Proper Loading On Sealed Loads?

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Yeah... Probably worrying early about low-risk situations. But I do understand that the priorities of those filling the trailer and mine as the person ultimately responsible (once I get there anyway), will not always align. I SO hate being responsible for things which are clearly beyond my control...

You're doing fine. You seem to understand that as a driver you will be responsible for everything that ever happened to anybody whether or not the driver had anything to do with the actual issue at hand. Also, baby steps. Get the CDL. Pass through training to get your own set of keys, then enjoy the scenery. I know those seem to be opposing views and I know it kinda sucks. but it's really cool to be rolling down the road on your own.

I SO hate being responsible for things which are clearly beyond my control...

Hey Marc, this is something you are going to have to learn to deal with. Truck drivers have little control over many facets of their job. They have little authority. They have little say over anything. They also typically have big egos. When you couple these two dynamics together, it makes a frustrating combination for many people.

In the chain of command we are at the bottom. We are told by others what to do, when to do it, and as soon as we're done we've got some more instructions waiting on us. We have little control over the demands of the job. Now if that sounds depressing, there is a strategy that will help you deal with this stuff - sort of an end game that allows you to excel in the chaos while others are beat down by it.

I've always embraced this notion of being at the bottom. It doesn't bother me, it pushes me to prove myself to those in authority over me, and to out perform peers. This business is completely performance based. The highest achievers reap the highest rewards. There are a lot of truck drivers who sit in the truck driver lounges and spend the greater part of their lives complaining about the things that are beyond their control. It is completely wasted effort, and it keeps them from laying hold of the mysterious success that a small number of Top Tier Drivers enjoy out here every day.

So, don't let the things beyond your control become the things that literally control you. You can set your own destiny in this career by having the proper mental approach to it. The truth is that We Are In A Competition. Learn to compete. Competitors set their sights on victory. Allowing things beyond your control to keep you in their control is a sure way of defeating yourself in this career.

I am saying all that at the risk of sounding overly philosophical, but it is a reality out here in this job. You've got to develop some tools to deal with this stuff, and a person who consistently gets things accomplished efficiently with a high level of productivity and a low level of frustration quickly becomes the star on the team out here. I don't think I have to explain to you how the star on the team gets treated. Let your performance define you, not the things that you have no control over.

I SO hate being responsible for things which are clearly beyond my control...

Hey Marc, this is something you are going to have to learn to deal with.

...

I am saying all that at the risk of sounding overly philosophical, but it is a reality out here in this job. You've got to develop some tools to deal with this stuff...

Working on it! Thanks.

As a recovering individual with decades in several 12-step programs I DO have the tools to deal with this. Just need to use them. Thinking the Serenity Prayer will become my new best friend. I also truly try to work a 24-hour program. I do what I can today about the things I have to deal with today, and leave the rest for the next period of 24 hours. I will litetally need to learn to deal effectively with what is directly in front of me (and a football field or so up the road)!