Customer Reviews

Bumper to Bumper: The Complete Guide to Tractor-Trailer Operations

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you have never driven a tractor trailer this is a great book. It covers everything from a drivers perspective. The truck itself including: Engines, Transmissions, Parts, Driving techniques, Hazmat, Airbrakes, Life on the road etc. What it does not cover in great detail is if you want to start your own trucking company, or authority. It touches on parts and mentions the D.O.T and FMCSR but mostly from the drivers interaction with those agencies, not as a trucking company. This book is for drivers behind the wheel on a day to day basis. Non-drivers will find it useful and insightful but if you are wishing to start your own company, It does not cover in detail the authorities you will need and actual details involved in doing so. The book never claims it does cover that information... this review is to let you know what is not in there in that regard. As a future driver, or someone interested in the actual day to day operations or the skills needed to operate a tractor trailer, this book is great and worthy of 5 stars.

Bumper to Bumper is the text I have used in the classroom of the largest truck school chain on the west coast for nearly five years. I have recently had the opportunity to compare it to the other PTDIA endorsed workbook. Bumper to bumper presents more information, it is easier for the students to understand, the proofreaders seem to know a thing or two about trucks, there are very few mistakes. The other "PTDIA" workbook (what can I say they have the PTDIA logo on the cover) is useless compared to Bumper to Bumper. Naturally I have left my old employer as they have taken the less-effective, but much cheaper, text and done many other things that have lowered the quality of student training. Bumper to Bumper is the best text for the professional driver who wants to understand new developments in the industry too.

As a commercial truck driving instructor, I realize there are a lot of different sources out there that claim to be the "ultimate" guide to tractor trailers and the trucking industry in general. Bumper to Bumper is our institute's text of choice. It is clear and concise and pretty accurate in its descriptions of the industry. It is also one of the best guides for getting to know your truck. I highly recommend this book for the newbies and "old" pros. 'Cause even though you can't teach an old dog new tricks even those who've been on the road for a while will benefit from taking a look at this book.

This is an excellent book for both the new guy and the veteran. At almost 500 pages, this is a very practical book that covers every aspect of truck driving and life on the road. In addition to basic operations, there is also plenty of detailed mechanical info on the inner workings of a truck. That will probably be of more interest to owner-operators than company drivers but it's good to know it's there in case you ever need it. My only complaint is that this book wasn't around when I started out. It definitely would've made for a much smoother transition into the 'industry'. Highly reccomended.

This book was issued in our truck driving class. It is excellent beyond description. I have never seen a book of practical instruction more skillfully and lucidly written.

This is a useful book for someone who is not a trucker but wants to learn the basics -- someone working in a business that services or sells to truckers, for example, or who for some other reason works with them (I am a lawyer who represents them from time to time). The book explains how trucks work and how they are operated, and also how the industry works. Some of the details -- technical explanations of various types of transmission, for example -- may be more than you need but they can be easily skipped.

Bumper to Bumper walks the reader through the various parts of a "Big Rig" showing the reader how a tractor trailer operates, how to"hookup" and drive an 18 wheeler, and the necessary paperwork
that is required by the government.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in entering the transportation industry.

I have started from absolutly nothing in the trucking industry. I first had to get my Oklahoma cdl. The Oklahoma cdl book is not very informative. I felt like this book was able to explain the cdl rules very effectivly. It also provided much more important information.

It is about impossible in my mind (with 13 years of driving experience) to come up with a better book that covers EVERYTHING from the most basic to complex In my opinion, this book should be used by all Motor Carriers and have their "future operators" read and PASS all the tests this book offers. If that was posible everyones insurance rates would go down (less acidents nationwide) and mechanical costs for carriers would dimish also. Spectacular book and easy reading, and as I said previously with 13 years experience I still read this book.

This book is indeed very informative. It is very detailed. It teaches you the basics of trucking and also gives you an idea of more advanced stages in trucking. It teaches you basic mechanics, how to drive tractor trailers, backing up a tractor trailer, hooking them up, how to shift gears. You name it. I didn't know anything about trucking and trucks. I just saw them passing and I just liked them. But after reading this book I was able to identify many of the components of a tractor trailer, how to operate one safely, tips and tricks in operating them and many of the safety steps to be followed as well as tips on improving fuel economy.