Game: Vent And Brag About Life On The Road

I thought this could be a way for potential drivers to have a realistic idea of what life on the road is like. Please tell one good thing and one bad thing about your day or recent events

Vent: a semi was following me downhill and going way too fast. I saw his trailer swaying and knew he wasn't in control. It was a one lane in each direction no shoulder area. I made a left turn onto a side street and he passed me and hit a pole. Was upsetting but I did good. Of course I then see a bridge weight limit sign...not good. I was able to get back to the main road after a ton of aggravation but I made it without NY accidents. I truly believe that other truck would have killed me.

Brag: before going home on the 30th, a hit rock hit my windshield so I headed back to the terminal to get it fixed. While there, I got my annual inspection and my cracked fairing fixed. (Iowa wind decided it wanted to keep some pieces of my truck). I even had time to get the truck detailed so now the inside is all shiny and new and pretty again. Yay!!

Vent: planned a trip to a Walmart. When i got there i was going to go in through the front entrance. Half way through the turn i see that I'm not going to make the curb by a long shot. Then i notice the stop sign had been hit by an idiot trucker who didn't care and dragged his trailer over the curb. I stopped, put on my hazards and backed out and found another way in.

Brag: next week I'll have my 100k accident free miles. I'd better not screw it up until then, lol.

I stopped, put on my hazards and backed out and found another way in.

Isaac, that's a brag. You still have a vent available.

Walmart hint: most WMs have Truck Route signs at the correct entrance. Watch for them.

Vent- I woke up this morning only to find I don't have a load to get home yet and I probabably wont get one till tonight so I get to sit for the day. Brag- passed my first full dot inspection yesterday at the scale house with no violations so I will get a bonus from my company and 2 good points on company safety score.

passed my first full dot inspection yesterday at the scale house with no violations so I will get a bonus from my company and 2 good points on company safety score.

Nice going Jodi, where you nervous?

A little bit but not to bad. I have a new truck and I do a real thorough pretrip so I really didn't think he would find anything. I thought I was just getting a paperwork inspection and then he said to pull around to the inspection bay. I said oh I get the hole enchilada today? He said yeah I'm falling asleep sitting here so I better do something. I laughed and said well we certainly don't want you sleeping. All in all a pretty nice guy.

Brag: Started career 45 days ago accident free. First load Payette ID. 2ft a snow. I've been in freezing rain, black ice, 60 mph wind storms, blizzards. I've been running west to east cost with the steepest down grades in icy conditions. Seen multiple accidents a few deaths. Seen lots in my short times out here. My run average 2200 miles wkly.

Rant: Mother Nature and Murphy's Law hasn't been very nice to me and wish they would find someone else to pick on.

VENT: Two weeks into my training, I was heading for a Pilot in Houston, and had to cut over from US59. The GPS wanted me to cut over via a Parkway with a toll. I was skeptical of this, since my trainer once told me to avoid Parkways ( that was in NYC however, and I've since learned otherwise).

So I skipped the exit, and waited for the GPS to recalculate a new route for me. It brought me down some sketchy side roads, and eventually to a very tight right hand turn. I had to GOAL in the middle of the turn to make sure I didn't clip the pole. Next I'm on a narrow road with the appearance of heading further into downtown. Not good. I kept repeating the words I've heard here on TT over and over again: DON'T HIT ANYTHING!

I set the brakes and hazards, then got out and walked way up the road to make sure I could get out. Another tight right hander with a GOAL, and eventually I made it on the right road headed to the truck stop. It's a good thing it was 4am, because if there had been a lot of traffic or parked cars, I don't know what I would have done.

My trainer slept through the whole thing.....

BRAG: Same story as above. I got myself into a bad situation. But rather than digging a deeper hole, I stopped and found a safe way out of the mess. Yes I could have woke up my trainer for help, but I wouldn't have learned in the same way.

Vent: Last night I stopped near Hammond LA at a Pilot that whoever laid out the parking should hang themselves. I get to the last spot at the time and the guy to my left is on the line with his mirror over it.

Brag: I could see daylight between his mirror and my trailer. If I squinted .

VENT: Two weeks into my training, I was heading for a Pilot in Houston, and had to cut over from US59. The GPS wanted me to cut over via a Parkway with a toll. I was skeptical of this, since my trainer once told me to avoid Parkways ( that was in NYC however, and I've since learned otherwise).

So I skipped the exit, and waited for the GPS to recalculate a new route for me. It brought me down some sketchy side roads, and eventually to a very tight right hand turn. I had to GOAL in the middle of the turn to make sure I didn't clip the pole. Next I'm on a narrow road with the appearance of heading further into downtown. Not good. I kept repeating the words I've heard here on TT over and over again: DON'T HIT ANYTHING!

I set the brakes and hazards, then got out and walked way up the road to make sure I could get out. Another tight right hander with a GOAL, and eventually I made it on the right road headed to the truck stop. It's a good thing it was 4am, because if there had been a lot of traffic or parked cars, I don't know what I would have done.

My trainer slept through the whole thing.....

BRAG: Same story as above. I got myself into a bad situation. But rather than digging a deeper hole, I stopped and found a safe way out of the mess. Yes I could have woke up my trainer for help, but I wouldn't have learned in the same way.

Great job. Stay of Parkways in NY. Most are NO CMVs. Bridges way to low.