The most important item your not taught in training

Flash that bad boy! You will have accomplished what so many of today's young folks are simply too darn lazy to try.

Ask us any question at the chow counter, fuel island, hanging out at THAT guys truck that is grilling dinner in nice weather, if we don't know, we will make something up on the spot, embellish it with a "I remember the time....." answer. You will walk away, way more confused but believing every word. Once you are able to scrape the BS of your boots, you can call yourself a driver.

 

I've never used a paper map either. I can, but why? I have three devices with GPS built in.

 

My four cents on the matter. (I blame inflation)
I just dropped $300 on a Rand GPS because the one that the company issued me is freaking worthless. (PeopleNet)
I consider it an investment, and if for any reason I stop driving, I can use it in my pickup, too. (Just gotta change some settings)
I still have an atlas, albeit the cheapest MC 2013 available at the time. I use it WAY more than the GPS, for trip planning. My company doesn't want us running toll roads any more than we absolutely have to. So, to bypass bigger chunks of the roads, I can pick out a city center along an alternate route, and use that to plot a custom route with the GPS. For example, I was just coming back to Michigan from Carlisle, PA. Dispatch said not to run 76, but 80 instead. So, since they're paying me hub miles, I did as they asked and routed through State College. Once I was almost into town, I just skipped to the next waypoint, and never had an issue with routing. It's also extremely helpful to have directions read aloud to you as you're in traffic, because who really wants to memorize a list of highways and exits to take, only to find out you made a mistake??? Even though it's a truck GPS, I still read through the directions and double-check for anything I should know.

As for CB vs cell, I've never had a CB in two years of driving. Never had a reportable accident of any kind, either. (I don't think "incidents" really count)
That being said, I'm wanting to get one, but I don't intend to spend very much money on it. And, like the GPS, it'll also be useful in my pickup.

For the guy raving about the app, there's also TruckerPath. I make it a habit of stopping to stretch my legs before I'm coming up on a scale, and check the app to see if it's open. (Updated in real time)
It's also handy to get real time reports on truck stop parking....

What I wish would be taught to new drivers?? Wouldn't matter, it won't be taught, anyway. Common sense, respect, courtesy, and patience. Those things are taught at home, or maybe in the military, if you're lucky.

 

Actually I'll believe 2% of it even if it's all true. Lol

 

How to deal with panhandlers.
How to get the best deal from lot lizards.
How to deal with a&$hole customers.

 

CB has been a major asset too me in my 3 years on the road, from someone just being able to tell me I have a inside trailer tire coming apart to the time a simple "shut her down southbound traffics stopped" saved me from plowing into a mile of stopped traffic just around the curve below the 19 on i55 in missouri and possibly killing myself and who knows how many others. Would be more of an asset if everyone had one. Tried telling a guy his right door was open on his trailer once but of course didnt have a cb on..pulled up beside him in the 65mph governed truck I was in at the time which took a minute LOL blew my horn and tried letting him know but he just looked at me like I was retarted flipped me the bird and hammered down door of his loaded trailer flapping in the wind...it's sad how many drivers out there..and newer drivers from my generation especially have this mentality that a cell phone and a gps somehow make up for being able to communicate with other drivers on the road. Maybe I'm a little partial being raised by an uncle that ran a cb shop out of our house or maybe I just need to trash all my crap 20th century technology radios and buy some gym shorts and flip flops..idk

 

I was searching for something else, and came across this thread again.
One thing I really wish they'd teach better in schools, or with trainers, is how to properly set out your triangles. It's very rare to see it done properly, if at all.

 

Life saving. Close to that which is Trauma where limbs and people being sawed in half are a process upon which you will be first on the scene with a undetermined length of time before EMT arrives.

Standing there watching someone bleeding out rapidly knowing nothing at all about the human body and what I would call battlefield first aid cost lives. Sometimes it does not matter, too severe.

The worst are the fires. People burn. There is not much you can be expected to do with these.

 

No need for cbs...

They're the morons running in the lane closed up ahead because of an accident. Why? Because they don't have a clue what's going on up ahead of them.
Already just on page 1 there are 2 examples of smart mouthed punks that think they know better than the experienced truckers. Probably some mega trash drivers too.
No need to read the rest of this. Point proven.