Comments By Deb R.

"Ask a Veteran Driver" is very good. Respectful posts (moderators will kick out the bad apples), help with all sorts of questions. Very educational.

"Tackling the unknown truckers with pets helping each other" was started at the beginning of the pandemic when we did not know if rules for pets would change; it has morphed into a small-ish group of people who share general info. on things we encounter in trucking, and life style issues (diet / exercise / mental health, etc.)

"Daily Forecast and Road Conditions for Truckers" is excellent! Upcoming weather for the nation, and people post current conditions where they are - weather, accidents, construction, you name it. Super helpful for trip planning.

My company regularly picks up bananas in Freeport, Texas. There are a few drivers who run that exclusively, and they have TWIC cards. Occasionally, I get sent there, and my company pays $80 to the escort truck to get let in. Google says a TWIC card costs $125.25 and is good for 5 years, so I don't know why the company doesn't just have me get one, although then I might need to go there more frequently, and I HATE driving that Dallas/Houston corridor! So, money-wise, if you need to get into a port more than once in 5 years, it makes sense to get the card. Time-wise, a TWIC card will get you in much quicker. I really don't see a downside to it. And FYI, having an escort does not assure that you will get through the port with no issues . . . my first time, I thought the escort was waving me to turn into a scale . . . it was NOT where I was supposed to go . . . eye yey eye, what a fiasco . . .

Oh yeah, I also have a pair of waterproof boots (Bogs) that have saved the day more than once!

I wear jeans and t-shirts, with a fleece jacket that I can use as needed, and a waterproof windbreaker, tennis shoes or hiking shoes. That's it, unless it's super cold and I need a winter jacket. I sometimes wear sweatpants in the truck, but found that I feel too "sloppy" if I wear them outside of the truck.

I paid upfront for a 10-week course at a Wisconsin Technical College. MONEY WELL SPENT. Folks on here sing the praises of company training, but I was extremely happy to have gone the route I did; after graduating, I could go wherever it suited me, and chose a company that offered tuition reimbursement.

To your question - stick with it! It can be surprising discouraging some days, just hang in there. Be stubborn about it, of course you suck at it sometimes, you're on a big learning curve right now. And heads up - that learning curve continues once you are out in the "real world". You will continue to make mistakes, just keep your cool and keep safety #1. One of my instructors said "At the end of the day, if you didn't hit anything, and nobody got hurt, it was a good day." That is so true.

I learned to drive a big truck at age 57, just turned 63 and still at it, I average 3,800-4,300 miles a week. It is achievable if you are determined to do it.

Be aware that parking BT at home may destroy your driveway. Mine is blacktop, was kinda crummy to begin with, but parking the truck here totally finished it off, especially in spring when the frost was leaving the ground.

It might be nice to have a bicycle for exploring.

Love it! My contribution: Flagstaff, AZ, Little America T.S. - really nice 1 mile loop through the pines that starts behind the hotel.

I’ve started with prime but the training process has Been tough especially being a woman

Don't use your gender as an excuse. It's tough for everybody in the beginning.

I miss having running water available whenever I want it.