Directionally impaired?

Thts how it was with my texas run.Knew how long it would take accounting for dallas traffic.Knew where id be taking my brks ect.

 

That's called Alzheimers!

 

Even though ive been driving since 2003 to this day I look at the map and write my route down.I also call customer for directions write that down and read it back to the customer to make sure I hear everything correctly.Now certin routes that you take over and over,you have that lodged in your brain and can do it in your sleep.But the basic OTR just write it down and have it close to you.Planning a second route for your trip doesnt hurt either.Sometimes you'll run into construction and have to take a detour only no signs and no place to pull over then what.In trucking you learn real quick to ecspect the unecspected.Ive had to take detours due to a bad accident.You just never know from one day to the next.

 

I was blessed with a great sense of direction. Also know how to read maps really well. I'm not talking about marked street maps. I'm talking about terrain maps. Some will call bullsnot but I've never been lost and never taken a wrong turn. I check, double check and triple check my routes.

 

There ya go,double and triple check,I do the same thing.Better safe then sorry.Now reading a terrin map that takes quite the skills does'nt it?I use to do the north east alot and I bet I have every map for every city/town along with a few atlases.My NYC atlas got me out of a jam real quick.

 

I'd pick up a decent compass, not necessarily the cheapest you can find. If you do get lost, it'll provide a little extra confidence when finding your way, may help keep you from getting turned around and lost in the first place. Get a handheld, maybe a dash mount also.

 

One of my geography teachers taught us map reading skills, not just "road" maps but also topigraphical (terrain) maps. When my son got "map reading" in school it looked more like how to follow directions from point A to point B, than how to actually read a map. I taught him how to actually read a map.

Both my son an exhusband are directionally challenged though. I'm still somewhat dumbfounded at how BAD my ex's sense of direction was/is. It's like this ; left New Port Richey,Fl heading north on 19 heading to SC, I fell asleep, woke up 3 hrs later with the sun peeking up ummmm it was on my left, asked the ex where we at? He didn't know, asked him if he knew what direction we were headed in. . . Yeah he said north. My sarcastic little brain could only come up with one thought, which I probably should of kept to myself " In which alternate universe does the Sun rise in the west?"

 

sounds like some good times you all had,lol.

 

Half of the battle is paying attention to the directional road signs.

When I used to train drivers that was one of the most difficult things for newer drivers to adjust to while operating a large piece of machinery, especially in traffic.

Oftentimes, they were so afraid of running into someone, or, something, they would completely miss the signs. I don't care how good your intuitive sense of directions are if you miss the turn you can experience major problems pulling a 53' trailer with a huge truck.

 

It gets better...going to new places can be a challenge sometimes, even with atlas and gps. I have missed a few exits and made a couple of wrong turns. Trick is to be calm and wisely recover. find a safe place and pull over, think it out, just don't drive aimlessly. These things can and do happen. As I continued driving I find myself making wiser decisions and am just more comfortable in unfamiliar areas. Today I had a 7 mile leg on US-34E from I-88 to I-294. Never been on it before, GPS was of very little help, Atlas sorta helped. Only indication of my exit was a little blip on the 355 sign..read US 34 Ogden Ave.. took the 355 and whalla..there was 34, took it east a bit and the gps kicked into my route. It was a nice break driving the short 35mph commercial zone, got to see a few sights and helps stay in shape with downshifting, braking, etc.. A few months ago...not so much.