Comments By James H.

I have a wife and three daughters (and am 38 myself.)

What state would be best suited for this? What is a good state for me to move to for trucking?

Do you intend to pursue an OTR career? If so, and maybe even if your plan is to drive local, the decision should really be based on what is best for your wife. She's the one who will be raising three children while you're away on the road. This will be a big move for her as much as, and maybe more than, for you. Has she lived in the U.S. before? Do you have family or friends who could help out or at least provide some sense of community? Low cost and good weather are nice, but having a support network is essential. Make sure she doesn't end up feeling isolated in an unfamiliar place.

I want to apply for a Twic card (Transportation Worker Identification Credential). For a future Job.

Do you have a pending job offer that is contingent on you getting at TWIC Card? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. As Old School notes, many, in fact probably most, driving jobs won't involve port facilities or military bases or other places you'd need the card. The statement you quoted seems pretty definitive, but maybe a letter from a psychiatrist saying that you are under their care and that the condition that resulted in your commitment is no longer present, and in their medical opinion there is nothing that should preclude you from having a TWIC. However, the doctor would be exposing himself or herself to huge liability by writing such a letter, so don't be surprised if it's hard to come by.

Have you considered linehaul? You would be going to the same terminal or a handful of terminals every night.

Another possibility would be a USPS contractor. This is what I'm doing now, after starting out in linehaul. Most drivers have a set route, so you'll go to one or two postal facilities where you load and unload, and a truck stop or company yard where you Meet and Turn, and that's it, day after day. I'm sure a lot of drivers would hate it, and feel this kind of monotony is what they went into trucking to get away from. But if you're not in it for the adventure and just want to do your job and get home safe with minimal drama, this might be a good fit.

The picture also has the Bruckner as 95, which is wrong. The Bruckner is 278 in the Bronx and the Brooklyn queens expressway in Brooklyn and queens. All legal for 53 foot trailers.

Interstate highways change names frequently in New York. The I-95 designation is applied to the Cross Bronx Expressway from the GWB to its interchange with the Bruckner. East of there I-95 continues as the Bruckner and then the New England Thruway, and the Cross Bronx becomes I-295 as it goes to the Throgs Neck Bridge. The I-278 designation is applied, from west to east, to the Staten Island, Gowanus, Brooklyn-Queens, and Bruckner Expressways.

Which is why my trainer insisted I stop referring to these highways by name, and just use the number.

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Not true. You're allowed on I87 with a truck and I've taken that route many times. You're not allowed on the FDR drive which is the exit before the deegan.

You misunderstand what I wrote. I said 53' trailers aren't allowed on the Deegan. Which is true.

That time of night you shouldn't hit much traffic. Just be careful about only going where you're allowed. Calling the receiver for directions isn't a bad idea. Parkways, including the Taconic, Saw Mill, Bronx River, and Cross County, do not allow commercial vehicles. 53' trailers are only allowed on certain routes across NYC. Specifically for your purposes, they are not allowed on the Major Deegan ( the NYC part of I-87). So if you're hauling a 53-footer, going over the GWB and then up I-87 isn't legal. Whether you'd actually get pulled over for it before you get out of the Bronx is another matter. But to play it safe you can cross the Hudson further north, on I-287, and then drop down.

Hello,

I enjoyed driving and did really well, it was just everything else. Backing, docking, drop and hook, remembering things when at the shipper and receiver, etc. Anxiety would make it difficult to remember.

I am looking for a special situation that, despite my difficulties I could succeed at this.

I am willing to give up half my pay, to have someone who will teach me and work through this together. I would like to learn and grow into feeling confident about everything.

Those aspects of driving cause all of us stress when we're starting out. However, they're pretty much unavoidable parts of the job. Your individual brain chemistry, etc. may make these challenges greater for you than for others, but I'd like to believe it's not insurmountable given the right situation.

As others have noted, an OO taking you on is unlikely. I'd say your best bet is with a large company that can absorb the insurance cost of employing inexperienced drivers and has a training program in place. You didn't say who you worked for previously, but there are many carriers that do a good job of preparing and equipping their new drivers to succeed. You may want to check out the Training Diaries forum on this site and see how other new drivers have made their way up the learning curve.

Best wishes!

Just didn’t want to impede traffic after I get it rolling

In my opinion, this is not something you should be worrying about. With these large, heavy vehicles, sometimes it's unavoidable. We take forever to accelerate, go slowly around turns, and four-wheelers will get ****ed. That's their problem, don't let them make it yours. Take as much time and space as you feel you need to be safe. As you get more experienced you may be able to do things quicker, but that shouldn't be your focus.

FWIW, I usually start in 2nd out of habit, since that's the way I was taught.

I thought the OP wasn't asking whether the site pays anyone, but what the site's sources of revenue are. We see that company-sponsored training programs buy banner ads here, but does the site receive a commission, for example, when applicants enroll through this link.