First Two Weeks Solo At Swift

Well guys......I continue with my updates from Swift and my now solo career.....my battle is on as I wrestle with blind side parking and getting myself worn out thinking too deep about how to work things out. As Brett would say....as long as you don't hit anything you have had a good day. Well...........I did kind of take a square concrete post for a walk the other day. Didn't see it of course.....nearly killed me dragging it back into position before anybody could see me (I was at one of our own terminals when this happened). Thankfully I was going too slow to do any damage to the truck and I could see that the post didn't have any dents in it.....so that would just be my pride that had taken a hit then.

I'm now sitting it out in on a ten hour break in a public car park. (Does anybody else get stuck like this!!!) I couldn't make it any further as I prefer truck stops or rest area's. I'm usually allot better at time management, but because of complications on my last call I'm stuck. I did have I policeman come by.....I don't think he knows that I have to be here until twelve o'clock tonight but lets hope I don't get told to move on. What are the complications if I have too????

What grinds me down mostly with the job is the Qualcomm system....constant messages...and yes I'm too blame for some of them...(not all I might add)......as I do get these Macro things wrong. I have to admit to saying how annoying this thing can be. Allot of the old sweats keep telling me that the fun has gone out of it with these on board computers...I can see where their coming from. Driving is still fun for us all I'm sure........its just what has to be filled in around the gaps that is the painful part of the job. Getting to grips with all the admin has been the least fun for me......I'm sure I will get to grips with it eventually there's just so much of it to take in.

I've had around nearly three months of driving the big rigs...I know that its nothing in the scheme of things. This is only my second week solo....and yes I've been in a couple of tight spots. I always get out of the rig and look while I'm backing....GOAL as they say at Swift....Get Out And Look....One tight spot that I won't forget in a hurry was a blind side back into what can only be described as an alleyway, in the dark and raining. I pulled a taxi driver out of his cab to help me. Bless him he had been a truck driver himself once and did a fantastic job. There are others but mostly they have been your normal run of the mile backing jobs....one exception.....two guys out of a warehouse that tried to help me and kept disappearing from my mirrors.....so not only I'm I worried about hitting something....I'm also worried about hitting them. They just didn't get it......I guess you had to be there ;-)

Today my confidence is low.....gears are not behaving like I think they should ;-) Getting part of my last load rejected through damage.....was it me being too heavy with the truck....don't know. Again....that's me thinking too much. Too much time on my hands....that's the other problem LOL

On a more positive note....my last three loads have not only on time, but early. I need to get off the pity pot and start driving.....I will be at 12 o'clock tonight....that's if I can get out of this public car park and avoid the flash floods that is supposed to be coming our way. More upbeat news on my next report....I'm very tired at the moment and need to get my head back up again. Take care and drive safe guys.

Don't ever worry about rejected freight,unless you KNOW that you did the damage. If you drop and hook , that damage could be from anyone. If you live loaded, it could have been damaged when it went in the truck, the hyster driver may have done it,...who knows ?? You're in your 2nd week solo, so you are just about mentally stripped from stress and nerves. You will settle in and line yourself out, so that your emotions are in a better place. Just know that every day that you do as you should....that you don't hit someone, or something...everyday that you put in your miles, and keep yourself legal...Those are the days that you know for sure...You are a professional truck driver. And this is exactly what you wanted to be. And as time goes on, and you experience more, and become more settled in your truck, and daily routine, you will come to really enjoy the perks of being a trucker.. Rest well, and whenever you can.....

Yeah hang in there!!! This is absolutely the most difficult time in your entire career - your first solo months on the road.

You're exhausted, you're stressed, and your on your own with almost no experience out there. It's hard for everyone during this stage. But it will get much easier over the next few months. Just take it one day at a time, focus on safety always, and keep learning. If you were learning to ride a bike, the stage you're at right now is like two seconds after your dad let go of the bike for the first time and you're wobbling all over the place.

Pedal, brutha - pedal!!!!

I guess I must have known you needed it because yesterday I wrote an article called 2 Mental Mistakes That Cost Drivers Their Sanity…And Maybe More - have a look at it. It will help for sure.

But seriously, just focus on trying to enjoy yourself. Keep your mind thinking positive thoughts and focus on living the moment. Anything in the past is gone - let it go. Anything that's coming down the road isn't here yet so don't worry about it until it arrives. Just focus on the moment and making safe, smart decisions.

We're pullin for ya!!!