Its Been Awhile

Its been along time since i signed in. I felt like i had worn out my welcome with hopes that were never happening. Well since my last login i went from being a diesel technician to getting my cdl and driving for a few months than life happened again and now im spotting trailers and doing shuttle driving. I have learned alot and still have a ton to learn but one thing i found that im not sure if can be taught is dealing with the stress of driving. Well thats just my hello again im intrested to see what all has went on since i was here last.

The stress lessens the longer you're out here. There is so much more stress when we first start our driving career. We are learning trip planning, clock management, how our company works all while learning to handle this 70 foot long beast. As we learn these things and sharpen our skills it all gets a little easier.

I hope so. Honestly the general public is my main stress load it seems. "Kid stay there" " car get off your phone" " flashers are there for a reason "

I hope so. Honestly the general public is my main stress load it seems. "Kid stay there" " car get off your phone" " flashers are there for a reason "

But you can’t control any of that. The only thing you can control is how you react to it. Do I lose it when someone cuts me off? Yes, even give ‘em a blast of the air horn from time to time. Mostly due to them scaring the crap outta me.

I can say this though. It happens less & less every week. I give more space. I scan my mirrors more often. I look for signs of their next moves. Anticipation is huge if you want to not react negatively out here.

Dealing with the stress is in fact something you can learn to do. It's not something you're just born with and it's not permanent.

In fact, I used to be the climber in my own tree service and when I started I was terrified of heights. I could barely get 10 feet off the ground and my legs would be shaking. For a few months I just had to force myself to keep climbing and I had to learn to deal with it. After a few months my fear of heights was completely gone and I could relax and enjoy the view.

Today I'm a rock and ice climber. I can climb up 500 foot cliffs on my fingertips and toes and I enjoy every second of it. Of course I'm always tied in on a rope. I'm not that crazy. But the views are spectacular and the heights do not concern me at all.

The same would be true with the stress of driving. You simply learn to keep your mind calm, think clearly, and react appropriately to anything that happens.

The way you drive will go a long way toward staying calm and safe. Basic defensive driving tactics will give you the time and space you'll need to react to things most of the time. Shutting down when the road conditions are unsafe in the winter is also key.

Over time you'll become a better driver and you'll develop an awareness that will allow you to foresee problems arising long before they do.

Finally, never tell yourself you can't learn something. In fact, be extremely selective about the thoughts you allow yourself to entertain. Negative self-talk is at the root of most people's insecurities, limits, and failures. Of course you can learn to deal with the stress, and become a better driver, and develop a better awareness of what's going on around you. It doesn't come easy. It takes effort and time for those to develop, but they will develop.

Thanks everyone. I have been vary lucky to have experienced drivers give me feedback and advice that i continue to learn from on a daily basis