When did you get comfortable?

There used to be a bar graph hanging up in our office showing the correlation between experience levels and incidents/accidents. I can't remember exactly but it had 0-6 months that obviously had the largest bar. Then it tapered off a bit from 6-12. 12-18 months was virtually non existent. But then there was a massive spike from 18-24 or 30 months. After that it would fall drastically again and stay low. My numbers may be off but it showed just what happens when guys get a bit too comfortable and perhaps too sure of themselves and their skills after a short amount of time behind the wheel.

Ive only got 1 1/2 years in and although I run to NJ/NYC boroughs 3 times a week, I'll be ###### if I won't still call myself a rookie 10 years from now. Maybe 20. As far as general comfortability with my abilities, I'd say it took a good 6-9 months but there are just some areas of this great debacle they call the NE that I'll never be comfortable with. Even if it is my dedicated lane and I'm somewhat of a "regular". I'm far more at ease while backing into some tight offstreet enclosed dock than I am just driving next to these morons on the road. Too many idiots out there and too many unpredictabilities.

 

I've been driving trucks since 2007. Still get the jitters every first day back from my weekend. As I walk up to the "beast" I'm fully aware of its size and capability to cause serious damage if mishandled. I hope I stay this way. Respect the machine. I am nothing but a rookie!

 

Comfortable is relative... I wouldn't really say I'm ever comfortable in a truck. Comfort leads to complacency, which in turn leads to incidents/accidents. I do have a lot more "I love my job" moments now, than the first year or two, though.

 

I get comfort as soon as my shoes and pants come off, and the keys hit the matress, in my bed at home... "Timber!" Fat guy falling... asleep...

 

If I remember correctly it was somewhere in my second month where I got that comfort level the OP seems to be describing.

I remember my driving instructor telling me I needed to be more "I don't want to say aggressive, you're going to need to be more assertive". I guess he thought I was being too cautious when waiting for a large opening before entering traffic. To this day I'll gladly wait a bit longer for the space I want.

What some call being complacent or over confident I think of as losing respect for the potential for bad things to happen. A healthy dose of paranoia and a belief in that law of Murphy keep me cautious.

 

Comfortable=bored
Keep some edge

 

The first time I felt comfortable was when I finally had a chance to drive by myself.

 

I remember this fight on television. Nate Cambell had it won. He felt invincible, dropped his guard and got KTFO! Was he comfortable in the ring? Sure. Nothing wrong with that. But as soon as he got complacent, he got put out.

Luck in battle.

 

Sounds like Mile Weaver vs. 'Big' John Tate. Tate beat the snot out of Weaver until the 15th round, then bam!

 

Exactly. I've been doing this long enough its rate that I'm not entirely comfortable going down the road with what i got on the deck. Just means im confident in my truck and my abilities. But i don't allow myself to get complacent. I still double check my securement every time. Same with getting out and walking, formulating a plan, BEFORE pulling into a tight job site.