Am I being too hard on myself? Keeping good mindset while driving

Go check out trucking accident section if that doesn’t help get the right driving mindset not much else will. Remember most of these drivers thought they had it under control while doing other things .

 

hammer down eating a SUBWAY sammy. ha ha ha

 

Checking the time on your phone? Use the clock on your dash or radio. Don’t play the victim by saying the rumble strips haven’t been installed.

Sneezing? Well that can’t be helped. Be ready to sneeze into your shirt or on your arm. Because that’s better than scraping your brains off the road.

If you gotta change the radio station and can’t do it safely while driving, then listen to static until you can stop and change the station.

Be proactive, not a victim.

 

Worst day of your life is when you look up from being distracted and realize, “I’m not gonna stop in time” that’s enough for me.

 

Nothing is more important than keeping control of your truck!

 

That's right! You're the captain of that ship, nobody else. ALWAYS look as far ahead as you can and NEVER EVER tailgate ANYONE. Anytime you rearend someone YOU'RE ALWAYS at fault. That being said you can't be a robot, riveted every second behind the wheel. My first trainer told me the best advice was to keep your wallet in your front pocket and to always relax. I never ever messed around behind the wheel, and after 16yrs otr I can proudly say I never fell asleep behind the wheel. Now then.... I woke up a few times holding the wheel. LoL

 

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

"So, let’s be real here. I pride myself as being as efficient as I can be."

Pride leads to arrogance which leads to mistakes.

 

Imagine as I was taught: There were no phones. You should watch your mirrors and know everything that is going on behind you just as much as in front of you. You should always watch your oil and temperature gauges .When you see a wah who that may pull out in front of you always thank about what you would do. That trains your brain up for when it really happens. This is a full time job and it should have your full time attention. If you can not do that park it. I do not care if you have only been driving 4 hours. Then go again.

 

You are being too hard on yourself but I can advise you to make certain adjustments so your better and more efficient. First things first....You'll need to pay attention to the road at all times. Looking at your phone can be the kiss of death literally and figuratively. More importantly, I don't think it's a great idea to drive 8 hrs straight. I personally drive no more than 5 hrs at most at a time. 3 to 5 hrs, I stop and take a break. It's easy to get lost in thought and lose focus, as you appeared to have done. You don't have to burn your clock out all the time either. Learn how to pace yourself. You don't have to be fast, only efficient. Most days I drive more than 500ish miles. I'll 600 plus if necessary, only if necessary. It ain't often that it's necessary. If you have 2 days to complete an 800 mile run with a locked in appt, do 400 each day. That way, it will help you break into the industry easier. Pace yourself, refocus. You only have to be there on time. Doesn't mean burn out your clock all the time. I repeat....pace yourself and take breaks.