fatpool1991
146035
2745
66
OK so since I got a bunch more questions asking to go into more details about trucking I will!!
So people were asking about the sleeper so this is basically it from left to right I have a small flat-screen that I found at a swap shop for a pretty great deal of 20 bucks and my old x box 360 and about ten games and movies. I don't bring anything that I would care about if it got stolen because it happens more than it should.
Here's the bed and it's actually pretty comfy the way I have it set up it's actually two beds stacked because if it wasn't it feels like you're laying on a board. It can get pretty cold back here. I one time was sleeping and my heater system broke while I slept and it was close to 27 degrees in the truck when I awoke. I could see my breath and everything so I always bring plenty of warm stuff now.
This side has my clothes and dry goods. Basic stuff.
I know selfies suck but I just want to show how short the truck is inside. I'm only in the truck for 6 days at a time so I love it. I'm 6 foot.
All cold food goes in the electric cooler. These things are a life saver.
Instead of using paper logs to track my hours of service they switched us to electronic logs. I've used both paper and electric logs and they both have their ups and downs. With paper you don't really need to worry about when to stop for your ten hour break because you can fake your hours a little bit but on the bad side your job could make you run crazy hours (I have run 24 hours before and drove about 1200 miles and it sucks I don't recommend it) the electronic you have to run legal which is OK but you have to plan your room better so you know where you can stop.
This is just one of the many accidents I saw today and everyday. People need to stay off their phones (even though I'm a little hypocritical because technically I used my phone to take the picture but I was stopped because everyone else was) any who this post was a little sloppier than my last one because I'm exhausted but if there's anymore questions I'll answer them as best I can so long!
RemcoW
Could you make a timelapse of a regilar workday?
YourFriendBen
Thanks for sharing part of your life and a smile :)
Grizzlebeez
pro tip, buy a raspberry pi and put movies on it to watch on the road. or just get netflixs lol
jbilly90
Good places to eat while driving up from fl to upstate ny
Apelehamamama
Do truckers still communicate with one another on CB radios??
kevinbaken
MOAR PLEASE
paintingagency
I'm glad you have at least some ability to eat healthy on the road... I feel like a lot of mobiel professions end up eating lots of crap :/
Kromb0pulousMichael
Where do you keep the dead hookers?
oldandfat
Where do you keep all the dead hitchhikers? Looks a little tight for space
annibe11e
You dump them regularly so you only have 1 or 2 at any given time.
circlebreaker
@fatpool1991 I hope for your sake, that you're taking your wallet out of your back pocket before driving. The long-haulers who tilt 25° 1/
circlebreaker
to the right/left always screw up their backs big-time. Drive safe, buddy! 2/2
Freightshaker
Keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your ass brother. /a/NtB7a
DataBender
Have fun while it lasts cowboy. I always have mad respect for talented truckers.
wademcgillis
beep boop coming for the jobs
MostlyFarmless
664,297 miles? Daaaaang! That's amazing.
fatpool1991
It's actually 1.6 million it just doesn't show the million
MostlyFarmless
Holy hell. Amazing. Most I've had on a vehicle was 242,xxx. I was really excited to hit 239,000 (about the distance to the moon).
IMayOrMayNotHaveTroubleFindingAndOrChoosingAUsername
I sense that deadpool is a theme. Also, thanks for posting.
theberch
@op I have that same shirt. you got it at walmart.
fatpool1991
Part 3 is up and running
Fourpets
Really enjoyed your day in the life series. ?
choggie
"When it's winter up in Maine better check it over twice, that Haynesville road is just a ribbon of ice." -Dick Curliss,
choggie
(My current favorite old trucker song, Tombstone Every Mile)
Spacebandit
That black hood Monte Carlo fell from overpass?
smarmageddon
Keep on truckin.
dropbear128
Nice! Keep us updated. Would like to know what you thought were some of the more interesting stops or routes you've taken in your next post.
Carnes28
Yeah, you should post a map with pins/dots everywhere you've been
disgruntledtruckdriver
Route 163 through Monument Valley. 191 through Moab up towards Price then through to Provo is equally beautiful. IMO anyways
booksaresoghey
Took 191 south to Moab last October. Fucking beautiful.
Krankenwagen606
Which state has the most anal state troopers?
ranklebot
Freightshaker
I've experienced the most stupidity in Oregon. They like to interpret DOT regulations different than the rest of the states.
Zandmann
Thanks for this. Hi from Finnish colleague!
KyllerQueen
I'm going down a dark route (heh), but have you met other truckers that could have been serial killers?
thatsALOTofnuts75
Fun to see! But truck driving illegally when tired is just as dangerous as a person texting so probably shouldn't make fun of the texter...?
disgruntledtruckdriver
whos talking about driving illegally?
thatsALOTofnuts75
The driving too long without sleep
gindiesel
One time l drove ~17 hrs in a day and wasn't really tired...and it was (almost) legal !
khora
Apparently that was the upside of paper logs.
disgruntledtruckdriver
The benefit of paper logs is flexibility. If you start at 7am, you have to be done by 9pm. if you sit at a customer for 8 hours unloading,
disgruntledtruckdriver
you dont get to go past 9pm even though you may have been napping for 5 or 6 hours. Paper kogs allows you to move your start time up and put
disgruntledtruckdriver
a few extra miles down before you end your day. we dont make money sitting at customers and its always nice to get a head start home.
HenryFondle
Whatever happened to CB's? We used to have one in the 80's and truckers would gab all day. I have one in my truck and no one has ears on 19.
Freightshaker
Talk on the west coast is pretty sparse, but it increases as you go east.
Cronos51101
Gotta get your license man. 2 meter simplex is where it's at. Or 6m, or 10m... You can run way more power anyways.
upindat
@op a buddy of mine used to be a trucker. He said he always carried a trash bag so he could shit it in to save time. Confirm or deny?
fatpool1991
I have a little port o potty for extreme emergencies
rguygo
That is Jacksonville. Hi.
swater22
Hi
ObiSeanFlurNobi
DUVAL
Melo24
Jacksonville checking in baby.
JudgeReg904
That RV storage placed looked familiar. Then i saw the JSO vehicle and was like "ZOMG THIS IS IN MY CITY"
GuyIncogneato
Screwy looking accident. Definitely Duval.
TarynItslikekarenbutwithaT
I was stuck just a few cars down from you!
OliShah16
Jville, I see you sonbitch
bud467
Gainesville checking in
fatpool1991
Hi
PipeandSlippers
OH MY GOD just screw already!
heathbickerstaff
Yeah Get a room!
rguygo
I'm down, how about you @OP?
kgirl2601
Jacksonville looks remarkably like Austin, I had to do a double, then triple take...
RacecarRoadcar
Does the clutch have a "sweet spot" like cars do? Is double clutching absolutely necessary?
fatpool1991
Double clutching is good if you have a heavy load going up a hill but when I shift I don't use the clutch at all
disgruntledtruckdriver
The older rigs are mechanical linkage and a long stroke pedal. Very easy to learn the engagement point
RacecarRoadcar
What about the newer rigs?
disgruntledtruckdriver
many are still mechanical. some are switching to more automotive style equipment, like hydraulic clutches. similar to cars.
maito
Nah, we've switched to automatic (robotic) gearboxes. Check out Volvos i-shift.
disgruntledtruckdriver
they still only make up about 15% of trucks on the road. the i-shift isn't a great trans, either. huge maintenance costs.
ThirdCoastPauly
Was it hard getting the license? Was it hard to find the work after?
TheOnlyWulf
Trucking school isn't difficult if you already know how to use a car. You just have to get used to a bigger vehicle that can kill people.
NoWisdomWithoutRegret
My husband had a job offer before he finished school.
lunchbrakelurkingATL0
I work in transportation consulting. The industry is starving for drivers and it's only going to get worse.
fatpool1991
The money starts to glow
spideylovesdeadpool
radioactive money. nice
Corrodias
Technically, photoluminescent money. Most likely it's the trucker himself who is radioactive.
MarshallDaemon
Drivers are in high demand.
fatpool1991
It cost me 7000 dollars for the truck driving school but the demand for drivers is high right now and if you can get at least 2 years in
disgruntledtruckdriver
thats crazy expensive
juggernaut1
Many companies offer to help you pay off the loan for the school. It's very hard work in it's own way so the demand is high.
disgruntledtruckdriver
no i mean i paid $4100 canadian
gindiesel
Holy shit my driving school cost me 128$...
speshk
Wow. I'm in Australia, my license was about $3k, but the company paid for it. I only have heavy vehicle though, not multi combo.
aykyle
Damn 7k.School near me does 4k for 120 hours and 3k for 60(drive time) add 40 more for all. 5 year placement help too,another has recruiters
Kejj
I'm a truck driver and many companies just pay you house you feed you for a month to learn then ask you stay with them a year to pay for the
Kejj
Cdl a
soliddreams
As a side note, if you work for ups because they have so many trucks they'll only charge you sixty. Add that with starting at 20-25 an 1/2
soliddreams
2/2 up to 38 an hour with 80 cents a mile...
Jeslis
Any thoughts on what the trucking industry will do with automation?.. eg; what is the future of the profession if drivers aren't needed.
BeardKnight
Not OP but no one is going to ever trust these things fully to automation. They probably will make future drivers multitask into mechanic
TheSlavViking
Truck drivers will always be needed,
TheSlavViking
damn posted to quick. There are kinds of truck loads that cant be automated like heavy haul or open deck oversize stuff, there needs to be
TheSlavViking
someone there that can tighten chains and make sure the load is not moving and so on, the trucks that will probably get automated are the