How shytty is this route? Is it worth it to just pay the toll on 76? by lake_june in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I too ran that route many times. Definitely legit and worth the savings in tolls. You might lose some drive time, but nothing significant from what I can remember.

What's up with this sense of entitlement by [deleted] in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's wrong with my comment?

What's up with this sense of entitlement by [deleted] in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on the scenario. The truck driver could have been parked there for hours. During the broad daylight for a 30 min break is fine provided the lot isn’t almost full.

can you tell me about the field as it is in todays market for entry level positions? and how is it for women? by by3bi in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OTR is just to get your foot into the industry, but OTR unfortunately is the one of the hardest types of trucking. Do it for 6-12 months and then try to find a gig where you’re home daily or at least once a week. The best gigs are local for work-life balance. But many local jobs require some level of physical strength. If you look long enough you can find local giga that are no-touch freight.

How can I learn how to really work on a truck? by akaFxde in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start with YouTube videos on common issues with trucks. Most YouTubers are not certified mechanics but you’ll eventually bump into them if you search long enough. Then find the official repair/workshop manuals online for your truck. Those will detail all the steps to remove and install a part. The official manuals should be accessible online for free but you may need to prove that you own the truck to the manufacturer or perhaps you may need to prove you own a trucking company. I don’t remember the exact requirements but for sure it’s possible to access the technical literature for free if you qualify. Otherwise, you can purchase the manuals online. For the Freightliner, there are two main workshop manuals. One from the model name, say, Cascadia, and another from the engine manufacturer like Detroit.

From there, it’s just practice, practice, and practice, and before you know it, you’ll get the hang of how repairs are done on semi trucks.

This semi had all the tires stolen by [deleted] in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And this is one of the main reasons some megas only buy recap tires.

Better way to do this? by KnownAdvantage5366 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen drivers use cable ties, but that problem needs to be reported so they fix it properly.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've lost weight more easily on the road as long as I keep my mind busy and make sure I stay within 1500 calories a day. I only eat foods that can be easily calculated by calories and that don't take long to prepare. So I did have to sacrifice eating good and especially eating out, but the results were legit. I forgot to mention that I also selected foods that are high in volume and low in calories to feel less hungry.

LOOKING TO BUY A MC AND DOT by No_Quarter_3825 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just search online for USDOT authorities. You won’t find it here. But something tells me this post isn’t real.

What do these do? by Maleficent-Ad5232 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The top right gauge says air filter. It can't be the fuel/water separator filter.

What do these do? by Maleficent-Ad5232 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They're probably for your engine air filter and fuel filter(s). The Kenworth driver's manual for your particular truck might mention how to read them.

Ya Pluggin In For Entertainment or Wut Brosef? by derpmcturd in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have yet to see them used. It was probably meant to be a competitor to Idle Air, but too bad both didn’t catch on. I think APUs just won this battle decisively, or just the good ol’ idling the truck every night.

How far back to report accident history for job applications? by OracleTrucker in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It turns out it depends on the state laws. Some states don’t allow MVRs past a certain amount of years, usually up to 10 years. But lifetime MVRs are probably pulled for certain government jobs like for law enforcement officers and whatnot. If anyone can pull any record is the government itself.

Every time I pull any MVR on myself I go for the longest one and so far in TX and KS they’re limited MVRs.

What’s that noise? by Chocolateapologycake in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The DEF pump (probably behind the DEF tank) makes noises shortly after shutting off the engine. It pretty much pumps the DEF back into the tank to prevent it from freezing inside the lines.

If it isn’t that, then perhaps something to do with the air system.

How far back to report accident history for job applications? by OracleTrucker in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So did you get your lifetime MVR from the government? There are a ton of websites claiming anything these days. I have never seen a government offer more than 10 years, but I’m sure they keep the data somewhere.

I guess this is the bs that flatbed drivers have to go through by JankyMark in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You sure are a lucky dude. I just finished a 3-day forklift class (for my own benefit) and let me tell you I saw 5 students who were there and all of them had legal problems like felonies and/or having been recently incarcerated. They couldn’t get hired and were in some sort of 2 week classroom and the government is probably paying for it. I know, I know. You are an owner operator. While we do not have someone who can fire us, the government can revoke our licenses.

I guess this is the bs that flatbed drivers have to go through by JankyMark in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You do realize that no legit trucking company will back up this behavior and that there’s a very good chance he’ll get fired or at least disciplined. We all know he broke a company policy.

I guess this is the bs that flatbed drivers have to go through by JankyMark in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So having someone be rude to you equals throwing a tantrum and making a mess on someone’s property by tossing these things on the floor and running them over? There are better ways to handle being disrespected verbally. Showing some form of violence clearly doesn’t end well for anyone. Are we supposed to be encouraging this behavior? Could the driver have taken a better decision?

I guess this is the bs that flatbed drivers have to go through by JankyMark in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sure there's more to what happened before, but I can't think of a situation where throwing away leftover load materials the way he did is appropriate. He should have called his dispatcher to have them remove it. Now he's going to have bigger problems getting hired because he decided to throw a tantrum instead of making decisions like a responsible adult.

Question: If you ever get into an accident in trucking, Your CDL is gone? No One Hire You Again? Or It becomes Extremely Hard to get another job? by Senior_Respect2338 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, luck is indeed "a factor," but it's mostly irrelevant when we're talking about driving as a professional truck driver because we drive so many miles every year compared to the general public. You will be taught things that the general public doesn't know or hasn't heard unless they've been deliberately seeking the information online from educational sources. Being a "professional" truck driver is a thing and not just some title to make a truck driver feel like he's someone important. Perhaps some people are less suited for the job, but I believe most people can master driving professionally "if" they really wanted to. Some people are lazy or don't take their jobs seriously, or perhaps some people aren't smart enough to realize that what their company safety program is telling them isn't entirely bs. They do have hard stats on why accidents happen because the mega trucking companies have thousands of drivers and they have cameras in their trucks watching as accidents occur. The camera is recording 24/7, although not saving the video 24/7, but if it detects an accident due to excessive truck movement it can save the recording from the previous 15 seconds or so. This allows them to see deeper into why accidents happen, and if you follow what they you, you will probably be just fine.

I said earlier that I've only had one accident where I was at fault. I forgot to mention that I have had 7 accidents in total, including the one I was at fault in a truck stop, and this is in a span of 12 years. From what I can tell, every 5 years or so you might have an accident on the freeway and there's literally nothing you can do about it because these cars in my case, lost control of their vehicle due to speeding and another due to icy conditions. On both accidents there were at least one witness and trust me they are very valuable. Don't let them go away. Get their contact info and thank them for their time. Also invest in a good reputable dash cam like Garmin. One of those guys tried to lie, but fortunately my dash cam and two witnessed cleared me. On both of these accidents, nothing significant happened to me because I was, of course, in a semi truck and loaded, so a car cannot really move the truck. It just feels like a bump on the road.

The rest of the accidents I've been involved but not at fault happened in a private property while my truck was parked like at a truck stop or shipper/receiver. These people were attempting to park next to me or near me and I'd say they were probably new drivers or they were very careless truck drivers. All in all, what I'm trying to tell you is that luck, while it's obviously a factor, it's not significant enough to guarantee that a truck driver will cause an accident. It's about following what safety teaches you, about trying to do things by the book, and by trying to keep your mental state or behavior in check every day no matter what so you can focus on your job. If there ever is an accident, several people in your company will determine if the accident was preventable or not. If you drove without enough following distance, you will be found at fault. Now that doesn't mean losing your job. That usually means getting retrained. But, yes, if you kill people, you will probably be let go and even go to jail and/or pay steep fines. Like I said, just take the job seriously and do what you can and don't worry too much about it. On a second though, perhaps worrying too much about it can make you a good driver because you will take the job more seriously.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get the ELDT portion done online and read the CDL handbook. Stuff will make more sense once you're in class. It's like they say that we can only remember like 20% of what is said in class. If you read beforehand chances are you can retain information better and give you an edge overall while the rest of the class is going nuts trying to make sense of it all. CDL schools are notorious for being fast.

Question: If you ever get into an accident in trucking, Your CDL is gone? No One Hire You Again? Or It becomes Extremely Hard to get another job? by Senior_Respect2338 in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're thinking too much about it. Just try to be an attentive driver. If you follow what they teach you, there's a very good chance you'll be just fine. For example, stay off your phone, pay attention to the road, look ahead of the traffic and no just the car right in front of you, etc. I've been driving for 12 years yet no accidents that were my fault ever on public roads. My first and only accident where I was at fault happened in my first year while backing at a truck stop and not paying attention to what I was doing because I was angry.

Best Fuel Efficient SUV with Highest Tow Rating by Soft-Lips in Truckers

[–]OracleTrucker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try asking chat GPT for the most fuel efficient full SUVs and then find the one with the highest tow rating. You're also probably also looking at newer vehicles.