First Trucking Job

Hi guys, I am a new driver and just started at werner. If you have any advice please be such to drop it! Thank you!

Take your time, get into a routine and when in doubt double check your work. So you don't miss anything.

The trailer makes a really load bang, when you get off your routine and pull out from underneath it without cranking the legs down.

Remember the 6 P's,

Proper Planning Prevents **** Poor Preformance

Hi Kameesha. I almost forgot about you and your comment. Better late than never, right?

Your request for advice is so broad that it’s hard to know what to say first. It also says a lot about you in a positive way because it says you want to learn and you realize how important it is to learn as much as you can. Be a sponge, that’s a good thing.

Based on some mistakes I made as a newbie, I always warn others not to take your truck into any place or location that you don’t know how to get safely out of. I once needed to change directions so I pulled into a parking lot to turn around and found out I couldn’t make the circle going forward. Long story short, it took me 30 seconds to get into trouble and literally 2 hours to back the truck out of it.

So never drive your rig into a lot or road that you don’t know the way out of IN ADVANCE. This is why it’s so important to learn how to use the navigation technology available to you as a driver. My most important tool is Google maps satellite view and street view. I found that just using my phone with these features was inadequate. So I got an IPad to get a better view. The bigger screen is of critical importance in understanding your safe path forward and what traps may surround you and lie in wait for you. I spend a lot of time studying my route and my destination location before I ever start my engine. Trust me, this is time well spent and will save you grief that is not pleasant to experience as a driver.

And also, be prepared mentally to not give up. During your first weeks, first months and first year you will be pushed to the limit of what you can endure and every instinct will tell you to quit. This happens to us all. If you know it will happen to you, then you can be resolved to push through those times and keep going.

Another thing I will advise for you. Start asking specific questions you have as they come up in your driving. Specific questions will generate the most valuable feedback from the experienced drivers here. Elevate yourself above all the other new drivers by learning as much as you can as soon as you can.

Be flexible. I am sick and tired of advertisments that make trucking look like paid travel. Can it be exciting and adventurous? Yes. But this is a serious job. One thing that really irks me is when some of these youtubers dont explain how this is a freaking job. One chick jumped in a trailer in a miniskirt and heels.

As a whole, this community and site are a wealth of information on how to get a good start in this industry.

I'd highly recommend going to the CDL diaries section and reading the diaries. There are a number of folks who documented their journey through Werner. There is a lot to be learned bothbon what to do and what not to do. There's also a section here for women that drive as you face some experiences that are different that guys.

There's also informing that is just just plain foundational stuff here. It's been my experience that people who become active on this forum and listen to the advice have a tendency to build solid lasting careers.

Truck Driver's Career GuideBecoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Please pardon my ducking autocorrect typos.