Comments By Older Newbie

Hey folks, All that's been said here is amazing. I've been driving since Oct of last year...got my company truck in December. Yeah, it's been a challenge trying to stay between the lines, not crush something or roll the truck but something I've learned from this site that's always in my mind is this: everyone was a rookie at one time or another, so don't try to set the world ablaze right out of the gate! Probably the hardest thing I did as a solo driver was get to a shipper/receiver the first time and attempt to back into a tight spot. Hey...it wasn't like this in school! What's happening and why can't I back up? Well school was a seriously controlled environment, on purpose, and I found that stepping into the real world things were moving all around me...at speeds I hadn't dealt with. It was like my brain shut off and I forgot everything I had learned. No...I hadn't forgotten anything but what I didn't learn in school was that you aren't the only truck trying to park, and there is generally a lot of movement around shipping docks. Like Old School says...slow and steady... I learned, from watching and talking to anyone who would communicate with me to just take your time and not get rattled. Nobody is grading you on your backing in the real world. They may give you grief about being a rookie but I have found even the most seasoned veterans have off days backing so let it go. I said watching a moment ago and let me tell you, for me anyway, it was very informative to sit back and watch others do easily what I struggled doing. It was humbling but I learned a ton! When you watch a driver pull into a tight yard with a long wheelbase Pete, towing a 53ft trailer and they just slide it in like it's nothing...whoa...that's pretty cool. The first time, no I should say everytime I get it right, I get a tremendous sense of satisfaction. One of those feelings you can only get when you have worked hard at something and it finally all comes together. What's really great is when a seasoned driver gives you a thumbs up, or says "nice job" after watching you get it done just right. And believe me, it seems they all know who the rookies are. Lol It does take a lot of work but like anything else, to me if it's worth doing...it's worth doing well; and I'm trying to do it to the best of my ability. It's getting easier, smoother and less overwhelming and thankfully there are more good days than bad. Like the seasoned drivers on this forum have said, it just takes practice, patience and time. Thank you Brett, Old School and the rest of you on here, for helping me get through these first month's of my driving career. I don't get on here as much as I'd like but every time I do I'm grateful and thankful you're here. Tony

Old school you are so right! I'm a rookie too with 6 months of rubber on the pavement, but like you, I'm of the mind that you get more out of life by busting your tail then by sitting on it. As you said, starting as a rookie is hard enough but then factor in the proving yourself on top of that can be quite humbling. You get the least wanted loads, the rejects from all the experienced drivers and you quite frankly put up with all the c**p no one else wants for a while. Ok...so big deal right! If you do it with a great attitude things change, and sometimes pretty quickly. In my case I made it my mission to be one of the "go to" drivers for my dispatcher. Following the wisdom freely given on this website I swallowed my pride and just worked at being there for my dispatcher. Whatever, whenever, wherever... all legal of course...but the point is I didn't whine and did it knowing that it wouldn't last forever...it was the much talked about growing pains. In the end I've got a great relationship with my dispathere and he's come to rely on me when he needs things done. The fruits of my labor is paying off too... this last week I'll have run over 4300 miles! Not a bad week for a new guy I'd say. From one older guy to another...thanks Old School. Your guidance here and wisdom has been invaluable to me and others I'm sure. Tony

Brett, I completely agree with your podcast about dealing with law enforcement. Many of my family members are in law enforcement of one kind or another and it's a thankless job. As you said, they deal with the worst in all of us in so many cases it's easy to see why they get "hardened" after a while. My approach has been almost spot on with what you said...with one exception. When I got pulled into my first inspection I flat out told the officer that I was new...had never gone through the process before and had no idea what to expect. Yes...I was organized with my paperwork, and my truck was clean, neat, and looked taken care of, but the first time butterflies were there for sure. I offered to be helpful in providing all the info he wanted, and was pleasant to say the least. And yes... I did make small talk about their job, the difficulty of it and that I was very familiar with the place that he was in. Not a lie... and not an exaggeration which he could tell. My inspection was clean and he even complimented me on my truck and workspace... as he said... " now your cherry is popped... next time won't be as nerve racking." I do run's out of Laredo, TX and you're right about that too. Some of those trucks are rolling death traps and I'm sure glad I don't have to drive one.

I'm thankful for the kind of rigs we get up here and that if nothing else, the laws have given that to all of us.

Law enforcement officers see the worst in humanity often many more times than they get to see the best. It really takes a special person to do that job well. Yeah, not everyone is a great officer, we all know that. And yes, when they are having a bad day sometimes civilians pay the price...a ticket or chewing out that's perhaps a bit over the top. But all in all I have seen that if you treat them with respect...genuine respect...courtesy and a smile, even an officer having a lousy day can see signs of hope and will soften. May not get you out of a ticket, but being polite, kind and showing respect and courtesy goes a long way to making everyone's life better anyway. Thanks for your website and podcasts. They have helped me get through the tough times of being a rookie driver and have helped me see the light at the end of the long dark tunnel.

Every time I speak to someone who wants to know about being a driver I point them in your direction. It helped me and I know it's helping others.

Take care and be safe gang,

Tony Gonzalez

Thanks Old School, It's been an adventure. Sitting in a truck stop in MN happy I shut it down before the heavy rain started. I'm probably going to be asking lots of questions about flat bed hauling so get ready...that's what my goal is. You be safe out there. Tony

Oh...one more thing.

Listen to the blog that Brett does here. It really has helped me keep perspective especially when I'm feeling down.

Brett...you and Old School and the rest of the moderators and contributors here are the best. I'm grateful this site is here for us new folks. It has made the difference on more than one occasion when things for me looked like I had really blown it.

Thank you... thank you all.

Tony

Oh does all this sound familiar. It is! To just about everyone here I suspect. Having just gone through my training and getting my own truck I really do understand your frustration. My trainer and training was with Werner, doing the Dollar General account. It was intense, hard work, extremely frustrating at times but in the end just as satisfying.

Just like you were saying, there were times when I wondered if in had made the wrong decision...I couldn't seem to do anything right it seemed. Especially backing !

And needless to say that's about 75% of what that account is about...backing in tight spaces, at all hours in crazy traffic. It was as though my brain had been erased from the time I was in school to then. As everyone has already told you, this will pass. This industry is very different from anything many of us have ever done before and there is a HUGE learning curve.

I have been in my own truck just a little over 2 months. It's exciting, scary, intimidating and when things go well, one of the best feelings I've ever felt. Yes there are days when it takes 10 or 15 mins to back properly...but then there are days when you get it right, it slides in perfectly and you climb out of the cab feeling like a million bucks.

As others have said, keep something in mind before you make a decision to either quit or beat up on yourself...

The next time you're at a truck stop, or at a loading dock or just tooling down the superslab, keep something in mind...every driver you see,every one, has been a rookie too. You aren't alone!

Any driver that says they didn't struggle with some aspect of this career is not telling you the whole story.... that's polite for saying they are not telling you the truth. The honest ones will tell you that every day they learn something, even after years of driving. And they will also tell you that they have bad days backing too.

This is an industry that quite literally is always moving, changing, evolving. There is so much to learn in such a short period of time that it does weed out the faint of heart. It should frankly. There is a lot at stake when you drive a 73 ft, 80,000 lbs vehicle loaded with who knows what around people, little cars, buildings...the world. Too many things can go wrong for the wrong person to be behind the wheel. But, and I suspect the others will agree, if you are willing to do your time, be patient, be tenacious, not give up and don't expect to be handed a free ride...you will make it.

It isn't easy...but nothing worth doing and doing well ever is.

Good luck,

Tony

Will do! I've been reading the cdl manuals on and off for months so I've at least got some of it in my head before I get into a classroom. It is amazing how just learning again can be interesting when you haven't hit the books in... oh... 40 + years or so. I'll keep you posted on my progress and I hope that I get to meet some the folks who have posted on here for a while. Thanks for the encouragement and your web site.

This post has been interesting for me because I'm thinking about going with Werner after I finish school. From what I've seen of them and heard from them they seem to be making strides to get good drivers in place and "clean up" the perception of them as a company. As a complete newby I know what I'm saying may not mean much but so far they seem like a good place to start. Maybe that's the key to it all, don't get too hung up on the details for the first year because dues as a driver I suspect have to be paid. After that it's probably easier to make decisions about who to drive for after having put a few miles down and dealt with more than just a recruiter or trainer. I'm just happy that trucking truth and all of you are here. It helps bring the industry into perspective. After hiding in the background for a while I hope to be more active asking everything I can think of to make this transition I'm embarking on as smooth as possible. Thank you everyone... it's been a great help.

After reading this series of posts it makes me want to be a flatbed driver more than ever. I'm about a week from starting school and flatbed for me has been my goal from the start. As has been stated here, there is something very cool about seeing a really well tarped and secured load. Even when I was loading the family up for our recent cross country move, getting the trailer tarped correctly with no flaps was for me something to be proud of. It may not have made sense to the rest of the guys in the neighborhood but I figured that every flatbed driver my wife passed hauling the trailer would appreciate it. I drove the 26 ft box truck loaded to the gills and even there I felt like securement was important because I didn't want it to dump on me when I opened the door on the other side. I also appreciate the physical part of it all. I'm on the long end of 60 and still think of myself as a kid, and usually move like a kid, so the "outside" work involved in flatbed driving really appeals to me too. Yeah I suppose there are gonna be days where the weather stinks, hot or cold, wet or dry, but I also suspect that the personal satisfaction you get from doing it right in the worst of weather must feel amazing. I can't wait!

Ok... so let me ask another seemingly stupid question since as it's been pointed out, there are lots of trucks running of every make that seem to run just fine... it's the maintenance that's the difference I think is the bottom line... right?

So here is my question:

I read about trucks that are said to be better for flatbed, or better for intermodel etc.... but what is a good flatbed truck? Say, within 5 years old hauling a 48ft flat loaded with steel coils?

Yeah the Petes look cool, if you like the old school look and they sure cost a ton new or used, but how would you set one up, or any truck for that matter? Engine, trans, rear end? Say running cross country, from the East coast to the Rockies... and oh yeah... staying out of CA.

Like many here I want to learn and there is a wealth of knowledge available from the members of this forum. I'm doing as much research as I can to learn as much as I can before I change careers and start driving for a living so I appreciate all the advice available. Sometimes I get the silly thought of being an O/O as well... the lure of the dream is certainly alive isn't it... but then I realize I'm one guy competing with huge companies with deep pockets and buying power so there is no way I could make it long term unless all the little pieces fit together just right. Not sure if that puzzle is ever going to get solved but for the time being it's a good mental game to at least see what all the options are.

So my thanks to all of you who contribute and occasionally disagree on stuff. That's why we are here right? To share opinions, ideas, advice... and once in a while wisdom. Just kidding folks... there's a lot of wisdom rolling around here.

Tony