It's a Team's Life
You are going to do WHAT?
One of the first comments we heard from family and friends when they heard our life changing decision was "Have you lost your minds?" next came "You are trading in your secure stable jobs in management to become a steering wheel holder?" Talk about a misconception. What our family was seeing when they looked up into a truck was someone who got up, drove all day, found a truck stop, parked for the night and did it all over again. They had no idea of the rules and regulations we follow.
We might have lost our minds, but we have had the times of our lives for the past thirteen years and we continue to enjoy our business. Bob started out as a driver and when sitting through orientation with a large over the road carrier the information given was overwhelming. We had a lot to learn and we continue to learn.
Learning to fill out a logbook was a new experience.
In the oilfield and hauling locally we never
used one.
It did not take long before we
understood how to fill out a logbook, it took a little longer to remember how
often our duty status changed and has to be notated.
Before we start our day and when we end our day we have to inspect the truck. Pre-Trip and Post Trip inspections consists of a minimum of twenty inspection points. In reality, every time we get out of the truck and each time we get back to the truck the tires are examined, the ground under the truck is inspected for leaks, and the truck is sound and ready to roll.
Many of our loads are hazardous materials and these require more knowledge and more testing. The normal routes are all the sudden not legal and we have to skirt cities. How often when on the way to work does a driver think about the railroad tracks they just crossed or worry about stopping for all of these?
Paperwork - there is enough paperwork required in our truck to kill a small tree. Before we move the truck we have to have all of permits up to date, different permits for different states. There seems to be no uniformity. Before we can drive the truck we have to have our health cards, our CDL's with the correct endorsements, our company ID cards, our hazmat certification of current training, and our TWIC cards. Not of these cards come cheap and if I remember right the TWIC was $132.00 for each of us.
There are also many rules and regulations on what must be
carried in the truck such as a fire extinguisher.
Not only do we have to carry a fire
extinguisher there are rules on how it must be secured.
We have to carry a minimum of three triangles
to be used if we break down beside the road.
Now we add more rules on where the triangles are to be placed and these
rules depend on if the road is straight or if we break down near a curve.
These are just a couple of rules that are regulated.
Driving a truck is anything but a brain dead job and the
consequences of not knowing the laws can end up with us receiving steep fines
or in extreme situations jail time. Now when our family looks up into a truck
and see's a driver there is a new found respect.
Family and friends also know now that we made
the right choice for us as we would have went brain dead if we had stayed at
our old jobs.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 8 years been out here on the road 13 years
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.