Last week I asked the members of our truckers forum to think back on their careers. If they could travel back in time to when they first started driving, what advice would they give themselves? Their answers are below, covering a range of subjects and opinions.
Driving
- Relax, don’t let the stupid crap cars and trucks do around you get your blood pressure up. After I realized this trucking became a lot more enjoyable.
- Going faster doesn’t make you a better driver.
- Don’t let other big mouth CB cowboys get to you on the radio. If some flatbed owner op comes along in the hammer lane doing 71 and a half mph on the radio cursing because everyone is in his way, turn the radio off and realize you’re not going slow, he is speeding.
- Take it easy. That means let people in, don’t sweat other people cutting you off, don’t let the little things get to you, don’t be in a hurry (always a bad idea).
- Don’t let those 4-wheelers behind you make you begin to panic and make you lose focus. They live here, you don’t. They know where they’re going. You don’t. They can always go around you.
- Always pay attention. Be very patient.
Docking and Parking
- Good, consistent backing ONLY comes with experience
- I kick myself now for kicking myself back then for messing up backing. I realize now that I was just learning.
- If that last open parking spot looks like it could be a pain to back in to, it probably is. Go find somewhere else to park and leave that spot for someone who either has better skills or worse judgement.
Careers
- If you see a job that “might be for you”, go for it, dont hang on the fence second guessing everything.
- The grass ain’t greener on the other side of the fence..Get your experience, get on with a good company and stay there!..Don’t get a reputation as a job hopper.
- Far as starter companies are concerned,the grass is never greener on the other side.
- even if you are right out of school, you don’t have to go over the road with a crappy company to make a living driving.
- As far as making money goes, this is the golden rule: It’s what you haul, not where you haul.
Safety and Regulations
- Don’t let dispatchers push you to run illegal. Running too hard will eventually catch up to you and when you get involved in an accident the company will disavow any knowledge that you were running hard, violating the HOS reg at your dispatchers request. In short you will be thrown under the bus and replaced. WE ARE ALL REPLACEABLE. Toughest lesson I have ever had to learn.
- I wouldn’t of let dispatchers bully me into running and running.
Family
- I would have looked for something closer to home so I could see my kids grow up and not miss birthdays and holidays… that was the toughest part of my career.
- Your kids and your wife should always come first. Unless, of course, you don’t like your family. Then, stay out as long as you want, but then, you should do something about not liking your family.
Attitude and Dealing With Others
- No matter how much you hate your dispatcher/FM/DM (or whatever your company calls them)…keep them happy. They can and will…make you or break you.
- The desire to express your frustration with some of the people we associate with is understandable, however if you are patient and kind, time will usually weed out the whiners and reward hard work.
- Develop a sense of humor, if you don’t already have one. Otherwise, this business will chew you up and spit you out.
Health and Diet
- Don’t eat the corndogs, they’re addictive
- Eat healthy from the get go, not 5 years into your career.
- Eat healthier and watched the truckstop food from day 1 not years later
- I wish I would of taken better care of my body. Eat better food and excersize more.
- I wish I wouldn’t of kept jumping off of my flatbed trailers, especially after the old guys warned me that I would regret it later.
Miscellaneous
- Don’t change everything on the truck to make it ride smoother. Don’t change the springs, shocks, alignment, tires, seat, wheel balance, etc. Instead, trade trucks.
You can find the rest of the thread here, but feel free to add your responses in the comments section here.
mark a. says
This has a lot of great information. Thanks for taking the time to put it out here for new drivers. I will be starting to drive here soon and glad I ran across this. It has made me feel better about a few things I had concerns about. Thanks again.
Paul McKechnie says
Very good advice and, like you, I wish I had that advice 39 years ago.
Kevin K says
I came to this website just to look up jobs and companies reputations one more time, I’ve had some problems in the past driving with the companies I chose. Now I realize that I was also the problem. This post is the best advice anyone could ever give. Everyone should print this out and keep it on them, pass it along and show it to others.
Joe says
This is such an awesome resource for people looking to get into the trucking business. I feel like there’s a negative attitude when it comes to trucking, but this post is so great in comforting people about what to expect and how to handle the tough situations of trucking. I’ve got a lot of friends who this will help. Great post, thank you.
Keith C says
I wish I would of read this before I got started now I am struggling to get back on the road. This is great advice and one thing I can say is that trucking takes a very unique type of person. Patient and tolerance is the key. Well stated.
G.Alan Fink says
Probably the single most important backing advice I could give a guy is, when entering into a truck stop, start by turning off your CB. You may have the best backing skills in the world but getting distracted by the well-meaning advice from other drivers isn’t what you need when backing your rig into a parking space. The G.O.A.L. method (Get Out And Look) reigns supreme. That other driver may think he or she is helping you but they will quickly disappear if the directins they are giving you cause you to hit something.
Shawn K says
Wow !! Nicely stated……….No matter how much you hate your dispatcher/FM/DM (or whatever your company calls them)…keep them happy. They can and will…make you or break you.
I was in same kind of situation too.
D Herring says
I totally agree with the driving part. I use to run hard everywhere years ago. Got stressed when people slowed me down. Stressed myself out trying to keep people from cutting me off. After 30 years at this I have learned to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Many times I am running a couple miles an hour lower than the posted speed limits. I prefer to just let traffic flow around me. If someone cuts me off I just maintain speed and they ease away from me.
Now I have much less stress and the best part is my average mpg is better, I am actually making better time and averaging more mph than before. My biggest lessons were patience and planning.
simplemanwv says
Thanks for the advice on backing.I just got a class A learners permit friday,and started learning to backup two days ago.I was so frustrated that i felt like quitting,but i can’t afford to do that.Hopefuly i can get the hang of it soon.
Stephanie says
Many of these suggestions are good for drivers of cars as well. I learned so much from following and copying the truckers for 3 days. I know I am a better driver…if only I can retain it. LOL.
Cherylsbears says
About eating healthy, that is a big one for everyone on the road. The best thing I have found is pack your own food. Yea every once in a while a great breakfast with eggs over easy and bacon, Texas toast smathered in butter is great. But it all clogs your arteries. I just wish I could do some fast paced walking around the parking lot with out getting those damn lights flashed at me. I am just out to exercise, maybe if I had a group it would help ha guys and gals that would be the answer.
mskitty says
Personally, I would have told myself DON’T DO IT! I hate driving…guess I’m one of those that it isn’t meant for, but I keep coming back to it because it is all I know. I know I am a different person than the airhead 21 year old girl who went to truck driving school. I’m more jaded, more of a recluse, and I used to LOVE people. Now, everytime I get back in a truck, it’s because I can’t pay my bills. I get frustrated, aggravated, and generally a bear to be around. I quit driving because I really am not happy doing it, but I keep going back because it pays the bills like working at Wal-Mart can’t. My best advice to “newbies” is to talk to A LOT of old hands, and find out what trucking is REALLY like. I worked for a truck driving school as an instructor, and MAN I forgot how much smoke THOSE guys blow up your skirt. They’re worse than recruiters! DO NOT TRUST A WORD THEY SAY! Listen to the voices of experience, and take everything everybody says with a grain of salt…that’s all I have to say on the matter…