Today was the first day for our new drivers to be with us. We started out the morning by going over our company. We welcomed them in like family. This week, we have 3 drivers that all have previous experience. One has 6 months, another 8 months and the other has 9 months experience. Why are they with us? Because they have less than a years experience as a truck driver. We do this to be sure they aren't getting into any bad habits at an early time in their careers. It really is a good program.
So, we sat in the conference room this morning and spoke about safety issues. The first one we went over was "Rain." I told them that rain happens all over the country and all year long. When we drive across the country, we must adjust our abilities according to the weather conditions.
Also, when in rainy conditions, we have more traction on the cement surfaces whereas we don't have as much on the asphalt. Ever wonder about that? Probably not, because most of us just drive no matter what the surface is. So, why is it that the traction is so different on the surfaces?
Well, on the asphalt, the oil that drips from our vehicles seeps into the road surface and builds. Then when it rains, the vehicles drive on it and creates a soapy substance. You ever see that? Know what that is from? Cars. They put high-detergent oil in their cars, so when they drip on the road surface and it rains and we drive in it, the oil and water gets all churned up and creates that soapy substance. One thing to remember is that oil and water don't mix.
So, the main thing is, is that we ALL need to slow down when it rains.
Another thing is, most car drivers don't turn on their headlights in the rain, therefore making it very difficult to see them in our road spray. Anyone in dark colored or silver cars are virtually invisible in anyones road spray. We need to take a second, even third look in our mirrors before we make that lane change.
The next subject we spoke about was "Wind." Wind also happens everywhere all year long. We have 53 foot trailers that are suseptable to rolling over in the wind.
Ever go through Nevada and see those cool dust devils? Pretty neat looking right? Well, those things can roll a tractor/trailer if it catches the driver off guard or if it is strong enough. Then they aren't so cute anymore, right?
There are different kinds of winds. There are Derachos...these are straight line winds that form in front of a squall line. They exceed 58 mph in strength and have been recorded as high as 118 mph. One was recorded from Iowa to the Atlantic coast and had knocked over 75 rigs and a 100 car freight train.
Another one is a Downburst. This is where the wind comes straight down from the sky, hits the ground and has nowhere to go but out across the surface.
One time, when I was driving my truck from Lewiston, Idaho to Missoula, Montana on US 12, I had noticed that all the trees on the beautiful mountains had been completely logged down. Then something told me that they weren't logged. Most loggers that cut the trees just let them fall whatever way they want to with some precision. But for the most part, they fall down much like a can full of pick-up-sticks.
These trees were fallen all in the same direction. That is when I knew that something was up. When I got to Missoula, I asked about it. They told me that a downburst had happened and knocked over about 7000 acres of trees. Imagine that hitting the side of your truck? Not fun, that's for sure.
Another wind is tornados. They can range from an F-0 to an F-5, but to the truckers out there, those numbers don't mean anything. Any kind of wind can roll over a rig, so listening to other drivers or the weather stations mean more to us.
Then when we were done talking about those safety issues, we went over our log books and the regulations there. I took them through the anatomy of a log and what was required by the D.O.T. (Department of Transportation).
There are 11 required items. Those are:
1. Date
2. Mileage
3. Company Name
4. Company Address
5. Truck and Trailer Number
6. Co-Drivers Name
7. Driver Signature
8. Hourly Grid
9. Total Hours at the end of the grid
10. Remarks
11. Shipper/Commodity
I then ask them, "what was the one thing on this log that I didn't mention?" Some of them get it right away. Did you?
The one thing is, the re-cap. The re-cap is not DOT required. However, it is just like a checkbook register. If you deposit $70 in the bank and just start spending it without keeping track, you are going to overspend yourself and have to pay costly fees.
Just like the checkbook register, if you start out with 70 hours, use them up without keeping track of what you use, you could go into violation and pay some hefty fines. So, the best thing to do is either keep the daily hours on your log pages or in a notebook, but I don't suggest keeping them in your head because there is too much going on in there with everything else that we have to keep track of while out on the road.
Afterwards, we went over an extensive pre-trip inspection, hooked to a trailer and drove around town. My driver did very well. He even aced backing into a very difficult space while other drivers were waiting for him to complete his task. He didn't even let them get to him. This is good, since some drivers get all frustrated when they are backing, and then get even more frustrated when other drivers are waiting for them to get parked. That is when accidents happen.
Stay calm and let them wait. When you are done parking, they are no longer thinking of you being in their way. Now they are thinking of them having to back in while those other drivers behind them have to wait. The pressure is on them now, no longer on you.
We ended our day by attending a Safety Meeting. We learned about the ISS scores of our company and others and what ISS means. It means Inspection Selection System. These numbers are what the DOT scales use to determine whether or not a truck needs to be brought in for inspection. I will talk more about these numbers in a later entry.
Until now, have a safe trip and enjoy the scenery. Be ready for anything and expect the unexpected. Just because everyone out on the road is a licensed driver (or at least should be), doesn't make them a safe or professional driver.
Expect them to do something dumb or use poor judgement. If you expect that, then you will be ready for just about anything.
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