After reading Phil and Kevin's threads about their involvement with the racing scene, I got the bright idea to make a post about what I do.. it's not exciting as racing, but it involves automobiles and a lot of people have never seen the inside if a semi truck.
I start my day by going to a dirt drop yard in London KY where I pick up a trailer loaded with different parts. Anything from transfer cases down to little plastic knobs. Anything that can go into the interior of a vehicle can be on the trailer. When I hook up my trailer I have to do what is known as a pre-trip inspection (or PTI in our log books.) I check to make sure no bolts are lose, none of the lines are leaking, all the lights work and the tires are aired to the correct psi.
After everything is good to go, I head south bound hammer down (aka south on the interstate

) and make my way over the mountains in southern Kentucky and nothern Tennessee. Its about 90 miles until I reach the first mess of a city, which is Knoxville TN. Then, another 75 or so to Chattanooga TN. From there I dip down through a little piece of Georgia for 23 miles then into Alabama. From the state line to my exit is 61 miles, then another 33 miles over to the Honda plant that builds the Honda Pilot and some Acura SUV.
Once I'm at the Honda plant, I take my trailer to drop off at either the Honda or Acura assembly lines and then pick up a trailer filled with empty steel racks that will be going to Ohio. Now all that's left, is the drive back way i just came from ..
Exciting eh? Round trip is 671 miles and takes about 12 hours after I stop for fuel, a mandatory 30 minute break and the "drop and hook" of the trailers. Man, is it boring.. anyway, here's some in cab pictures for you..
This is what the dash looks like at night.
All these gauges that i never look at.. from left to right, top to bottom: Manifold Pressure, Transmission Temperature, Exhaust build up, Engine Oil Pressure, Coolant Temperature, RPM Gauge that's x100 instead of x1000 and the little fuel level gauge is my Diesel Exhaust Fluid level.
Speedometer, Fuel Gauge, Tractor air pressure, trailer air pressure, Air App Pressure (the amount of air pressure it's pushing through the lines when i press the brake pedal), Engine Oil Temperature, and bottom right is the Air Suspension Pressure, which is how much air the truck is using to keep airbags filled, which means it raises my truck frame where the trailer connects at.
Now for the Neon blue lights.. first one is my windshield wipers, then a button that burns the excess build up in the exhaust, mirror heat, engine brake (like when you let off the accelerator on a car.. but a lot stronger.. it uses the compression of the engine to slow the rotation of the drive tires), next row is my cruise control on/off, set the speed, slow down the set speed, then some button for the mud/snow, door locks, passenger mirror up/down is last..
Lastly, the differential power divider (4 wheel drive), button to slide my fifth wheel front or back, dump the air bags thats lifting the frame up where the trailer connects, no idea what the battery looking button nor the last one does..
And that'd be it.. just like a real car huh

it's actually extremely easy to drive .. just have to watch out when turning.. hope y'all didn't get to bored reading that .. can't be no more boring than the actual drive
