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On-the_road_again 
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 Topic: WARNING - STAY OFF I-40 between TN and NM DANGER!
Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 11:23am |
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This is shaping up to be the worst winter
in more than 30 years for transport.
Covenant Trucking group, which covers several
truck lines operating nationally, has pulled
drivers off of Interstate 40 between
Nashville, TN and Santa Rosa, NM.
That decision is based upon DOT road closures
in several states & feedback from
OTR discretionary company drivers.
I pulled off yesterday near Nashville, TN.
Anyone thinking of taking I-40 between
NM and TN should wait until this Sunday.
Jim
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Stan IL&TN
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 11:45am |
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Looking at the TDOT cameras here in Memphis the I40 traffic is flowing at normal speed. Road is just wet. Snow was heavy around 10am but has just about quit for now. I'm heading for the house in about 45 min. just to be safe.
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Brian Jasper co. Ia
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 12:50pm |
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All I can say is I'm not dissappointed one bit that we finally got missed by a big storm this go round.
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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
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Jeff(WD45-SATX-TN)
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 3:02pm |
Hey Jim
You get any where south of Nashville while you are here give me a call. I am in Franklin TN.
Jeff
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Hartland Farm
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 4:12pm |
It just started to snow here in Springfield, TN about 2:00. Not sticking to the roads yet but the temp is 27 degrees. Weather man keeps saying 4 to 6 inches of the dry white stuff. That was nothing when I was a kid when it snowed all winter and we would miss weeks of school but now it's a disaster. I'm laidoff from my job at USF Holland as a road driver and I have missed all the slick roads this winter. I guess that's the bright side of not working.
Joe (TN)
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 4:35pm |
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Covenant Transport like most large trucking companies will hire anyone with a heartbeat that can stand for more then 10 seconds by themselves without falling down. When you hire people with no experience that has no knowledge of machinery or machanical ability and has only had 6 weeks of training they should be pulled off the highway! Swift and I think it was CFI hired outside of the country because they could not get enough drivers to fill their trucks, why, because they pay crap and treat their drivers worse then crap! They take people out of a driving school put them in a truck and expect them to stay in the truck for 6-8 weeks at a time!!
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 4:57pm |
 ToddSin NY wrote:
Covenant Transport like most large trucking companies will hire anyone with a heartbeat that can stand for more then 10 seconds by themselves without falling down. When you hire people with no experience that has no knowledge of machinery or machanical ability and has only had 6 weeks of training they should be pulled off the highway! Swift and I think it was CFI hired outside of the country because they could not get enough drivers to fill their trucks, why, because they pay crap and treat their drivers worse then crap! They take people out of a driving school put them in a truck and expect them to stay in the truck for 6-8 weeks at a time!! |
Todd,
I will overlook your ignorance.
Memphis, TN has had more than 400 car accidents in the last
couple hours alone.
You should watch the news.
I-40 was shut down at Fairview, TN.
This region does not have the equipment or the resources
to deal with a major winter storm.
A 6 to 12 inch snowfall alternating with freezing rain
in Nashville, TN is just about unheard of.
This storm is alternating layers of freezing rain and snow
all along I -40 from New Mexico to Tennessee & further.
I pulled off the road yesterday afternoon & will stay put
probably until Sunday morning.
I am a safe driver, just like the other drivers sitting in
lounge at the truck stop right now.
Jim
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D-17_Dave
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 5:04pm |
There are I'm sure SOME decent drivers for most any company out there. However, I must sight with Todd on his overview of Covenent, Swift, and other low pay/low exspectation trucking companies. These companies have all but ruined the good name of truck driving in this country.
A real good truck driver would have been prepared for the weather by staying clear of the affected areas.
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 5:09pm |
D-17_Dave wrote:
There are I'm sure SOME decent drivers for most any company out there. However, I must sight with Todd on his overview of Covenent, Swift, and other low pay/low exspectation trucking companies. These companies have all but ruined the good name of truck driving in this country.
A real good truck driver would have been prepared for the weather by staying clear of the affected areas. |
Stay clear of the affected areas?
Right, find an alternate route to transport along I-40
from New Mexico to Tennesse?
A "real good truck driver" follows his route and pulls
off the road when travel is unsafe - he waits out bad weather.
A "real good company" advises their drivers to do just that.
No load is worth the safety of the truck driver or other
public drivers on the road.
Jim
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realolman
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 5:16pm |
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We all gotta do what we gotta do to make a living, unless we had the good sense to inherit a bunch of money.
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Brad MI
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 8:39pm |
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Jim, we are setting at the I35 split just S of Dallas waiting this mess out. I pulled over about 6:00 because I could see the snow/mix around NE Dallas on my dashboard GPS/NORAD radar. We're in a pusher motor home, not the best winter weather ride! I'll get up abut 4:00 and look it over; I'm not sure if I should take I30 east to I40 or head up US75 to I44. Michigan Sunday afternoon is the hope........... lol
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Ken in Texas
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 9:17pm |
Brad
I was thinking of your travel plans and the ice and snow along your planed route. May be a good time to enjoy Texas for a few more days. Be safe Ken
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Coke-in-MN
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 9:30pm |
On Monday night Tuesday morning they closed I 29 in ND and SD also I 90 In MN West of Albert Lea.
US 212 was closed as well as many other roads in MN, IA, ND, SD. I went to Fargo ND. on I 94 was clean and dry all the way , but in Northern MN they also closed roads and had 6" to 12" of new snow.
Driving for a living doesn't mean i need to risk my life nor does it mean the load is or has to get there all the time on time.
Coming back from Fargo ND today on dry highway and daylight there was a accident involving a dump truck and pickup and several other cars at West bound I 94 and MN 101 in Rogers MN, all 3 or 4 lanes were closed and traffic backed up for 6 miles . Now if it had been snowing and blowing that could have meant hundreds of people stranded in bad weather.
Heed the warnings, then in areas that do not get snow regularly the drivers do not know how to drive in it and you are taking more risks , not that you are a bad driver but those other nuts on the roads can create real problems.
Edited by Coke-in-MN - 29 Jan 2010 at 9:32pm
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"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."
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Anthony
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Posted: 29 Jan 2010 at 11:39pm |
Jim,
do you stay in hotels everynight when you stop, or do you ever sleep in your pickup? Staying hotels seems like it would eat up alot of your profits.....At one time didnt the back seats in those fords fold down into abed. It wouldnt be to bad to pull into a truck stop and sleep in back a few nights.
Anthony
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realolman
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 8:56am |
I think On_the_road_again should be commended for posting this warning... not criticized for whatever comapny he drives for.
Like I said in my earlier post... we all gotta do what we gotta do.
I see a pretty little girl on his avatar... I hope he always gets home safe and more often to be with her.
Edited by realolman - 30 Jan 2010 at 8:57am
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 9:28am |
That is my 4 year old daughter Marie
I just drive for her & my family - no company
I miss her a whole lot when I am on the road
Every driver on the road hauling deserves RESPECT
Young & old - it is a tough job most days
I spend my nights in the back seat of my truck
and the drivers' lounge at truck stops
With few exceptions they are the utmost of
professionals ......
Jim
Edited by On-the_road_again - 30 Jan 2010 at 9:29am
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 5:54pm |
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Jim I don't think what I said was ignorant at all and I take offense to it!! What was ignorat with the truth? I've been driving for 24 years and in that time have seen alot of changes. Most not for the good! When I started you didn't go to a school, you learned from a pro already in the field, mine was my father. These large companies hire from the local "truck driving schools" that turn out bodies to fill the seats whether they are quilafied or not. How many schools have been under investagation for this? ALOT! Some of these "drivers" can not even speak the english language which is a requirement to drive a commercial truck. When companies buy automatic trans trucks because new hire drivers can not get a grasp on how to shift a standard tranny, theres a problem! I don't know how long you've been driving but I remember when drivers waved to each other, stopped to help when you were broke down, bought you dinner if you were broke down with no money, dressed as a pro and acted like it!! I get so disgusted when I see some of these guys out on the road. No shower in days, greasy hair, dirty clothes! My God when you buy fuel you get a free shower, take advantage of it! I saw a driver in IN about 10 years ago that must have weighed over 500 lbs with God awful dirty smelly clothes and no shower. Everyone in the reastarea was looking at him and I thought my God people are stereotyping me with him! Do you listen to the trash on the CB? I turn mine off most of the time as I can't stand to listen to these knuckel heads talking with a fowl mouth when every other word is a swear word. You know what my favorite complement is? When I tell someone I drive truck and they say wow you don't look or sound like a truck driver. I always say thank you!
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:16pm |
Todd,
Your opinion of drivers is kinda like the opinion the public has of farmers.
The 'opinion' and the 'reality' are two different things altogether.
My experience in driving and my opinion of drivers is largely favorable.
So is my opinion of farmers.
My experience is that people who making NEGATIVE general statements
about other groups of people are ignorant.
That is my opinion and I stand by it.
Jim
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:19pm |
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I just went back and read your post of sleeping in the back seat of your truck? Do you know that is against DOT regulations? You also sleep in drivers lounges? That is safe? How do you get proper rest by this method? You need 10 hours of off time to properly rest and relax and I can't see this happening in this manner. I'm very surprised you have not been shut down and citied for this. When I ran over the road with a day cab I had to show a motel reciet after the 10 hours on duty. Not trying to bash, but come on lets not call the kettle black here.
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:23pm |
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Did you read my post? It says 24 years of driving!!! I live the life, I'm not on the outside looking in, trust me. You might want to lower those rose colored glass' s of yours every once in a while and see the real world as it plays out in front of you! I too have a decent out look of the trucking industry but it's diming as time goes on.
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:34pm |
Todd,
I do not sleep in the drivers lounge.
I watch tv there.
You are clearly a very angry and frustrated and cynical person.
You need to look in the mirror.
What you truthfully don't like will be staring back at you.
Jim
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LouSWPA
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:38pm |
On-the_road_again wrote:
That is my 4 year old daughter Marie
I just drive for her & my family - no company
I miss her a whole lot when I am on the road
Every driver on the road hauling deserves RESPECT
Young & old - it is a tough job most days
I spend my nights in the back seat of my truck
and the drivers' lounge at truck stops
With few exceptions they are the utmost of
professionals ......
Jim |
Jim, she's a real cuttie pie! Enjoy her while you can, sooner than you think some young fellow will be wanting to take her away! My baby is getting married in March.
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On-the_road_again
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 6:41pm |
Thanks Lou,
I appreciate that,
Jim
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 7:01pm |
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LOL! I'm the farthest thing from what you say. I'm a pretty easy going happy go lucky person that has a good sense of humor, if I do say so myself, thank you. I have absolutly no problem looking myself in the eye each and every morning. I might not be the prettiest face I see that day, but I have not problem looking at myself. I just don't like being called ignorant by someone who has never meet me face to face. You my friend are telling me that I'm ignorant when it's a good possibilty I have more miles on me backing up then you may have going forward? Then you sleep in the back seat of a pickup truck when it is unsafe and against DOT regs and you tell me I'm ignorant? Please, it must be ok for you but nobody else? If you are running under DOT regs with DOT numbers on your truck, which you should be hauling for hire, you should know this. It was my opinion with what I said of these large trucking companies and I still stand by them. With these companies you are not a person you are an a$$ filing a seat to them. Ive been on both sides of the table in trucking and did not like what I saw on the corp. side so I left. These people do not know you so they don't care about you. I've also saw the good and bad side to drivers. I was unloading in Syracuse with my own truck and trailer, that I maintained myself, and a FNG was backing into a dock, 3 doors down from my truck. He took my fender, bumper, light, grill and what ever else he could hit with him. How can that be done? Well afterwards he told me he had just gotten out of "driving school" 2 weeks prior. If I had done something of that nature my father would have felt like a failure as he had taught me better than that! Do you think a driving school or large carrier cares? Just another claim to them. Now think of that every time you are passed or passing a truck. This guy might just have gotten out of driving school 2 weeks ago.
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Anthony
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 7:21pm |
Jim,
You sound like a really nice person and obviously work really hard to take care of your family, I enjoy you sharing bits of your life, I for one find it very interesting. Anyway stay positive..........I think the drivers that go to school for the most part are good drivers..they are just trying to better themselves................Todd it doesnt matter who you learned to drive from whether it was your dad and best friend.....those students are learning to drive same as you.............even learing from your dad you were still green once.............
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GBACBFan
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 7:42pm |
Jim, you are right, opinion and reality are two different things. I suspect you're a very nice person, as I found of Todd AFTER he moved a part for me without knowing me from Adam. I don't know him well, but he is anything but an angry, frustrated, or cynical person. He's very laid back, friendly man with a teddy bear personality that will go out of his way to help anyone.
Maybe you can both chalk it up to a bad day, PM each other and get past it. From what I sense from you and believe of Todd, you both have a lot in common.
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 7:51pm |
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You are right Anthony but you are not getting my point it seems. I was not rushed out the door in 6 weeks and pushed into a truck with very little experince. I had the mech ability and could drive anything you put me in from the farm life. I also had my permit for over a year befor I took my test. I talked to one "School grad" that never went on the road til he got his job. They were on a track for 4 days of the 6 weeks, took the test and here you go! Would you feel safe driving next to this guy? I have no problem with someone bettering themselves but come on how many people have to be hurt or killed because of this? With these large carriers it's revenue and bodies. Then the DOT and law start busting on the rest of us and we have to suffer the rath of that. Then new laws are made that I have to deal with. The romance isn't there when you live the life. Trust me I've really enjoyed the life and seeing the country but am tired of people bringing my industry down! Then to be called ignorant? I don't call that being a nice person!
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Brad MI
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 7:53pm |
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Jim, I too appreciate this post. This post gave me a great heads up about what I was going to be facing today. We left the I35 split S of Dallas this morning; 4:30 AM. Had breakfast at Cracker Barrel Texarkana about 8:00. Shortly after leaving Texarkana is when the chit hit the fan! After a long hard day in hours of traffic jams, a couple detours around tractor-trailer wrecks, and MANY miles at 45mph and less, we are setting in Palestine Arkansas tonight. At dark I40 simply turned to glass. I'm at Loves, but there was NO place to park, so I bought a parking spot from the little motel across the street- and REAL GLAD to do so! I don't guess getting to Michigan tomorrow was all that important after all...... lol
Thanks again,
Brad
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ToddSin NY
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 8:00pm |
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GBACBFan Thank you for the kind words. I've always tried to do good for and by people. But when I'm called ignorant my temper starts to raise and stand out. I would never do that to a person. Thanks again.
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NickT(Ky)
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Posted: 30 Jan 2010 at 8:22pm |
Todd and Jim, lets meet in D.C. and have a beer!
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