Rain,Rain and More Rain

It just keeps on raining, with no real end in sight. I am getting a little sick of Midwestern weather. First the snow and now the rain. Yuck.

Are in a "holding pattern" on the moving forward with the expediting. Waiting for Judy to have a chance to schedule her 2 week Class B CDL training class with Big Rig Truck Driving School. We will need to get a motel for the two weeks it will take to complete the class. Doesn't look like there are too many good options near the school.

Still looking for an owner, although I think we have narrowed down the list a little. Still not looking forward to the process. 

Truck Technology - New Laptop

We picked up a new Toshiba laptop today. I know we will have need for a laptop (or two) out on the road. We will be turning our work laptops back in before too long, so we wanted to get started with the never pleasant task of transferring several years of files and programs from one laptop to another. Fun.

Should take a day or two to get everything set up the way we want it. The good news is, the new laptop is quite an upgrade to our almost three year old work ones. I'll miss the old familiar HP, but time to move on. Also moving from Windows XP to Windows 7. Should prove interesting.

Looking For An Owner

Things are starting to rapidly come together for us. It time for us to start looking around for a potential owner to drive for. We have been in contact with one owner so far, and have heard good things from several former drivers who have since went on to purchase their own trucks. This particular own is a "Fleet Owner", meaning they have a "fleet" of vehicles leased on to various carriers. There probably are some advantages to signing on with a larger fleet owner, but we will just have to wait and see.

We are wanting to get into the "White Glove" (WG) division of FedEx Custom Critical. This is a specialized part of FECC that hauls specialized, high value or other "odd" freight. There are a limited number of WG trucks available, and we hope to find an owner that will allow us into one. We know several WG teams, and after talking to them over time, this is where we would really like to end up. Time will tell.

One of the scariest things we have ran into over the last few years of researching expediting is the "Bad Owner." Horror stories of never getting paid, trucks breaking down due to lack of prior preventative maintenance, trucks actually being prepossessed right out from under teams in the middle of runs. These are situations we would clearly like to avoid!

One of the easiest ways of determining how any potential owner is to work with is how they treated their former drivers. Chances are, if the owner was "bad", former drivers probably are not going to have much good to say about them. Just have to talk to the drivers.

We also hope to get some help and advice from our carrier of choice. FedEx has a department that assists drivers in finding owners to drive for. They will put us in touch with several potential fleet owners as the time to start draws near.

We are also thinking of placing an ad on the Expediters Online Free Classified section of the EO website. Owners and drivers post available trucks and teams in hopes for finding work or finding drivers. We probably won't do that until May or June. There are several "Team Wanted" posting there now.

Proud New Owner of a Class "B" CDL!

Passed the in truck portions of the CDL exam today! Headed to the local BMV and a short while later, my very own Ohio Class "B" CDL with HazMat Endorsement! Very happy to get that out of the way. Judy, you are next!

Test was not that bad. Weather was not the greatest, but it is over and done with!

HazMat Approval Letters

We received out letters of approval from the TSA today. We have both been approved to haul HazMat. Glad the letter came before taking the on road portions of the CDL. Now I won't have to wait once I pass the tests. One hurdle that I am very happy is out of the way.

Taxes - Done

Got the taxes done today. Pleasant surprise for once. Actually get a tiny bit back this time. Don't really like providing an "interest free loan" to the government, but in this case, better to get then give.

D.O.T. Physicals - What Fun

Everyone who drives must pass a D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) Physical Exam at least every two years. We chose to have ours done by our family doctor.

Nothing to it really. We both passed.

There are several things that drivers have to look out for. The exams are fairly extensive (at least ours were), and you have to meet certain requirements in order to pass. Probably the two most common reasons for failing are high blood pressure or having the take insulin for diabetes. (although there are provisions to be certified for less than the 2 years if your numbers are too high the first time around.)

We are both glad that is over with and we don't have to worry about the exams for almost 2 years. Neither of us has a history of high blood pressure. We know staying healthy on the road will be a challenge, but are thankful to be in reasonably good health at the moment.

Training Class - That State Up North

The class started at 8:00 which meant we left the house at 5:00. Fun. Cold and dark. Judy drove, and planned on spending the day hanging out at the local McDonald's and getting some computer work done.

The class was really helpful, and there really is a "flow" of how to do the pre-trip. Lots of things to remember, but I think I'll be ok. The driving skills portions we easy for me, but hey, I've driven before. Like riding a bike. Judy worries more about passing this sections of the test, but she really is an excellent driver. I don't think she will have to worry.

Oh, and there really isn't any suspension to speak of in the training truck they have. Thought I was going to hit the ceiling a few times. And with the wonderful condition of the Michigan highways. Yikes.

All-in-all, class was pretty good, especially the pre-trip portion. For someone who has never driven, it would prove helpful, but you might want to try to gain some additional driving experience somewhere along the way. I don't know I would recommend anyone who has never driven before try to pass the test with only taking this class. At least rent a U-Haul truck before hand to get a little "on the road" experience.

We were finished by 2:30.

Taking a Class "B" CDL Training Class

Even though I have driven trucks in the past (even semis), I thought that I should take a training class to brush up on the Pre-Trip Inspection portion of the CDL exam.

I am going through TrainCo to take the one day Class B class, this coming Saturday. The cost of the class is $385, but also includes the truck rental, fuel and state testing fees for when you actually go to take the on-road portions of the CDL exam.

Finding a truck to rent had been one of the pieces of the puzzle that we were not really sure how to solve. Thanks to the recommendation of a current FECC driver, TrainCo has solved this problem.

The one day class is in Taylor, Michigan, about 2 - 3 hours from the house. As much as I dislike traveling into "that state up north", I'll have to bite the bullet. Forgive me, Woody.

Fortunately, I'll only have to travel to Perrysburg, Ohio to take the road portions of the exam. Lot closer to home, and I don't have to travel "there".

GO BUCKS!

Getting Our Passports

FedEx requires us to have "unrestricted access in to and out of Canada" in order to sign on with them. One of the easiest ways to insure this is with an United States Passport.

To get your passport, you must fill out a background questionnaire, have you picture taken and pay a fee to the "US Department of State" (Why not just the US State Department?). The State Department Website has a list of locations where you can apply. We chose to have ours done at the local post office.

Keep in mind you will need to prove you are who you say you are. You will need at least a couple of forms of ID (current driver's license) and a CERTIFIED copy of your birth certificate. It must have the raised seal. You will actually be sending in copies of your license and your actual birth certificate. (It will be returned to you, along with you new passport.)

The entire process took maybe an hour. They even took our pictures. Painless. Now just have to wait 4-6 weeks, and we should be good to go.

HazMat and Fingerprinting

In order to drive for our carrier of choice, FedEx Custom Critical, we must have a Class B CDL with a HazMat endorsement. So how do you get that?

We took and passed the HazMat endorsement of the written portion of the CDL exam. In oder to get the endorsement eventually added to our CDLs, we have to go through a background check process. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administers background checks for all drivers wanting to get the HazMat endorsement added to their CDL.

From the TSA website:

QUESTION:What is the HazPrint Program?
ANSWER:This is a program, mandated by TSA and administered by L-1 Identity Solutions, to fingerprint drivers, who hold commercial licenses with hazardous materials endorsements, as part of their threat assesment background checks.  The program employs a network of HazPrint Enrollment Centers in most states across the nation which allows drivers from any participating state to complete their applications in any participating state.

So the process works like this:

1. Pass the written HazMat endorsement section of the CDL exam
2. Go to the HazPrints website, and register. The cost is $89.25
3. Find a location to be fingerprinted
4. Get fingerprinted
5. Wait for your approval letter from the TSA to arrive in the mail. (usually within 30 days)

That's it.

The whole process was painless, although the first woman we encountered at the fingerprinting station must have been having a really bad day. Luckily for us, another lady did the actually fingerprinting. She was very nice, and seemed to take an interest in our stories. People are all different. Some more different than others!

If you take and pass the road portions of the CDL, wait until your approval letter arrives from the TSA before going to the BMV to get the license. If you have not been approved yet, your license will not include the HazMat endorsement, and you'll have to get another CDL once you are approved. In Ohio the CDLs costs $42.00 each time. Better to wait a little than pay twice!

CDL Testing - Written Test

While we were off for our Spring Break, we managed to get the written portions of the CDL test passed. In order to get our CDLs, we have to pass a series of written, multiple choice tests. We had to take the General Knowledge, Air Brake and the HazMat Endorsement sections.

The state of Ohio has a CDL testing manual, and you can pick these up at all BMV locations. The manual is a general guide to the information you need to know for the test. We were able to pass the sections by studying the information in the manual. We also found an excellent site that has several practice tests. While not exactly like the real tests, they did cover almost all the material that we needed to know. The site is: Crist's CDL Online Testing Center. The Expediters Online Open Forum is also a good place to ask questions if you are just not sure of something.

The tests are actually done on a touchscreen computer. You are given the choice of three answers. You chose the correct answer on a touch screen display. You have to score an 80% to pass each test. If you do not know the answer to a particular question, you may skip it once. It will show up again once you have made it through the entire test. You cannot skip the questions a second to, so be careful not to skip too many. The computer displays the number of questions you have correctly answered, so you know where you stand at all times. Lots of information, but study the manual and take the practice tests and you should do fine.

Test your knowledge: (From the Crist Site)


The first step to take if your vehicle catches fire while driving is:

a. Head for the nearest service station.

b. Get the vehicle off the road and stop in an open area.

c. Park in the shade of a building.

d. Immediately open the door and jump out.

B is the correct answer, for those of you playing at home.
If D is your first choice, this line of work might not be "right" for you.

MATS Day 2

Another day at the MATS and we are both about worn out! So much to see. Got a chance to check out some of the new Kenworth trucks today as well as several of the other makes. Got a longer look at Linda and Bob's new truck, and checked out several electronic "gadgets" including two new Truck Specific GPS models from Rand McNally and wireless devices from Verizon Wireless. We already have Verizon cell phones, so adding a wireless connection to our plan won't be so much of a hassle.

Kenworth holds a somewhat special place in my heart. My father was an Over-the-road Owner-Operator and owned 2 Kenworth K-100 cabovers in the late 1970s through 1990s. I got to ride along many times and have many fond memories of the old trucks. Ironically, Dad always wanted to get one of the conventional W900 model tractors. Sort of his "dream truck" at the time. Unfortunately, he never got the chance, as he became too ill  to drive not long before he passes away. Funny how things work. I got to sit in the cab of a brand new W900 today at the show. Beautiful truck, and I am sure Dad would have loved to been there to check it out with me. (I could feel him there in spirit.)

Oh, and today would have been his 81st birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad. 

Inside the sleeper of an Expediter Truck. All the comforts of home!

A new Kenworth T660

First Day at the MATS

Wow, what a day! We arrived here in Louisville late yesterday afternoon. We are staying about 15 miles from the Kentucky Exhibition Center, the site of the show. Instead of trying to catch the last hour or so of the show on Thursday, we decided to get an early start this morning. Had a great meal at a nearby Chili's, came back to the motel, watched a little TV and headed to bed.

It was a rather uneventful drive to the show, and we arrived about an hour before the doors opened. We had already pre-registered for the show, so all we needed to do was pick up our materials and head out to see the show.

Don't know if it was fate or something else, but the very first sight we see upon entering the exhibit area was the FedEx Custom Critical booth! On display was a brand new FECC expediting straight truck. As it turns out, we actually had met one of the owners of the new truck several years back at another truck show. They are members of the Expediters Online Forum, and I had been following her posts about having their recently purchased truck on display at the MATS.

We were able to take a quick tour of the truck, and spoke with a salesman from the truck dealership that had sold the truck. The truck belongs to Linda and Bob Caffee. They have been expediters with FECC for about six years.The new truck is a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia model and is just an amazing example of fully decked out expediter truck. There is a post on the EO forum about the new truck here.

Here is a not very good picture of Linda and Bob's New Truck

We spent the rest of the day walking around the great number of exhibits and finally made our way to the part of the hall where the new trucks were on display. By 4:00 we were more then ready to call it a day and head back to the motel. So much to see!