The Volvo truck interior is entirely synthetic, i.e. plastic. Even the fabric is made from plastic based threads. When the weather is dry I get bit by static shocks all the time. I've even tried those static reducing wipes, to no avail. Sometimes when it is really dry I can even see the lightning bolt as it passes between my finger and whatever part the shock is going to or from.
I want a mentor
- Thread starter bleee619
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The Volvo truck interior is entirely synthetic, i.e. plastic. Even the fabric is made from plastic based threads. When the weather is dry I get bit by static shocks all the time. I've even tried those static reducing wipes, to no avail. Sometimes when it is really dry I can even see the lightning bolt as it passes between my finger and whatever part the shock is going to or from.
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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has anyone thought of attaching a grounding strip from the tractor to the actual ground below..??
i see those all the time on the battery powered fork lifts at work.
i can also remember seeing cars (back in the day) that had those grounding strips.
Amazon.com: Auto Car Black Anti Static Electricity Strap Earth Belt Ground Wire (YI-153): Car Electronics
I did that in the first Volvo I was in, and the second one too.
Didn't help a bit.
And everyone was always asking me what that black strap was.
pushingsilver
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So did you ever get a *real* answer? I'm n00b #2 to this thread. I've been considering a career change for a while now. I signed up for CDL school back in 2004, and then backed out after a friend gave me a lot of negative feedback about the school. My life took a different direction, and now I'm back to planning a shift into trucking. I got my CDL 2 years ago, have a doubles/triples endorsement, and have a tanker endorsement. I'm seeing a lot of "hazmat preferred" and since I don't have anybody close to me that can act as a mentor, I have to say that logically...the other responses you've gotten about keeping yourself as eligible to take a load as possible make perfect sense...you/I need a hazmat.
I know a lot of people are down on the trucking industry. The rules of service debates make my head spin, and sometimes it does sound like the politicians are overlooking the fact that they're actively making it difficult to make a living in an industry that we can't do without. Some say that the n00bs will have a lot of options in trucking because the old dogs don't want to learn new tricks. Some of the new rules and regs are pushing the experienced drivers into retirement.
Feel free to PM me if you want to swap stories. We're in the same boat...
I know a lot of people are down on the trucking industry. The rules of service debates make my head spin, and sometimes it does sound like the politicians are overlooking the fact that they're actively making it difficult to make a living in an industry that we can't do without. Some say that the n00bs will have a lot of options in trucking because the old dogs don't want to learn new tricks. Some of the new rules and regs are pushing the experienced drivers into retirement.
Feel free to PM me if you want to swap stories. We're in the same boat...
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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you say you got your CDL 2 years ago..??? have you worked at driving since you got your CDL...??
cuz if not, and i surmise this from what i have read, you WILL NEED to go back to school and either have a refresher course, or the full training all over again.
"on average", trucking companies will turn you down for a job, if you hadn't been driving for at least 6 months from the time you got your CDL.
no...the "noobs" may NOT HAVE a lot of options.......you still need the endorsements, to get some jobs, as you even say "preferred" is in many job ads.
we "old dogs" as you call us, will always have MORE experience backing up, then you ever will going forward. i cannot tell you of the disappointing backing of noobs. hell going forward makes me shudder sometimes from the noobs as well...
then there is the changing of lanes, and speed, or lack of it from you noobs.
heck, just this morning at or about 2 AM, i was "cruising" in the middle lane of I-495 in MASS, when a dumbarse driver was in the middle lane doing all of 50 MPH.....(the speed limit IS 65)...he wouldn't move over, so i had to get into the right lane, pass him, then get back into the middle lane....
nothing is "pushing us into retirement" as you want the other noob (the o/p) to believe, but time and our ages...
many of us are at or near retirement, and what would you have us do.....work till we drop..??
hell no, if retirement is on the horizon for many of us, then by golly we will take it.
many off these new rules and regulations are a challenge to many of us, but we take them and work with them as best we can.
can YOU say FOR SURE, how long YOU WILL BE a truck driver..??
well, if statistics are ANY indication, MANY noobs, drop out like flies when they fail to get along with the daily/nightly/weekly regimen of being a driver, as many noobs simply do not have what it takes to cope with life on the road.
again, at the truck stop i go to each night, a noob was "crying" to his mentor/trainer how he did not see the exit or hear of his exit on his GPS.....
you wanna tell me that noobs will depend on electronic devices more than a good old fashion map, or asking another trucker on the cb radio how to get to a certain area or place..??
if you noobs want to depend on something, then depend on those device to steer you into trouble rather than in the right direction....
case in point, i too have a truckers GPS, a Rand Mc Nally in fact...
i needed directions into a place into Boston, south Boston in fact...
MY GPS got me right there......my buddies GPS...??
wanted to send me down Dorchester ST......
a street that is off limits to trucks OVER 2.5 tons.....
oh yeah..his GPS..??
is also a Rand Mc Nally..!!!!
i have seen more noobs drive like morons, act like morons and smell just as bad all hell, and you think you guys will push us "old dogs out"...??????
better get a better grip on reality.........
grocerythrower
TB Legend
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The problem with alot of new drivers is they have not received proper training or not enough, if they are of a new generation they grew up being told yes and never heard the word no, The most valuable thing for me coming up in the industry was advice from the old hands, I listened to any of them willing to impart advice, kids these days won't listen, they know everything, some of them think a tractor trailer is a sports car and drive it accordingly.
I don't run a CB anymore but Thurs night I wish I had one going through OKC with triples, how is it that I can keep my tractor, 2 converters, and 3 trailers in my lane but a large portion of the drivers that pass me can't seem to handle one trailer? Geez...
Ok I'm done complaining, until Sunday night when I go back to work and have to dodge all the folks invading my lane, the fog lights, bright lights, and all the other things that assure me that these days its a me, me, me, world and there is no consideration for fellow drivers, problem is now days the worst offenders are truck drivers, the 4 wheelers are doing a pretty good job for the most part!
I don't run a CB anymore but Thurs night I wish I had one going through OKC with triples, how is it that I can keep my tractor, 2 converters, and 3 trailers in my lane but a large portion of the drivers that pass me can't seem to handle one trailer? Geez...
Ok I'm done complaining, until Sunday night when I go back to work and have to dodge all the folks invading my lane, the fog lights, bright lights, and all the other things that assure me that these days its a me, me, me, world and there is no consideration for fellow drivers, problem is now days the worst offenders are truck drivers, the 4 wheelers are doing a pretty good job for the most part!
sharpshooter
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Soooo true!!!
I was thinking about this last night actually. I was coming up on a Schneider truck last night, and he was doing a fine job, staying glued to the solid white line, giving everybody plenty of room, as 3 other trucks passed us, glued to the zipper ofcourse. Schneider didn't flash any of them over, then I passed him, as always, I'm right on the yellow when passing folks. He actually noticed my courtesy and flashed me over but, did I move right over? NO, there was nobody behind me, so I stayed out there to give him plenty of following distance before I went back over. Nothing eerks me more than people wanting to stick their ass in your face, when your the only 2 trucks around for miles!!
Your right GT, it's ALL about ME ME ME these days, and it gets more aggravating every day
I know how you feel!
I get similar stuff when pulling OD loads. These dipsticks have no clue what responsibility goes with running OD (actually I think they have no clue about the responsibility of driving a truck period). They drift around fiddling with stuff as I am passing them, when they should be maintaining awareness of what is going on. I see far too many big truck drivers now who seem to think that texting is OK, and they can't even wait until I am past them before they screw around with those things. I also see these morons reaching down between the seats (probably for a snack or drink), reading papers, and generally not focusing on the traffic around them.
Then there are the hot rods (sheesh! I thought I was the one who always had the hammer down!) that blow by me and nearly take out my mirror extensions or clip my load while I am riding the rumble strips on the shoulder. And in so many places there is a 2" drop along the fog line that makes it a pain to ride the right side over there.
I do have to say that most (most, but not all!) of the drivers dragging sets are focused and courteous. The see me coming and give me a little extra room, dim their lights (why do drivers think that hitting the high beams is OK? even in the daylight it can make you see spots!) to signal I am clear to move back over, even notice when I am coming up on them going up grades and wait so I can continue on and then pull out to pass slower rigs.
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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what i have bolded...
on my truck, i cannot flash my headlights...as soon as i push in the 'yellow" brake knob, my headlights come on..if i try to "dim them" all i can do is turn the headlight switch "off", but they do not dim much, if at all, as they are still on, due to the yellow knob being pushed in.
i have tried flashing my fog lights, but the drivers either never noticed them flashing, or ignored those..???
so hitting the high beams seems to work for others that i pass, as well as when they pass me.
sometimes, i don't even make any attempts to signal anyone to move over, as he does so on his own.
my cb radio is turned on, but every night, it's as quiet as a church mouse...
it's my running location.....had i been driving on I-95 north/south....i'd be turning OFF that radio..!!!
grocerythrower
TB Legend
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I feel like drivers ought to be professional enough to know when its safe to move over safely I typically give the lights to freight haulers and other food shuttle guys, I do that to be nice, they are the only ones that don't let their trailer swing into my lane, plus I go so slow I would be wearing out my light switch all night. Note, when I am in an International 8600, the lights will not turn off, so no one gets the courtesy I don't want to bright light anyone.
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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what i bolded..
you cannot "bright" anyone no more than you can "fix stupid", or give someone "common sense".....:LMAO:
But your lights do dim a little, and that can be seen.
Also, doesn't your truck have a CLPS switch? The switch that blinks the clearance lamps? Mine does. It momentarily blinks the yellow and red lights. And with the LED lights on trucks today that can be seen a long ways away and even in very poor conditions like fog, heavy rain and snow.
Grrrrr . . . . . . . .yes, I would have seen them, and they annoy me also. Those dang things do very little, if anything to help in foggy conditions. They are supposed to illuminate the roadway down low in fog and make it easier to see, but all they do is add more light to reflect off of the moisture in the air, and annoy drivers in other vehicles.
And for some reason there seems to be a large number of dimwits who think they are cool and have them on all the time, even when it is not foggy.
I wish they would outlaw those things . . . . . .
It will get you a return of the porch lights from me. And trust me, my porch lights are much brighter than your high beams.
You blind me, I'm gonna burn the retinas out of your eyeballs brother.
It's only fair, right?
For me that is the best thing a driver can do if there are no better alternatives. I still have both eyes (of course you can't have a CDL if you have lost vision in one eye) and I have excellent peripheral vision and depth perception. I know when I am clear, and I always give at least a full truck and trailer length before moving back over, even in states that are fussy about trucks lingering in the hammer lane.
You have a radio?
All ya gotta do is grab the mic and say, "You got it SPD, bring it back over".
Anytime I get a radio communication from another driver I respond with a polite thank you, and in that situation I also then make the move back over.
Except of course for those numbnutz who have excessive echo and other noise on their radio that makes it impossible to understand what they are saying. Then I simply signal and move over. The modified radio thing is another subject, and a whole thread could be devoted to arguing about it.
Yes, there are places where the Radio Rambos can get annoying, and I may turn the radio down or off, but otherwise it is always on. The CB is a very important communications tool. Again, another thread would be a better place for such discussion, but I agree that far too many idiots have no clue about the role a 2-way radio has in trucking.
Cerberus_Kelpie
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I'm sorry to read of such interest in such a miserable "profession".
I've been on these many roads in 40 ton missiles since late '98 and I'm one of MANY that wishes he never started, yet there ARE MANY that are GLAD THEY DID as well MANY that DIED while driving.
When I was 23, I wasn't thinking or looking at anything except the bottoms of beer cans, whiskey bottles and trollops.
I had no direction home because cops and courts directed my adventures.
I hope you're CLEAN and SOBER.
Maybe looking into another professional career, something that actually AWARDS REWARDS as well offers travel and adventure.
Maybe, as stated, Commercial Electrician or the Science of Earth routes: Geology, Anthropology, Archaeology, Paleontology, Philology(not a Earth Science yet still in the Scientific community), etc.
I'm not giving a go at discouraging anyone from anything, just offering up some alternatives to what has become and is becoming a nowhere career or as some reference it, a "profession".
$40,000 your first year = GOOD LUCK.
Which division are you interested:
Dry Van?
Reefer?
Stepdeck?
Dropdeck?
Extended Deck?(see HEAVYHAUL/OVERSIZED)
Lowboy (see dropdeck, Heavyhaul/Oversized)?
Tanker? Milk, Fuel, etc.
Curtain Side? (Skateboard with Curtains)
Skateboard? (Flatbed--also see Heavyhaul/Oversize)
Covered Wagon? (Skateboard with Aluminum overlay framework and Tarps)
Tractors:
Super Chicken Hauler--Pete with too much chrome, too many Lights, a super C.B. and a train horn.
Chicken Hauler-- Pete or K whopper (Kenworth) with some extra lights and a super C.B.
Then there are just trucks:
Western Star--some of these have been dressed and seen as Chicken Haulers.
Sterling--it's a FORD, big deal.
Freightliner--Freightshaker.
Volvo/Mack.
Cornbinder (International--think Harvester)
Most Trucks are now automatics so much of the FUN has been removed. The other FUN has become over regulated by our fettered federal buffoons and it'll just continue to worsen.
Then there are the IDLING LAWS, LACK OF SAFE PARKING, LACK OF PARKING, shippers, receivers, other drivers, Full Grown Bears (State Troopers and D.O.T.), City Kitties (Local flatfoots), County Mounties (Sheriff) as well plain wrappers.---just SOME OF THE C.B. LINGO WE USED TO ENJOY, nowadays it's mainly profanity, so my C.B. stays OFF., Coops (small scale houses), Super Coops (those with inspection bays and MUCH parking, for MANY potential customers).
YouTube has some valid information however ANYONE CAN GET A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT AND MAKE A VIDEO.
MANY have stated "I just want to drive BIG TRUCKS", "I love to travel", I wanna be king of the road", etc., only to realize within the first 6 months to a year, they MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
GO to Truck stops and chat up drivers but do not knock on doors of parked up trucks as you may well get things (comments, actions) you're not seeking.
GO to Trucking Companies and chat up SAFETY or Human Resources for Ins and Outs.
GO to Trucking Shows.
IF you have enough money to buy equipment, you have enough money to ENJOY LIFE doing something else.
I hope you attain that of which you seek and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
I have never been nor shall ever be a mentor.
CHEERS!!
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Cerberus_Kelpie
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:Off-Topic:
Both negative and positive are positive charges, just different origins and destinations.
Electricity is just that, no more, no less (seek RacerX69 for confirmation as he's been [by his free admissions] well charged up since youth). We get charged by our ability to handle the load however often we get overcharged.
Try wearing rubber suits to lessen the charges.
We hope you enjoyed this charged up seminar.
No charge card required to return.
As Teddy Roosevelt said CHARGE!!
Sorry for the OVER charge Mate. Your charge will be reduced. Such request will be a reduced charge to your charged account.
Both negative and positive are positive charges, just different origins and destinations.
Electricity is just that, no more, no less (seek RacerX69 for confirmation as he's been [by his free admissions] well charged up since youth). We get charged by our ability to handle the load however often we get overcharged.
Try wearing rubber suits to lessen the charges.
We hope you enjoyed this charged up seminar.
No charge card required to return.
As Teddy Roosevelt said CHARGE!!
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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mine really do not dim by all that much
i very rarely if ever use my fog lights, they a re useless indeed.
no, it is not fair to blind me, as i would only be trying to "tell you" that it is ok to move back over...many flatbedders do not blind others, so if you do, then you are making for trouble
this is why i just don't signal.
do you know how many times i try talking on the radio, and no one responds..??
plus, it's too far to reach for the mic....
i usually ignore another driver....as his conversation is not worth my time.
too may people have the mic up thier noses to understand them...
which is why my run is nice....and quiet.>!!!
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Wait.
So it is OK for you to blind me, but I am not allowed to return the favor?
Sounds a bit lopsided to me.
Kinda like, say, a total stranger walks up to you and punches you in the face. Are you gonna just stand there and bleed out the nose and not punch the guy back?
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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no, it is not lopsided, as i (and many others) would only quickly flash the high beams, not leave them on for the sole purpose of blinding anyone....
again, many trucks do not allow for the total shutting off of the headlights these days.....
i have never had a flatbedder take any high beam flashing by me as an "on purpose" or intentional blinding...
please refer back to my posting, number 29.....when i said these.....
please tell me, where i said i purposely blind someone..??
but here is what you said in posting number....32
you have shown that you will purposely blind someone, who is only trying to be of some help, and cannot turn off his head lights....and who may not even have a cb radio
you know, that irks me when a driver will see another truck pass him by, see a set of cb radio antenna's and assume that the driver HAS a cb radio...
i cannot tell you the number of times i have had a rental truck, all decked out with the bells and whistles, and cb antenna's, but i have no cb as it IS a rental truck, i am using for one or two nights.
i once heard a driver bad mouthing another driver all because he see's a set of antenna's, nad he had no radio...
how do i know this..??
simple, it was a co-worker of mine many years ago, and i had the only radio, and he made a lane change and cut off the other driver.....
think the idiot other driver believed me that the co-worker had no cb all because he saw antenna's..????
It only takes a second of the high beams to blind that driver who is watching the mirror. In the dark one's eyes are dilated fully, and today's headlights are many times brighter than they used to be.
Even just a blip of the high beams causes momentary blindness of the passing driver.
Is that safe for the motoring public?
No way.
Do nothing at all and just let the other guy move along.
Even just a blip of the high beams causes momentary blindness of the passing driver.
Is that safe for the motoring public?
No way.
Do nothing at all and just let the other guy move along.
sharpshooter
TB Veteran
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Nothing worse than getting blasted with brights the exact time you look in mirror. It takes a minute to recover from that sometimes..lol
Dont mind a quick bolt of light in my mirror,its the ones that think it takes you a minute or two to see their brighties..As for the cb,I have a radio and antenna,but 99% of the time its muted.I dont wanna hear all the Rambos,drivers that sound like they haven't seen a woman in years etc..