Who here can drive an 18 wheeler?

Someone just watched Over the top! Let’s arm rustle!

All our apprentices are required to get a CDL by the end of their 2nd year. So I have 14 guys with a CDL. I just let my lapse last year. Still wear trucker hats on occasion!!
 
I’ve had a cdl for 24 years, it’s good to have in the fact that there is always work
 
I’ve had my CDL for 28 years. I’m an awful truck driver. The best compliment I ever got from my boss after my trackhoe broke down and he stuck me in a dump truck was “You couldn’t drive a sharp stick up a pigs arse” I blew the driveline out in the first 5 minutes of being in the pos.
 
When I was in college, I was a yardbird for a big trucking company. Worked nights and weekends.

One of our jobs was to switch LOADED trailers under the various tractors. There were literally stickers everywhere warning not to do that.

Most of the drivers were too scared to do it.:ROFLMAO:

We had trucks with the “roadranger” trannies, and the 4x4 brownies. I got pretty damn good at it.:cool:

But get a bobtail tractor with a 10 speed, put it in 5th, get it up against the governor, and dump the clutch. Outstanding!:cool:
 
I worked at Mack in Hagerstown Md for 13 years. My dad and pap both retired from there. We made all the 11L and 13L engines, and transmissions there, and lots of machining work. I was a mechanic in the engineering and product development department. Got to take some pretty cool trips across the u.s working on test trucks, and even to mexico. Drove everything from garbage trucks, concrete trucks, dump trucks, and every configuration of over the road truck you could think of. Lots of dyno cell work. The engineering department there was state of the art. It was a cool gig but i parted ways to pursue my own thing about three years ago... best choice i ever made.
 
I can drive one and used to have a license. Insurance and stuff was too much of a hassle. I have a dump truck but have a Z license now so it's legal. Had a school bus driver's license for a while. NEVER do that. Every youth and church group wanted me to drive them on their trips. Got rid of that quickly!
 
ICMDEER said:
I can drive one and used to have a license. Insurance and stuff was too much of a hassle. I have a dump truck but have a Z license now so it's legal. Had a school bus driver's license for a while. NEVER do that. Every youth and church group wanted me to drive them on their trips. Got rid of that quickly!
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I had a CDL for over 45 years, never got that endorsement just for that reasons. Eye problems ended that.
 
Breaker breaker for the RookieWYhntr. That's a big 10-4 there good buddy. I can slingshot a towed wagon into nearly any parallel parking spot. Just give me a holler on the ole squelch box if ya need info as I'll be 10-10 on the side.
 
SS! said:
Someone just watched Over the top! Let’s arm rustle!

All our apprentices are required to get a CDL by the end of their 2nd year. So I have 14 guys with a CDL. I just let my lapse last year. Still wear trucker hats on occasion!!
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So can you make more money if you own your own truck vs working for the man?
 
I think here in utah guys that have their own truck and side dump are making about $125/ hr. And a single dumptruck is $95 hr. You can make lots more having your own truck if you can keep it on the road,lots of new trucks here in the last 2-3 years
 
Cooper said:
I think here in utah guys that have their own truck and side dump are making about $125/ hr. And a single dumptruck is $95 hr. You can make lots more having your own truck if you can keep it on the road,lots of new trucks here in the last 2-3 years
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I don’t believe that’s what you “make”. Sounds closer to what you charge. Still need to subtract the cost of the truck and the OH expenses like insurance.
 
Bluehair said:
I don’t believe that’s what you “make”. Sounds closer to what you charge. Still need to subtract the cost of the truck and the OH expenses like insurance.
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I figured that was common knowledge. Like if you tell someone you make $100000 a year, that doesn’t mean your bank account sees $100000 a year
 
Lots of first time owner operators think they are making the big bucks until they have to replace their semi. Then it’s back working for the man. ??
 
SS! said:
Lots of first time owner operators think they are making the big bucks until they have to replace their semi. Then it’s back working for the man. ??
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It’s gonna become more common around here when things slow down, plus with fuel around $4/ gallon and most trucks getting around 5-7 mpg, it’s gonna hurt when they aren’t keeping them busy
 
Dementia Joe claimed yesterday that he use to drive a big rig. So it must not be that difficult. I hear he's also an expert golfer just like Kim Jong Un and he got an 18 on his last round
 
SS! said:
Fun fact those pieces of tire you see on the road, truckers call them gators.
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And most are the residuals from recapped tires, i.e. old carcasses with new tread fused on. Poor ones tend to separate when they heat up too much. Not sure if they're still allowed, but when I was in the garage business a zillion years ago, lots of truckers used them. They were big money savers.

My oldest son has a CDL w/hazmat endorsement, but can't drive semis. He's limited to 'one piece' trucks.
 
wetmule said:
Dementia Joe claimed yesterday that he use to drive a big rig. So it must not be that difficult. I hear he's also an expert golfer just like Kim Jong Un and he got an 18 on his last round
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Well, now that I think about it, there used to be a guy they called, Earl. He wasn’t around long. Somebody said he went to work at a feed store in down town Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
 
I worked in the oil fields in Rangely and drove for a couple of years between college. I then worked for a big Goodyear dealer in Provo. They recapped tires from cars to scrapers. I don't believe tires are recapped anymore mostly because of liability. Hot dirty work ! I delivered and serviced earth mover tires from Casper to St George for them. Paid pretty good for a college job. I have slept in my truck quite a few times . Many adventures while driving. The road was an interesting place.
 
I never have, but I bet if I had to get somewhere, and the only vehicle was a big rig, I'd figure it out.
 
Talking about driving brings back old memories. My first driving job was in 1973 hauling quartered beef on the rail from Denver to Lehi Utah in a cab over International Harvester reefer. This was before the Freeways were finished, and logs were exercises in creative writing. Hanging beef on those roads was a wild ride. Had a lot to do with me deciding to get an education.
 
I can....but ain't got a CDL...I'm was a 5 speed Main, 4speed Browning Water Truck driving gear changing fool back in the day..
 
I'm sure I CAN drive an 18 wheeler! My mommy told me I could do anything I set my mind to.
Turns out I just never set my mind to that.... but I'm sure I could because I've heard the most important instructions. "keep the shiny side up", seems pretty simple! LOL

Zeke
 

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