An Encouragement To Rookies

Utilize the High Road Training Program on this website and glean the wisdom from members on this forum, along with having a positive attitude and good work ethic, and you will be successful no matter where you choose to work.

One year will fly by before you know it. I'm on the eve of my first year in trucking and it has been a whirlwind. I had no idea it would be so hard in the beginning. Getting lost in the metro NYC area after 3 days being solo will rip the welcome mat from under your feet in a hurry. But all experiences are good experiences if you learn from them. As one of my favorite philosophers wrote, "experience is the greatest teacher in life."

Things move quickly, and with great intensity. It's amazing how much you will progress when you have the time to pause and reflect. And don't forget to reflect, otherwise you might miss how much you've learned. It's easy to get frustrated, especially in the beginning with the steep learning curve, but having that sense of accomplishment and being able to navigate a big rig in a big city is extremely rewarding. What's also rewarding is knowing that you know how to handle your rig with all the other people you share the road with. A good driver will account for the mistakes of others, read them ahead of time, and go about the day without being thanked for it. That's all part of being a professional driver - and it's a sense of pride, at least it should be.

As some of you know, I'm a linehaul driver for an LTL company. I had a small taste of living on the road when I had to stay out for 3-4 days at a time during the first few months. That's nothing compared to what some OTR rookies have to do. Plus, I stayed at hotels, which is nothing like having to make the time to find a truck stop. My time at truck stops was limited to fueling and grabbing a quick cup of coffee. But I was able to rub elbows with some of the other drivers and have a quick peek into the world of the OTR driver. I have a great deal of respect for OTR drivers. Had I gotten into trucking before I had a family, I might have become an OTR driver for at least a short while, in order to experience the lifestyle.

I will always have more to learn, and never want to become complacent in my responsibility as a driver, but it's been great to see the progress and start to settle in more with my job. Hold on fast rookies - you'll surpass a year in no time at all. Enjoy the ride and grow with those experiences. Don't give up when it gets too tough, there's a reason they say to wait a year. You might miss out on a rewarding career if you give up in the beginning during that brutal learning curve. And don't forget to have fun!