am I really a truck driver?

For me, I consider anyone who drives a regular truck as in a straight truck or anything over 1 ton a truck driver. That includes buses as well.

I don't really start respecting people as truck drivers fully though until they respect themselves and present themselves in a professional manor though. Plus they need to be proud to do what they do and want to do their best.

I know that leaves out some steering wheel holders but that's how I feel.

Having large truck characteristics helps add validity IMO but it doesn't change respect, ie: air brakes, diesel engines, retarders.

 

I do the same thing except backwards. I dispatch M-F and drive on Saturdays. If there is no loads to go on a Saturday, I wash 3-5 trucks and call it a day. How many of you have your dispatcher washing your rig on the weekend? LOL. I am also the relief guy during the week, if someone calls in sick or whatever, I get to go.

 

If you don't end up upside down in a ditch, you're a truck driver.

Truck + paycheck = Professional Truck Driver

If your first post started out without a question, nobody would of thought different. Stand proud and loud driver.

 

That never happened. I always made sure the inside was neat and clean before leaving it at the shop. If my dispatcher was going to wash the truck, I think I would have had to pre-wash!

I think it is great by the way whenever a dispatcher is or was also a trucker.

 

I haul steps and flats to local oil fields here in PA, seems like you can get into some hairy situations on those location roads if you aren't really careful. I say use your brakes and jakes to help you slow down, I usually jake down to 1600 and split my top gears going down unless I really need to stop in a hurry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it asap man.

 

That's the way this company likes to do it. There are a few exceptions, but most of us have driven and still hold a valid license just in case.

 

Why do you care what some one that is not doing what you are doing thinks that you aren't a "real truck driver" ?
Screw them and the horse they rode in on !!!
If you are making a living then to helk with them !!!

 

I'd like to address the problem you are having with slowing the truck down by downshifting. I'm "reading through the lines" here a bit, but it sounds like you are staying off the brakes and downshifting as much as possible to slow down. Since you are having difficulties with downshifting, I STRONGLY recommend that if you need to slow down quickly, (e.g. in traffic) just use your brakes. Don't bother with downshifting. Your downshifting skills will improve over time. For now, just concentrate on driving safely, and getting that truck slowed down safely when you need to. Practice downshifting when you are in situations where you can do it safely, like on level ground with plenty of time to get slowed down.

Getting good at shifting takes practice, practice, practice, then some more practice. In your situation, it will take even more (say it with me, lol) practice, because you are jumping from one truck to another. That is a good thing, believe it or not, because once you master all those trannys (or at least get pretty good), you will be able to jump in just about any truck at any company and be good to go with very little learning curve.

Me? I'm a pretty slow learner, and it took me a better part of a year to get halfway decent at driving a 10 spd. Now I have a local job where I'm driving a super 10 and a 13 spd. Again, it took a lot of practice to get used to those.

But, even though I can down shift pretty good, if I need to slow down fast, I don't down shift at all. Neither should you. Plus, when down shifting in normal situations, you don't need to go through every gear on your way down. Some of the old-timers may cringe at this and call me a lazy steering wheel holder, but usually I only down shift through 2,3, sometimes 4 gears before the truck comes to a stop. I use the brakes (both tractor and trailor). That's what they are for. Worn brakes can be replaced.

I hope this helps. Don't worry to much and don't get down on yourself. Remember this--yes, you are going to have problems and get frustrated. But all you are doing is learning how to do a job. No more, no less. It takes a long time to learn how to be a truckdriver. Stick with it, and don't worry about the other drivers. You are there to learn the job. The camaraderie will come with time.