Profile For Victoria

Ok it’s up to you then! If you’d like to leave your number with Rich I’d appreciate that otherwise I don’t want you to go through resetting your Facebook password either lol. Just let me know on here and I’ll find you otherwise not a big deal I’ll grab your number from Rich on Monday night.

I do have a Facebook I just haven't used it in like 10 years.

That's the exact same answer I get so it not just me

Do you have a Facebook by chance? I can message you my number on there. I have asked tony like 3 times about his trainer situation and he said he’s waiting on Brad lol. Seems like everyone is waiting for everyone. I still have all of next week and then I’m on my own! I have to get over my fear of bothering people too. I would hate to stop another driver or spotter in order to come help me but hopefully they’ll understand.

One thing I should mention don't be afraid to ask another driver, a spotter, dispatcher, or mechanic for help. Everyone has always been willing to help when I need it, especially if you tell them you are new and just finished training.

Lol they’re short on trainers but aren’t doing anything about it to get some. Well thank you for your help I really appreciate it. I needed the confidence boost because I’m very hard on myself.

After 3.5 years still cant back up a trailer and dolly it always goes sideways on me, if you are not careful it will break the dolly off the pintle hook.

I told them I would train before Xmas and have mentioned a few times to Ops and dispatcher all I ever hear is we are waiting on safety and will let you know.

My first few months where pretty bad as well, it was taking me forever to hook I would move trailers so I could get to them often, I thought about quitting but decided to stick it out until they fire me, now I can pretty much hook a set anyplace, although there are still times it is easier and safter to move a trailer,

Thank you so much! I needed the boost. I always think I’m the only one doing bad so I really appreciate the reality of things. I know the first year is the hardest so I just gotta ride it out and keep learning.

I have some horror stories.... I'm convinced that if I can get to where I am today, anybody can. When I first started, I had days where it would take me 2 hours (no exaggeration) to hook a set. Now, I'm hooked up in 10 minutes or less. I was so bad, that dispatchers were reaching out to my driver development instructor to see if I needed more training. I missed every gate and I was always late.

Take your time and be safe. The rest will come with experience.

I’m so happy to be talking to you right now. I really appreciate this. I’m trying to get the hang of it but I feel like once I hook the dolly up to my lead it moves wayyy too fast to the point of no return and I just mess my whole set-up up. I’ll have to start backing up my lead closer to the dolly to avoid pulling it out too far until I can learn how to maneuver a trailer with a dolly hooked up to it.

You’re funny lol we have empties now! I heard you were interested in training, have they talked to you about that or have you applied? I just looked through some of your previous comments on posts and you have some very helpful advice.

Robert C I have that 9:45 pm Remington meet, I have been to Saint Louis and had the same problems when I first started I moved the trailers to the spots where I could hook straight.

Trust me you'll get it, I saw you hooking empties ( back when we had some) one day it looked like you knew what where doing.

Like Banks said above I tend to hook with the cab on a angle most of the time because it makes it easier to see, once you figure it out you will be surprised just how angled you can be and still get it too hook.

That’s crazy lol! May I ask who this is? And yes I am lol that’s so funny. I’m trying my best to get this angle backing down but I’m having such a hard time doing it in St Louis. Have you been there before?

Small world, I'm 99.9999% sure we are out of the same terminal, I don't want to give away to much information on here but you where in the office before right?

Both your trainer and Mr. Banks are correct it is easier and faster (usually) to hook at a angle than it is to move trailers to where you can hook them. Personally, I did the exact same thing you are, it is frustrating to get it right but after time it will come.

Hello everyone, Rookie driver here. I pull doubles and unfortunately some terminals I go to don’t have enough room to hook up in the spots that my trailers are dropped in. My trainer insists I learn how to 45 angle back and hook my set that way but I’ve been adamant about pulling my trailers out and hooking somewhere that I will have more space. Anyone experience this themselves and can provide some insight? I feel like I spend a lot more time trying to desperately hook up at an angle instead of just pulling my trailers out but my trainer thinks moving to a more open area is an even more waste of time.

Thank you so much I needed this. I'm sure the first year is always the hardest I just have to hang on tight. Being a woman especially makes it a little tougher because I almost feel the need to prove myself to the men I work with and show them I'm not an idiot. Thank you so much though I really appreciate the uplifting words

The simplest answer is that everything you're experiencing is going to be new and different because you ARE new and inexperienced. First day at school; first day at a new job; first time in front of the class giving a book report....everyone gets nervous because of the unknown.

For now, just treat it as one day at a time, and each experience within that day as a new and unknown thing. Nobody started off as the expert or the pro on day one, month one, or year one. It's just going to take time.

Don't hit anything, watch your following distance, take your time, don't be afraid to ask questions. You are starting at the same point every driver of one year, or fifty years driving started: At The Beginning.

I have a strip of paper from a fortune cookie on my truck. I got this from a restaurant on the day I was assigned my first truck. It reads, " Winning starts with beginning."

What is making you specifically nervous?

A little bit of everything so far. The traffic picking up, getting cut off, or the lanes being too narrow. Im afraid of skidding and having a rear swing out and not being able to control the skid. I run doubles to St.Louis from Chicago and yesterday they didn't have anything for me to take back from St.Louis so I had to bobtail with a dolly and it snowed a bit so I started losing traction going uphill and there were accidents pretty much every couple miles with 1 lane blocked off so people were trying to merge frantically in front of me. I had to pull over to a rest area and switch seats with my trainer because I had a panic attack thinking I was going to stall uphill while skidding with all the people stressing me out.

Thank you so much everyone

Hello Ladies, New driver here and I was wondering how everyone here deals with frozen air lines and tough to pull fifth wheel release arms in the winter? I’m in Illinois where temperatures have been in the negatives lately and have had trouble pulling my release arm. I have a 5th wheel puller and even that hasn’t been much help. Any advice on combatting the winter weather?

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Usually rocking back and forth can release the tension. I only ever had problems with the tandems not sliding...and don't laugh.. But spraying them with windex helped. I guess it lubed it without water turning to ice.

There is such a thing as air line antifreeze. I was in sub zero temps so long my tandems wouldn't slide and air lines froze. The TA in Gary IN put heaters all around my trailer and ran air line antifreeze into the lines. There are Youtube videos for that.