Game: What Caused You Culture Shock On The Road?

Omg brett I felt the same way about albequerque

And Wyoming. Wyoming itself was a shock. For the first 6months of driving I didn't think you could make it from one side to the other without being shutdown from snow or wind. Lots of beautiful scenery. But 70mph sustained winds? Where else does that happen enough to put up digital signs that are constantly kept up with.

That's also where I learned for myself about ice and the shadow of the mountain. I didn't wreck or even slide but I came around a corner and seen a solid sheet of ice and thought I was going to have to change my pants.

Man Brett you nailed it. I'm pretty much a loner when it came to running my truck my way since it's MY truck. Then I let em convince my that it be good to help other young that are trying to step out and make a life for themselves & their families that are so proud of daddy and so excited to watch him exceed at something. So know I'm sharing a truck with rookie with about 20 hours of seat time. Be a trainer they say, you'll love it. I do like helping em get started & hopefully in a no stress situation so they'll enjoy it and get a long rewarding career going

The incredible amount of time you spend alone in the truck was something I hadn't expected. And like Rob said the vast amount of open space in this country! See, I'm a loner to begin with so the solitude was great. Lots of time to clear your mind and ponder life and enjoy each moment and read a lot of books. But realizing that 95% of the land in this great country is unoccupied made me wonder why so many people live on top of each other and waste their lives fighting all the time.

I live way out in the country, up on a hill with a dog and some chickens and a garden. It's quiet and peaceful and easy. The only rat race I experience is if I'm literally chasing a rat away from the chicken feed with a shovel.

But yeah, vast amounts of solitude and vast stretches of open space. Oh, and I didn't expect Albuquerque at night to be such a beautiful sight and I didn't expect Utah to be such a beautiful place. No one ever told me about that.

A culture shock for me is why people live in the city. Growing up in the country I always wanted to be in the city but every time I go through one I hate it more. People moving around impatiently, too many people, etc. Also I never expected the Midwest to be beautiful I always imagined it as a barren wasteland.

I'm still in awe at how beautiful this country is.

Every part is different and beautiful in its own way. Kansas is different from Pennsylvania is different from Colorado. But all are gorgeous!

I had never seen the Rockies before I left with my trainer. I quit driving right before Denver.

When she woke me up in Utah the next morning, I was just freaking out. She actually pulled off on the shoulder on an off ramp so that I could take pictures before we did our seat swap.

Incredible experience!

People who hate driving in the northeast so much that they never want to go there.

Met one last night (in upstate NY) who told me a story of how he got a $1200 ticket in CA because he got pulled in for inspection at a weigh station and told the guy that he hadn't kept a log book in weeks. Then he got off because in court he said that the officer never actually looked at his log book. Then he had to get a new truck because every time he went to CA he got inspected.

What shocks me is the number of unproffesional drivers out here and their "its all about me" attitude. It used to not be so bad, but despite that, i love it out here.

Todays game plan, playing in Atlanta traffic :-)

Incidentally we have seen so many PTL drivers doing illegal Uturns we now call them a PTL maneuver.

Rice paddies in Arkansas.

And Wyoming. Wyoming itself was a shock. For the first 6months of driving I didn't think you could make it from one side to the other without being shutdown from snow or wind. Lots of beautiful scenery. But 70mph sustained winds? Where else does that happen enough to put up digital signs that are constantly kept up with.

That's also where I learned for myself about ice and the shadow of the mountain. I didn't wreck or even slide but I came around a corner and seen a solid sheet of ice and thought I was going to have to change my pants.

I spent Easter under 2 ft of snow in WY... EASTER which is supposed to be about cute fluffy bunnies and tulips lol

I was amazed to see cotton fields aND got out and grabbed a piece lol

I'd lived in a lot of different places before trucking, so a lot of the culture shock happened then. (Like figuring out how mean Southerners can be be while smiling and saying something sweet like, "Bless your heart!" Just give it to me straight, why don't ya?)

New York City was very strange to me. I had only seen it on tv before driving into Manhattan. I couldn't believe the traffic, the number of pedestrians, the noise, the garbage everywhere, the crazy streets and bridges. I'm sure there are millions of great people there, but I never want to go there again, not even on a plane with a limo to take me from the airport to some swanky hotel.

I was also surprised to discover that not all of New Jersey is paved with concrete.

The Rhode Island accent and attitude was .... um, surprising..... too.

The swamps and bayous in Louisiana and Mississippi are kind of creepy, but Cajuns are some of the friendliest people I've ever met ..... unless it was the French version of "Bless your heart" and I just didn't get it lol.

People in Minneapolis are still the rudest drivers anywhere, but they're a little slower to cut you off if you're driving a big truck.

Mostly though I've been surprised by how kind and friendly people are all around the country. There are some exceptions, but most folks just seem to want to get by as pleasantly and as easily as they can.