OTR for the first time.

Yes the Learning.

Education paid for in knuckles, blood, sweat and tears. Reinforced by the occasional tire thumping.

Looking back on my early time, if I was a snowflake then as defined today I would see those trainers as abusive. However they were not. Not in those days.

One time my trainer told me emphatically turn in here.

Well that required me to climb the curb set, go off road over a small ditch and over grass until the truck yard was reached.

WTF?!

You said turn here. As in implied turn this thing in NOW. Be careful about that sir.

*Smacks hard his own forehead... Ive got a idiot.

No sir, just someone who does what he is told right away.

OMFG....

 

Well, 30 minutes was a bit hyperbolic but the sentiment remains. Take your time, GOAL, and keep practicing, it's the only way to get better. That said, all of us have places to be and things to do, but it's not gonna hurt anyone to take a deep breath and cut the new guys some slack. Waiting for few extra minutes for someone to get backed in, is no different than waiting to get loaded or unloaded, or waiting in traffic, etc etc. It's all part of the job and we should be trying to help the new guys get better, instead of sitting in our trucks getting mad or jumping on our cell phones to video shame them for learning.

 

Oh man those places freak me out, I hate them so much. I know there suppose to be safe and I see the huge rock pillars but I don't like that much earth above my head.

I remember as a kid going on school trip to explore some underground caves. I quickly learned being underground is not for me!!

 

As children they took us to Luray in Virginia. What really gets some of the crowd in Organ room is asking a question like...

How far down are we buried here?

That always gets some of the people. Just like Elevators, they are good to the last drop. He he he.

 

Exactly, it's all good until it's not!!

I'll never forget they took us down this big freight elevator and as you go down the lights go out and it's darker than dark for a few minutes (which seems like an eternity) until you reach the bottom. The day only got worse. I couldn't figure out why everyone was so excited to run into these dark tunnels with just a flashlight. NO THANK YOU!!

 

HA.

I got one that will curl your hair...

Some of us were foolish. we explored the old Mt Airy railroad tunnel which was actually a active mainline.

It was so dark in that long tube that we lit cigarettes. The glow of the cigarettes once our eyes adjusted was sufficient to light up about 50 feet of rail in front and part of the ground around us. Thats how dark it was. As it turned out we walked it both ways leaving a signal fire at the far end for the oncoming denver coal train that usually comes through each evening.

When he made the stop at the end of the tube back there his lights lit the thing well enough.

TRAIN!!!!

RUN!!!!

Railroad had a BIG problem with trespassers but that signal fire was the one thing they did understand very well. It means people are in that tube, stop and stay. Then proceed limited clear until out.

 

So you're just out there trying to die!!

 

Not really. But yes people have died or worse doing stupid stuff.

A train is not my first choice for dying if I wanted to end it. Ive already faced death 9 times so far. The first 8 in trucking and the 9th was a fentanyal reaction that went after my brainstem's breathing center. They did some very quick work in the doctors office and had the right choride medicines followed by other procedures to get that resolved in a hurry.

Considering what state my body is in from trucking, death is not too bad with the hope of seeing everyone again some day. Its not for everyone. /slight satire.

 

Floridaboy check your inbox

 

If you're careful... a year from now you'll be a LOT better at backing.

Small actions on the wheel.
Don't be ashamed to pull up.
We don't judge... until you hit us.