Getting started after training,only you and your truck. How stressful was it for you?

Totally normal, its like learning to swim by getting tossed into the deep end. It gets way easier after a few months. Take it slow and make it easy on yourself, as much as your company allows. Don't hit anything.

 

The LA area is my personal demon. I hate the northeast period but its LA that bites me in some way every time I go there. Over a million miles under my belt and that area makes me feel like I started yesterday.

 

I liked it, since I could sleep at night. Then I would get lonely after two or three weeks out. Plus its boring going across Montana by your self. Then northeast traffic sucks, but not as bad as LA.

 

I feel so much better after reading this,knowing I'm not alone feeling nervous about the day ill be going solo. Good thread.

 

Are you kiddin me?
I freagin love LA.

Always get good miles out of LA. With FFE, any load out of cali as a solo driver was typically at-least 2,000 miles. I only ever heard of other drivers getting less than 2,000. I always got over 2k. ALWAYS.

And it was always a nice drop and hook, typically a reward for not completely screwing up a medical load

 

I'm by no means an expert driver since I haven't even started school yet. In addition to the suggestions of some of the others, ya may want to consider playing soft music when in stressful situations. The music in itself obviously won't get you out of your jam, but it can ease your mind so ya can think your way out of it better.

 

My 3rd week with a trainer after dropping axles in San Diego we shot north and had load out of LA.
I had very little experience and drove thru LA at 530pm on a weekday . Hands down the hardest traffic I've
dealt with in the semi. Chicago...Dallas....El Paso....Nashville ..Memphis...Norwich CT ...NY George Washington Bridge and NJ
turnpike all pale in comparison to that rush hour traffic in Los Angeles .

 

It gets easier, just be calm and if any one has to wait for you to maneuver make then wait and ignore their impatience, there will be always a "super driver" around every corner and every driver (including me) got lost at some point, and will get lost again and again, this is just one of many parts that comes with the job, try to use a smart phone with satellite map navigation, it will give you turn by turn advice must of the time, stress is natural but you must control it, stop the driving if you have to, take a deep breath and walk around the truck a couple of times, you don't want to drive while you are a ticking bomb, soon your confidence will grow, but please never EVER take anything that you have learned for granted, we are always learning in old and new ways, it never ends and at the end is fun. Good luck out there and Happy Driving.

 

For my first week of driving solo the most annoying thing was feeling like someone was in the truck with me. Any noises from the bunk area while I was driving and I could almost hear an obnoxious voice. After a while it sank in that I was...

.... FREE!!!!

 

it was very stressful my first month. I literally wanted to quit after the first week because my trip plans weren't working, I had little money, customers wanted me to back into ridiculous places.

BUT
After that first month it got much easier. I now can do everything pretty well,,,,..

The biggest tip which you may have already picked up on, if you get lost, don't get frustrated and do stupid stuff. Do not make a U turn or back unto a public street, find another warehouse, big box parking lot, whatever, and get your bearings, if you feel stressed pull into a rest area and take a break. Don't let everything be a rush. And when you trip plan, give yourself an extra few hours for breaks. This is the best advice I can gives you. Oh and if your company would get you in trouble for taking things slow your first couple months, find a better employer.

Edit this is some of my stories on getting lost

Ok episode one, I was at a shipper who wanted the trailer swept, I hadn't even been paid yet with that company and didn't own a broom, neither did they, their guy told me to go to a gas station but gave me bad directions, I ended up on some county road in the middle of nowhere outside of Fresno, CA finally I saw a ranch with some cattle trucks in it, got in there and turned around,

epsiode two. Following GPS directions I was trying to get back on I-5 at a Target in Albany Oregon, took the wrong turn trying to get on I-5 found myself unable to get turned around due to a 1 way street, carefully drive through a residential block and got turned around, only to be foiled by another 1 way street, so I pulled into a grocery store and used the loading lane behind their store to get turned into the proper direction.

These are some ways to handle getting lost...