New Career ... From the beginning.

Chompi. This couldn't have come at a better time. My first day....well, it could have been worse....but today was pretty bad. I'm going to just post my journal for today....
My first day as a driver! I'm in extreme northern Vermont...picking up my first truck. I'm to run "bobtail" about 70 miles to pickup a trailer. It starts to snow...hard. The road is as slippery as glass. I come down a hill....a steep hill....and the road has a turn to the left. I can feel the tractor loose it's traction .i start slipping sideways....the truck is now sliding down the hill sidways.....there's a Federal Express truck at the bottom of the hill. Stopped.... There is nothing I can do...nothing. The back side of my drive tires collide with the FedEx can....crash....I spin completely around now....like I'm on a at the amusement park. I stop....the FedEx Guy asks me if I'm hurt.....he's not. We each call our supervisor....the cops arrive. No ticket...thank God, I have a blown tire and ruined rim. What's way to start a career, it could have been much worse....no one was hurt. I hope I don't loose my job over this!
9:30PM. The day is finally done. One of my worst days ever. First the accident above....then...tonight I was driving to my next appointment and missed a turn....the gps tricked me....telling me I had. 3 tents of a mile before my turn....so I ignored the turn that was there and drove on....into private drive.....it's dark....snow covered....no one around to assist me.....I had to back up several hundred feet.....then, while trying to decide how to get out of my predicament....an officer of the law appeared and told me that the road curved around...and I could get out. Great....now here I am...right st the Canadian border...with no place to stop for the night. I was sure there would be a truck stop there ...but there is not. I headed back to St Albens.....where I had seen a mini truck stop. I drove another half an hour....found the exit....then looked for a place to stop. In doing so I turned a little too soon and curbed the trailer, I thought it was okay....but I just checked it out and I can see I damaged one of the wheels on the trailor. That is considered a preventable accident.....I could get fired...especially since I had the accident this morning. This could be my one and only night in a truck.....I pray it is not.

 

This is not easy....maybe it will be fun someday. But there is so much that you have to be aware of ALL the time...things can/do happen in an instant.

 

Thanks...I'm fine...tired ....a little rest and I'm fine.