No Experience At ALL - Getting Pre-Class Jitters - Cold Feet - Major Doubts

From another country, the other side of the road, a car license, CDL permit, CDL.

Worry, plan, worry, do.

Reefer and Van to doubles to flat to oversize.

Worry, plan, worry, do.

Company to owner.

Same thing.

15 years later, what do you think I do the days and nights before stepping into this situation . . .



15 feet wide, 95 feet long. 1200 miles.

Worry, plan, worry - then do it.

The day you feel comfortable in this industry is the day you should quit.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Good luck.

 

Deep breaths, don't rush, and don't overthink. It is daunting at first, but you do get used to it. I'm in school currently myself, and the first day doing something new I was a mess. Grinding gears nonstop first time on the shifting range, countless pullups on the backing pad, bumping every curb on the city driving. But after a week of doing them all, I've got instructors asking me if I've done this before I came to school.

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.

 

Here's what you do: Drive the darn truck.

Worry about what's going to happen? You're going to drive the darn truck.

Worried about traffic? Drive the darn truck.

What if it Snows? You drive the darn truck.

What if there's construction? I suppose you drive the darn truck.

I mean, seriously. Drive the darn truck!

 

Don't tell me. You were a trainer at Swift.

 

You seem to be the type of person that stresses at the small real or imaginary stuff, many people that gets stressed easy just can not handle the day to day life of trucking. I am not saying you can't, but you have to get over the initial stress of trying something new and go find out if you can handle it or not, nobody can do it for you.
You may very well find out that it is the most enjoyable thing you could possibly do, or you may hate it from the git go, only you can find out.

 

Positive thoughts!

 

Just curious, it is probably somewhere in a thread, but I do not remember, what kind of work are you now doing, and have you changed careers in the past?

 

That's good news about The Big loveable car - Tractor only - first drive.
Went for my bike ride. sigh The ride was great. I need the exercise, as @tscottme said. Helps.
Once I get on the road after class I should be fine. (I hope. There is still the lil' matter of what? how many months partnering before I can get a solo route.) As @Chinatown said, I am overthinking things. Tell ya one thing simple. I love driving miles n miles. I really want a route dedicated from IL to WA State through So. Dakata, cuz I could drive that back and forth forever, but I don't think one exists. Least not for new drivers.
*mind wanders *...
Favorite part of that drive. That's tough. Like so many parts. But Coeur d’Alene Idaho is always nice. Wonder what all those trucks running the 90 through there were carrying? What Carrier companies? There is quite a long drop down if I remember. Think it was right after Coeur d’Alene and close to the Washington State border. There was a rest area there. Was it the Huetter? All I know is - when we were goin' down that the first time, my daughter's Saturn wagon's water pump(I think) - serpentine belt belt broke some time at the bottom. We had to find a mechanic real fast. It was after we stopped at the rest area. (I now think that was a bad idea.(IDK read that somewhere. Not a good idea to stop right after a long straight down decent on a hot engine?) - But she was panicking already. Knew something was wrong. I might not remember this correctly. Maybe she panicked after we got back on the road and the engine overheated.) She had just had a whole new engine put in before we left IL but they didn't put in a new belt? The mechanic in Spokane said the belt was was old and worn and IDK - snapped from the heat maybe from all that breaking on the decent?

Sorry. that was the only "bad" memory. Absolutely LOVE that route.

Thanks for your encouragement @WesternPlains . And again. What a beautiful dog.
Thank you.

 

Thanks.

Love the cat. She's a beauty. Gotta love our best friends.
~ Gamgee

 

You're gonna talk everyones face off in school huh? Rotfl.