The one thing that terrifies me most about trucking

Top 100 bottlenecks in the US. (2018) and DC ain't even close to the top.

2018 Top 100 Truck Bottleneck List - American Transportation Research Institute

 

the sooner you accept the job and it's responsibilities, the better off you are.

you already have a defeated attitude.

how to do you change lanes in your tiny car..??

do you cut people off?

it "almost" sounds to me like you do, as now, you are scared to do it in a big truck.

well DO NOT be an arse in a big rig, by cutting people off, again, it's called "PAYING ATTENTION"

you do what we all do, and that is what @"semi" retired had said....

 

Great list and I have been at least 1 time in most of them. However, your list is bottlenecks that slow or stop traffic. DC like NYC and LA just has a huge amount of traffic, thankfully most of the time short of a bad crash or construction is moving. However, drop a crash or throw up a cone or two and you got instant traffic stop. The same can be said about much of Chicago. On that list was Dallas 45 at 30. I have been in that mess and afterward ready to go shoot something.

I used to hate driving through Columbus Ohio east or Westbound on I 70. I think in another life I had a spell put on me. I was not able to go through there and there not be an accident blocking that almost a mile that 70 and 71 were concurrent. I remember a bad snowy day in Ohio when I was going west. As we got closer to downtown I was already on the CB warning the other drivers. I was getting shut up stupid comments and what are you smoking comments. Until that cady about 5 cars ahead of me going way to fast caused about a 5 car pileup. I just turned my CB radio off. Another place that normally runs well that I had issues with was US-59 near New Caney Texas, (don't ask)

 

You’re worried about nothing. Most times cars move over in time when you put your blinkers on. Traffic in the northeast isn’t too bad when you learn the good routes and go at night.

 

Well, OP, you could avoid the Northeast altogether, stay driving in ''safer" areas all your life and be perfectly fine.

But, suppose you want to leave your job later on. Say you find a golden opportunity, paying a handsome wage, driving a premium truck, and plenty of home time. But it requires traveling the Northeast from time to time. What are you going to do? Now, you have zero experience in the NE, and that's a requirement for the job. You kinda wasted your time playing your hand safe, didn't you?

I'm of the belief that the best way to learn, and overcome fear, is by doing. Sure, it may be scary and not fun, but it's just a moment in time. It will pass.

I live in Central PA, and have traveled all over the NE. I was a nervous wreck the first time through the Cross Bronx, and around DC (DC gets my vote for the worst traffic). I've never even been to the west coast.

You know what helped me get over the fear? I realized that all those idiots in cars are just going somewhere, just like I am. They're no different, no better, and no more entitled than I am. They're just out there chasing a buck, just as I am. Just relax, and enjoy the ride. It doesn't stay bad forever.

After 18 years, there's literally nowhere in the lower 48 that I'd be afraid to go. (Well, maybe Roswell, NM, with the aliens and whatnot)

 

Trying to make a living as a pay per mile company driver in the Northeast is much harder than changing lanes.

 

the problem with the northeast is from baltimore up to boston on 95 is never ending congestion,thats the difference, it never ends if you go that route, if your 30 miles outside nashville or dallas it clears up, you have traffic jams wherever you go, the difference is how many miles you go before it clears up. unless your getting paid a good rate or cpm it isnt worth the stress.

 

If you already driven a billion miles. You have to be 379 years old. Id be worried about passing the dot physical.

 

Mmmmmm cream puffs...

Very good especially while u lane change in traffic. Oh so good.

 

This is why I used I 81 and I 84 as much as I could. That area from Baltimore to Ct is one I avoided as much as possible. A line drawn from Boston to Washington DC is within 75 miles of over half of the US population. This means truck after truck is going in that area delivering freight. Then add to this the highways tend to bottleneck and you have this traffic. By bottleneck I mean there are only so many places to cross the Delaware River. Sometimes I was able to enter the NE coming across upstate NY and through Western Mass. that run was always easy.