Watch Your Wagon... G-town

Well I finally had my rookie mistake. It took me 1.5 years and I believe I accelerated the mistake by my career choice. In my last post, I said I do not reccomend car hauling for anybody with only one year of experience. I said that because you will have so much more to think about than just operating the truck safely.

I messed up because I let my guard down for a few seconds. Tight turn through a guard shack and my mind was on what I was about to do and not what I was doing. Don't ever forget the basics! It can and will happen to you if you are not on your game 100% of the time! As always, be safe and goodluck out there.

P.S. that damage to the pole isn't all from me. It's been hit many times due to poor design. It's also been successfully maneuvered around many times. By no means am I blaming anybody or anything but myself. You live and you learn and this experience will only make me a better driver.

What was the damage? I can’t tell from the photos.

What was the damage? I can’t tell from the photos.

Bent deck wing, broken pin handle, and bent tire rack. Nothing that renders the trailer inop but my pride took a huge blow.

Damage was all cosmetic but it could have been much worse. I'd like to believe I would have paid more attention at say an intersection but what if I hadn't. Could have hopped a curb and ran somebody over. You have to stay focused 100% of the time, no excuses.

G-Town told me that when I first started out. It’s really stuck with me. Just today I was in the pilot in Shelbyville which is tiny. I was actually telling myself out loud “ watch your wagon”.

G-Town told me that when I first started out. It’s really stuck with me. Just today I was in the pilot in Shelbyville which is tiny. I was actually telling myself out loud “ watch your wagon”.

It’s good advice. My trainer was constantly asking me, “where are your tandems?”. Now I hear that voice on every curve. Lol. Hopefully I always go.

As a reminder to anyone who follows TT for advice there isn't anyone who contributes more to drivers than G Town. Some might not always agree with him but his advice is always right on. I'm sure that some who read the forums do not agree with G Town but he will never steer you wrong.

P.S. that damage to the pole isn't all from me. It's been hit many times due to poor design.

Looking at the pole I'd say it was a great design. That pole has saved that building from being knocked down about 20 times it looks like!

Hey, it's a bummer that happened but we all makes mistakes. In trucking, the key is to make sure you only make little ones. You'll be a much better driver now. Don't beat yourself up over it. Over time you will get to the point that you automatically watch every part of your vehicle at all times. As you maneuver through parking lots your eyes will naturally be drawn to the danger points with every maneuver you make.

I'm sure that some who read the forums do not agree with G Town but he will never steer you wrong.

Oh we get people all the time who disagree with us, but it's not because we're wrong. It's because they think they're right but don't know any better yet. Some people are smart and humble so they tend to learn lessons the easy way, by listening to those who know. Others are hard headed and think they know more than they do, so they wind up learning most of their lessons the hard way.

It's easy to find the second group - they star in all of those YouTube "fail" videos. For every fail there's someone standing in the background being ignored, saying, "I'm telling ya, that's a bad idea."

“G Town would never steer you wrong”

I don’t know if that pun was intended, but I enjoyed it!

I totally agree with it and also the truth of Brett’s comment. I’ve learned multiple things from each moderator and experienced driver here on the forum. I came into this career with the typical misconceptions every beginner has. It’s much better to get set straight here on the forum than out on the road because “experience is a tough teacher. It gives the test first and the lesson afterwards.”

And Juice Box, thanks for telling us about what happened. Being willing to share your experiences, good and bad, helps everybody who wants to be a better driver.

Also wanted to post this thought: if you have been lucky enough to get on the Trucking Truth website and forum, pay it forward by telling others about TT. Especially if you are in school, tell your fellow students to check it out. Do some evangelizing for the benefit of others. If you can help another driver become safer, you have become safer yourself. You may be the driver that he doesn’t run into!