It's a Team's Life

We were there once!

Beth contacted me with a few questions on how to set up her sleeper and what to expect out on the road.   I thought her questions were interesting and I was reminded of when I  started team driving with my husband.   I discussed some of her questions with a few members of our group and they thought it would be interesting to have them on our call to ask questions.   The Trucking Solutions Group has a diversified group of  7 members with easily over a 100 years driving experience.   The Trucking Solutions Group gets together once a week on a conference call to share best industry practices to help each of us to manage our businesses more profitable. Some of the questions this couple were asking were unnecessary worries while others were legitimate concerns. Items that they needed to know about were not even on their radar screen.

There questions reminded me of many of the things we had to learn about Expediting and also the many questions that were answered by Bob’s trainer with US Xpress.   This couple will not have the luxury of a trainer to help them through all of the trials and tribulations of living on the road.  

We explained to them that you do not need to provide your own towels at a truck stop shower, how the satellite pump works  at the fuel island on the passenger side of the truck, that your 4-way flashers are the universal sign that a truck will be backing up at a truck stop or into a dock.  We discussed the etiquette of dimming your lights when someone else is trying to back into a parking space at the truck stop.  The reason for this is that you do not blind them in their mirrors.  We also discussed how to approach a state weigh station such as turning your CB off, dimming your lights, put your drivers side window down to listen for instructions from the scale master, rolling onto the scale and if you receive a red light not slamming on your brakes. We discussed safety issues while walking past the fuel island such as getting eye contact with the driver of the truck you are walking in front of, and also walking far enough in front of the truck that the driver can see you.  We also discussed that at most truck stops after you fuel you need to pull forward so the next truck in line can start their fueling fueling process. All of these questions reminded each of us how much we take for granted in our daily lives on the road.

I remember one of my unfounded ideas when I started  driving near New York City.   I could not figure out the big deal of having to fight traffic in this area.   Remember I am from a small rural area and I had NO clue how big cities really could be.   My thoughts were if you had to go through this area you would just wait till late at night and then buzz right on through.   Hours of Service meant nothing to me and I could not even fathom the idea of the fact if you drove all night you would still be in a very populated area and have changed states a few time.   The idea of having a delivery appointment or a pickup appointment was something I did not have a clue about.   This was just one of the many misguided ideas I had about the trucking world.

 Beth and her husband are going to be in for a lot of eye openers and wow moments.  As a group we are all convinced after talking with this new couple they will give it their all and have the time of their lives.

The Trucking Solutions Group wishes them all the luck in the world and cannot wait to talk to them in about six months.

 

Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters 5 years been out here on the road ten years
[email protected]

 

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.