Freight Shortage, The Way of The Dodo Bird? Or, Drive Semi Smart.

Hello, again to everyone. It's been a little bit since I've posted last. I have been really busy. They have been running me really hard the last few weeks. I was planning on taking some days off on the 20th thru the 23rd, but only got to take one of those days off. Thats ok, though, it will be a better paycheck for the next week.

I would like to make an apology for the last post I wrote. I believe I may have misspoke about the new Qualcomm system. My frustration plus fatigue got the best of me again. After working out some of the bugs in the system, (yes, and I didnt think that they would ever make it work correctly) It seems to be working ok now. (or it may be that I just let the new system soak into my thick skull.)

For a change of topic, on the way out to So. California this week, I had an incident where I was doing the speed limit (65) and I had a very impatient driver behind me. He decided to pass me on a double yellow, with a car coming head on. I slowed way down and attempted to let him in. He was in such a hurry, that if I hadn't slammed on my brakes and locked up my trailer tires, he would have taken off my front bumper with his rear as he flung it back into the correct lane.

This last trip really showed me how little people know about driving around big trucks, let alone driving period. So today's topic is going to be safety around big rigs.

“Big rigs” continue to have a large presence on America's highways and on neighborhood streets. People in passenger vehicles are especially vulnerable in collisions with large trucks because of the great difference in weight. In fact, according to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, 71 percent of fatal multi-vehicle crashes involving a large truck are caused by the other vehicle . Unfortunately, many drivers of passenger vehicles are simply unaware of the necessary precautions to take when driving around large trucks, which is why I am offering the following tips to educate you, prevent possible accidents and save lives.

Follow with Caution - If you are driving directly behind a truck or on its right side and you can't see the truck's side mirrors, chances are that the driver can't see you. Most trucks have blind spots, so it's important to stay in the driver's line of sight when preparing to pass. Keep a safe distance at all times and avoid tailgating to reduce the risk of accidents by allowing more reaction time for abrupt stops. Besides—it's a lot easier to see road signs, traffic signals, and changes in traffic if there's some distance between you and a truck in front of you.

Safe Passing - Always pass on the left side of a semi and use caution. Don't complete the pass until you can see the truck's headlights in your review mirror. Once in front of the truck, make sure you maintain the speed limit and don't slow down. It takes a lot of extra distance for a big rig to stop.

Wide Turns - Allow trucks turning in front of you enough space to complete a turn safely. When a truck is making a right turn, it will normally first swing out to the left. The same goes for left turns, where drivers first need to swing right. Never pull up into the open space on a truck's side if the driver has signaled a turn. The driver may be setting up a turn or in the process of completing one.

Time and Speed - A loaded tractor-trailer requires 20 to 40 percent more stopping distance than a car. With an empty trailer, the discrepancy between the truck and the car is even greater. Be patient and safe – don't hurry to pull out in front of a fast moving big rig.

Steep Roads - When you are stopped behind a big rig on a steep upgrade, it is a good idea to allow extra space between you and the truck in case it rolls backward slightly before moving forward. Try to stay on the left side of your lane so the driver can see you in the truck's side mirror.

The Golden Rule - Exercise common courtesy for all drivers. Let them merge into traffic from entrance ramps or other lanes. Signal lane changes. If someone makes a mistake or drives aggressively, take three deep breaths and let it go.

In Closing, guys and gals, Just please, please be safe out there. We want you to return safely home, especially during the upcoming holiday season. Have a wonderful Week.

New Qualcomm System = Headaches for Max

Hey There. Here I am once again. Another gripe (of course) of living out on the road and working for a company and not owning you own truck. Our company recently tested out the new Qualcomm program to replace our old one. (I will explain Qualcomm shortly) Those of you who know me, know that I am old school and hate many drastic changes, so this change-over was pure hell for me. I'll get into the gripes and bitches in a bit. but first a little explanation of our system before i go any further.
Above you will see a photo of what my Qualcomm unit looks like. The unit is located inside of my cab. On the roof, usually on the sleeper of an over the road truck, is a white dome shaped object called, obviously, a dome. I get my load information thru this computer like device. This is a basic example of how it works: My dispatcher, located in Murray, UT, sends me my load information which includes the shippers address, time of pick up, all pertinent load and pick-up numbers, the destination, as well as as the address, also any fuel stops along the way and a suggested route to take. It goes from his computer to a satellite in space down to the Qualcomm headquarters in San Diego, CA where it gets relayed back up to a satellite and down into my "dome" straight to my keyboard unit. When I send messages it is just the opposite.

We were on the "old" system that worked just fine. Now trucks are being switched over as they come back into out yard, hence all the confusion because we are now, in essence, running off of two systems: The drivers that have not came into the yard are on the old system, and the drivers that have already cleared the "training" and been fitted with the new software. Or should I say, our dispatchers are running off of two systems. Now, I'm not pointing fingers saying that some of our dispatchers are lazy and not monitoring both systems, I'm just saying that perhaps the work load is such that there isn't enough dispatchers for both systems...at the time. (Am I making sense to anyone??)

But I digress. July 1st they have told us that everyone will be on the new software and all the bugs will be worked out of it. (Ha!) anyway, after all that mindless chatter, I come to my personal problem this week: I received a load in the yard on Monday, leaving Tuesday for Mira Loma, CA, delivering Wednesday at 11:00 am... Or so i was told. I look at my Qualcomm message Tuesday morning at 8:00 after waking up and saw that the Qualcomm said to deliver on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. Yes, that's right, that very same day. Now, it's a 10hr drive into that area from the yard. I got with my dispatcher and he informed me that is was in fact a Wednesday delivery at 8:00 am and he would resend the delivery information to me. Well, he resent it alright. The same information.

I'm sure I'm boring most of you right now, so, wipe the drool off of your chins, wake up, and just give me a few more minutes.

To make a long story short, this system will take alot of getting used to, and will take someone to clean out some of our bugs. such as when I ask for directions over the unit, it should send an automated message back to me with directions to the receiver or shipper. But I say nay nay. For most of our accounts it sends me the name, address, and the rest of the information is blank lines. Now, for some of you you may ask, "hey Max, what's the big deal?? Can't you find your way around the city?" And to that I respond, "hey you, why don't you take my keys to the truck, get loaded and go to downtown Los Angeles to the Produce markets, find the designated truck route, and find your own way to the one of hundreds of receivers there, where, if you were Joe Blow off the street in your own car, and you were to travel down some of these back streets in the markets in your own car, let alone a 70ft tractor trailer, one wrong move, buddy, and its curtains for you.

That's all for now. The next topic I'll write on will be more entertaining. I promise. But for now,

"Keep the bugs off your glass, and the Bears off your ass." I'll catch y'all on the backside.

--Max

Welcome to My World!

Hello to everyone reading this. This will be my first blog with my time back with James H. Clark and Son Trucking. I must say that I have overcome most of my anxiety about the travel involved with my industry, and all the other aspects that come with it.

If you are reading this for the first time, i encourage you to subscribe to my blog, as I will randomly post new blogs at undefined time intervals. If your are new to the trucking industry, or don't know much about the trucking industry, you are in for a treat, as I will bring you the stories from the trenches of the industry, seen thru the eyes of a mortician turned trucker.

I recently acquired a laptop and will bring the funny, and sometimes strange stories when they happen. I must warn you though, sometimes I may use some language not suitable for everyone just to get my point across about the things that I feel strongly about as well to make you feel the feelings I am experiencing at the time, however, as much as I wish I could make you feel the cold tire chains in an even colder environment at 7,000 feet on the side of the road trying to get over a snow packed and icy summit, or feel the heat of the Mojave desert while your climbing Baker Hill in the middle of July with your air conditioner on the fritz, I can't. I wish you could be riding shot gun with me, especially in situations like the the above mentioned, but I know that's not reality, so I will try to make it as real as possible.

Thank you and if you ever have any questions or would like to suggest a topic that should blog about pertaining to the trucking industry, please email me and I will take that into account. Have fun, enjoy, and remember to keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down.

--Max