Need help calming some fears

Pay attention. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Plan well. When you are going into a city look for a place to park when you empty. In case you don't have a pre- plan. Get good directions. Take one day at a time and one load at a time. This job takes time getting use to it. One day it will all click.

 

Well at least you care and thats a great start. In the back of any good truck drivers head it's always there. That being said you cant let it stress you out either. Take your time and dont let anyone rush you. Most accidents occur because drivers get too comfortable.

Take your time and learn at your pace. Keep your distance to the vehicle in front of you and most important WATCH YOUR MIRRORS. Ive seen allot of trucks in the left and middle lanes signal right and some 4-wheeler ends up slamming on the binders or going into the ditch. Watch your blindspot and when changing lanes,do so slowly. The best advice i can offer is relax and keep your head in the game.

 

I carry a purple rabbits foot, try to find one if possible !! But not the yellow ones, I had a rollover with the yellow foot. Yellow ones are for pilots only !!!

 

You didn't roll over in a pilot did you???

 

You aren't alone on this.

 

when i started driving. I had a old timer teaching me. He started in the 60's and was going to retire in 1998. He said one thing to me that stuck in my head. Common sense. He always said. " you wont believe how far common sense will take you".

 

Let go of your ego. This is for men and women (but you know, mainly you men). If you're not comfortable in certain weather don't be afraid to slow down and throw your four ways on. If you need to slow down too much then park the #### thing. Don't let the other drivers get to you. You slow down and someone will talk shat, turn off the CB. Trust your instincts.


By the way, your fear will not go away quickly. I had bad dreams once in awhile for probably the first 2 years of driving. Stupid things like driving and not being able to stop. I would wake up mashing an imaginary brake pedal on the side of the sleeper. So if you get dreams don't worry it's not your sub conscience telling you to stop driving it's just the manifestation of your stress, or at least that's what I think.

 

Wow tankergirl that was a deep well thought out post. I like the word manifestation. It almost sounds dirty.

 

No accidents in 10yrs Lynchmob, knock on bumper. Remember when these drivers in this website tell ya theyve been driving for "Umteesquat years", with no accidents, that INCLUDES winters ALL over the Great U.S.of A. The first thing is dont allow fear to take over on ya. Imagine a boxer afraid of getting knocked out. Imagine a NASCAR driver afraid of hitting the wall. Imagine a banker afraid of getting robbed.

Ok, enuff with imagination analogies. Have I knocked things down...Oh yeah...street signs,bushes,etcetc. But I hung in there BECAUSE I didnt do those things ON PURPOSE. I always say, "Keep your windshield clean, so you see what your gonna hit". Remember this in your travels, when ya see a big truck turnover and DONT see any 4-wheelers....GEE, I guess they took off and the driver ended up like that because he didnt want to kill anybody.
Some thx you'll get from the trooper....A TICKET.

To be afraid is NORMAL...see, your normal and just outta the gate , your portraying with your OWN admittance, YOUR a Professional already and you havent even seen your 1st lot lizard. Just your statements ALONE give it away you will drive with ease and professionalism. Like anything new in life it takes experience and durability. Patience is something you should of already inherited from your bloodline(parents). The ability to CONTROL your patience is a rare and not widely spread habit with many drivers, and beleive me, they got their reasons.

This website is chocked FULL of drivers that can and WILL help with ANY questions(not me, Im too busy, leave me alone..LOL...J/k... Many drivers on this website say Im full of humor, some say Im just plain full of it....but Ive "been there, done that" and as long as I have my humor, i got everything cause your gonna need it out there...it helps....another quailty drivers survive with. Always remember this, "Experience is something you dont get until just after you need it". Remember that.

Listen in school(they cant teach ya everything), go to your company and DONT sit there and nod your head YES when ya REALLY dont understand, arrange your truck the way YOU want(bed,tv,etcetc), and WANT to get your 1st load and get your butt out there, cause THERE is where the experience is hiding waiting for you. In a TS, DONT be scared to approach an O/O and ask him/her, "Excuse me,could I see how you got your truck set-up inside, Im new". Youd be SURPRISED how many O/Op's will be glad to help ya(they remember when they were there) of course some will snarl at ya and not want to,and BY ALL MEANS, if he has lipstick on....move on, hes been out there tootoo long.

I'll close with many shippers and receivers DONT care if your new, they expect you already know cause you wouldnt be there if you wasnt. Hang in there, dont get hung. Me personally IF they didnt teach it in school, when your in 10degree weather with chill factor of -20, ONLY apply your truck breaks if your bedding down. Ive seen MANY not do that and when they wake up theyre crawling underneath their trailer freezing their babymakers off banging EACH wheel drum with a hammer. The rookies just THINK by unhooking their airlines and dumping antifreeze in them will 100% work, then they jump back in the truck and QC their dispatch saying "Oh man its freezing my brakes are frozen, Im stuck, call Road Service, its not my fault". Do that many times Lynchmob, and you wont be scared of driving anymore....you just wont be driving.

________________________

"I'm WHITE and proud of it, I hate it when they call me cracker, its "insaltine".

"O/Op's have it rough, for them to make a Million at a company, they hafta start out with 2 Million".

"NEVER drive for a company that paints their trailer doors, you should ALREADY know which end of the trailer to hook-up to".

"Ive drove alot,my doctor says I'm schizophrenic, and so am I".

"E=MC2...BIG DEAL, the idiot didnt even know how to operate a comb".