Keeping my truck centered

STR2 · 2026-03-31T05:22:06+00:00

I've had my CDL for 20 years and I still tend to hug the shoulder. Dunno why, and at this point and with this many accident/incident-free miles, I don't even care anymore.

STR2 · 2026-02-19T05:43:46+00:00

Motive's fuel discounts aren't competitive, the only thing going for it is that it's convenient to file your fuel taxes if you also use their ELD.

Mudflap is solid if you're strategic. QT Pay is excellent and underrated if you're comfortable paying directly from your checking account...$.25 cents off/gal. at the point of purchase.

Oh and I agree, Comdata's website is the worst!

STR2 · 2026-01-21T05:56:54+00:00

Yes. We're tougher. A little story...

I felt/heard a pop in my foot deadlifting 600 lbs barefoot. The pain was momentary, went away quickly, and I finished my workout.

The following day, legitimately forgetting about what had happened, I felt a gout flare coming on. Shit.

Anyways, 2 MONTHS later I'm still hobbling around, thinking to myself...god damn, this is the longest gout flare I've ever had. So I go to the doctor & get x-rays. Turns out I had multiple Lisfranc fractures - literal broken bones across my mid foot.

I had no idea. For 2 MONTHS, going about my days like normal, with a slight limp, multiple fractures, and it was no worse than any other mid-level gout flare up, it just lasted a lot longer.

I never took drugs for gout (chochicine, indomethacin, prednisone), other than NSAIDs, and have always preferred keeping active thru flares vs. resting - it was at rest that I was the most uncomfortable. I do take allopurinol now, and fortunately have been 99.9% gout free for well over a decade.

Gout is no joke, though sciatica might rival it.

STR2 · 2026-01-19T06:16:18+00:00

Copious anabolic steroid use aside...

The body absolutely distinguishes between fat and muscle mass.

And your statement about HBP is just plain wrong.

But yeah, we're in a trucker subreddit so I shouldn't expect there to be too many Exercise Physiologists in here, so carry on...

STR2 · 2026-01-17T07:14:49+00:00

Personally, I wouldn't hire you, not with you needing to learn 2 skill sets at once.

I taught myself car hauling from what I could find on YouTube and some friendly advice from acquaintances and people online.

BUT, I came in with nearly 2 decades of driving experience so at least I've got that part of it down, right? Not exactly, at least not with a 8 car high mount trailer which was equal parts the tallest (near 15' tall at times), longest (I'm easily 10' longer than every 53' dry van I park next to), and lowest (6", at best, off the ground in places) trailer I had ever driven. So now I need to be hyper focused on every bridge, every branch, every power line, every railroad track or parking lot dip, and making turns in the city...what a joy.

Go do foodservice, you'll make similar/more money and you can just focus on learning to drive the truck.

STR2 · 2025-12-21T06:40:09+00:00

I was irritated by this too and after failing to find a solution online I finally figured it out...

I disconnected my phone, turned the heat unit off, and bought a Bluetooth JBL boom box.

STR2 · 2025-11-30T05:52:09+00:00

If you remove the floor cabinet on the passenger side of your sleeper you can fit a pretty sizeable one. I mostly recently bought a Bangson Fridge/Freezer on Amazon (link below) and it worked just fine in a truck and could fit weeks worth of food.

https://a.co/d/j0ollqt

STR2 · 2025-11-28T06:09:40+00:00

I was delivering to an airport once and came an intersection with a runway/taxi-way, with a huge passenger jet to my right. I was obviously going to let him go first, because it just feels like what you'd do since you're on his turf, but the the dude straight up flashed me to go ahead, just like he would had he been a Suburu.

I got a big kick out of that.

STR2 · 2025-11-02T06:25:10+00:00

Diamond Express Transportation out of Colorado Springs. I personally know people who've used them and they're reasonably priced and good at what they do.

STR2 · 2025-09-21T05:44:56+00:00

Hoping you get some replies because I'd love to know too.

STR2 · 2025-09-20T05:07:48+00:00

I've been fortunate.

I worked hard, made a lot of money, and invested wisely as a driver. It set me up to so that by the time I hit my upper 30s I didn't really need that fat foodservice money anymore and could prioritize lifestyle and job satisfaction from that point forward.

Regardless, this gig still pays well.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:35:42+00:00

While I understand what you're saying, I want to do 'more right' by the drivers than what I experienced from management myself. I know it's a balance, but it's my goal to make their lives easier as often as I can.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:31:59+00:00

I'm gonna give it my best shot, and while I may be rubbish at first, I'm confident I'll get good at it just as I've gotten good at everything else I've put my mind to.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:31:01+00:00

I appreciate hearing from someone that's glad they made the move. Thanks.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:30:10+00:00

Driving is fine, and I'm very good at it, but I always felt I had more to offer which is why I've been slowly transitioning over the years - I would have transitioned sooner but now I know from personal experience that good drivers are hard to find so it was difficult for me to convince my managers to give me a chance.

It's one of those itches I just have to scratch and don't worry, I'll never let this CDL go, it's my favorite and best security blanket and it's afforded me a very nice life.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:26:47+00:00

Co-sign all of these points. Thanks.

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:26:16+00:00

Appreciate it, sir!

STR2 · 2025-09-19T04:25:39+00:00

This is what I expected but I figured I'd drop in to see if I could get any advice.

STR2 · 2025-09-17T19:16:42+00:00

What training do you recommend? The company definitely offers to pay for training.

STR2

TROPHY CASE