Bad Day, Go Away

Describe your favorite bad day and how you recovered from it to keep driving.

We all have bad days. We probably think about quitting and flipping burgers. But we get in the bunk or bed and feel completely different the next day.

I just had one of those days. I slept on it, talked to my DM , and now I feel happy again to drive a truck.

Just for the rookies like me, remember that you will have very trying days. We all do. Don’t give up, this too will pass.

BTW, today I’ve completed 9 months of driving experience. Looking forward to the one year milestone.

I can't say I've had any favorite bad days, Bruce. Bad days are just bad.

I can't say I've had any favorite bad days, Bruce. Bad days are just bad.

I drove from 2100 all night in the rain on 70/76 in Pennsylvania. I had to make a 0700 appointment. I got to the point that I had to shut down for 90 minutes for a nap. Interstate 70/76 in PA is a nightmare (no pun intended). I made the appointment but was totally exhausted. Got out of there and found a parking area and I slept for 12 hours.

But I’m back on the road today.

Might be a bad day when the shipping office guy tells you “to order dinner, it’s going to be a while”. This just happened to me. Oh well, such is life,

Might be a bad day when the shipping office guy tells you “to order dinner, it’s going to be a while”. This just happened to me. Oh well, such is life,

If he offered to order 'dinner on him'.... it would've made it a 'better day!'

Tom had a trailer with a bad brake chamber yesterday, fully loaded, and .... he had a time, getting THAT sorted out. His bad day, somehow became mine. At least his company stood behind him~! That chamber was SO bad (he sent me pix) there was NO caging it; even though he carries T'bolts / J'bolts just in case. All about the pretrip; wish the 'loaders' would've done it first though!

Many drivers are having 'bad days today' with the wind! It's in the 'wind' thread, and here:

Nebraska Troopers Advise Truckers to PARK!

Thanks for the luv on the other thread, BK! Glad it all worked out for ya! That 'happy' should counteract the 'bad,' eh?

~ Anne ~

Bad day 1001 for me, had a blow out on trailer inside tire. Drove to rest area waited 3 hours for the tire guy! Guy pulls the tire, giant hole in the air bag. He says I’m not a mechanic just a tire guy. So, I drive down to the petro in Glendale ky, lady says 7 hour wait. So I’m waiting. It is what it is!

Might be a bad day when the shipping office guy tells you “to order dinner, it’s going to be a while”. This just happened to me. Oh well, such is life,

I didn't have a bad day but your post reminded me of a random thought that I had while waiting to get unloaded.

It's very rare that I have to wait, but apparently there was some competition for the oversized forklift that they needed to unload my coils. So I had to wait about an hour and a half.

While waiting my random thought was obtaining a copy of War and Peace and sitting in the driver's seat reading it. And when the forklift operator comes up and says "okay we're ready to unload you" say "hold on let me finish this."

Sounds like a average trip to the TA shop lol.

Oh lord I got one. Kroger DC somewhere near Fontana, CA. I’m about a month into driving. The line is blocks long just to get inside. It takes four hours to get inside and another 8 to get a door and get out.

I’m having to PC out at this point. The stage lot is full so I pull to a curb near the exit to run and get the bills. Guy says, you have the check for the lumpers? I say, no one has told me let me get one.

I hurry, write the check, go back inside and pay. I realize when I’m inside I don’t have my key. I run back in horror that I locked myself out, without my phone, and it’s 40 degrees outside with me wearing shorts and a shirt.

I ask everyone to borrow their phone. It’s the weekend, only one dispatcher on duty in my terminal. He won’t answer. The security guard is gracious enough to let me use his phone like 5 times calling anyone in my company. Operator, other terminal dispatchers. Finally I call road support and she tears dispatch a new one.

This whole process took over 5 hours for someone to bring me a spare. Mind you we have a terminal and day drivers constantly in and out of Fontana, 10 minutes away.

I was brand new so it didn’t phase me in the slightest. But damn did I get cold.

Bad day 1001 for me, had a blow out on trailer inside tire. Drove to rest area waited 3 hours for the tire guy! Guy pulls the tire, giant hole in the air bag. He says I’m not a mechanic just a tire guy. So, I drive down to the petro in Glendale ky, lady says 7 hour wait. So I’m waiting. It is what it is!

Had an event last week coming out of the GE appliance park in Louisville KY. I forgot the stretch of freeway there off of 65 but I came around a left hand corner, the right steer on the outside of the turn caught the sloped pavement and recessed shoulder it started pulling me wide, I was doing about 68 and the turn is a 65 posted. There's been road work going on there, bunch of soft fresh pavement patches.

I'm being pushed wide yet leaning badly to the outside of the turn. and the pavement seem is causing the steer to crank hard left at the same time, exacerbating the leaning issue.

To solve it I just let it go wide all the way through the on ramp and over to the shoulder. I had checked for vehicles coming on. It felt like I was going to roll it, basically this is what we call cooking a turn in racing motorcycles.

I pulled off once I got out of the city, just took a few minutes to gather myself, vaped a bit since I don't smoke anymore. And reminded myself to slow it down. It was one of those times that made me feel on unsure footing. Very uncomfortable.

Also the wind on this last trip. Drove past where my gut said to shut down at. Very nerve wracking. Every time I don't listen to that instinct, I regret it.

Might be a bad day when the shipping office guy tells you “to order dinner, it’s going to be a while”. This just happened to me. Oh well, such is life,

I didn't have a bad day but your post reminded me of a random thought that I had while waiting to get unloaded.

It's very rare that I have to wait, but apparently there was some competition for the oversized forklift that they needed to unload my coils. So I had to wait about an hour and a half.

While waiting my random thought was obtaining a copy of War and Peace and sitting in the driver's seat reading it. And when the forklift operator comes up and says "okay we're ready to unload you" say "hold on let me finish this."

Counselor, you may have to explain to the younger guys what “War and Peace “ is and why you referenced it. Lol