Big City Driving

I'm still really thinking about doing this line of work. I know in my head I can do it, but,,,,, I'm deathly scarred of driving a 70+ foot truck in the big cities. I mean really, those lanes get really narrow. Not to mention the sharp turns when in the city. I sit and think about driving in NYC and say well, ill just go with a company that doesn't go NYC, well, I want to go with one that does force NYC. One company that has no NYC is not hiring from VA unless I fork out the money for the school. Can someone please help calm my fears?

Mike, I have done NYC and I survived. It's not easy but you just have to use extra caution and go extra slow.

Remember, the last thing this industry does is hold hands. You're better off not holding your own hand either. Go where you're sent. It's always a good learning experience, especially large cities like Dallas, Chicago, NYC.

I take comfort in the idea that NYC is a giant grid (for the most part) and some map time should help me figure out where to go.....but then again I haven't been behind a wheel of a truck yet soooooo....

Hey Mike, don`t psych yourself out with thoughts like this. It is really no big deal. Just like Daniel said, be cautious and take whatever time you need to complete a turn, or maneuver. I will add take over the intersection to allow yourself to swing out if needed to make a tight turn (safely of course) The most important rule in trucking applies no matter what and where you drive... Don`t hit s**t.

Mike, you're always going to have apprehension when you're dealing with things like large cities, snowstorms, and DOT checkpoints. There are just some things involved with the job that never get easy and there's no way to take the risk out of them. You just have to remain calm, keep a clear mind, and take it slow. Like Rolling Thunder said, just don't hit anything. That's the golden rule. No matter how many times you get lost or how many pull-ups it takes to get backed into a tight spot the only thing that matters in the end is that you don't hit anything. And that's actually not that hard to do as long as you keep your cool.

But that apprehension will never go away. It's healthy in fact. You need that edge to stay focused and be acutely aware of your surroundings. Managing risk and keeping calm under pressure are critically important aspects of driving big rigs and they are skills you will get better at over time.

There are some schools that do the free company training that doesnt do any forced dispatch .

The bigger thing I worried about while delivering was being in the trailer getting stock and someone closing the doors. I use to deliver to a glass shop on 2nd Ave, off 52nd St in NY, I'd bring the stock to the end of the trailer, wait for the workers to grab it (parked on curb) and while they brought stock into the store I'd go a pull more stock. During all this there we're people walking by, (shady area, even the store owner had warned me). Driving wasn't bad, as said prior it's a big grid. The place I disliked was LOOONNNNNGGGGG IIIIIISSSSLLLLLLAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDDDDD! one way in, hope you get out!!

It's not as bad as you may think. When I got my permit while living in Sacramento, I said the same thing to my supervisor. So you know what he did the very first time I drove the truck? You got it, he sent me with the driver that did the downtown San Francisco route with doubles. My arms hurt so bad from grabbing the steering wheel after that day. But you know what? I survived it because my driver trainer had the patience of Job and taught me well. After a week of doing the bay area my shifting Skills grew leaps and bounds. My supervisor called it baptism by fire. The thought of driving big city was way worse before I actually had to do it.

My first week out I ended driving through downtown Ft. Worth because the ramp by the shipper was closed. I survived...so will you!