Hands Free Cell Phones

With the introduction of new state laws that ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, many people have adopted hands free devices. These devices fit snugly in the ear or attach to your vehicle and allow the driver to carry on a normal conversation while operating a car. While many people think that using a hands free device is a safe way to make and receive calls while driving, studies have shown that cell phone use can still negatively affect driving ability.

Talking and Driving

Experts warn that it is not the dialing or answering of the phone that is dangerous, it’s the diverted attention that talking and driving requires. Carrying on a conversation requires use of the mental reserves that would otherwise be devoted to driving. When a driver is using a cell phone—either hands free or handheld–, they may focus more on the conversation and less on the act of driving or concentrating on traffic. In 2009, the National Safety Council released a report that ranked distracted driving as or more dangerous than drunk driving and fatigued driving. The Council also reported that the likelihood of a fatal accident was greater when drivers used cell phones behind the wheel.

A False Sense of Security

Before the explosion of hands-free devices, drivers kept their conversations to a minimum while driving and in some cases, pulled to the side of the road to make a call. Overall, drivers were acutely aware of the dangers of driving while distracted and took proactive steps to minimize the risks. With the use of hands-free devices, drivers feel a false sense of security that allows them to think their phone use is harmless. This leads to longer and more detailed conversations that increase the risks of an accident.

Texting and Driving

The act of sending and receiving text messages while driving is inherently dangerous and has been responsible for a high number of traffic fatalities in recent years. Texting while driving is a problem that is especially rampant among drivers under 25, and has no signs of decrease, despite heavy campaigns warning of its danger. Texting means you must type messages while looking at the cell phone screen. Many drivers use both hands to send and reply to text messages, and may often steer with their knees while texting. This is a dangerous practice, especially among younger drivers who may be overconfident in their abilities.

While cell phones are a modern technology that has made life simpler in many ways, they are still a dangerous distraction when used while operating a motor vehicle. Placing and receiving phone calls, holding conversations and replying to text messaging has been shown to be, in some cases, more dangerous than drunk driving. Using a cell phone while driving can even increase your car insurance rate if you are involved in an accident. If you need a new insurance policy, CarInsuranceQuotes.net will provide an accurate quote and connect you to companies that reward safe drivers.

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I will say this- even with all the flashy new websites out there, our old General Knowledge Test is still one of our most popular web pages.

We put together a group of CDL tests that cover every test you will have to take- General Knowledge, Combination Vehicles, Hazmat, Tanker, Triples, Air Brakes, even Pre-Trip Inspections.

Before you plunk down the cash (or spend the time) to take your CDL test, practice first. then, you will know for a fact that you will pass it.

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I think the problem is, a lot of people think road rage is caused by someone who pisses them off. But the fact is, as far as the law is concerned, it is the one who gets pissed off that is in the wrong.

For the past 30+ years of driving, ten years of supervising drivers, and ten years that I have been writing for 10-4 Magazine, I’ve seen plenty of surveys and reports about aggressive driving and road rage.  I recently came across this older report which was, in my opinion, the single best study on road rage ever put together.  Still to this day, there has never been anything done that was as extensive or as believable.

Way back in 1997, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (yes, they are affiliated with AAA Motor Club) released the results of a study called Aggressive Driving: Three Studies.  The first part was conducted for the Foundation by Mizell & Co. International Security, a Bethesda, Maryland-based firm which specializes in tracking crime and terrorism trends.  Most of the firm’s research work is done for law enforcement and national security agencies.

Mizell & Co. has a database of newspaper and police reports on all kinds of crimes dating back to January of 1990.  From that date through 1996, they compiled every “violent aggressive driver” report in their database (10,037 incidents) where someone intentionally caused harm to a person or property in a moment of rage.  They did not included any incident where damage or injury was done as the result of a simple accident, drunk driving, or even violent crimes – so keep in mind, this report focuses only on incidents where a person lost their temper and used hands, feet, a car, a gun, or any weapon at hand against another person or property – on purpose.  Most of us call it road rage, but for the purpose of this study, it’s called violent aggressive driving (and rightfully so).

There are a lot of statistics on this subject of violent aggressive driving, and most show an increase in road rage incidents, as does this one.  Each year, these violent acts reportedly increase by an average of about 7% annually.  And they happen everywhere, not just in urban areas.  This AAA study is the only one that I know of that analyzed actual police reports, and gives the actual reason for the rage, according to the culprits themselves.  They didn’t number them by order of frequency, but they listed the so-called excuses people tried to use that had at least twenty-five incidents which resulted in death or injury.

And, here they are: It was an argument over a parking space; He cut me off; She wouldn’t let me pass; He hit my car, so I shot him to death; Nobody gives me the finger; He was playing the radio too loud, so I shot him; He kept honking and honking his horn; She was driving too slowly; He wouldn’t turn off his high beams; They kept tailgating me; I would have never shot him if he hadn’t rear-ended me; He practically ran me off the road – what was I supposed to do; We was dissed (often used by teenagers who murdered a passenger in another vehicle).  Those are the dumbest “excuses” I have ever heard!

When it comes to weapons of choice, according to this study, the most common weapon used is a firearm (37%), or a car (35%).  But just about every conceivable weapon has been used including fists and feet, tire irons and jack handles, baseball bats, knives, bayonets, ice picks and swords, beer and booze bottles, canes, wrenches, hatchets and golf clubs (to name a few).  However, it bears mentioning that in other studies I’ve seen, a car is usually the weapon of choice.  But this time it came in second.

The report also made mention that most of the people who used a firearm were normal, law-abiding people who carried a weapon just for protection, and would have likely never used it if they didn’t feel provoked somehow.  Among those who made the list is actor Jack Nicholson.  He thought another driver had cut him off and retaliated by stepping out of his car at a red light, grabbing a golf club, and striking the windshield and roof of the offender’s vehicle.

I know most of you must be thinking there are some crazy people out there.  And yes, I’d have to agree.  But I also think we are all a little crazy sometimes.  And anybody can be pushed over the edge.  We all draw a line somewhere in the proverbial sand, that, when someone crosses it, we fight.  The problem is, when we drive, we become our vehicle.  I think of the old adage, fight or flight.  In normal life situations, when confronted in one way or another, we all have the standard “fight or flight” reaction to danger.  But, given the power and protection of 3,500 pounds of steel around us, anyone can become a fighter.

The report also had some good advice on how to avoid road rage incidents – “Don’t cut off other drivers” was listed as the number one thing to remember.  Being cut off seems to irritate drivers more than anything else.  And, speaking from personal experience, I know it is the number one thing that irritates truckers, too.  Well, here are some other helpful bits of advice to avoid a road rage incident.

Don’t change lanes without signaling, and if you do, wave a quick “thank you” to the other person.  Also, don’t block the passing lane, stay to the right.  Don’t tailgate – dozens of deadly road rage incidents started with a tailgater.  Don’t tell them they are number one with an obscene gesture – this silly little act has got many people shot, stabbed or beaten.  Use your horn sparingly – scores of shootings began with a driver honking.  Don’t allow your door to strike a parked car – dings can enrage some people out there.  Don’t use your high beams to punish other drivers.  Don’t let your mobile phone distract you – drivers hate fender-benders with motorists who were talking on the phone.

Learn to stay calm while driving and avoid confrontations.  If you sense a motorist getting angry, avoid eye contact, turn the corner, or slow down and let them go ahead.  You never know what’s on a person’s mind – they might even be a firefighter or a doctor on their way to an emergency.  Give aggressive drivers a wide berth, just in case.

Be careful out there.

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This article (below) was submitted by a lady from England. I decided to publish it to show the other side of the coin for once. Turnabout is fair-play, right? It just might pay to listen to some of their gripes. Give it a read, you just might learn something. Don’t forget, you can always leave a comment at the end.

10 Bad Habits That Lorry Drivers Have

While most drivers tend to share the worst driving habits, some of these indiscretions can be unique. A read through some drivers’ experiences on Netcars.com will give food for thought and with that in mind, here are some of the worst habits attributed to truck drivers.

1. Bad Overtaking. This is one of the most common complaints for other drivers and it involves truck drivers who don’t use driving lanes on dual or triple carriages effectively. While it is understood that all truck drivers will need to overtake another slow moving vehicle, there is a time and a place to do it and a steep gradient doesn’t offer the perfect overtaking opportunity. The result is a tailback of impatient car drivers.

2. Poor Lane Discipline. This is similar to the habit of poor overtaking but it involves the occupation of the middle lane on a highway no matter what. It’s probably fair to say that the vast majority of truck drivers adhere to this rule but often, when you’re driving in a foreign country, this bad habit is more in evidence.

3. Use of Cell Phones. With the use of hands free and blue tooth not quite so prevalent in trucks, the practice of driving while using a cell phone seems to be more common in truck drivers across the world.

4. Eating and Drinking. In the same way that the use of a phone can be distracting, eating and drinking at the wheel can make you lose concentration very quickly. Maybe it’s a truck driver’s lifestyle that encourages it, but either way, they do seem to be amongst the worst culprits.

5. Tailgating. This is a contentious issue for truck drivers who insist that speed inhibitors on their vehicles make it difficult for them when they are faced with a very slow moving car up ahead. However, car drivers will counter that tailgating is a major issue with some truck drivers.

6. Careless Parking. By the very nature of their business, truck drivers have to unload their vehicles, often in the most awkward of places. However, for some, that fact seems to give them license just to abandon their truck, anywhere they like.

7. Insecure Loads. Loading a truck is the first and the most important part of a journey and care should be taken to ensure all loads are completely secure. Sadly, this isn’t always the case and some drivers are happy to proceed with an insecure vehicle, particularly if they are behind schedule on their journey.

8. Child Safety. As we’ve seen with cell phones, it’s easier to put some safety devices in cars than it is in trucks and child seats are another example. This difficulty, however, doesn’t make it acceptable for drivers to disregard their use when it comes to young children.

9. Undertaking. These days, our highways are ridden with road works and the reduced speed limits that accompany them. One of the biggest moans for car drivers is being undertaken at 40mph by a truck that is disobeying the speed limit in these lanes.

10. General Arrogance. As if to say “my vehicle is bigger than yours”, some truck drivers will disregard basic road safety measures such as not giving way on roundabouts. Faced with the alternative of crashing into a much bigger vehicle, the car driver is forced to defer.

Footnote by Ken Skaggs: I saw a bumper sticker on a truck once that read; I pay $5000+ a year in taxes- as a matter of fact, I do own the road.

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The way I look at it is, you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. I wrote these Ten Keys as an attempt to try and make a difference out there on the road. Won’t you join me and help make the roads safer for us all?

The problem is, most drivers look at city driving emotionally. This CD is an exercise to help them analyze it and look at it logically.

Here is the basic outline of the Ten Keys to Safe City Driving:

1. Understand Traffic Waves – When you understand what traffic waves are, you can easily dissolve them.

2. Prevent Traffic Jams – By understanding what causes traffic jams, you can actually prevent them.

3. Stay Calm – It’s easy to stay calm during stressful traffic situations, when you understand what makes you stressful.

4. Do the Math – There’s an easy math system (you can do in your head) that proves that only a few seconds can possibly be saved while driving in a city, so it is therefore pointless to try to hurry.

5. Be Predictable – Sudden movements cause accidents. Steady, predictable movements give others a chance to react.

6. Time Traffic Lights – Timing traffic lights so that you don’t have to stop, will reduce stress and equipment wear.

7. Expect the Expected – Getting cut-off on the highway is so commonplace now, you should really be expecting it.

8. Compensate for the Ignorant – Take pride in the fact that you are one of the few who gets it. Then, you will feel sorry for ignorant drivers, instead of getting mad at them.

9. Teach Others – Help spread the word so that everyone will learn to prevent traffic jams, rather than cause them. Everyone who drives, whether it’s a car or a truck, needs to learn how to prevent traffic jams.

10. Make Sure an Accident is Never your Fault – Two simple rules will keep you in the right, every time. Pound these two simple things into your head and you will never have an accident that is your fault.

If you are an individual who just wants to try to learn to stay calm, reduce your stress level and begin to look at traffic logically, the MP3 is only $1. And you are welcome to burn a CD for yourself, and even pass it on to a friend.

Burn Your Own CD’s for Only $1.00 each

If you are planning on burning multiple copies for all of your drivers, please be honest and fill in the number of drivers you have, and pay $1.00 for each copy you plan on burning. I trust you.

 

As soon as you pay, you will be directed to a webpage that has all the MP3 links for all 12 tracks, along with a PDF file that has the entire text. You will always have access to this page, so if you need more copies in the future just bookmark this page and come back any time. Re-burns and future downloads are free for individuals. If you are a trucking company or truck driving school, you only pay once for how many drivers you have now. You can always come back again and get more as you get new drivers, for free, forever.

Here is a sample track- Prevent Traffic Jams.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at info@bigcitydriver.com.

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The problem is, most people react to heavy traffic emotionally. This Safe City Driving seminar is an exercise to help them analyze it and look at it logically.

If you employ drivers- whether it’s truck drivers, taxi drivers, or even sales rep’s- you owe it to them to equip them with the latest ideas and technology, not only to help them cope, but to ease your company’s financial burden.

If these Ten Keys can prevent just one very minor accident, it will more than pay for itself. And I believe it certainly will. Please read on, I think you’ll agree.

Most larger companies have all kinds of training materials for their drivers. They’ll teach them about company policies, accident procedures, breakdown plans, stopping distances, pre-trip inspections and more. All of that is very important. But there is one more very important topic that nobody seems to deal with. And what’s worse, it is probably the most difficult aspect of driving.

Of course I’m talking about City Driving- dealing with heavy traffic, delays, road rage, and all it entails.

Click here for the PDF printable outline of my Safe City Driving Seminar.

Ten Keys to Safe City Driving

1. Understand Traffic Waves – When you understand what traffic waves are, you can easily dissolve them.

2. Prevent Traffic Jams – By understanding what causes traffic jams, you can actually prevent them.

3. Stay Calm – It’s easy to stay calm during stressful traffic situations, when you understand what makes you stressful.

4. Do the Math – There’s an easy math system (you can do in your head) that proves that only a few seconds can possibly be saved while driving in a city, so it is therefore pointless to try to hurry.

5. Be Predictable – Sudden movements cause accidents. Steady, predictable movements give others a chance to react.

6. Time Traffic Lights – Timing traffic lights so that you don’t have to stop, will reduce stress and equipment wear.

7. Expect the Expected – Getting cut-off on the highway is so commonplace now, you should really be expecting it.

8. Compensate for the Ignorant – Take pride in the fact that you are one of the few who gets it. Then, you will feel sorry for ignorant drivers, instead of getting mad at them.

9. Teach Others – Help spread the word so that everyone will learn to prevent traffic jams, rather than cause them. Everyone who drives, whether it’s a car or a truck, needs to learn how to prevent traffic jams.

10. Make Sure an Accident is Never your Fault – Two simple rules will keep you in the right, every time. Pound these two simple things into your head and you will never have an accident that is your fault.

Just a little about me… I drove everything for many years before I got into safety management. I worked my way up the ladder and somehow wound up as the leading expert on this subject.

I spent my early years driving taxis, small trucks, company cars, you name it, before I settled into trucking for many years. Spending most of those driving hours in and around Chicago, and supervising drivers, I dealt with heavy traffic for more than thirty years. In 2000, I wrote the precursor to my Ten Keys to Safe City Driving, which received raved reviews from the likes of Jesse White (Secretary of State of Illinois), and some major trucking companies too.

I spent the next ten years (2000-2010) writing for Ten Four Magazine, and doing some regular radio spots on about a dozen popular radio shows. In those latter years I started doing more and more public speaking engagements. And now, that’s all I do.

If you’d like to hire me to come and speak to your drivers at your next safety meeting, please email me at info@bigcitydriver.com.

My price is very reasonable, and will in fact pay for itself. I’m not in this to try and get rich, I’m here to help make a difference out there.

My basic rate is $500 for anyone in the Chicago/ NW Indiana area. For this, I will come and speak for an hour or two, take questions, and even hang around a little longer and mingle for the shy people’s questions. If you are located away from my home area, please add basic travel expenses to that. I’ll travel anywhere in the continental US or Canada for $1.50 a mile, to help cover gas and lodging.

More about me and my Ten Keys to Safe City Driving.

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He followed the signs that guided him to the truck parking area, and parked his truck in the nearest available spot, past the first thirty trucks. He put on his hat and walked through the cool mist to the huge, old building to check in, with boot heels clicking on the asphalt.

The sign on the door used to say “Drivers Entrance” and, by all accounts, it still was. The other buildings that surrounded him were all part of the ancient, sprawling complex. A hundred years ago this place had its heyday, and probably made something important, but today it was just a warehouse – a huge, old, cold, lifeless bunch of storage buildings.

He paused for a moment, taking in the scene – people of every size, shape, age and ethnic background. They were tall, short, thin, fat, young and old – the same as they always are at these places. The tall man with the big laugh, who seemed to have everyone’s attention with a funny story, saw the old trucker’s confusion and pointed to the long line of drivers, without even breaking the stride of his story.

The old trucker hoped he’d be the exception to the rule of the obvious long line of drivers, but not this time. At least ten drivers were standing, waiting, shifting their weight from one leg to the other, looking at their watches, or doing some other kind of fidgeting move to proclaim their boredom to each other. The old trucker nodded thankfully to the tall man with the big laugh and then got behind the last man, who was more than a little aggravated about the line, huffing and puffing about the complete ineptitude of the clerk.

The old trucker ignored the mumblings from the man in front of him and opted for the friendlier conversation at the table beside him. A big bearded man was bragging about his wife’s cooking, getting everyone hungry by describing every detail.

At another table, the story being told by the tall man with the huge laugh must have been funny to the teller, but not necessarily to the rest of his listeners. However, his pleasant demeanor and booming voice had the whole table smiling in anticipation of every word. The only woman in the room sat at the same table and listened intently as he talked of simple, daily chores as if they were exciting. He was a man who took pride in his truck and safety.

A man in a jogging suit was talking on a cell phone the whole time the old trucker was there, arguing about his crazy neighbors, totally oblivious to all of the eavesdroppers around him. A humongous driver quietly gazed out the window daydreaming until someone asked him about the weather – to which he responded with a thorough knowledge of the day’s forecast. Another driver put a shiny new boot up on a chair to pick off a tiny speck of something. Out of the clear blue, a small, silent man finally spoke, saying, “It really doesn’t take that long here. We’ll all be out of here in just an hour or two.” And a few people nodded approvingly.

A short, round man walked in smiling, holding up a deck of cards. “I told you I had some cards. Who’s up for some poker?” He sat at an empty table and dumped a pocket full of change in front of him. After sifting through the pile of coins he said, “I have about three dollars here for any takers.” A cowboy stepped away from the counter and said, “Don’t mind if I do.” Several more people sat around the table with him. Then a few others scooted in closer to watch.

At the sight of that, a man who wasn’t really noticed yet, stood up and announced, “Look how everybody jumps at the mention of poker. Well, I’m going to start a table for Jesus over here. Anybody who wants to sit and talk about Him is welcome.” The room was dead quiet for a few seconds.

Finally, the only woman stood up and quietly walked to the Jesus table. Then a few others straggled along.

From the corner, a scraggly man lifted his head from his arms as if he had just woke up, shook his head in disbelief and proclaimed, “Well, I’m just going to sit here and watch all the fun.” And then he proceeded to lean back into such a comfortable position that everyone thought he’d likely be sleeping in just a few short minutes.

The room was all-abuzz for the next half-hour or so – each table had a life of its own. There were stories about work, fighting, farming and many other manly things. The big laugh was ever-present in the poker game and in command of the tall tales. The silent guy next to him was winning all the money, but the loud guy kept smiling and bragging about one thing or another.

The old trucker nodded and sat next to a seemingly quiet man. The quiet man said under his breath, “I’ll be glad when old big-mouth over there leaves.” The clerk called from the counter for the next driver, which happened to be the tall guy with the loud laugh. He gathered up what little was left of his change and then left the room. Suddenly, it was very quiet.

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We are switching everything over to a WordPress Blog. Now you can leave your comments on everything!

As you may know, I sell this video to trucking companies, taxi companies, any company who hires drivers, and drivers themselves, especially truck drivers, and city drivers who drive daily in a big city.

I wrote the Ten Keys to Safe City Driving, in 2005. After trucking for over 25-years, and spending most of that time in and out of Chicago, I grew frustrated with the traffic- how they literally cause traffic jams, the way they drive. I just wanted to stop everybody and explain to them- you need space in front of you- it’s basic math. Cars + trucks – space = traffic jam. Add more space and the equation looks a lot better.

I recorded an audio CD of it in 2007, and those sold well for a couple of years. I got a lot of requests for a video during that time. And released the video in 2009.

If you employ drivers, this is a must-watch video at your next safety meeting. You can watch the embedded video below, or download it and watch it full-size on your Windows Media Player here.

Ten Keys to Safe City Driving

Special Offer for Trucking Companies, Taxi Companies and Anyone who Employs Drivers.

When you buy this video, you don’t just get a video-
You get unlimited Copies! (You burn them yourself on your own computer, or watch them online any time.)

Plus, you get unlimited CD’s for your drivers!
(Again, you burn them yourself from our MP3 files, as many as you need!)

Plus, you get the PDF file of the complete text, so you can print out as many copies as you need!

No matter how large your company is, you pay one low price, then make all the copies you need of everything and send it to all of your locations.

We are offering a special introductory price of only

$99.00! Buy it now and download it immediately!
In Windows Media Player format (WMV).
You will be able to burn DVD’s for your orientations
and CD’s for all of your drivers too, unlimited! (As long as it is only distributed within your company or school.)

IMPORTANT- This purchase is for Windows Media Files (WMV), MP3 Files and a PDF file only. In other words, there will be no package in the mail. You will be able to download them and watch the VIDEO at any time, as often as you want, using any computer with Windows Media, or burn them to DVD’s on your computer, if you have a DVD burner. You will also be able to listen online or burn CD’s with the MP3 files. Plus, you get the PDF file of the entire text, which you can print out and pass along to your drivers so they can follow it and remember it better.

You can pay with any major credit card or with your Paypal account. You get unlimited downloads of Windows Media Videos (WMV), MP3′s and PDF text
files for only $99.00.

 

If the payment link does not work, just email me and
I will send you a Paypal invoice. (Sometimes cookie settings, firewalls
and anti-virus programs block the payment page.)

There are no other charges, just $99 for unlimited lifetime
downloads!

C2005, 2009, Ken Skaggs, all rights reserved.

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Well, I have mentioned more than once in my writings that I have had over one hundred jobs, and the burning question I get is- what was the best job you ever had? It’s a hard question to answer in short, so I thought I’d give you the detailed answer.

First the short answer- When it comes to making money, I made the most when I was an owner operator. But, if I had to pick one company driver job, I couldn’t do it- they all have their ups and downs. But I will give you a few names that were at least good in some areas- Heartland Express, US Xpress, NFI.

Now the long answer- the whole truth. Once I bought my own truck, there was never to be any going back. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you can choose your loads, choose your time off (when and where, as much as you want), and just the liberty of having a business that you are totally in control of.

Being able to set a pace I was comfortable with was something I struggled for years to find. That’s because I never liked the long miles and high miles lifestyle. Most drivers, and most owner operators too, think they have to run over 3000 miles a week to make money. But it’s just not true.

You’ll make more money by slowing down. The reason I got into heavy hauling was because it paid well. I could do one run in two days, and be done for the week.

I had three trucks over a ten-year period (one at a time). I never had the ambition to try and grow it into a company with umpteen trucks, I just wanted to have a decent income and enjoy life with my wife (she always used to go with me.)

By far, the best owner-operator outfit I ever leased on to was Sammons Trucking Co (STC) out of Missoula, MT (their Heavy-Haul division). Like all the others, they have their ups and downs too. But when they are up, they are way up! And when they’re down, you don’t mind because they pay so well when you do get a load.

Here’s an example of a typical month at Sammons:

You’re at home, and you check in to see what they have- nothing yet. You call a couple of agents in the area, and again, nothing yet. But they’ll call when they find something. (They give you a list of agents- two or three for each area.)

An hour or three (or a day) goes by, and, you get a load. It pays around $4 to $6 a mile, and it runs about 1000 miles. (I’ve had them pay less, and more, but a lot of them fall in this price range.)

After you do that run, you might wait another day or two or three for another load. But you don’t mind because your truck already grossed $5000 for the week and it’s only Tuesday. So if it takes until Friday to get a load, fine. And on those busy weeks, where you get two or three loads in, your truck is grossing $8000 to $10,000.

Of course, when it’s really slow, like it was for a couple of months in the winter of 2008, you might just want to pick some short runs. That way, you can just deadhead straight back home. I did it this way for several months and made out quite well:

I’d get a load for $4 a mile going 600 miles. Make $2400 gross and be back home in two days. Take a few more days off at home, then do another.

The great thing about Sammons is- they let you choose your loads. You will develop relationships with agents who get some good paying freight too. I had a favorite agent out of San Antonio who used to get me some $10 a mile freight, every month or two. When he called, I didn’t care where I was- I could be in South Carolina- But when he had a few loads I would shoot to Texas and knock them out- and in the process gross about $10,000 in five days.

If you don’t own a truck, now is a great time to buy one. Find about a six or seven year-old truck for $20,000 or 30,000 and put a couple thousand down. That’s the best way to buy in my opinion.

Sammons does have a lease-purchase program, but it is very limited- I recommend buying your own truck outright. If you have any questions, please email me at info@bigcitydriver.com and I’ll be happy to answer them.

If you want to speak to a recruiter, let me know in your email and I’ll have them call you. Or, fill out this form and I’ll have a recruiter call you.

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I worked my way up at Sammons quickly. I started out in their flatbed division, leasing their trailer for $165 a week. I averaged about $2 a mile, and about $4,000 a week average gross.

After only one month, I bought a step-deck trailer for $8000 and stepped up to their step-deck division. The trailer lease went away, and the average pay per mile went up to about $3 a mile, with a few less miles. I worked less and made more. I liked it, for about two months.

I knew all along that it was their heavy-haul division that I wanted to get into, but when they hired me they didn’t have any heavy-haul trailers for rent, and I couldn’t afford one. Well, one day they got a three-axle trailer (one flip-axle), that stretched from 29 feet in the well, to a whopping 50 feet in the well.

The weekly lease was around $340 a week. But it was well worth it. Now, I was working way less, and making way more money. I averaged about $5,000 a week gross when I wanted to, and had a few really good weeks in the $10,000+ area (gross). And of course, weeks of zero-dollars when they were slow. I liked the money, and I really liked the pace.

Sammons always let you choose your loads. There was never any pressure to take any load, it was completely up to you. And you could take as much time off as you wanted to. They never minded, they just tried to help you do whatever it is you want to do.

When you needed money, you could stay out a few weeks, take the highest paying freight wherever that leads. Or, take shorter runs and stay home a lot when you wanted to.

Now I could afford to do just one run a week if I wanted to, and deadhead home from it. There were many weeks I would get a short load, say 500 miles, that paid $4 a mile ($2000 gross), and after spending only two days on the road, I’d shoot back home and enjoy five days off for the rest of the week, and still cleared more money than most owner operators do who run 3000 miles a week.

Some drivers would rather run 3000 miles than make $3000.

If you have flatbed, step-deck, or heavy haul experience, and you own your own truck, you can contact Sammons right here.

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