2 minor accidents in less than a week: how screwed am I?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Anon360, Jul 8, 2014.

  1. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    Not career ending but uphill from here. No your limits. Don't put yourself in situations that are above your skills or just not going to work out. There's more than one eay to skin a cat as they say. Even veteran drivers can be out of their comfort zone. Take a capable freight hauler and put him in a dump truck unless he's done it before, prolly going to be out of sorts till he learns the ropes. Some drivers will come off as know it alls. There not. And that's all I've got say about that.
     
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  3. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Says the guy with the stretch load. Not saying that you know it all, but I am willing to bet a driver like you could pull any wagon there is, perhaps not as well as one who pulls that type of wagon on a regular basis, but well enough to make any boss happy. You do it every day. Going from a full stretch to closing the trailer in is like going from a 53 ft to bobtailing. You can instantly make compensation for the size and weight of the wagon...any wagon.

    OP is having problems that I dont think you would at the same level of experience. So, if you were brand new, driving a straight truck in a big city, and you're trying to become accustomed to using the mirrors on this straight truck, how would you learn?
    And to OP, I'm not saying that youre a total screwup, I believe that you may just need to make a slight simple adjustment somewheres, and you will be fine. And it has to be your perception in the mirrors.
     
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  4. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    That's quite a complement 6. Thank you! I like to think of myself as a utility driver. Keeps a guy working. If you can't see GOAL is probably the best advice I can give. Back up by a object and get out and see what kind of room you have. Gives you an idea of distances in the mirror. And practice never hurts.
     
  5. GenericUserName

    GenericUserName Road Train Member

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    I have run across plenty of folks like you in cdl school. Basically a quick comparison to how OP's type was in school : "i was doing skills pretty well, however i could have done better and i blame my teacher for that", or "i barely failed the test but it isnt my fault because im actually an excellent driver but my skills were not allowed to be cultivated properly as my school has a high failure rate."
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    Translation for all these examples plus OP: "i suck at driving a big rig, or straight truck(in op case which is oversized car lol) and im not honest enough to come to that realization myself and im not mature enough to accpt responsibility for my actionsand shortcomings."
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    Trucking aint for you buddy.
     
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  6. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Contrary to popular belief (aka, mega carriers, the Labor Dept, the general public, and a good portion of wannabe's), DRIVING requires a certain skill level. Doesn't matter what you are driving. Motorcycles, sportscars, emergency vehicles,...etc. From what I've seen, in the trucking world, the most difficult to master is the tanker, the bigger OSOW loads, and the triple trailers. If the weather gets rotten, the Law makes us shut down in most places. The tanker yankers and wiggle wagons still have to go. There are drivers out there that have ran the tankers and wiggle wagons in bad weather for decades without a hiccup. Lucky? Luck runs out really quick when there's no skill present.

    The goal shouldn't be to get a job as a driver. The goal is to be good at what you do. You're pulling stretch loads. You have to be good at what you do to pull stretch.
     
  7. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    Some skill is natural to some people. Driving different trucks also builds skill. As does outside activities from driving. That and a desire to be the best you can be.
     
  8. tumblin dice

    tumblin dice Light Load Member

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    OP you got off to a rough start but you were only there for a month right? There was no police report right? Find out if there is a DAC record of you. Sounds like you were with a local delivery service. Not all of them use the DAC. If not then don't say S_ _T about your prior employment and start off on a fresh foot. Good luck!
     
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