We have three new drivers at our company, an old geyser and two young ones, one of which is in his mid 20’s and is an expert (or so he thinks). The ‘Expert’ was trained by J B Hunt (need I say more ?), he hooks up the regulation and very stupid way “Because thats how you’re supposed to do it” he says.
We also have a very new, hardly used Frieghtliner Columbia, Glossy Black with chrome everywhere, including two shinny stacks. No driver wants the new truck because it breaks down twice a week, we stick to our Volvo VN’s. The ‘Kid’ asked why the truck stands there all week, the boss say’s “You like it ? … it’s yours”
Even after we told him how often it lets drivers down he still grinned and started putting his stuff in it.
Yesterday the ‘Kid’ walks in the office and asks “Can I get the mechanics to fit some load lock bar brackets and a new chrome tool box on the truck if i pay for all of them ?”
“Of course you can” says the boss smiling from ear to ear. The 'Kid runs out to the workshop and the boss turns to me and says “If he’d asked for us to supply the stuff, I’d have bought it and fitted it, but he said he’d pay so let him, it all adds to the value of my truck”.
I can remember some young Kid in the 70’s back in England fitting ‘TIR’ plates on his truck to make it look like he worked continental, as did a lot of idiots, none of them actually knew what the plates meant.
TIR plates were made for rented trailers only for all routes including Great Britain, they stood for “TRAILER INSURANCE ROUTE”
Pat Hasler:
TIR plates were made for rented trailers only for all routes including Great Britain, they stood for “TRAILER INSURANCE ROUTE”
Never used them myself, but I thought it was Transport International de Routier.
Salut, David.
thats exactly what i thought also David, untill some top insurance geyser told me what it actually stood for. The original one sounds more glamorus.
Heck, I’d probably be able to muster up enough enthusiasm for the right job myself…
(But if I ever fitted stuff to a truck and I quit, the stuff would ocme off just as quick 
)
The ‘Cab Happy Kid’ was in the yard yesterday when I drove in and told me he was pulling out of a space and did I want it?, ‘Yes’ I replied. The Kid hooks up regulatio US style which is rubbish EG: connect air lines first then back under, (Very stupid if you ask me), The Kid was all hooked up and ready to go, or so he thought, he hit the throttle and tore off dropping the trailer on it’s knees , So much for the US method. 
Pat,
Yes this coupling order has always been straight forward for me. Couple 5th wheel first and check pin, couple lines, lift legs, knock off handbrake (if still there) check lights and (in UK) plate.
Safety first and might save a lot of hassle.
When I came to work here all the frigo drivers used to couple the lines (except the red) when only partly under because of the lack of room between fridge motor and cab. Then couple and squeeze in to couple red.
Reverse for dropping (trying not to forget and driving away with all but the red pinging like a machine gun on the back of the cab.)
I did swop trailers with an experienced mate away from base and to my horror saw that he dropped the legs and pulled the pin but pulled forward to give himself room with all pipes still connected. Of course the weight of the trailer on the 5th wheel had the effect of pulling it forward with the legs bending under the strain. Soon stopped him and decoupled the red, it was my trailer after all! But his surprised look told me that it wasn’t a mistake, it was normal practice for him.
I dropped one on its knees in Newport once in 1960 something. As it left the back of the unit it flipped the chassis ends like a tiddleywink shooting me skywards in the cab and crashing my head against the (metal) roof.
Sore head, 4 hours waiting for crane to lift front heavy trailer, rollicking from the boss - never did it again!
Salut, David.
More new about ‘The Cab Happy Kid’
On friday 13th I overslept, then almost ran out of gas so was about 2 hours late for leaving for Wilmington MA. I noticed on the traffic sheet that one other guy (a very lazy git) was going to the same drop and that ‘The Kid’ was going to Xpedex in the same town, both 2 hours ahead of me. I chose to drive over Killington mountain in Vermont and down I 89 and I 93, very fast I might add, I had a voice mail message from the lazy git asking if I could pick him up some tax free ■■■■ in NH. Needless to say he went without because he too was going the same route andis too bone idle to walk from his cab to a store to buy them.
As I cross the NH/MA state line just north of Lawrence ‘The Kid’ enters the highway from Lawrence. “What are you doing there ?”
“I messed up and missed the turn”
“If you are north of Wilmington how did you miss it?”
“I used the Mass Pike to get here faster”
“well it ain’t faster because you are now 30 minutes late and will have to go to the back of the line”
“I will not, I’ll tell them it comes off right away or I take it back”
“Then you will be taking it back I said” I gave the Kid the correct route and left him, he delivered the load without saying a work but ‘I’m sorry I’m late’
A prime example of more haste less speed and you learn something every day.
ahhh bless him hes only trying his hardest to please
how many times has he broken down now anyway?
chris
He has given up breaking down (as i’d told him he would) One of our drivers is off work for 4 months for surgery, he drives a Frightliner Classic with a huge condo, I hate the thing as it’s like driving a block of flats around.
The ‘cab happy kid’ has ditched the new truck and moved in temporarilty to the Classic which makes his a ‘Real Trucker’, I was in the office last week and he asked would the other driver want to swap for hiw new truck as he likes the Classic ? “Not a chance” was the bosses reply. As I walked out to my truck ‘The Kid’ told me “If I don’t keep that truck I’ll quit”
My reply ;- “You’ve been here a couple of months and you already have a new truck, now you want a more senior drivers truck or you’ll quit ? – you had better start looking for a job now then because you ain’t keeping that truck”
blimey pat and people say ive got an attitude problem
sounds like he needs a good slapin to me, what ever happened to the newbies getting the old rotter of the yard but then again he has the new one instead hahahahahahahahaha 
chris
This Kid is stereotypical of 80% of north east truck drivers, but new at it, his main ambition in life is to have a huge gut, a baseball cap, BO and a pick up truck he can drive with his left arm hanging out the window by the time he reaches 30, he already has the gut and the cap.
Cab Happy is not so happy 
Today he was told he was getting his other truck back, I walked in the office and he beamed, … “You’re going back to England next week ain’t you?”
“Yes, for 10 day’s only, and NO! you ain’t using my truck”
