Of all the people to notice Big Don tsk tsk tsk.......
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Help a trucker wannabe out!
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by OpenRoadGuy, Jun 2, 2010.
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I'm sorry that I haven't provided any updates for awhile, I've had a lot going on. Now I have a lot to update you with.
So here's the deal. Since we are driving primarily in the morning, they want each of us to get at least 4 hours of night driving in. That came last Sunday evening. Chris (the mechanic) and I arrived at the yard Sunday night at 8:30 PM sharp. Unfortunately neither of us successfully got some sleep during the day since we had our normal sleep patterns, so we basically had to stay awake.
I started out driving at 8:45 PM. I thought this drive was just going to be like the day drive, except at night. Well, it wasn't. The fact that I was driving during a time when I'd normally be going to sleep, and the fact that I was driving at night made for a challenging ride.
Even though I was tired, there was no chance I was going to fall asleep behind the wheel. My adreline fueld my body and made sure I was extremely alert and quick to react. Needless to say, this wasn't a relaxing ride for me.
See, the problem was, I started my night driving by going through Windgap and Bearcreek, as many of you know from my other posts an area known as the endless hills. They were endless alright, and they were twisty and windy and I couldn't always see that I was ariving up a steep hill until the last minute in which case I had to downshift quickly. So here's basically what I encountered:
I'm coasting down a hill in 9th gear going about 45 MPH or 5 miles below the speed limit (which at dark with a tractor and a 48 foot trailer is quite fast enough, thank you). I come to an even area....am I going to have to go up a hill or am I going to veer down again.....Now I can see it...I'm going up and the hill looks steep.....clutch neutral, clutch rev (the mofo out of that) clutch gear...good I made my gear....but it's too steep for 8th but I'm going up the hill...let the hill slow me down to about 30 MPH...clutch neutral, rev clutch, gear....I missed my gear...going below 20 MPH what gear do I want....6th....rev neutral rev clutch grind grind....too slow for 6th....come to a complete stop...blinkers on, car horns blowing behind me....1st gear and up to 3rd maybe until I get up the hill.
That scenario happened to me once. That will keep you awake, let me tell you. Fortunately if I missed a gear I was able to get the next lower gear, so I got my crap together for the most part. But let me tell you, 20 miles of those winding hills...contrentrating...the hill stopped, is it going to go up now, or am I going to go down.....down down...brake 5 MPH below my safe speed before the hill...good let her roll down the hill...gaining speed....50 MPH too fast...snub brake...don't let those brakes heat up because I don't know how far down this hill will take me....45 MPH let off the brake and let her coast...I see the end of the hill might as well save my brakes and continue to roll...55 MPH or 5 MPH over speed limit...but there's an uphill so play it cool and let the truck roll up the hill.....45 MPH need to move quick...clutch nuetral, rev clutch gear.....need 7th...no we are going to go down hill in a sec...c'mon baby, make it up that hill...I was wrong still going up...quick....rev neutral, rev clutch 6th gear (going too slow for 7th). This is basically the way it was for 22 miles. 22 miles of this! That was my 1st hour of my 4 hour trip. Thank goodness the rest of the driving was down I-84 (if memory serves me) and I drove all of the way down to Carlisle, PA, or a total of 156 miles.
On the way back, Chris drove and I made a brave attempt at trying to keep in the left seat in the back of the truck (the kind without the air in them and no ability to move front or back, up or down). Since I trusted Chris's driving (the only student I'd say that of), I unbelted myself and sprawled across all three of the seats (I'm 6'1" 260 lbs so I take a lot of room, what can I say) and got some semblance of sleep for an hour.
I had Monday off which allowed me to do some things I needed to get done like drive down to Orange, NJ to get my birth certificate (now that I've been living in PA for 2 years I feel safe to say, I hate NJ). I also had to do some things with my 401k and other errands I had.
So Tuesday was all day yard skills wear I needed the help the most. I was looking forward to this day because I need to work on these skills. So I started out well by nailing an alley dock, blind side, and sight side. For some reason after I got all three of those in a row, my day went downhill from there. I proceeded to do another blind side and completely flunk it, not even close. Being the kind of guy I am, I tried it again and again and again and didn't let myself stop until I get it. I failed over and over, went to lunch and came back and failed again and again.
Now's a good time to give you a little background. I've been holding back a little but I feel good talking about this. It's true that I disliked my job and was being worked like a slave. That was reason enough to leave, but it wouldnt' have been the *only* reason I would have left because I provide for my family, first and foremost. My wife has Multiple Schlerosis and when she was pregnant with our child her M.S. got very bad (which happens in only 20 percent of the cases). We now have a very active 2 year old (who is a blessing to us both), and we both realized she just couldn't continue to raise him with me out of the house all week (many times even on weekends) without help from her family in Colorado. So here's the situation:
-I really always wanted to be a truck driver, but I also needed a job that would allow me to move to Colorado. I really don't want to do what I was doing in NJ, so I had my wife move the stuff out and move to Colorado ahead of me and went for this change in careers.
-So I sit in an empty house prepping it for sale and going to school so I can get a job and continue to provide for my family.
Now that you know completely what's going on you'll understand something. I needed these yard skills, and they weren't coming. The instructor in the yard was becoming frustrated after probably 30 or so attempts, and went over and talked with a class from the Bethlehem campus who were being tested in hopes of graduating. It got to around 3:30 PM and I had failure after failure after failure, and I got to thinking about my family and I did something I haven't done for years. I went into the empty trailer and I'm not afraid to say I began to cry. Then I thought about my family again, manned up, and went out into the yard, and proceeded to fail for a bit longer.
I decided it wasn't productive to continue this over and over again. My mind wasn't wrapping around this skill and for some reason I was doing worse at it then I was in the past. What was wrong with me? I was trying so hard, I was relentlessly pushing myself and focusing with all of my facalties, but it was getting me nowhere.
My answer came yesterday. I woke up and when I went to sit up in bed I realized something, I was sick as a dog. I took my temperature and sure enough I had a fever of 102 degrees. I decided to shower and dress up and decide if I could get into school because there are only 5 more days left before testing, but I simply couldn't do it. So I missed a day of school. But I thought to myself, no wonder I couldn't get my skills right the day prior, I was fighting an illness.
I woke up today feeling better then yesterday but still sick and what can I say? My family is depending on me, so I went to school. After messing up my skills and getting some extremly good advice from my instructor, my skills are coming along fine. I feel confident again, and I know I'll get through this.Skydivedavec, sammycat, AfterShock and 5 others Thank this. -
AfterShock Thanks this.
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All I can say is WOW! and Thank you once again for being so honest and open with EVERYTHING that you have gone through and continue to go through. Openroadguy you are one of the best guys I have ''met'' on here through my journey of learning about the trucking industry!! Your ability to write what you are doing and feeling while learning this and being honest enough to admit to your failures and your own personality traits is rare is any person. But to also talk about your family-your wife and child are SO LUCKY to HAVE SUCH A SPECIAL PERSON in their lives!
Continued good luck and you know you will have so many well wishers and blessings from those who have followed you thru this journey!!!!!!!!Kwaione, AfterShock and Skydivedavec Thank this. -
ORG you learned a valuable lesson yesterday. Don't try to drive if you are too sick to drive. You got screwed up doing it at school. Think how much WORSE it could have been if you were on the road like that.
So where are you going to be locating to in Colorado?Skydivedavec, AfterShock and sammycat Thank this. -
make an ugly Big truck look good.
We, your (impatient) fans out here cheerin' for you, are secondary objectives. As outstanding as your commentaries are, they won't affect your grades, --- and grades are a top priority.
Don't let us divert your attention away from your task at hand Those of us who have been there, done that, --- understand. Those who have yet to experience Big truck truck drivin' school, need to understand the importance of priorities.
It's said that Big truck truckin' is more than a job, ---
It's a lifestyle. And it is.
Besides learning to operate the equipment, it's also necessary to learn a new and different lifestyle. And it won't be just you who will need to learn to adjust to another way of life. Many find the adjustment harder than drivin' school ever was.
This subject is gettin' pretty close to the subject I'm waitin' to see if anyone else mentions first.
......................................... snip .......................................
Well, ....... besides the garbage.
The company I drove for had a terminal in Fairfield, NJ, and we picked up and delivered a LOT of gaming devices (slot machines) from Reno, Nevada --- goin' to a warehouse near Atlantic City.
What a difference betwixt north and south Jersey! South Jersey is really nice. North Jersey is, ......... well, ........ let's just say north Jersey is one of the main reasons why I installed a BIG radio in my Big truck. Four watts just couldn't get a signal out over the radio Rambos when I needed local information, like directions in confusing areas, and there are many such areas in Jersey. So, I went from barefoot to spiked logger's boots, --- size 660 watts, on high. That bad boy stomped and spanked the Rambos. They couldn't get a signal out sideways when I keyed up over them, so it was a stand-off. If the Rambos wouldn't let me get my local information, I wouldn't let any of their signals get out.
Negotiations lead to an understanding.
Simple math, really.
My six hundred sixty watt heater goes over their 100 --> 200 watt lil kicker any day and twice on Tuesdays. And if we're in close proximity, and we both key up at the same time, it ain't my CB's finals that'll fry, rendering a CB useless.
But, ............ I digress.
10-4?
How does that empty house feel?
Slumps are real and feared by professional sports players and NASCAR drivers. I think everybody experiences slumps in their performance at times. Timing is everything, and to some extent, location, location, location enters the equation.
Your slump arrived prior to the Big test while your location is still in school. Much better to get it over with now, than to choke-up during the Big test.
It's not uncommon for the person in class thought MOST likely to succeed with ease because they seemed to have no problems in learning the yard and drivin' skills , to lay an egg on test day.
Stage fright?
You should be concerned, but my experience sees no reason to worry. If everything was goin' smoother than black ice, I'd be more inclined to worry.
When, (not if) y'all catch a kootie out thar on the road, you'll understand the meaning of miserable a tad better. Especially now-a-daze with the crazy NO IDLING laws.
When nature calls, and y'all gotta run, (as well as THE runs) and the head y'all are headed for is about a quarter mile, round trip in 105 degree weather --- on foot, or it can be -20 degrees below zero --- if you prefer, it's decision time.
Best advice?
Carry a bucket and big plastic trash bags with you in the Big truck, and save yourself from a possible blow out :smt078while headin' for the facilities.
Oh GAWD!
There's a waitin' line for a stall.
If we could figure out a way to clone you and bottle your attitude, and sell either, or both as a boxed set, we could more than afford to be hobby truckers and hire a ringer to do all of our blind-side backin' for us.
Seriously though, these posts of yours are a treasure too valuable to just put on a shelf, or file away once you've achieved your goal. They need to continue circulating and be read and re-read by ANYone wanting to improve their understanding of Big trucks and the drivers who keep 'em rollin'.
Show me someone who can't learn SOMEthing from your posts, and I'll call 911 while you check to see if they fog a mirror held under their nose.
Is the drivin' school and/or any of the instructors aware of this play by play as you go project of yours?
If not, I think you should mention it, and provide a few samples for them to experience so they can understand what we're experiencing.
If the powers that be the school aren't impressed enough to consider binding your commentary betwixt two covers, call it a book and give it a name, ---- then issue every student a copy for Required Readin' outside of class when they don't have anything to do and don't realize they should be thinkin' about what they're goin' to school to learn, I'd be AfterShocked.
My instincts tell me that even those who don't really like to read, will like to read what you've written.
Maybe include some of our questions, answers, replies and comments as a lead in, or just to give it all a conversational feel.
Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to provide those with what I think is the hardest job in a trucker's family a copy of their own to read and refer to. That would be whomever stays behind watchin' you go as you watch them grow smaller in the rear view mirror. IMO, the one who remains to keep the home fires burnin' has the harder of the two jobs.
And that IS the subject I thought I could wait to bring up.
But I didn't because I firmly believe y'all should be ABSOLUTELY sure both of you are ok with the big changes that are going to be required of both of you. Talk it all over and listen.
Communication is a marvelous gift.
An inability to cope with being away from home and loved ones, the loneliness and special occasions that will be missed is probably the number one reason why drivers can't handle the program (there's no shame in that) and either bail out soon, or remain drivin'
a Big truck and become frustrated, angry, and/or depressed. They hate their job, and will gladly tell any and all who will listen.
They're miserable, and the keeper of the home-20 fires (too?) often is in the same frame of mind.
If there are children at home, what are the odds they're not pickin' up on the vibes?
Now that IS a shame.
Children Are A Product Of Their Environment.
Son, when I'm comin' home again
I can't say when
But we'll get together then, son
You know we'll have a good time then.
As I recall, the song mentions that the son grew up just like dad.
OverRoadGuy, ..... I know you wouldn't just take off in a Big truck one day, waving and sayin' See you in a couple of weeks, honey, ..... (that could turn into months), as you head off on an adventure. Meanwhile, the full brunt of the truckin' family lifestyle has yet to hit home. And when it does, it can be, and often is, overwhelming.
As a new Big truck truck driver, believe me, you DON'T want to be 3,000 miles from home knowing there's a fire goin' out back at the castle. Feeling helpless causes stress. Stress is known as
The Silent Killer --- for a reason. Do whatever you have to that you can to prevent stress. Stress WILL remove any and all enjoyment and cause bitterness, even toward those who don't deserve that emotional head-trip put on them.
There's a high rate of failed marriages in the Big truck truckin' industry. If a driver likes and enjoys drivin' a Big truck, and does so for a couple of years, --- long enough that home problems are such that coming off the road is necessary to keep a relationship alive and well --- he/she is likely to discover what's meant when it's said that truckin' gets into your blood. Make no mistake about it, Big truck truckin' DOES get into your blood, and givin' up truckin' WILL cause withdrawal pains, --- pains that can, and often do, last for years, at least. For some of us, it'll be in our blood forever.
Truckin' is a kind of love/hate relationship lifestyle
Simply complicated
Hardly easy.
As always, mi amigo, readin' ya loud and clear while cheerin' for ya, and watchin' your back while enjoying the educational entertainment you're providing for us in return.
Spacecoast, sammycat, RockyWI and 3 others Thank this. -
All so very nicely put!!! I could have just quoted your entire post cuz it was so good!!
You give great advice and maybe some of YOUR comments someday will join OpenRoadGuys with such good advice re: those at home and how different this lifestyle is and can be and some great advice for just being OTR.
ORG: aftershock has it RIGHT we are ALL CHEERING FOR YOU and WATCHING YOUR BACK!Skydivedavec and AfterShock Thank this. -
Oh, howdy SammyC.
Whuzzup?
I've been lookin' for it.
Can't remember where I put it though.
Memory,
Second thang to go
don'cha know.
Can you point me in the right direction?
How 'bout that?
Would you believe that I'm really a very used car salesman who's never even sat buttcheeks in a Big truck? I just make up stuff that sounds good and wing it, hoping no one will be the wiser. I'd be stumped if anyone called my bluff.
You really think it was good? :smt108
My hat is gettin' tighter.
Folks would have to actually readwhat I write to benefit from what I make up as I ad-lib my posts, ......... no script and no director to remind me what my motivation is. One take, just like soap operas performing live. The pressure to git-'er-rite is unbelievable.
Here, look and my hands.
Notice that my fingernails are bitten clear down to the quick?
That's how nervous I get spinnin' yarns.
It's twue!
It's twue!
sammycat Thanks this. -
It's always a blast reading shocky's posts!
AfterShock and sammycat Thank this. -
So now then what is the FIRST thang to go???
Yes your posts are very interesting to read although a uses car salesman just about sums up the amount of Hockeypuck bullony you post-but that's okay some of what we do is all in GOOD FUN!!!!!!!!!!!
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