What important skills of truck driving did you learn after your first year of trucking?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by expedite_it, Dec 17, 2024.

  1. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    But what important skills of truck driving did you learn AFTER your first year? That is the topic of the OP.
     
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  3. wore out

    wore out Numbered Classic

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    Anticipation of the next move of the mentally challenged
     
  4. Speedy356

    Speedy356 Medium Load Member

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    The scary part of your answer would be, how many of these people do we share the roads with on a daily basis?
     
  5. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    You almost certainly drove a manual transmission semi-truck in your first year of trucking. You've been a member of this message board since 2008. Automatic transmission semi-trucks were either rare or unheard of in 2008. tscottme, respectfully, I'm surprised you did not learn how to float the gears in your first year of trucking. You seem both more intelligent and more knowledgeable about trucking than I am, and I have an IQ of 118. I learned how to float the gears while i was a student in the very first month that I was a trucker.

    How do you pass another truck with similar max speed without taking 8 miles?

    My trainer at Covenant would go ape poop if you did that and petition his fleet manager to fire you if you did not do everything you could to go maximum speed at all times that it is safe to go maximum speed.
     
  6. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    True automatics have been around for decades.
    Automated Manual Transmissions, which is what your modern trucks have, were coming online in the late 90s. Early models still had the clutch pedal you had to use when starting and stopping. By @ 2004, US Xpress had begun making all of their fleets AMTs. First one I drove was a 18 speed AMT in 2006.
     
  7. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
     
  8. homeskillet

    homeskillet Road Train Member

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    I learned in my first week of trucking to never, EVER back up on a public street. There's a HUGE blind spot back there. There could be a car or a motorcyclist back there, and you would never know it....
     
  9. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    Mind your own business don't worry about what loads the other drivers have, and drivers lie about what they make and almost everything else.
     
  10. Sons Hero

    Sons Hero Road Train Member

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    Not trying to one up you or anything, but my IQ tested in the 140s. Wonder if that has any bearing(not the kind that needs oil or grease) on the fact that I know enough to look in my mirrors before backing up, I know what flavor most oil is, and I don’t have regular epiphanies?
     
  11. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    I learned that in my first 570 weeks of trucking.
     
    hope not dumb twucker Thanks this.
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