Newbie behind the wheel of a tractor trailer

Don't turn your head to look thru the back window.

 

Get out and look.

GOAL

 

You are the driver. Not the guy next to you. If you dont want to go the speed limit, you can drive 10 under the limit. Just dont go over the posted limit. You want to drive? Good for you. Get your mind into the 10 second "head bob". Every 10 seconds or so, check all your mirrors. Remember where the cars are? Did they afford you an escape route in case of an accident? Nice thing about driving in the right hand lane. The shoulder of the road is yyour escape route.

 

OP, get yourself acquainted with the Smith System.

 

Or a telephone pole, no I've never done that but I can see it being a real possibility. Know your clearances if driving into unknown areas. I have a local milk hauling route so I know I can fit everywhere.... but if you are going to the same places you must know.

 

Get yourself a toy tractor trailer and practice all your maneuvers with it. It’ll help you visualize what’s going on with your actual rig when you’re backing it up.

 

Keep yer head on a swivel. Change lanes slowly in case you missed that car in your blind spot

 

When youre at a truck stop and a nice lady comes over to you saying "you wanna watch a movie?" Its a lie! Theres no movie!
Jokes aside, youre an 80k pound semi, thats 65ft+ long, YOU CANNOT STOP LIKE A CAR SO LEAVE ROOM! Ive been thru 4 of these very near rear ends due to abrupt stopped traffic, some homeless druggie crossing the freeway and everybody slams on their brakes, or debris flying off 4 wheelers. If it werent for me giving room id be dead or outta a job!

 

I can't really add much more but changing lanes real slow has saved my ### more than a few times when a 4 wheeler crept into your blind spot

 

Me too, especially in the rain. Some silver car running next to you with thier lights off hanging out right in the spray...

You whip on the turn signal and wait, and wait, and wait. Then start slowly easing over to hear some weak "beep beep" of a horn from something you can't even see.