Relaxing

I just canoot relax when out driving with instructor anxiety attacks its like I hate coming to school ant im suppose to test out this fri I cant back, or drive in traffic lost my appitite just nervous all the time its horrible

steve j

I just canoot relax when out driving with instructor anxiety attacks its like I hate coming to school ant im suppose to test out this fri I cant back, or drive in traffic lost my appitite just nervous all the time its horrible

steve j

Beyond the extent of offering encouragement, we cannot really help you. I strongly suggest discussing this with your instructor and/or school management. Their job is to teach you and help you to succeed. ASK THEM FOR HELP!

Breathing exercises can help you down from a panic and prevent one. Something like yoga or meditation for 20 or 30 minutes just before you get behind the wheel would help you get into a more relaxed and clear headed state of mind.

I think the first thing to keep in mind is that it's only trucking, right? Millions of people do it every day and if they're capable of it, so are you. Learning to drive a rig is a basic skillset that almost anyone can pick up but not everyone picks it up at the same pace. But in reality, that doesn't matter at all. Once you get it, you get it.

One of the biggest causes of stress during truck driving school is watching others pick up on something more quickly than you do and it starts this downward spiral of thoughts:

Am I ever going to get this?

Do I not belong in trucking?

What if I can't pass the tests?

Then of course you'll have a small set of students or instructors that get aggressive when they sense someone is a bit unsure of themselves. They think they need to give you 'tough love' to toughen you up a bit but often times that just makes it worse.

So try not to stress this. For one, like I said, it's just trucking. You're not trying to land on the moon or harness nuclear fission. You're simply learning to shift and back up a truck, along with a few regulations.

Second of all, there is no time limit on getting your CDL. If you takes you 10 tries to pass the exams, so be it! Once you get your CDL you have it and you're ready to roll. No big deal.

As long as you keep at it you'll wind up with your CDL and you'll be out there doing it like everyone else.

Is there anything in particular that's stressing you out the most? Failing the exam? Running out of money to support the family? An extremely aggressive instructor giving you a hard time? Can you narrow it down?

Steve, the school instructors really are there to help you. Being in school, almost by definition means you're going to make a lot of mistakes. So your instructor will be pointing them out. That is not to laugh at you or tell you you're dumb but to make you conscious of your mistakes so that you can improve your driving skills. Yes, driving in traffic you may have some situations that need to be fixed immediately. But overall you should be glad that an experienced driver is sitting next to you while you start out driving for real.

Steve, the school instructors really are there to help you. Being in school, almost by definition means you're going to make a lot of mistakes. So your instructor will be pointing them out. That is not to laugh at you or tell you you're dumb but to make you conscious of your mistakes so that you can improve your driving skills. Yes, driving in traffic you may have some situations that need to be fixed immediately. But overall you should be glad that an experienced driver is sitting next to you while you start out driving for real.