Hotels4Truckers

     I always thought truckers just slept in there trucks. But this website caters to those who stay in hotels. List all hotels nationwide that give discounts to truckers. Join for a very nominal yearly fee to save you money on hotel rates. Check it out!

Hotels4Truckers - Get In Where You Fit In

The Phantom of the Truck Stop: A True Ghost Story

     I saw this spooky story online on the About.com website and I thought I would share it. Kind of creeped me out. If you are an OTR trucker you probably seen some unexplainable things driving across the US. Maybe it's your mind playing tricks on you from being tired driving all day or maybe it did happen. Whether it is true or not you be the judge. 

     

     The Phantom of the Truck Stop by paranormal researcher and author Stephen Wagner. 

‘Big old bombs’ of snow and ice create havoc on new Port Mann Bridge

     Very interesting article from the Globe and Mail website on the new Port Mann Bridge in Canada, British Columbia. Canada's newest bridge has dropped "ice bombs" onto it's deck, damaging vehicles, injuring people and ringing up thousands in damages. Seems the design let's it collect ice on the cables during bad icy weather. The Port Mann is the second-longest cable-supported span in the world costing $3.3 billion. Chunks fell from the cables during a snowstorm, resulting in at least 100 insurance claims. 

Check out the article by Andrea Woo in the Globe and Mail.

Schneider Drug and Hair Follicle Drug Screens

     Just got back from getting the required drug screen for my employment with Schneider Trucking. Talk about getting very thorough. You have to do the typical urine test plus they have you do a hair follicle test. They want to confirm that you didn't stay clean for a month just to pass your test. They really don't want to hire anyone with any type of frequent drug use and I can't say that I don't blame them. Driving is serious business. 

     First you do the urine sample the typical way by peeing in the cup. After the urine sample the nurse needs a hair sample also to complete the hair follicle test. I didn't want to risk getting any bald spots on my head since they need a sample as close to the skin as possible so I chose my chest hair. They can also do underarm hair too. With the hair follicle test they supposedly can track traces up 90 days back and possibly more. 

     Here is an interesting web site on the facts of the Hair Follicle Drug Test. So be clean and stay sober so you too can pass your hair follicle test. 

Your Hazardous Material Endorsement

      Most transportation companies would like for you to have a hazard endorsement on your CDL license. Besides it could pay more for hauling these types of loads. Applying for your Hazardous Material Endorsement (HME) is not to hard to do. First you have to go online to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website and register by filling the online application. There is an $86.50 fee which includes submitting your fingerprints at one of the hazmat enrollment centers located in your state. They have a list on the website to the locations for your area. Some of the locations may require you to make an appointment before you go to get your fingerprints, while others are usually open during their normal business hours. 
      

So I Got My CDL Now What?

      Now that you passed all your exams and recieved your official state CDL license, now what? OK, let's find a job in your local area where I can make good money and be home with the family every night. Unfortunalty trucking is not a 9 to 5 job, you will be spending time away from your family home life. If you've been searching and filling out job applications you know not everyone will be interested in you without any real experience. You might get lucky and find a local company who may hire and train you. Maybe a friend or relative may get you into their company. But the reality is there's just not many companies that will hire a rookie. Mainly because of insurance and the fact that the you will be driving a very expensive piece of machinery not to mention transporting some expensive merchandise. Almost all want some experience from say 3 mo. to 3 years. So the only option is a national company like Schneider, U.S. Express, Werner, Swift and many others who cater to entry level student trainees. They will help you get started but you will have to go on the road with a trainer. So be prepared to be away from your normal home life while you train and then afterwards when you get hired. 

Trucking School In A Nutshell!

      Just finished trucking school and received my CDL Class A commercial drivers licence and a nifty certificate from the school. Whoo, what a nerve wracking experience. Completed 177 hours of class, skills and on the road training. Went to a really decent school, Progressive Truck Driving School in Lansing, Illinois. Very good instructors who take time to make sure you are learning. Although sometimes they get frustrated when you just can't get the hang of shifting a manual transmission and are constantly grinding them gears. It could take a while to learn how to drive a 10-speed transmission while learning the double-clutch technique you are required to learn in Illinois.
     
      Most of your time is spent on learning pre-trip inspection which is a trip in itself. You basically have to memorize almost every part of a semi-truck not to mention learning how to test the air brake system. There are (8) separate air test that you need to learn to make sure your air brake system is in good working condition. This is all very crucial to becoming a trucker because you have to do a pre-trip every time before you are going on the road. You have to be able to detect any problems before you drive so you are not driving an unsafe vehicle. You could very easily kill yourself or worse someone else driving an unsafe truck. What if your brakes fail going down a long mountain grade and your pulling 20,000 to 30,000 lbs of freight, now that same weight is pushing you faster and faster down that mountain. It won't be very pretty.