Profile For Rodzilla

"Do I have a bad trainer? Or am I just over thinking/not listening like I should be."

I would have to lean towards a yes, looks like you have a bad trainer.

If your trainer doesn't respect other truckers at any location, whether it's waiting on line at a truck stop or a shipper/receiver; and he doesn't understand or respect the rules of the road on the freeway, he's not worth his salt. That's the kind of guy that will end up in a collision, eventually.

Don't let him pressure you to do what he does. Follow not only the laws pertaining to truck driving, but also the unwritten rules of the road, if you care about safety and respect, as well as your own stress level.

Having said that, there absolutely WILL be times when traffic—whether freeway or city/surface street driving— will not cooperate with your clock or your scheduled appointments. You will have to get around traffic jams, and sometimes you'll just have to find a way to cut back into traffic at a less-than-perfect spot. It's going to happen.

And you'll **** people off. Just wave a thank you out your window once you get over. Remain calm and courteous, and you'll find your stress level will remain lower.

Smart clock management and good routing is almost always taught, but few Trucking trainers will teach about managing stress. Truck driving can be extremely stressful, if you let it.

It's up to you to find ways to get things done, occasionally bending the rules of the road to get into a particular lane or to make an appointment on time. Just don't be like your trainer, and act like you own the whole road, or think you can bully people with your big truck. That's straight BS, and it will eventually land you in an accident.