Game: Vent And Brag About Life On The Road

Vent: Hit a yellow pole at a shipper and cracked the fiberglass around my passenger side headlight yesterday and had a hard braking event today after making the decision to stop instead of roll through a yellow light. Grrrr.... My first ever critical event and the second time hitting an object....haven't hit anything since my very first week out. Four months of safe driving down the tubes.

Brag: I wiggled into a very tight spot at a receiver recently in a lot with hardly any lighting at 3am. Didn't take me very long, and felt really good! I'm less and less intimidated by those tight docks.

Cwc stated:

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 .

I'm surprised you didn't mention that wonderful system of turnabouts they have. My tandems found them very inviting!

Vent: While heading east on I-10 in Florida, a truck passed my. Once they were safely far enough ahead of my, I signaled for him to come over. They kept on going then turned on the signal light. I signalled again thinking they weren't looking yet on the first signal. They pull in my lane then slam on the brakes. As I'm heading into the next lane to avoid running into them, they veer out in front of me so I have to slam on my brakes, then they take off. Seriously, what the bloody hell was that all about?

Brag: Out here about a week and my trainer tells me I look and act like a trucker! (Meaning I'm comfortable and level headed when it comes to my surroundings.)

Seriously, what the bloody hell was that all about?

Insurance scam. More common than you would think!

Brag: Out here about a week and my trainer tells me I look and act like a trucker! (Meaning I'm comfortable and level headed when it comes to my surroundings.)

That's a nice compliment! That reminds me of what people say about me.... I've been driving over a year now and people still tell me I don't look or sound like a truck driver. LOL

Hey just a tip about your vent. I used to flash or turn off my headlights for a sec to signal the other truck that they were clear to get back in my lane. My first trainer actually taught me to do that. I've actually found it's usually better not to do that. They actually specifically tell us here at Swift not to do it. Sometimes I still do it if the person seems like they're having a hard time figuring out if they're clear or it's a big oversize load partially blocking their mirrors. Or if I'm in the left lane going faster than them and they want to get over, I'll slow down and flash them so they know it's ok to merge. The problem is that, under normal circumstances, people tend to cut me off more when I do it. Other times, I've signaled them only to find out in a few seconds that we both have to get back over into the left lane because of a hazard on the side of the road. Or, like you found out the hard way, people do weird things when you do it. Maybe the guy was irritated, or took it as a sign you were new and decided to mess with you? I have no idea.

Anyways, hopefully that helps. In the end, you really can't do anything to keep people from making stupid moves around you on the road.

Seriously, what the bloody hell was that all about?

Insurance scam. More common than you would think!

Yeah, no *$/^

I guess it makes a little more sense in a truck than a Prius, but still...WTF???

I hate when drivers flash their brights at night to signal that I'm clear to get over. I know they mean well but who wants their retinas burned while your checking the mirror. I sometimes just expect it and not look in my mirror till I'm way passed and convinced it's safe to look.

I hate when drivers flash their brights at night to signal that I'm clear to get over. I know they mean well but who wants their retinas burned while your checking the mirror. I sometimes just expect it and not look in my mirror till I'm way passed and convinced it's safe to look.

Since most trucks now have the headlights on all the time when running, turning off the headlight switch doesn't work as a strong signal. I have seen a few guys use the marker lights switch as a signal; no blinding lights, but harder to notice.

Vent: we are taking a special cargo almost 600 miles at 52 mph. Argh! Brag: special cargo are the tigers to the greatest show on earth!

Brag: I almost got a signed up to haul dedicated loads for Cirque du Soleil.

Vent: Thirty minutes later I was informed that I didn't meet one of the customers requirements. WTF are you offering me the loads for if I don't meet the requirements? LOL!

JJ

Vent: we are taking a special cargo almost 600 miles at 52 mph. Argh! Brag: special cargo are the tigers to the greatest show on earth!

Goodbye tigers! Goodbye circus!