Situational Awareness

Learned a while back to just go with it if I miss a turn. No reason to get all bent out of shape and make a big mistake. Had something happen a few days ago going to deliver a load. It was in a pretty congested area and guy tells me I have to move since I was blocking a parking area. Tells me I can go down the road and turn around, only to find out it was a dead end. I get out of truck and walk back to an area that I can back into and turn around. Was very very tight so had to get out and make sure I did not tear anything up but was pretty frustrating. I did not get in a hurry and had a few cars lined up waiting for me by the time I backed out 2 blocks to get turned around. Never lost my cool and just went with the flow. Lessoned learned never trust a local that wants you to move. Ha Ha

 

This is a good cautionary post @Long FLD I agree with you. When I first started I was like that. I’d miss a turn and I’d start freaking out and get myself caught in between a #### and a sweat. Having visions of wooden bridges, low clearances and dead ends. To kind if echo what @Siinman was saying, a lot of keeping calm and having your wits about you helps a ton. I’ve gotten myself into some PREDICAMENTS doin LTL in St. Louis, now if I blow by a turn, #### it. All roads lead to somewhere and nothing will be worse than the day I had to deliver to Busch stadium in a 53’ the day of the World Series parade.

 

Tell folks all the time, truck driving is all about decision making. If you're the type that doesn't constantly make good decisions, your career will not be very long.

 

No matter how many years behind the wheel, stuff still happens. My recent one was this past Christmas > New Year week.

Went to an unknown shipper in the dark, following my GPS. The road I could see ahead was getting more curvy and pure blackness, so I wasn’t having a good feeling and stopped, while hitting my 4-ways. Looking at the screen and comparing it to the terrain I was looking at, things just didn’t add up. I quickly realized that last, steep driveway I passed went up and in behind the buildings I could see above me. I backed up ~1/4mi, to avoid putting myself into a worse unknown. An oncoming local confirmed the road ahead was no place for a semi-truck.

I’ve learned, as soon as it doesn’t feel right, stop and investigate.

 

Don't make 1 mistake into another bigger mistake.

 

Malarkey in Portland— if you miss the turn across the tracks, you can very easily be in a place with extremely low power lines and they throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at you and say mean hurtful things to you when you’re backing out of it— not that I would know anything about it

 

I’m glad I’m from the northeast. Cause that stuff doesn’t bother me anymore. I give them the finger and move on. Too many problems in my life to worry about instead of having some nobodies not like me.

 

I’m must respectfully disagree...my good man
I have a PHD in bad decisions....I’m an expert at bad decisions....I can make better bad decisions than anyone you’ll ever meet
But I’m in my 46th ish year of this silliness
So there’s goes that theory....
Wanna know my best bad decision??
Think about it
Lmao