How common is it to get lost?

I was with a company where their directions were religiously wrong. The directions a lot of times would completely leave out a turn, a street name, etc. When the time was available, I'd take their directions and look it up on, believe or not, Streets and Trips, and plot my way from there. Around 50% of the time that kept me from "missing" my turn or whatever.
One thing that always po'd me, was when my directions would say something like, straight on elm x distance, turn right on maple x distance, then turn left on willow x distance, when in reality, it could have said, stay on US20, who cares about the cute little local names of a US highway. Give me the local name if that's all there is, I can handle that.
Yes driver, getting twisted around WILL and DOES happen, unless you're a "Super Trucker" or something, then everything goes through a transporter like on Star Trek.

 

go as far as elmers house--then bear left until you see a dead possum on the yellow line--then 5 hickory trees from there is a lane on the right---take it until you get to hog waller and take a quick left over the crick then through the corn field and you will get to boobby rays trailer--then just a hoot and a holler beyond that is the shop


sometimes you gotta watch just who you ask for directions

 

Hey! That dead possum is a local landmark!

"3rd SL, TL. RCVR # EOR on right "

Now that's some instruction... especially when they put another "SL" - stoplight - in there leading to a dead-end, unmarked low overpass, etc. How about the frickin' street name? Matter of fact, how about some words?

Best advice... do your homework before you're heading down the big road at warp 9 jugglin' map, GPS, Google Earth AND trying to keep it between the lines!

 

Most covered it all. The most reliable source is calling the shipper/receiver. Many have canned voicemail directions and they know of any restricted local routes. That along with your Rand McNally and comparing on your GPS it's hard to get lost. My GPS has Google Earth and I'll even zoom in on the building and parking lot to scope things out.

I never rely on company macro directions. I've seen some of the stupidest canned directions on there. When I call the customer and talk to a real person, I'll have my guard up if a woman is giving the directions. Don't get mad women. God gave woman many gifts but directions is not one of them. From a woman truck driver I would trust. But turn right where I get my nails done and go down to the store with all the shoes in the window don't get it. Some don't even know how they get to work. They know by sight and not road names.

You get better with experience. I remember when I first started I got lost more than my share. You didn't have the advantage of a cell phone or GPS. Many truckers relied on the CB for help. I had a few times where I been directed to one warehouse when they wanted you at another warehouse across town. There's nothing like being dog tired and lost.

 

we never really get lost, we just "happen" to find a different way to get to where we "were" going.....

my favorite GPS cartoon....

 

I call it "locationally challenged"

I keep Thomas Bros. Guides for most of So Cal with me. Match those up with the GPS for locations that I am not sure of.

 

There's a place we deliver to in Des Moines where the Qualcomm directions for this place include "straddle the centerline under the 13'2" bridge and you'll be fine". I was like, ... WHAT??? I had a brand new Pete and knew it had a taller 5th wheel than the rest of the fleet because they had just quit buying Volvos and started getting Petes and their 5th wheels were higher than on the Volvos.
Well I stopped, inched up to it and did a G.O.A.L. with my 4-ways on and cars getting pissed and going around me with their tires squealing. It looked like I was about an inch too tall. I dumped the air bags, then set the trailer brakes. We have auto-dump on the trailers. When we set the brakes, it dumps the air bags. Then when we push that red knob back in, it takes a minute or two to re-inflate when it's loaded. So I did that, as soon as I couldn't hear the air rushing out of the trailer air bags I pushed the red knob back in and started tugging immediately, .. as soon as the spring brakes released I ran it under the bridge quickly before they could re-inflate. When I was empty I did the same thing when I was leaving. Haven't been back there since.

 

Anybody who tells you they have never gotten turned around and had a "little adventure" is lying.

'Nuff said.

 

Something I learned in the Boy Scouts. The sun rises in the East and settles in the west. So wait till it goes down to know where you are.

 

Moss don't grow on the north side of the pine tree...

That'll sure help you find your way in the desert! LOL!