My downfall to trucking

GOOD, I'm GLAD you're paranoid, makes you a better driver. 1st, let's remember, millions of SAFE miles are clocked every year by SAFE drivers like you, we only hear of the bad ones, like motorcycle deaths. I drove semis like everybody was a drunken idiot, heck bent on running under my trailer. Today, your biggest concern, without question, is distracted drivers, and I didn't see it, but I can't stress this enough, make sure you have a dash cam. It's your only defense in an incident, videos don't lie, and about the best means of defense today. It will ease your mind some knowing, "oh no I didn't hit you, here's the proof". You'd be surprised how fast the tables turn. Well worth the $100 bucks.
2nd, you think you're paranoid now, wait until you haven't heard from your "driver" in 2 days. You're sweating bullets and they are in a hotel, remember, they don't have the responsibility to have a truck. I've said many times, especially when I had my own truck and saw first hand how "drivers" destroyed the owners lives, walk away, without a care, if you can't make it driving your own today, you're a fool to put someone in that seat. It's just too risky today. Good luck, and no, a break won't do it, stay in the saddle, my friend.

 

Sounds like some elements of OCD and depression. Repetitive habits and an oversized belief that something bad is going to happen or that you did something terrible and can't remember it because your mind blocked it out.

It doesn't help that we work in a very dangerous profession where it is common for people to get hurt/killed.

 

Talk to the family doctor about it.
The doctor can prescribe something that is legal to take while running OTR.

 

I’m not sure if this completely relates to your situation, but for me, 90% of my stress as a truck driver was eliminated when I made the switch to local driving. I love driving trucks, and I will be a truck driver till I die, but I learned that at the end of the day, I just gotta park the #### thing and walk away from it.

 

I learned a long time ago that stress is a choice. Unless it affects me directly I just take care of what's in front of me. I can't control anything else. Y'all can do what you want.

 

Have you ever played football? Maybe been a quarterback? Do you know what they teach quarterbacks to do when they throw an interception? Analyze it shortly, learn from it and then forget about it. Because if you dwell on it you’re gonna start throwing more and more interceptions. Or you’re going to become tense and rigid and this is when you make more mistakes. Same thing applies to truck driving. Have a close call? Learn and move on.

 

I was going to say, he sounds he might have a touch of clinical paranoia or anxiety which perhaps a medication might help.

 

I’ve been through it. Took me a bit to realize Semi, car or bicycle, it doesn’t matter. You can try to account for everything on the road and set your self up to the possibilities of what might or could happen. That’s called precaution, yet your not going to avoid the unknown and you won’t be able to prepare for it 100%. Only thing you can do is stay vigilant and move forward.

It’s scary driving today than it was 40 years ago. Ya old timers had unfriendly trucks but they didn’t have so many cars and not so many idiots on the road.

keep your head up and keep doing what your doing.

 

Check your Sustenance.
Some Foods as well combinations, like ADDED SUGARS, can easily afford Stress as well Irrational Thinking.
Remain Hydrated!!
Under Hydrated does affect Mental/Emotional/Physical Awareness!

Take More Breaks or just Jump Out on any ramp (with a crossover to On Ramp), and take a short Break, outta the Truck.
I've done such MANY Times, just to "get out of the pack" and it REDUCED Stress and the Syndrome of Shakiness!

Traffic wasn't much different in 2018, 2013 or 2008.

TAKE CARE OF YOU!

 

1) How other people react to you is almost completely related to what is going on in their life and has nothing to do with you. They may be stressed about work or relationships and they will take it out on you, and you can't control that but you can control how you respond to them. I find that feeling sorry that they are having a bad day really helps me mentally.

2) Fighting complacency is one of the hardest things about this job. It may not work for you but I set up routines and get in the habit of being actively engaged in driving. If I start to miss things like being surprised by cars coming up on me or not watching up coming on-ramps to try and predict traffic I stop and take a quick rest and walk around a bit.

Like any skill it takes constant practice and self evaluation to get good at something. This is true for everything from playing the guitar to flying a plane.

You may be discouraged but I actually believe you are on the right path because it still bothers you which means you still care. Take that and run with it.

If you make a mistake work hard to improve but don't confuse you being a convenient target for someones problems in life as being a personal failing on your part.

I get honked at all the time trying to accelerate through a round-about when I had to stop due to traffic and entered the round-about before the car did...they just are taking their problems out on me and I can't accelerate like a car so I simply remember to not take it personal. No good comes from letting them shift their life issues onto you.