Swift Regret

Late to the party, but I agree with pretty much everything everyone said here. It's funny because next week is the fifth anniversary of me passing the CDL test. I remember feeling just like what you described in the original post.

In a little over a week I'll be starting a new job pulling reefers. I'm a little nervous about bumping docks every day. It's a dedicated Walmart account, so it's going to be all either at the DC or at a Walmart store, which makes it a lot better. At least I won't have to back a block and a half around with one right hand and one left hand corner in some alley in Chicago, or do a serpentine back into some hundred year old brick paper plant in PA.

After five years, I still do not feel super confident about backing -- not the sweaty palms thing I used to get when I pulled into a truck stop with three open spots and no time on my clock, but not like "I don't have to think about this at all" either. I still get out and look when I need to.

The real difference between now and my first few months is this:

1) I really don't care what anyone else who might be watching me back thinks about my skills. Just remember, you'll most likely never ever see them again in your whole life. It bothered me sometimes when I was new, but reading this thread is what it took to remind me of that. I just don't even think about that anymore. Who cares?

2) I make it a point to remind myself that I can do it, and I can do it without hitting anything. There wouldn't be a rack or a tank port or a dock there if no one could get a truck in there. Other drivers have done it, so can I. It might take a minute, but no one really cares as long as you don't hit anything. It's OK to ask how other drivers do it. Whoever is there to unload you will usually tell you, since they see it every day. "Some guys pull up over there and back sort of straight in, and some guys pull up over there and kind of jack it in."

Good luck, OP. You can do it.

P.S. I have no idea what the 'Chewy' story is that @G13Tomcat mentioned. I must be getting old.

 

A trainer can only teach you the fundamentals but the rest comes with experience. Experience you can only get by actually doing it yourself over & over.
If it was just a backing issue I think you would just get more training. But I think you are looking for a reason to go home & turn in the keys. The thing is you don't need a reason. Finding yourself in a situation you don't like is not a failure. It's a reality many new drivers face when they are cut loose & have to sink or swim. Driving a truck OTR is not for everyone & people should do it because they want to, not because they have no other options.
Good luck in what ever you choose.

 

Take it easy, stop stressing and stop worrying about mistakes. We all make them!! Hell the only way your going to learn is by making mistakes, then you correct them. Backing up is easy just practice, practice, practice. I've been driving since '99 and hell there are times I back up like a rookie and so what!?? Big deal ain't no one here gets extra pay or accolades for one shot backing ...keep your head up ...the first 6 months always suck!!

 

Luv ya man, Bud. Excellent post. I had a 'mishhap' many moons ago, on 'unstable ground' kinda like Chewy three five two. ... he was H/H.. mine was a tank. Ground was soft where they had me back and stage.. I was like 'nope' but BOSSMAN was in the Petercar tank beside me, and he said, 'you'll be fine' .. Well, I wasn't. Never went on DAC, PSP, et al.

Foreman of the site...vouched for me. But for a BAD bruised right leg, from the shifter (of course..) I was fine.. (ish....)

Slipped. I knew better, but had to listen to the 'powers that were' .. ANYMORE, nope. If I say no, it's just NO.

My ship, my dock / catwalk, my rules. END it there, O/P.

Tomcat

ps: Do you remember Persian C. ? Wasn't that bad..but.. wasn't fun. MY TRUCK my rules.. company or not. How he recovered, no clue. Sheesh.

 

My wife was my best student. One of the reasons for that was I needed to know what she could not do. As soon I had that, it probably reduced the company prescribed 12 week training eliminated to maybe 3 issues. And for better or worse she was rolling within a month.

One part of her comes from the Corps. Her attention to detail. Our instructor long time ago told her the nickel sized copy on a sheet of paper at 3 yards is not important. Just shoot the paper. (Test)

She placed 4 rounds onto the nickel sized image itself. the other 4 was within a inch of the first four. With my own handgun which was ported and featured a storm lake barrel of no particular accuracy. But that gun as far as I am concerned in her hands was super accurate. better than me with it. (Trigger was too gritty etc)

Just a example. Tell her not to worry about it, means she is....

But like all newbies the finer finesse of backing for instance will come later, not for her because medical problems related to food etc showed up that first year. It was not good for her. So that had to stop for her sake.

It took me about oh maybe 8 years before I thought i could back. Even then I am pretty particular about it. Its a form of OCD actually I used to have night mares backing. Wake up all tired after working a thousand stupid trailers in the sleeper.

And they call that rest.

HA....

 

I taught my wife in a month; then again, it was tanks. Fixed tan's, 5' less....but if she backed it, she bought it. Catwalk, hoses, PTO, et al. I'd sit in the seat (or the guardshack, depending on which yard....) and be 'handy' if she needed help.

I need a nap...LoL. Glad to see you are up and running, man.

 

The School I went to for 8weeks when I got my CDL did not let us on the road except 2Xs to practice the CDL test. I literally spent 5 weeks backing 48 footers in all different cone configurations . And my first OTR truck was a cabover with a 48. My issue as a newbie was not backing. It was that progressive short shifter & my long ### leg trying to double clutch without going to deep while adjusting that flat throttle pedal with no rev limiter.

 

I think 4 weeks was playing around the building docking or offset etc.

Once they thought we were adequate... they run us out in groups of several to play in DC rush on the 495, then up towards Cumberland (No I68 in those days just US40-48 which was a true mountain road then) and deliberately took that 18 wheeler and had us drive on small roads not built for them. Notchcliff NE of Baltimore comes to mind. For those of us not raised in that area it was more difficult. And Beth Steel which has all the configurations such as a proper highway cloverleaf etc on the property to learn on without getting in anyone's way at Sparrows Point.

Weeks of it. Then one day someone said I bet you cannot parralel park this thing in the corner of fence. All of us took a shot at it as soon we watched and learned how it's done. Not required in those days by the state, but awful handy when you feed 7 meters on a Atlantic fishing town built in the 1600's (That was a bet won... they refused to believe it... there)

My school closed a couple of years after. It is unknown to me why. I would run into several instructors in the real world years later by happenstance. One threw out his back unloading gasoline for the last time. I had the honor of signing that bill of delivery. He was a good one.

What was strange to me was one manager in charge of drivers tolerated a interview a time or two at a local trucking company and he was one of those who taught me how to do it. So Im known to him. Apparently he wanted better drivers willing to go into Freehold NJ several times daily... (Ugh...) so it was not me. The company was demo'ed to bare dirt in the late 90's and replaced with something else.

Such is change.

 

Oh yeah, I remember that. Scary. He was lucky he didn't get hurt.

 

I still have the 'dvd' from the shack... all in my favor, no dings on the record.. just my mind, heart, soul.. and body. Forgiven is not always forgotten, my friend. Hurts my chest to talk about it.. but... I slipped...tumbled... rolled. Under the guise of my boss' instructions. Never ever again. MY WHEEL MY SHIP. Tranny nonwithstanding.

O/P ... learn from this.. please. Bud and I have a few years between us; nobody is immune.

Tell'em, @88 Alpha .