The stress level in trucking

Only stress I have is usually in big cities around rush hour because of all the stupid people out on the road. Beyond that it's pretty relaxing otr. If you can handle driving a bus like that with the stress, you'll be much happier and with a lot less stress driving otr.

 

The truth is it comes down to stress management. I'm very good at remaining relaxed and calm. And in situations others stress over I just focus more on the situation. That being said, dangerous weather and ultra congested traffic are big stressors. But for me personally, its when I get tired.

Normally I can burn 14hrs with11 driving, without issue. But from time to time, the energy just isn't there, that's when I start feeling the stress, that's also when I pull over and take a nap.

 

I feel for you guys that drive city bus. Truck driving is stressful at times but, your job is more stressful. You have to deal with the unruly public on the bus giving you a hard time. It has to be a slow tedious day everyday. That's not for me no way

 

My freight doesn't talk back. Lol.

 

A two part answer to the OP's two posts. I'm good at finding b jobs so my job is not stressful at all. Traffic bring it on!

 

Stress is one thing ... yes, stress exists for all types of truck drivers, OTR, local and everything in between, on all sorts of different levels, at different aspects of the job.

However, dealing with fatigue is a completely different animal for the scheduled bus driver as opposed to a truck driver who can pull over whenever fatigue becomes strongly apparent, no matter.

 

Only drove OTR 3 years but remember two high stress situations. My first load ever I was sent to Hunts Point Market in the Bronx NYC! There was construction and a reroute of traffic and it was super stressful.

Next worse situation was coming from Denver I loaded a full load of Potatoes which are crazy heavy by the way. So its now about 3:00am passing into New Mexico and the #### Elk were everywhere! Icy roads couldnt slow fast and once there was like 15 other side of a hill and even doing only 35-40 they were right there and Magically parted out of the road. I was pretty awake after that to say the least

 

I did NYC a lot for about a year in a box truck. Can barely imagine doing that crap in a tractor trailer, let alone it being the very first load!! I'd love the hear the backstory on that one

 

Actually once you learn where you are permitted to drive and not its not bad. I did LTL furniture loads from ATL and was up there every two weeks usually sux drops