Third week into school, and having problems.

It might help to visualize yourself driving the truck and how you would react in different situations before you get in the truck.. like when you're home at night or whenever...try to picture yourself driving in traffic and what steps you would take to operate smoothly. If your training trailers say something like "student driver" plastered on the sides, most 4 wheelers with a grain of common sense will avoid any possible "situations" with that truck. So don't worry about the traffic too much, they will go around you....just don't put it in reverse when you're sitting at a red light !!! Make sure you are in 1st gear....let up on the clutch just enough to make sure you are in the correct gear and not in reverse ! As long as your trainer is there he or she will compensate for your inexperience. You have to try and settle down way ahead of time before you even get to school.....do this by visualizing. It just might help a little.

 

you gotta relax driver to be. If you are stressing out now man oh man.....just try to think of it as a very big car. Go thru you're mirror progressions and pay attention to your wagon when turning etc.....there really are no sage words of advice except to relax....it is a bit intimidating but it is doable really it is

 

Don't try to turn it into rocket science. It's definitely a skill, and you should treat it accordingly. But don't get off the practice yard and feel like you have to ace everything. 12 years out here and there are some mornings I can't tie my shoes, let alone go through the gears without grinding one or two or nine.

Relax...take a few deep breaths, and enjoy the ride. Good luck!!

 

Good words 48 !!!!!

 

Well, the reason you feel it´s ten times as hard driving on the streets than driving in the school is because it is tens times as hard.

Driving around the school you don´t have all the cars, traffic lights, the kid on the bicycle, mail truck parked on the side, etc. You understand what I mean. It´s simply more difficult.

I would say the way you feel on the road is fairly typical for your experience level. If you were unsafe I don´t think they would put you on the road.

You probably annoy 4 wheelers behind you driving real slow. Perhaps even stopped once trying to figure out when to start a turn at an intersection and grind the gears some. All typical 2 week driver stuff that I wouldn´t consider dangerous with a trainer.

Just keep it in your lane and watch your mirrors. It´ll fall into place with time.

 

I'll tell you some of the things my favorite instructor at my school told me:
Breath and Drive, just relax, breath and drive (I even said it out loud for a week, "breath and drive, mirror check, breath and drive, dash check (rpm and mph, breath and drive, traffic check, breath and drive, shift gears up/down)...he giggles, but it worked to help me calm down.
to be sure your in your lane, put your right knee over the "grease/oil spot" in the road (you know the darkish center of the lane, line up the center of nose of tractor, use right mirror to make sure where tandems are, works great for me)
I was terrified of public streets with traffic, and going very fast my first week driving. and don't let a little mistake shake you up, it is training after all. just continue on and tell yourself the rest of your drive will be smoother. if you do make mistake (mine is usually to much clutch, to deep), say it out loud, seemed to help me not do it so much on my next practice drive, and helped instructor with giving advice on how to stop my mistake.
the rest is just listening to your instructors. trust your instructors feel you are ready for whatever driving course they take you on. where I going to school, we drive with different instructor (out of 4) each trip out, each one do things a little bit different. listen to all, and find the tips and tricks that work best for you. is training, and mistakes, anxiety, nervous is expected. relax, you'll do fine.
I test tomorrow. hope to see you on the open road soon

 

Backing???
Just practice, practice and practice!!

Keep in mind that at the truck stop you are allowed ONE pull up before they talk about you on the CB (unless your truck is marked with either Werner, Schneider, England or Knight.....then you better be perfect right off the bat)

Get with a good company that is respected by most drivers and learn your backing skills quickly, life will be easier.

 

Relax! Yer gonna get cramps holding the wheel that tight....

 

Picture everyone naked!