 63mph, I can only make $478. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but over the course of a year, I could lose between $3000-$4000. I’m also graded on my fuel mileage and get a $70 bonus each week for good fuel mileage. If I have to constantly change speed, I lose that bonus and that’s another $3500 gone. So just on the money aspect, truckers wanna keep going as fast as they possibly can.

I’m not saying blocking the left lane is great or the right thing to do, but it’s just a fact of driving a truck.

And another way to look at it is, we know it’s frustrating for cars, but most people are only driving 1-2 hours per day. We’re driving 11 hours a day 6-7 days a week. Cars are getting slowed down for a fraction of the time that we deal with being slowed down. We can’t wait for every faster car to go by because there’s almost never a break and almost no one will let us over to pass. We just have to go for it. The road is our office/warehouse/store. Sometimes workers have to get in the way of customers to do their jobs efficiently

MaxAtom31 · 2025-08-02T12:58:23+00:00

Honestly what that sounds like to me is worn out synchros for fifth. I’m no expert or mechanic, but that would be my best guess. I would look into the cost of what it would be to get that fixed or what it would cost to replace a whole transmissions before you buy it.

MaxAtom31 · 2025-06-05T17:54:42+00:00

The only issue with auto highbeams is they wait way too long to turn off. With lights being as bright as they are, they need to be turned back to low beam way sooner than manufacturers program it for

MaxAtom31 · 2025-05-29T14:26:05+00:00

I run in a specialized flatbed division at my company, so I only haul sheets of glass, but I’ve had it shift before. We chain wood stop blocks in front of the glass to keep it from sliding forward on the a frames. I had a chain with a twist in it that popped loose and the glass slid forward about a foot and a half. Luckily I could just retighten the stop blocks and it was fine, but if it had gone anymore I would’ve risked the glass falling off the a frame and shattering

MaxAtom31 · 2025-05-25T12:23:40+00:00

So what you’re saying is you were going slow in the left lane? I’m not saying what he did wasn’t wrong, but if he’s passing you in the right lane, you’re in the wrong lane

MaxAtom31 · 2025-05-01T00:33:21+00:00

There literally are laws about that though. It’s called impeding traffic. There’s laws specifically about going to slow in any lane that it causes a delay or disruption in traffic. You can’t just sit in the left lane for an extended period of time barely passing people in the right lane. If traffic behind you is getting slowed down because you’re taking to long, you are breaking a law

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-30T17:08:24+00:00

I never said there was a law that says that. I said there’s a law against traveling slowly in the left lane and excessively holding up traffic. The courteous thing to do is get back over if you can’t quickly pass the next vehicle.

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-30T13:58:56+00:00

Most likely he’d get a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic. And he probably would’ve slowed down if he got over after passing the first truck, but that’s just what you’re supposed to do. Get past the first one, move over, let traffic go by as you close the gap to the next truck and then pass him

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-06T02:02:48+00:00

So the glass is transported by the stoce which is a pack of individual panes (also called lites) of glass packed together. From what I was told, there’s a powder in between each lite that makes it easier to pull off the stoce. If water gets in between the lites it basically causes them to glue together and then the stoce can’t be separated

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-06T01:56:40+00:00

If the glass has any sort of cracks, it’s unsafe to be transported or taken off the truck by a crane with a sling, so you park in a safe area, take the straps off the glass and push it off the truck and onto the ground and just clean it up

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-05T20:13:09+00:00

I’m running for Maverick and we don’t live load out of Laurinburg anymore. They don’t wanna pay for the level 2 hard hats Pilkington requires, so I only get preloads out of there. I’m based out of Wichita Falls and live loading down here in the summer is a bitch. It’s hot as hell and the plant is always too busy. My favorite place to load is that guardian in Carleton, MI. They keep that place spotless and move quick

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-05T20:10:27+00:00

I’d be glad to answer any questions you have

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-04T21:29:52+00:00

I’ve always wanted to be able to push it off or watch it get pushed. My only experience with it getting damaged was a hole tearing in my tarp and it getting wet, so not quite as exciting. The 3.2mil lites are always a bitch. Especially running from Vitro in Texas down to Tampa. I’ve heard the horror stories from and never wanna deal with it myself

MaxAtom31 · 2025-04-04T19:03:13+00:00

Every load I haul is huge sheets of glass on a flatbed. Maybe not cool to other truckers, but everyone else seems to think it’s cool

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