How Did Trucking Change After You Got A Years Experience?

Well I'm almost at my one year mark. I've been solo for going on 10 months now. I did three months dedicated and realized what I really wanted out of trucking was adventure, travel, new experiences; not going to Michigan all the time. Nothing against Michigan. Then I went OTR and after a month briefly hauled some reefers on a dedicated Walmart account (which floored me, because even know the money was good it was night driving and dedicated and very very short there and back runs. I have nothing against night driving I do it all the time and am very cooperative. I was just ready to be otr.) Now I'm working on endorsements. I already passed tankers. No doubt some people think trucking is "easy". Its not exactly always hard. I've even gotten comments from friends which really upset me or had me thinking "wow, so that's what you think?" Heres a couple, before I started trucking I told a co worker and friend that I wanted to become a trucker and the response I got was that I just wanted to sit on my behind. That's not even close too why I wanted to started trucking. And then once I started trucking my friend makes a comment that what I do is cake work because I "sit on my behind all day." I can't believe these people. The second friend has a job and literally its in a office...sitting on their behind talking on a phone and doing paperwork. I think they were mad but sitting in a office doesn't come close to driving the big rig. The chair they sit in is stationary, no riding the bull which it sometimes feels like when going through twists and turns bumps, grooves and construction zones. Also the aloneness is real..haha. Man meeting and seeing new people everyday and being in a new state everyday is sometimes crazy. All in all it has gotten easier, in many ways. I've found that even know the gps tells me how to get places the atlas is my friend. I've come to accept the fact the I'm going to be in the way when driving and **** people off. For example I use to not want to upset people when passing so I would get up too close to the truck in front of me and then get over and pass. Now I leave proper room, get over and pass. Navigating cities has become easier too. Its easy to understand that a even number in front of a three digit interstate number means loops back to the interstate and a odd number means it comes to an end but now I see how in different cities that even number will take me around the city if for any reason I don't want or need to go through. So a lot of things have gotten easier I just want to know from the seasoned drivers how things got easier or even better for them?

Don’t know how much experience you are looking for, but am going on nine months solo, and was thinking the other day how things have improved. 1. I’ve learned how to find legal parking spots late at night. 2. Have gained confidence in backing, so even in a tight blind situation, I know I can get it in. 3. The biggest one for me being flatbed, is getting chained and tarped efficiently-no more three hour tarp jobs gives me a lot more driving time.

This job has actually become enjoyable.

Here are my thoughts on that subject:

Beyond the First Year