Terrible Day...near Impossible Dock And Then Snowbank Accident...

Yesterday was an absolutely brutal day for me. I arrived at the receiver without a problem and on time, as I have always done. The dock was really small but the bigger problem is that the Detroit area had plenty of snow and the place I had to deliver to had piled snow in such a way that it severely cut down on my already limited space. Cars were double parked and cut down on it even more. it took me an hour and a half to wiggle into that dock. I was so embarrassed.

Adding to that, in order to try to get as much room as i could, I got closer to a snowbank than I apparently should have and when I backed, some snow was behind and under the bumper which pulled on it, causing damage. Some plastic from the underside came off and the bumper was damaged. I had to call it in. There was no damage to customer property, the load, or any injuries. I know I could have not reported it, but I also know I would have been caught later, which would have been worse.

I am embarrassed and scared that this, combined with missing a weigh station ticket when I was with my mentor - we both missed it - that I am on a shortlist to get canned. I have 3 QC reviews, one for a hard braking event and two for hitting bumps but those showed me using my phone. I know I wasn't talking on the phone. I don't do that but I must have been either playing music or finding the next rest stop as that is all I ever do when driving. I also had two overspeed warnings on the QC. Not actual speeding but going over 70 downhill. I have no idea how many points Swift is going to give me for all this, but it won't be pretty.

It's been terrible start to my trucking career. I have never wanted to quit something more than I want to quit trucking. I also have never wanted to not let something beat me more than I do now. I am determined to not let this beat me, but it's hard.

Anyone have tips for a dock like that? What if I just can't get in? What do I do? Any thoughts on the points?

Thanks for reading the ramblings of a frustrated driver.

Hay Erik I don't know what the total points are for all those things. I have had up to 35 points and I was on probation at that time. First off with a snow bank. If you need to, get a shovel and start moving it. I did that out side of Detroit one time took me an hour to move it but cleared up all that space. Cars see if the locations knows who's cars they are and have them moved. I have had docks that took a good hour and a half to get into in Chicago and las Angeles, do it as safely as you can and don't worry about how long it takes right now. As for being on your phone, trip planning, you should already know were the rest stops are if that's what you are using, or truck stops I have a note pad that has about 8 locations I can stop from rest stops and trucks stops to wear I am taking my 30 and were might be stopping for my 10. As for music can you put it on mix or loop so you don't have to touch it. As a company truck you are limited to 68 max regardless if the speed limit is higher. I have been told that might be diffirt with the new auto trucks but don't know. Just always keep you speed lowered then 68 and around the governed speed. Good luck, how long have you been solo now?

Could you have told the receiver that they need to plow the snow piles away before you could safely deliver?

Eric, things aren't off to a terrible start the way you think they are. Trust me, every rookie has a long list of hard lessons learned from their first year on the road and companies that hire new drivers expect it. That's why they have a points system and not a "one mistake and you're out of here" policy. They know you'll make mistakes. Everyone does. But the keys are not to hit anything and learn from your mistakes.

As far as a snowdrift knocking some plastic off the bumper - that in itself means nothing. The over-speed warnings are no catastrophe in themselves as long as you don't let it happen anymore. The three reports for hard braking and hitting holes are no big deal, and the fact that you were 'using your phone' shouldn't mean anything if they can't demonstrate you were breaking any laws or company policies.

So your first year so far is pretty much going according to plan. You haven't done any physical damage other than knocking some plastic off your bumper in the snow, you have no severe incidents, but yet you've managed to make mistakes in about every area imaginable. Perfect! That's what rookies do my friend and everyone expects it.

Listen, if Swift fired you tomorrow you'll land another job and keep going. That's the worst possible scenario, right? Well you haven't done anything to jeopardize your career so don't sweat that. But hopefully they'll just tally up your points, help you understand how you can get better, and send you out there for the next load.

I love your attitude. I love that you care deeply about doing well out there and that every mistake is upsetting you. And the real biggie in my book is the fact that you haven't blamed anyone for anything whatsoever. That's the kind of guy I would want if I was running a company and I was training brand new drivers. As long as you care deeply about doing a great job, you're giving your best, you're owning your mistakes, and you're learning as you go then that's all anyone can hope for from a new guy. You haven't hit a bridge and you haven't rolled it over on an off ramp. Trust me, things aren't going nearly as badly as you think they are.

Put that stuff behind you and continue moving forward. You can't be worried about what happened in the past or you won't be able to focus properly on the challenges in front of you right now. So relax, focus on being as safe as possible, and keep moving forward. That's all you can do.

I've only been solo for 2 weeks. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. It is so far out of my previous experiences and being basically left to my own devices is unsettling. My first leader was a jerk and didn't have time for rookie questions. I made the grave error of calling him to introduce myself and that seemed to tick him off, so I did everything else through QC and it really wasn't a lot of questions. One or two a day at most.

He pawned me off to someone else in another fleet. Got moved from Jurupa Valley to a West Valley Utah regional dedicated fleet. New leader seems better but everyone still treats me like I should know more than i do. It's not a case of me being stupid. Trucking is so different that I don't know what I don't know. I don't know enough about what to ask about.

They did move some cars but even if the snow got moved it honestly probably wouldn't have helped that much but I obviously wouldn't have hit it. It was the cherry on top for the day.

I do trip plan for stops but apparently have to do a better job at it.

I love your attitude. I love that you care deeply about doing well out there and that every mistake is upsetting you. And the real biggie in my book is the fact that you haven't blamed anyone for anything whatsoever. That's the kind of guy I would want if I was running a company and I was training brand new drivers. As long as you care deeply about doing a great job, you're giving your best, you're owning your mistakes, and you're learning as you go then that's all anyone can hope for from a new guy. You haven't hit a bridge and you haven't rolled it over on an off ramp. Trust me, things aren't going nearly as badly as you think they are.

Put that stuff behind you and continue moving forward. You can't be worried about what happened in the past or you won't be able to focus properly on the challenges in front of you right now. So relax, focus on being as safe as possible, and keep moving forward. That's all you can do.

I don't blame anyone else at all. It's me for sure. I know I can do this but that day with the dock and snow was a smack in the face. I was never ****y about trucking. I knew it would be hard, but this was still humbling.

If this is what the first months or year is like for everyone, then I guess I didn't expect that to be the case. I will just keep plugging away and learn what I can while being safe and hopefully on time.

Brett, that's the kind of inspiration I needed to hear about now. Thanks for that.

everyone still treats me like I should know more than i do. It's not a case of me being stupid. Trucking is so different that I don't know what I don't know. I don't know enough about what to ask about.

Yeah we know! That's why it's so difficult for us to prepare people for this career. There's just an overwhelming amount of things to learn and many of them really can't be taught ahead of time, they simply have to be learned by doing it. So every driver goes through a trial by fire those first few months. That's one of the many reasons we tell people to stick it out for a full year. The beginning is so difficult at times that almost anyone would quit if they didn't understand that it's going to get easier eventually.

Just hang in there. Everyone is overwhelmed in the beginning. Everyone feels like they're drowning in information and being kicked out of the nest too soon. Just take your time, keep a positive attitude, and focus on safety. It will get better.

If this is what the first months or year is like for everyone, then I guess I didn't expect that to be the case

No one ever does. We can sit here all day, every day explaining how hard it's going to be or how determined you have to be but there's no way to truly understand it until you've lived it. That's when trucking slaps you in the face and you realize just how radically different the job and lifestyle are from anything you've probably experienced before. It takes way more dedication, knowledge, and discipline than anyone expects.

But I'll tell ya - I'm glad you came here to discuss this with us. We get a lot of people that hit hard times, quit their job, and then come here to complain about how horrible trucking was. I hate it when that happens because most of the time they're in the same boat you're in now. They're in the middle of the toughest part of their career and they just feel overwhelmed by it all. They don't realize that everyone feels overwhelmed by it all. It feels like one long train wreck in the beginning. Believe me, every veteran out there has a long list of stories to tell about mistakes they've made over the years and especially during that first year. You just have to tough it out, be super careful, and keep a great attitude.

Erik if this just 2 weeks relax, it happens learn from your mistakes like Brett says. In my first 6 months I had 3 hard brakes, 2 over speeds and needed a tow truck 1 time to get me out of the mud I parked in. I also got lost so many times I can't remember how many. First year is hard. Stick it it out.

I'm definitely feeling better after hearing from you guys on this!

I used to think I worked pretty independently but NOTHING like this. I feel like I was thrown the keys and told, "Go be a trucker" but not given the knowledge or training I was used to. If that's how it is, learning as you go, with new stuff coming up every day, then I know that now and will just have to adjust my perspective.

"Be safe. Be safe. Be safe."

Thanks a ton. You have really helped talk me off a ledge. Tomorrow's another load and another chance to put distance between me and a bad day and get it right!