Oh Deer

I have seen quite a few varieties of animals out here, both alive and (unfortunately) dead. The animal I see most often, believe it or not, is deer. I have seen at least one, dead or alive, in every state I've travelled thru.

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In Illinois, I was watching the grove of trees on the right side of the interstate, hoping to catch a glimpse of one thru the trees, when suddenly, there was one, just outside the tree line, in full view, eating from a low branch. In Minnesota, I was talking on the phone with my son when something off to the right caught my attention. It was a deer, bunny-hopping thru the long grass in the ditch. In Washington, two deer had just crossed the interstate. The doe was already disappearing into the tree line when the buck stopped and looked right at me as if to say, "whew. Just made it," then he, too, disappeared.

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I never drive thru Wyoming without seeing at least one antelope. In the summer, I see mostly small herds of doe and young ones, with the occasional buck standing solitary, watching over them. In the winter, the herd size grows phenomenally. I've seen herds numbering near a hundred. At the rest stop on Happy Jack Rd, which is placed at the highest point on I-80 (at an altitude of 8,000+ feet), there is a small museum-like display that explains that the small herds gather together into larger herds in the winter for protection - against the elements as well as the predators. Sometimes the antelope are sitting on the ground, and from a distance, they look like rocks. Usually they are grazing. Occasionally, I can see them running and frolicking about. Those are my favorite. Almost always, I can find them near a herd of cows or horses. Safety in numbers!

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Most of the states prefer to leave the dead carcasses on the side of the road for the carrion. I've seen all stages of decomposition, from freshly killed and still bloody to bloated and obviously full of gases to skeletal remains. Kansas, however, doesn't do that. In fact, it is very difficult to find any road kill in Kansas. My first time thru, I thought to myself, "either the animals in Kansas are way smarter than in any other state or Kansas has one helluva clean-up crew." One thing I have learned while driving a truck: if you can tell what the dead animal is on the side of the road because it's still in one piece, it was hit by a car. Animals hit by trucks are bloody, mangled, sometimes cut-in-half, messes. I always say a little prayer when I pass by a dead animal. Poor things.

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I always smile when I see an animal, no matter what it is. Wildlife is fascinating and beautiful and awe inspiring.  I hope to never lose my awe at seeing any of the wildlife out here, whether its antelope in Wyoming or the numerous soaring black birds or the tiny gophers popping out of their burrows to watch traffic or the chipmunks playing dodger running across the interstate, making me cringe and pray I don't run over them. I love seeing the wildlife. 

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And I'm happy to report, I haven't yet run over or hit any animal.

DOT Inspections

I can honestly say I have never had a DOT inspection.  I have had to present paperwork for the state of Wyoming, twice, but have never been pulled in for an inspection.  But I do know what they are, and what the Inspectors are looking for.

First of all, every truck driver is responsible for making sure that the truck they are driving and the trailer they are pulling are safe for road travel.  We have a checklist that we must follow every single day and complete what is known as a "Pre-Trip" and sign a Vehicle Inspection Report.  There are more than 100 things that we must ensure are in good working order, both on the exterior of the rig and under the hood.  The engine must be in good working order with the proper fluid levels.  All the lights must be working.  The brakes must be in good working condition and must comply with specifications such as the brake linings must be no smaller than 1/4" thick.  The tires must be in good condition, and the tread has to be a certain depth.  Hub oil cannot be leaking from the center of each tire.  All the lug nuts must be tight.  It's a really long list.  Suffice it to say, if a driver fails to complete a proper pre-trip and gets pulled into inspection, you can pretty well bet he's praying the DOT officer doesn't find something that will cause him to be put out of service.

When the vehicle is under inspection, so is all of the driver's paperwork, and that includes log books.  Because I am electronically logged, DOT officers know that I cannot violate my hours of service without someone being notified immediately.  However, there are still a lot of drivers running on paper logs, which can be falsified.  Sometimes, a driver may choose to run two log books, which is very illegal.  However, if he doesn't get caught, he'll do it.  Why two?? One keeps tracks of his hours exactly as he runs them for his company (probably for the paycheck) while the other one is kept a little neater and coincides with lawful driving habits.  Nine times out of ten, if a driver is utilizing two log books, it's because he is speeding through a state that lowers truck speeds (like California and Oregon, where the speed limit is 55 for trucks).  In addition to log books, there are permits that every driver must carry with him to run in specific states.  I have a book that I keep my company's permits in.  We must also carry the registration and insurance for the truck,  and every trailer must have its own registration and license plate.

DOT officers are officers of the law.  They have the ability to put truck drivers out of service, suspend licenses, and arrest drivers.  If a driver is put out of service, it basically means he cannot move the rig for the length of time he's been placed out of service, usually 24 hours.  Occasionally, the driver is only out of service until repairs are made on the rig. Once in a while, a driver is found with contraband in his truck, and he may immediately have his license suspended.  Truck driving is a no-tolerance profession.  While alcohol can be transported in a trailer, it is not allowed in a truck - ANYWHERE in a truck, and that includes luggage compartments, under bunks, or on the catwalk.  Neither are drugs allowed.  Period.  Even synthetic ones.  Unless a driver has a prescription for medication (and NOT marijuana), no drugs of any kind are allowed in a truck.  If a driver has his license suspended by DOT for any reason, chances are good he's lost his job.  Occasionally, an employer will give an employee a second chance, depending on the offense and the length of time the license has been suspended.

Because we are considered professional drivers, every accident in which we are involved is considered our fault. We, as truck drivers, have the responsibility to make sure accidents do not happen.  That's why the laws that govern us are so strict.  It's why you can drive for 12, 18, 24 hours straight if you want to, but we cannot drive more than 11 hours - and no more than 8 hours without a 30 minute break.  If you cause an accident because you're tired, you might hurt someone.  You might hurt yourself.  MIGHT.  If I cause an accident because I'm tired, someone WILL die.  The difference is 3,000 pounds versus 80,000 pounds.  I am driving a killing machine.  Which is why trucks drive 5 miles an hour (sometimes more) under the speed limit in the city.  It is why trucks have to slow way down when going around a curve or a corner (especially a tight curve).  But, I digress.  This is a subject for a later blog post.

What happens if a driver and/or a company follows all the rules and passes an inspection with flying colors?  The driver is given a sticker which he can put in his windshield so when he drives thru a weight station, he won't be pulled in for another inspection.  Those stickers are technically good for three months, but most DOT officers respect them for one year.  I've noticed that the larger companies that run electronic logs and whose trucks pass 99% of their inspection rarely get pulled in for inspections.  Which is why I haven't been inspected during the one and a half years that I've been out here on the road.  Knock on Wood I don't ever have to go through one.  But if I do, I know I will be able to go in with my head held high because I perform my pre-trip inspection every day, and I know that everything on my truck is in good working order.  Or, if it isn't, I'm getting it fixed.  Which is why I am sitting in a hotel, and not in my truck, waiting for a load.

Breaking Down (the truck, not the mind)

So what happens when the truck and/or the trailer breaks down?  As a company driver, the first thing I have to do is contact the company via OTR Support (which used to be called "Breakdown").  This department determines what, if any, repairs need to be made and where to send the truck and/or trailer.  If it's the trailer, chances are good they'll send the driver to the nearest TA, Bossellman, Petro or trailer repair shop.  If the driver is close to a terminal that has a trailer shop, he might be sent there.  It mostly depends on the hour and the day of the week. (If, for instance, it's a weekend at midnight, the terminal shops will be closed.) Trailers are an easy fix.  Not a lot of moving parts, so mostly the driver is at the mercy of the shop's schedule.  If he's lucky, the shop isn't busy and he's in and out, bippity boppity boop.  The most often reported problems on a trailer are marker lights (mandatory that they all work while the trailer is in motion) and the air brakes.  If there's a significant air leak, the trailer just won't move.  If it's not significant, but audible, the driver could be placed out of service if tapped for a DOT inspection.  (More about that later.)  Obviously, everything has to be in good working condition if the trailer is going to be mobile.


If, however, there's a problem with the truck, OTR Support has to determine what kind of problem it is and which shop would be better equipped to handle the repair.  Most of the time, the truck is sent to the nearest manufacturer's shop because all of our company trucks are so new they are still under warranty.  Occasionally, the truck will be sent to the engine's manufacturer's shop.  In my company's case, the engine is a Cummins, so all our trucks can be sent to Cummins.  I drive an International, so when they deem it is a warranty issue, I am sent to an International dealer's repair shop.  That is where my truck is today, and will be there until at least Monday (although the shop guy said the chances are good they'll have it fixed on Monday).  Because I'm a company driver, the company gives me what is called "breakdown pay" for every day that I'm not rolling and my truck is in the shop.  Because I worked on Friday (I delivered the last of my load on Friday morning), I may not get breakdown pay for Friday, even though the truck went into the shop that day.  It's not a lot of money, but something is better than nothing.  The company also pays for the hotel.  They do not, however, pay for food or transportation.  That's on me.  Owner-Operators incur all these expenses on their own.  After the free shuttle picked me up from the repair shop, we picked up another driver from the Cummins repair shop.  Turns out, he's an Owner-Op.  He told me he has to pay the $2400 shop fee for the repairs, and the $79.80/day hotel cost for the weekend.  This is why I am not an Owner-Op.  Also, he's not collecting breakdown pay.  As I said, it's not a lot (probably $60/day) but it's better than nothing.


Usually, I have to play this game: sit at the shop all day until they tell me that there's no chance they are going to get the truck done tonight.  Call the hotel for the shuttle, check in for one night.  Check out the next day around 11am, and take the shuttle back to the shop.  Repeat as many days as it takes the shop to fix the truck.  This is what happened to me when I was broke down in York, PA.  And I had my son with me and no free shuttle - I had to pay for the taxi ride to and from the hotel.  We ended up spending three days in York, but the shop wouldn't tell me that's how long it was going to take at the beginning.  This time, however, the shop was up-front with the truth.  They told me the chances were good the truck wouldn't be ready before Monday.  What's nice is I don't have to be tethered to the shop waiting for a verdict.  On this trip, I get to explore and see some of Albany.  I don't have the money to rent a car.  I'll be walking and/or taking the bus, so I'll more than likely be sticking with the downtown area.  But it's more than I usually get.  Because I don't get to take side trips, while breaking down is not my idea of a fun time, it is, essentially, the only time I get to see something other than the Interstate and a truck stop.  I will be taking advantage of that, at least.

Hours of Service Explained (at last)

What do I mean when I say I only have 38 hours left on my 70 hour clock?

What does it mean when I say my 14 hour clock is ticking?

I will do my very best to explain in layman's terms.

At the beginning of my working cycle (I can't use work week, because truck drivers work for 3 to 6 weeks at a time), I have a clean slate to work with. I get 70 hours on my weekly clock and in the trucking world, a week is 8 days,14 hours on my daily clock, and 11 hours on my driving clock. Now, we all know the day is 24 hours long, correct? Truck drivers are mandated to take a 10 hour break each day so that leaves them 14 hours in which to work. Within that 14 hours, a driver can only drive for a maximum of 11 hours.  Once the clock has been started, it doesn't stop until the driver completes a 10 hour break.  Now, if a driver is held up anywhere for any reason after he has started his day (clocked in, if you will) for longer than 3 hours (combined time, if there is more than one stop), the 14 hour clock is still ticking.  That means the driver will not get to drive the full 11 hours that day.  In the meantime, for every on-duty minute, including drive-time, the 70 hour clock is also ticking. Unlike the 14 hour clock, however, the 70 hour clock does stop when a driver goes off-duty (that includes sleeper berth time). However, if a driver's 70 hour clock runs out of time before the 8th working day, he can reset his clock by taking a 34-hour reset. After being off-duty (including sleeper berth time) for a consecutive 34 hours, every clock resets to default.  I should explain that after a 10 hour break (off-duty and/or sleeper berth), only the 11 hour drive clock and the 14 hour work clock are reset.  And now, the FMCSA have thrown a monkey wrench into the 34 hour reset rule. Now, in order to complete a total reset, the 34 hours MUST include two consecutive times of 1am to 5am.  In other words, if a driver goes down before 7pm for a 34 hour break, he will, in essence, have to take longer than 34 hours for the reset to be complete. So what happens at the end of the 7th day and going into the 8th day if the driver hasn't used up all 70 hours on his clock? Well, he gets to add into the hours that he worked 8 days ago into his today times. Huh? Okay, here we go... Let's say I started working on Monday. On Monday, I worked a total of 10 hours and 11 minutes, then took my break. On Tuesday, I worked for 8 hours and 33 minutes. On Wednesday, I only worked 5 hours and 42 minutes.  On Thursday, I worked for 6 hours and 14 minutes. On Friday, I worked for 9 hours exactly. On Saturday, I worked for 9 hours and 27 minutes. On Sunday, I worked for 10 hours and 39 minutes.  That leaves me a grand total of 9 hours and 15 minutes (give or take) on my clock (supposing I'm using paper logs and have to round up to the nearest quarter hour). Now, on the following Monday, I can add the hours I worked the last Monday making my total for the day, 19.5 hours. So, I work for 11 hours and 20 minutes that day, leaving me with 8 hours. On Tuesday, I roll over last Tuesday, bringing me to 16.5 hours. And so on. I can continue to do this as long as I don't run out of hours. This is what we call "running off the recap." Some of us can do this for months at a time, as long as we don't work too many hours for too many days. If, for instance, a driver pushes hard, and works for 11 hours a day for 6 days, that's 66 hours and now he only has 4 hours left on his clock and nothing to roll over. Hence the 34 hour reset.  But now, we can only take a 34 hour reset once every 7 days. So if a driver pushes too hard for too long, he will find himself sitting more than he would like to.  And so yes, many drivers are complaining about the new rules. I hope you all understand now that a truck driver works longer and harder than any other worker out there. When we are on the road, we don't get days off. I oftentimes work for 4 to 6 weeks straight without a day off. And when I do get home, I only get one day off for every week out there, but no more than 4 or 5 days off.  So, essentially, I'm out for a month and home for a week. And, YES, I love my job!!

New Hours of Service Regulations

The FMCSA (Federal something-something-something ... The powers that be) has given all professional drivers (except bus drivers) new rules with which to comply.  As of July 1, 2013, we must now take a mandatory 30 minute break for every 8 hours of ON-DUTY time (including driving). A lot of us had already been doing that when time permitted, but if a driver is on a tight schedule (or a hot load), a 30 minute break is a luxury we could ill afford. The best part is shippers and receivers are going to have to start taking that into account, as well, and schedule loads accordingly. Problem is I haven't seen it being done, and July 1 is next week! Case in point: I am picking up a load tomorrow morning that is going to Pennsylvania for a total of 2520 miles. The delivery is scheduled for July 4. I will have 5 days to get it there on time. I will have to drive between 550 and 600 miles per day. And in just two days, I will have to include a 30 minute break in that time schedule. As it is, my calculation tell me I need 50 hours to get this load there. I only have 38 hours left on my 70 hour clock. I think a trailer swap is in my future.

The Hurry Up and Wait Game

One thing I have noticed, in the trucking industry there is a lot of this "hurry up and wait" business. The company planners, aka Logistics, will often give me a last minute load so that I have to rush around getting prepared for said load. Sometimes, I will have to find a trailer. Or I might have to start driving without really knowing all the details until I reach my first destination. Often, they schedule the load so tight that initially it looks like I can just barely make it, but with the company's regulations on how fast I can drive, along the way, I discover I'm going to be late. But I continue to push my hours and miles to try to get as close as possible to the scheduled appointment, only to be told (usually just before I get there) appointment was rescheduled for two days from now. Great! So, now I'm sitting for two days. Case in point: I was on a load that delivered the next day but it was a drop and I was given to ok to drop it a day early, since I was arriving a day early. I gave them an eta of 15:00. At 13:00-something, they gave me a new load to be picked up at 15:00 located about 2 hours away from where I was dropping. I had to drive thru Portland (OR) 5pm Friday traffic. Needless to say, I didn't arrive at my drop at 15:00. I got there at 16:30. I left there at 17:00. Meanwhile, I called my dispatcher, aka DM, to let her know I was stuck in traffic. No problem, I'm told. If you can't get to the load by 17:00, just park for your break on their property and pick up the trailer in the a.m. (I have to go down for break anyway cuz I'm nearing the end of my 14 hour day.) so, I hook up to the trailer around 07:30 and finally roll before 09:00 the next day. The load delivers in Missouri in three days. I can drive the distance in three days, but it'll take all three days to get near my first delivery, which was scheduled at 11:00. I won't be arriving until around 18:00. Meanwhile, my 70 hour clock has 28 hours left on it, and I need about 25 hours, give or take, to deliver this load. By the way, it's a three stop delivery of live plants. So they reschedule my first stop for the next day at 08:00. I ask for directions on the in-cab computer and follow them .... To nowhere. I circle the area, even driving into a shopping center, but cannot find my destination. I pull over and call the company. Turns out, someone screwed up and wrote the wrong address, therefore getting the wrong directions. I call the nursery and get correct information. Of course, my clock is ticking the whole time and by the time they are done unloading me, I have one hour and change left on my clock. I cannot deliver to the next two stops legally without taking a 34 hour reset. Thank God the last two destinations were understanding and rescheduled my appointments for after my reset. Hurry up and wait. I am learning to like this game.