Back In Black

Hey all. I thought I'd put this here rather than the myriad other truck-ey places because I've been crawling the forums and find that most of the people here are... respectful, honest, and helpful.

Here's this: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/report-a-bad-trucking-company-here/114420-dear-usa-truck-yeah-its-story.html#post1393817

I hope this works as it happened about 3 years ago. That's the... backstory.

I'm going back. Schneider has an offer for something regional in Indiana for a dollar amount that I can't say no to compared to my current retail manager job. I live in Ohio. I've had a total change of lifestyle since I went screaming into the night.

So with all that in mind... Have I lost my mind? And if I have, what can I do to keep it together while I go do this? I'm the type that sets my jaw and goes and does something when my mind is made up. Bottom line; I'm doing this. But if you don't mind, I'd like some thoughts from the rest of you to make this work.

There's a lady that's relying on me to clear past problems...

Welcome aboard! I read your story so I know the background.

First of all, the first 6-12 months of a trucking career is stressful and overwhelming for everyone. While I was reading through your story, the overwhelming thought was "This is just a typical day in the life of a rookie driver." And it was. For most of the situations you were in, you really had no idea how you were supposed to handle them. And that's exactly how it is for everyone in the beginning. You're brand new, you're clueless, and you're overwhelmed. It's frustrating, stressful, and exhausting. That's what it feels like when you first join "The Big Leagues" of trucking.

So to begin with, don't expect things to be any different this time than they were last time. You're going to face the same hardships. The question is whether or not you're willing to push through it and do what it takes to become a true professional driver. I know one thing is for sure - you have a whole new respect for someone who says they've been trucking for many years. You've had a glimpse at what it took for them to get there.

The bottom line is it takes serious dedication. You need to push through any challenges you face and handle life one moment at a time. The biggest problem most people face are their own expectations, and that's exactly the problem you faced. It wasn't that you had to deal with anything you couldn't handle. The problem was you were dealing with things you felt you shouldn't have to handle because you didn't expect it to go the way it did.

You didn't expect your second trainer to treat you like a regular driver. You thought he'd do more "hand holding" and teaching, and he likely should have. But he didn't and it threw you but you made it through.

You didn't expect to have a truck with issues and when you did you expected there to be an awesome support team ready to get you fixed up and going right away. When that didn't happen, it threw you.

You said at one point:

I had none of the tools, and the truck was falling apart around me... When I tried to do something about that, I was met with indifference or a complete absence of support... This simply would not do.

Trucking is for people who are fiercely independent. They're problem solvers, adventurers, and live to overcome tough challenges in their everyday life. And I can tell you from experience, trucking will get easier than it was in the beginning, but it will never, ever become easy. It's a constant stream of challenges every single day. You've gotta want that. You've gotta love it that way.

There is no question you're capable of doing this. The question is whether or not you're willing, and whether or not you can make it bearable by having the right mindset. I think two things that will help you are:

1) Take life one moment at a time and try not to judge your circumstances all the time. Don't get aggravated when things don't go your way. In fact, "your way" shouldn't exist. All that exists is the reality you face each moment. You're living one moment at a time so deal with one moment at a time. And just as importantly, when that moment has passed, let it go. Don't let things pile up on you so that you're looking back going, "...and then this happened, and then that happened, and now this is happening" - you have to let it go. Otherwise, as you've noticed, the problems will quickly lead to a feeling of frustration and a feeling that it's all too overwhelming. Just face what's in front of you right now, try not to judge it, and forget the rest. Practice remaining positive and optimistic at all times. It really is a learned skill. That's why most of the experienced drivers you'll meet are either as pleasant and relaxed as a monk, or wound so tight they seem like they're about to come unglued. Because some people learn to relax, live in the moment, not let things bother them, and see the good side of life. Some people don't. And over time, you either become more and more pleasant and relaxed in your day to day life or more stressed out and frustrated. It all depends on how you see each moment and how well you're able to let things go.

2) Have two goals out there - learn all you can and don't hit anything. That's it. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to learn everything at once but make sure you're learning something each moment of each day. And when the end of the day comes around, if you've learned a lot and didn't hit anything then you've had a successful day. That's the best anyone can do in the beginning.

The challenges are never-ending in trucking. You have to have the right expectations and attitude to handle a lifestyle where everything is in a constant state of flux. Every plan will get altered. Every moment is about to change completely. And the moment you think you have something figured out a new variable is thrown into the mix and everything changes again. If you can embrace that type of lifestyle then you'll do great out there. If you're the type that prefers a more predictable and relaxing lifestyle then trucking will never suit you. I have a lot of family members that spent decades working in factories on production lines of one sort or another. Every day was exactly the same and they loved that. I would have hated it. It just doesn't suit my personality.

If you think you have the personality for it then get back out there and make it happen. But trucking isn't going to change.

1) Take life one moment at a time and try not to judge your circumstances all the time. Don't get aggravated when things don't go your way. In fact, "your way" shouldn't exist. All that exists is the reality you face each moment. You're living one moment at a time so deal with one moment at a time. And just as importantly, when that moment has passed, let it go. Don't let things pile up on you so that you're looking back going, "...and then this happened, and then that happened, and now this is happening" - you have to let it go. Otherwise, as you've noticed, the problems will quickly lead to a feeling of frustration and a feeling that it's all too overwhelming. Just face what's in front of you right now, try not to judge it, and forget the rest. Practice remaining positive and optimistic at all times. It really is a learned skill. That's why most of the experienced drivers you'll meet are either as pleasant and relaxed as a monk, or wound so tight they seem like they're about to come unglued. Because some people learn to relax, live in the moment, not let things bother them, and see the good side of life. Some people don't. And over time, you either become more and more pleasant and relaxed in your day to day life or more stressed out and frustrated. It all depends on how you see each moment and how well you're able to let things go.

Brett, are you sure you aren't a spiritual guru/swami or the like? You sure sound like one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What you wrote above is AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG and the TRUTH! Thank you.

G MAN

I agree with what Brett said and add this. If you didn't get in an accident or hurt or kill anyone, then everything else is small potatoes in comparison. I like routine, but I can handle driving a truck, because it makes me think, it offers me challenges at times. For example, what do you do when they shut down an interstate? Hopefully you won't do what I did, and end up driving on a closed road. But, that is just one aspect of life on the road.

Dave

Brett, are you sure you aren't a spiritual guru/swami or the like?

I'm not a guru, but I've studied a lot over the years about how the mind works. I've tried to understand what makes some people happy all the time and yet leaves most people discontent. How can a rich man be a greedy, miserable tyrant and yet a monk who owns nothing living in peace and contentment? How come for some people everything they touch turns out to be gold while others screw up everything they try to do? It's all about controlling your mind.

In the end, driving a truck and enjoying life on the road is 95% about controlling your mind and 5% learning the coordination necessary to steer, shift, accelerate, and brake. People worry about whether or not they'll learn how to shift as well as others or whether or not they'll choose the right company. The truth of the matter is, if you learn to control your mind so you can remain calm, relaxed, optimistic, and pleasant you can think more clearly. You'll think about how to react instead of just reacting. You'll focus on the positives and enjoy your day instead of focusing on the negatives and ruining things for yourself.

And it has a huge affect on the people you meet each day. Keeping your mind clear and having a peaceful disposition will make it much easier to get along with people. You will be far more likely to get fair treatment from the people that affect your life everyday - dispatch, dock workers, DOT officers, etc, etc - if you'll treat others with kindness and respect.

Everyone worries about the tangibles - the truck they drive, the company they work for, the type of freight they haul, etc. But it's the intangibles that truly make the difference in your life and your career. Most importantly, it's your moment-to-moment thoughts that will make or break you.

Your state of mind affects your mood and your ability to make decisions. Those in turn will affect how others treat you and how well your plans work out. The intangibles are going to have the greatest impact on your life, and nowhere is that more true than in trucking.

I can see it now, Brett's new book, a New York Times bestseller:

"Being One with my Big Rig, a Metaphor for Spiritual Awakening."

Hopefully he gives each one of us on his forum a signed copy!!!!

G MAN

"Being One with my Big Rig, a Metaphor for Spiritual Awakening."

Love it!!!

I have indeed thought for years about writing a book on that type of subject. I may one day. I see our society full of people who are insecure, depressed, fearful, and disappointed with their lives and so many of them don't seem to realize they're causing most of it themselves. And not only that, but the remedy is far easier than most people would imagine.

We're not a very spiritual, inward-looking society. We focus on fighting, competing, and taking all we can for ourselves. More than anything I think the problem is that we're lead to believe that everything we're unhappy about is either a condition we're born with or someone else's fault. When you change people's attitude from that of a victim to that of someone who controls their own level of happiness and their own destiny, it changes everything about their lives in a big way.

That's why I talk so much about being positive and optimistic. Being relentlessly positive and optimistic will immediately change your life the moment you begin to focus on it. I mean, the very first day you'll see a difference.

As it pertains to the trucking industry I'm constantly hearing people on other sites gripe about the various trucking companies or the Government or how someone else is always to blame for anything that doesn't go right. I'm trying like crazy to help people understand just how much their own attitude and work ethic matters and how much they control their own destiny out there. I want people walking into that classroom or walking into orientation on day one believing in themselves and knowing that things are going to work out awesome in the end no matter what it takes to get there.

Thank you Brett, for that true breath of fresh air. It' nice to have a truly insightful human being articulate these attitudes and beliefs. I study Buddhism, and what you say about mindset parallels what Buddhism teaches. Funny though, I very rarely bring any of it up around other drivers and especially with the company I'm with. It's OK, I think, to have that "inward" mindset and just be there with the attitude, "I'm here to help YOU do your job". I avoid controversy, not whether I agree or not with anyone's beliefs, it's just that it's more often than not, just a waste of time and energy.

Awesome catch Gary. Buddhism is exactly where my outlook came from. It's something our society needs in a big, big way.

The book "Celestine Prophecy" also made a huge impression on me and gets a lot of credit for how I interact with people.

Thank you Brett, for that true breath of fresh air. It' nice to have a truly insightful human being articulate these attitudes and beliefs. I study Buddhism, and what you say about mindset parallels what Buddhism teaches. Funny though, I very rarely bring any of it up around other drivers and especially with the company I'm with. It's OK, I think, to have that "inward" mindset and just be there with the attitude, "I'm here to help YOU do your job". I avoid controversy, not whether I agree or not with anyone's beliefs, it's just that it's more often than not, just a waste of time and energy.

Namaste' I'm a Buddhist as well.. who knows maybe we can start a new forum chapter..Zen truckers..