Problems Driving a Rig

Hey Ev1,

I got my CDL A, 10 years ago. I went to school with MS Carriers and then was transferred to Swift.

I have a serious problem driving a big rig. ( I get scared as all hell, and I have no clue why???) I can drive any Class B vehicle, expedited truck, or sprinter.

I have never had a good trainer not push me to drive fast or to learn at my own speed. Is this my problem? I KNOW I can drive a rig if given the proper training and if I find a patient enough trainer.

Any suggestions? Please don't be critical. Everyone fits in somewhere. I love to drive and have been driving for 10 years professional. I was also a CDL B Bus trainer.

Thanks....

 

Well it's not traffic, that I can handle. I am pretty sure it is narrow roads, speeds on those narrow roads that freak me right out. I am a safe driver always have been. I guess my safety standards get in the way of traveling 65 miles per hour down a 2 lane no shoulder road in the middle of the night, with no lights, raining up and down hills and around bends.

I can drive on a highway or thruway fine. I can up shift, downshift, float a few gears, but it's the 5th wheel that gets me. I almost feel like it's floating out from under me at ALL times? Make any sense???

Get me in a vehicle over 26,000 lbs that is straight and I can whip it around like no tomorrow.

 

Off tracking... lol here I go sounding newbish. I always figured that as for turns, not for driving a straight away. I guess you could say off tracking, but even when I drive straight it feels like I'm floating. Almost like no control. How do you get past that feeling?

Example #1. I was drivng through the Rockies about 9 years ago and they were doing construction. They had a concrete barrier in the middle of the road, truckers lane was the left lane and 4 wheelers in the right lane. As I am driving down the mountain, posted speed limit was 55. Now mind you, I was going about 50, keeping it a tad slower and I had to watch my trailer cause the rear end was 3 inches from the barrier. I felt like even though I knew the truck was stable, that I would hit that barrier or my right passenger side of the trailer would hit a 4 wheeler. ( Trailer sticking out as if in a turn.) It just felt like the trailer was sliding out from me and I wasn't keeping control, but I REALLY was keeping control the whole time. Made me sick to my stomach with my nerves freaking out, sweating bullets.

Is my perception off?

 

Thanks Mike. Most likely I will never overcome this feeling. I have started looking into Expedite. But it seems they want O/O. No company drivers. I can drive those trucks no problem....