Survey: Your Biggest Worries And Most Important Questions

G-Town says:

Over time (hopefully), you develop the unteachable "Spidey" sense of an experienced, safety conscience driver

I know we have had this conversation before regarding the difference between driving a truck and a motorcycle, but I'm hoping that my years of driving motorcycles will help me driving a truck.

On the way home Saturday night in my wife's car, I saw a quick movement in my peripheral vision to the right. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes and it was only when I saw the deer right in front of the headlights did I realize that my instinctive reaction was to a deer darting in front of me.

And to your point number 4, even with the best "spidey" skills, a split second difference and you're in an accident that could be deemed your fault.

Rob D wrote:

On the way home Saturday night in my wife's car, I saw a quick movement in my peripheral vision to the right. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes and it was only when I saw the deer right in front of the headlights did I realize that my instinctive reaction was to a deer darting in front of me.

Rob, this is exactly what I was referring to regarding "Spidey Senses". However your "instincts" while operating a car or a motorcycle require an adjustment when driving a Class 7 or 8 semi-truck...

You will be instructed and possibly tested in a simulator (likely more than once) how to handle large wildlife (like deer) running into your path. We must perform the direct opposite of what you described, (especially at Highway or Interstate Speeds) maintaining the course; with a firm grasp of the wheel, do not hard-brake and/or swerve. I have blasted the air-horn to scare deer and turkeys out of my path. The only exception, and it's a judgement call on a secondary or lower speed road, is if you are able to bring the truck to a controlled, safe stop without hitting the animal.

G-Town advises:

You will be instructed and possibly tested in a simulator (likely more than once) how to handle large wildlife (like deer) running into your path. We must perform the direct opposite of what you described, (especially at Highway or Interstate Speeds) maintaining the course; with a firm grasp of the wheel, do not hard-brake and/or swerve. I have blasted the air-horn to scare deer and turkeys out of my path. The only exception, and it's a judgement call on a secondary or lower speed road, is if you are able to bring the truck to a controlled, safe stop without hitting the animal.

I know that I will need to adapt to driving a large truck in many ways more than just wildlife encounters. Feedback on this forum helps me understand driving skills will need rethinking.

Thanks.

So MANY of the 'posters' in this thread, have gone on to be SUCH successful drivers; and the others (G. etc, ) already am/are/is/was/were/be/being/been. << Grammar freak .. I know, haha!

I'm regaling in your success, guys & gals!

Just wanted to 'BUMP' THIS.. awesome thread by Brett!

~ Anne ~

ps: additions, yeah ?!?!?

My biggest worries going in were steeped in outdated experiences. I took a 14 year break from driving to go back to Active Duty. I was worried about old equipment, being forced to push the edge as far as safe equipment goes. As soon as I started my research and narrowed down the companies I would be willing to work for, my worries changed to modern tech in trucks and if/how the companies would take a guy with 14yrs off but had maintained his CDL and spotless driving record. Now that I'm in training see how well maintained and how new Pride's equipment is, I feel better about those aspects. Learning to drive with all the tech has been a little challenging, but I'm getting through it. Once I complete training my worries will probably shift yet again. Looking ahead I worry about conflicts/issues with dispatch and making sure I am developing myself enough to be a high quality driver.

After proofreading this I realized that my worries are more about me and less about everything else...lookit that! A moment of clarity! Lol

My biggest worry right now is finances while I attend school. It leaves me for 3 weeks to a month without income. Once I start paid training im good to go. Its frustrating, but just life. Construction work has dropped off a ledge in the last couple months, Ive burned through all my resources. I just want to get going on this, like NOW, but I have to finish a couple contracts and get enough money in to cover a month or more of no income, its inordinately difficult for me go do my present job when I just want to be down at orientation and start learning and driving.

One predominate fear I have is not waking up on time and missing appointments. Ive lost many jobs and contracts over the years because of it. I just function better late night and early morning. I have a really difficult time waking up around 6 to 8 am. Im naturally wired to run like 9am to 4 or 5 in the morning. Its not insomnia, I just sleep and am awake at wrong parts of the clock for most normal jobs.

Changing lanes in congested city traffic is currently my biggest worry about trucking. Logistically speaking I don't believe it's actually possible.

Don't feel bad...I'm a night person also. While on active duty, I was a military and travel pay clerk and needed to be in the office at 0730. Throughout my 14 years I would get an occasional Letter of Reprimand for being late.

Then toward the end of my time, I was transferred to the accounting side of Finance. There I paid vendors for supplying goods for the base. I had a civilian boss and he and I talked. As long as I came in by noon, which would be 1400 on the east coast, he let me work from noon until I was done usually about 2200. That schedule suited me so much better and I never got in trouble after that.

When I got out and went to driving, I ran team, so there wasn't really much of a problem to meet the times. Then I followed my husband who worked on cattle ranches. I would pick up jobs every so often but I always made sure I worked afternoon or night shifts. When I came back on the road 7 years ago, I drove with my brother for 2.5 months and then went solo. It seems like the dry van loads unloaded early in the morning till noon and loaded in that time frame also. Then I went into reefers and a lot of my loads are delivered at night, but a number of them do deliver at the crack of dawn. I have a bunch of brothers, but one is in Illinois and gets up around 6 his time. So I send him a text message to have him call me and he's only missed one message in all this time. Otherwise, crack of dawn I sleep through the alarm sometimes. So far, I've not been late due to oversleeping.

My current company knows that I do better after 9ish in the morning, so they try not to have me pick up or deliver before that. However, sometimes I have to. They also know not to call me at the crack of dawn :-) I can be kind of cranky if I'm woken up too early ;-)

Laura

One predominate fear I have is not waking up on time and missing appointments. Ive lost many jobs and contracts over the years because of it. I just function better late night and early morning. I have a really difficult time waking up around 6 to 8 am. Im naturally wired to run like 9am to 4 or 5 in the morning. Its not insomnia, I just sleep and am awake at wrong parts of the clock for most normal jobs.