Question:
A note book or note pad is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a driver to have. Take it every where with you so you can document all instructions you recieve when talking to dispatchers, brokers, shippers, recievers, etc. be sure to include the date, time, and who it is that you talked to. This can help cover your rear in case there is a problem and help you relay accurate info to others that you may have to deal with. Also be sure to read back what it is that you have written to the person who gave you the info just to be sure you heard it correctly and that you can read your own handwritting.
There is so many things that require your attention it is easy to forget what may at the time seem like a small insignificant detail that will come back to haunt you and cause you nothing but grief.
One last tip here. Carry two pens with you at all time also. There is nothing more aggravating than to spend 30 minutes trying to get through to someone and get the info you need only to have your pen go dead.
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
Answer:
Originally posted by uturn2001:
A note book or note pad is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a driver to have. Take it every where with you so you can document all instructions you recieve when talking to dispatchers, brokers, shippers, recievers, etc. be sure to include the date, time, and who it is that you talked to. This can help cover your rear in case there is a problem and help you relay accurate info to others that you may have to deal with. Also be sure to read back what it is that you have written to the person who gave you the info just to be sure you heard it correctly and that you can read your own handwritting.
There is so many things that require your attention it is easy to forget what may at the time seem like a small insignificant detail that will come back to haunt you and cause you nothing but grief.
One last tip here. Carry two pens with you at all time also. There is nothing more aggravating than to spend 30 minutes trying to get through to someone and get the info you need only to have your pen go dead.
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
That's why I have a little pocket tape recorder that I carry. I use it for almost everything. Nothing better than to record directions into a place, then if they're wrong, you can bust 'em on it. That and it's so much easier to just click the play / rewind button to hear the directions, than to try and read your chicken scratching while in traffic.
Also, it's amazing how people change their stories to the truth when you say, "Uh, that ain't what you told me yesterday", and the whip out the tape recorder and play back exactly what they said. Makes 'em look like an ***!
The moral? COVER YOUR ***!
*******************************
"I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane!" (from Waylon Jennings)
"The feel of the wheel delivers me, from a life where I don't wanna be." (from Joe Stampley)


Answer:
Hoss
I like your idea of using a pocket tape recorder, but how does it work.
I mean how do you get your directions sent. (by qualcomm, phone, CB.
if they all came in over the CB I can see how they could be recorded.
If not how do you record them.
I'm new here and not yet started in trucking.
But very much like your idea for using a recorder.
Thanks bob
thanks
bob1056

Answer:
The most common way is through the Qualcomm. Depending on the company, they may also send you the "suggested" route to take. But I never payed attention to the routing. :-)
The other way is via telephone, for those smaller companies who either can't afford QC's, or who refuse to wake up and smell the technology. :-)
Rarely have I seen directions being given over the CB by a company, unless it was one driver to another.
===============================
I'm not a truck driver, I'm a professional tourist!

Answer:
There is a device that looks like a little suction cup which is in actualality a mic that you stick on the phone by the ear piece and then hook to the mic jack of the tape recorder.
Either way you do it...be it high tech or low tech, it is important to get the name of your contact and the time you talked to them (especially when dealing with someone other than your usual dispatcher).
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
Answer:
dredick, uturn,
Thanks for the replays. I have heard a lot about the use of the qualcomm ,but didn't think it had voice or sound, just typed messages. In order to record that, You would have to voice the messages yourself.
thanks
bob1056

Answer:
the messsages you get over the quaalcomm you can just leave in there. The quallcomm automatically saves 99 messages and then auto deletes the oldest so other than copying down directions or phone numbers, pick up numbers, etc. that you need to be able to read while either driving or while away from the truck you can just leave them on the QC.
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
Answer:
the QC messages are stored, I believe, in the QC system, either through QC or the company, don't remember which, so if they are "erased" from the QC in the truck, they are not gone - but a court order may be needed to get at them.
As long as you note the date/time, and who said what for future reference...then the info can be gotten at a later time.
===============================
I'm not a truck driver, I'm a professional tourist!

Answer:
What are you gonna do if the batteries go dead at the wrong moment, and also you wont end up saving those voice notes for any length of time and three or four days after delivering you may have to answer a question about that load.
There are pros and cons to everything. The important thing though is to make those notes in such a way as to cover your butt.
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
Answer:
When I started writing things down, my life became alot easier.When ya go into a receving office, it really helps to have all your trip info,i.ie trip no, trailer no, b/l nos,etc. I`ve gotten into the habit of when i get dispatched to write all this stuff down, and get the directions off the Q Com at this time so you are not doing it at midnight on a dead end street somewhere in Chicago, or someplace ya don`t want to be parked too long, Watts,etc. And I like Hoss` idea of a tape recorder. Keeps the liars honest..
fishman