One month on my own.. need some advice

In my opinion starting out is when it'll be ruff. But I tell myself that everything that I go through will eventually pay off. The company I was with in the 2 weeks sent me to brooklyn ny to deliever a load in which they gave me the wrong directios to and when I called the place for directions no 1 there could speak english. It took me 4 hour to find this place. What I did was park my truck on some main steet and I started walkin around and asked found a cop who picked me up and drove me to the place that I had to deliver to and I asked the drivers who where there to help me get in. I find that if I need help asking others driver will help. Even when I would just be ######## at a truck stop I would walk around asking other drivers for advice and pointers too. My trainers didnt teach me anything and neither did my school and so I really had no where to turn to but to other drivers which they are the real reaons I know what I know. My manager was 1 of those pick up the load and deliever it. He could care less about anything else. But I think sometimes it'll look like its hopeless but eventually it'll be better. Hopefully.

 

That's one lesson you learned . Never expect anybody where you're trying to get to to tell you how to get there . All they know how to do is get there from home . In Brooklyn that's on the bus or subway .

 

That came in to my mind to but from what he said he wouldn't get his restart in even if he went directly there .

 

good advice but TMC does NOT like this. they don't want us contacting customers for anything.

I do it all the time.

 

Wow, all the reasons you just listed are the EXACT reason I got into trucking. I wanted a job where I could make my own calls, and to be left the #### alone. I don't understand why your bad mouthing your FM. Do you really want/need a babysitter? 6 months from know you'll be begging to have that guy back as your FM. Do you really give a rats ### how they think your doing? Its either pass or fail, job, no job. The more you call and bug them, the less miles you're gonna get guaranteed!

3-5 hours to unload, ain't bad. Heck that's good, just wait till ya sit for 48 hours sometime. Next thing you'll learn, is that load you're so all fired up about to deliver ain't no big deal to the people you just brought it to. Your just a number, and just another truck sitting in line. You're a pain in the butt to some other guy. He don't want to hear it, and its his break time. Get it there safely on time, and learn to relax and go with the flow.

You actually made it home for the weekend? That's GREAT.

I sincerely hope somebody taught you what log books are really for? Its all about loose leaf logs...

Everything you just learned in your first week of trucking is THE WAY IT IS. That's trucking, and that's what its all about. The good news is, the longer you're in the game. The better you will become. What seems overwhelming to you at the moment in time, will become second nature to you. Hang in there, don't jump ship just yet. You will figure it out eventually. Just go slow, think all your moves through, and you'll survive.

Next time you're at your terminal, or see a fellow driver on the road. Buddy up to somebody. Tell them you have questions, and you'd like their cell phone number so you can bounce stuff off them. Offer to buy coffee or lunch, that will go a long ways with an old hand. But, for God sakes, don't cry and whine to your FM, or you may very well get just what you wish for.

LOL, hells bells. Best dispatcher I ever had a motto. "Don't call me, and I wont call you!"

 

I can see why they wouldn't like it . It keeps them from telling lies about trucks breaking down nd things like that . How many drivers have rushed to make a pickup on time only to sit hours because the load isn't ready .

 

I am currently a TMC Trainer. Like I do with my former trainee's, I wouldn't mind answering the occasional question if you wanted to give me a call or text. PM me if you're interested and I'll PM you my cel.

 

There you go nuuub,that is the help you need. get as many of your codrivers numbers as you can get that will be a great help.IMAO

 

Yeah the cell phone is an invaluable resource, other drivers will almost always have a similar to experience to the one you find yourself in on that particular day.