Things I’m learning on the road...

Once I was driving along in traffic on I-80 east of Gary and watched a car toodle up the entrance ramp with out ever checking traffic. Now, I was boxed in by traffic and could not do much but slow down some. This guy in an older sedan doesn't look at traffic the entire time he is coming up the ramp and the length of the acceleration lane. As he nears the end of his lane he finally looks over....(keep in mind I was doing all I could to give him room but with traffic I could not do much.) At the end of the lane I see him check his mirror, THEN look out his driver side window to see my steer tire spinning eye level. This mensa did one of those cartoon Shock moves, body convulsed, hair stood straight up, eyes bugged out and swerved back towards the shoulder! Of course he was so impressed with my driving ability he cheered me on and called me number one! Of course, in his mind it was all my fault. I still laugh about his reaction to seeing I was there. Of course, it would not have been so funny if he had made contact.

 

I was in Allentown the core of the city. Made a turn left across a seriously major intersection. Had to stop when a man was walking backwards eyeballing something. Thing is my tractor was sitting on his walkway. So I shut her down set the brakes and hung out the window.

"Hi there." when he got about a step from my door and steer.

Everyone at that intersection had been watching to see what would happen to him at that moment. Disregarding traffic lights. He ran off scared, convinced that he almost died by 18 wheeler. I did wonder if the poor soul had trouble with his heart or something but oh well. It's been many years hes probably no longer with us.

Here is one more.

I pulled into a McDonalds near a town of Reading PA. It's too difficult to get into where this resturant is. Needless to say it's three rows worth of parking space at 6 am in the morning empty except for two cars, cook and manager.

I pulled around back in the shade by the dumpster and took like 20 spaces of it, the whole row back there. Well out of the way. While eating the meal, lady comes in. All huffed up like a puffed parrot angry at no cracker or something.

"MOve that truck mister, you are in my spot."

I eyeball through both sides of the building where you can park like 100 cars on three sets of painted rows. Looked at her, pulled the keys and tossed them onto the table and roared. "You want your precious *(&^% Spot. YOU Move that big *&^%$ then lady.

Its not possible people turn that shade of purple as she did. Then she started gobbling broken gibberish in her rage at the manager about this... this... awful runt sitting in her spot.

She was still sprouting unintelligible noise as I pulled out. Poor lady. She can have a thousand spots now that Im out of town.

 

I need to thank my boss for sending me to Los Angeles. Having lived here more than 25 years. I’m very oriented here. Very confident driving. Even though I never drove a semi here before. It’s doing a great job of honing my driving skills. Lanes that leave zero room. Tough left and right turns. A tough backing situation. I’m quickly picking up and beginning to drive like a real pro.
Being “at home” in this environment. Knowing and expecting from the other drivers. They really are good. It’s all contributing to make me good, quickly.
I’d suggest to any new driver. Try to get to your home environment for practice sake. It will pay off.
I’m just not yet the same in Denver. They are good drivers. But I’m still disoriented there. Just don’t have the confidence there yet.
To add to this. One day I was training with a driver who had been a trainer for Knight. I told him about growing up in Houston, and living in LA most of my adult life. About the difficulty becoming oriented in Denver. He just looked up and said to get a good truckers gps. Said it will be difficult for me to become oriented in Denver. I have too much my memory is accustomed to already.

 

For much of my life, it wasn’t a big deal to me to have perfectly clean windows and mirrors.
Now? With driving so much. At night. On strange roads. I’ve become obsessive with perfectly clean windows/mirrors.

 

To test this theory, one can eat at Taco Bell for almost immediate effect.

 

Tried disinfecting my pit...she was not impressed...lol

 

Or SONIC...The place named for how fast the food goes through ya...but heck wasnt taco bells jingle"make you run for the bathroom ?"

 

You know, it's funny. You watch local drivers whip around everywhere, and when your new to the industry you usually feel like local driving would be much too hectic and cramped to do. Then you get put in a daycab with a back "cheat" window, and get put on streets youve driven your whole life, and in a couple weeks your whipping around downtown like a nascar driver LMAO!!!

 

I wouldn't practice in Austin if I could help it. The city is just poorly designed and congested, also lousy, pushy drivers. Austinites are friendly people when you meet them in person. But put them behind the wheel of a car and they become downright homicidal!

You are right about Denver though. The few times I was there I noticed the drivers seemed better than what I was used to in Salt Lake City. Washington drivers were pretty good, at least the ones around me. I hope to have a chance to haul some freight up there. Beautiful state.

 

When it’s snowing, icy, and cold. Protect the king pin locked in with excessive amounts of grease.
I found out the hard way. Got 12 miles from picking up. I dropped that trailer. Got very good advise on site to do the excessive grease. It’s to keep the snow, water, ice away.