What NOT To Do At A Truck Stop

So I'm attempting to 90 degree back in a tight area at the Pilot in Tifton, GA last night. Not a lot of room because the line at the Blue Beacon is very backed up. So I roll past the open spot and get my truck ined up. Suddenly, a driver comes around the corner and stops in front of me. Lights right in my face. I've got another truck behind me with his lights on, basically blinding me. I politely ask on the radio, "Please, turn off your lights for a minute and I'll be out of your way." What happens next almost set me off. Driver in front of me PULLS FORWARD almost into my truck!?!? Driver behind me turns off his lights, giving me enough vision to work into the parking spot. While I'm maneuvering into the spot, driver in front continues to pull forward. By now, my co-worker, whom I'm parking beside, has walked up to the moron....ummm, driver.....in front to find out what his problem seems to be. Says he's in a hurry, in which my coworker advises him he should realize he's getting close to "having a bad day." Anyways, a lesson in courtesy to drivers- please don't be a jerk. We all have enough things to deal with out here without dealing with each other. Dealing with stupidity makes me angry.....very angry indeed.

Remember it's always a good policy to Get Out And Look! It might take 2-3 GOALs in a situation like that, what with all the glaring. Oh, glaring lights!

Remember it's always a good policy to Get Out And Look! It might take 2-3 GOALs in a situation like that, what with all the glaring. Oh, glaring lights!

Just 2-3 times? I plan on getting out like 8 times when they start complaining over the CB about it. :P

Remember it's always a good policy to Get Out And Look! It might take 2-3 GOALs in a situation like that, what with all the glaring. Oh, glaring lights!

Just 2-3 times? I plan on getting out like 8 times when they start complaining over the CB about it. :P

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First step to any backing maneuver in my truck: turn off the CB, turn the music off, and roll the windows down. There is enough to pay attention to in ANY backing maneuver without adding unnecessary distraction to the mix.

People even watching me back makes me irritated. I don't know why, I need to get over that. But that and about eleventy thousand other reasons are why I hate truck stops. Except Petros, those aren't too bad. But for the most part, I find truck stops to be the 7th circle of hell. I'd honestly rather sleep on the shoulder of an entrance ramp.

Just 2-3 times? I plan on getting out like 8 times when they start complaining over the CB about it. :P

I used to do the same thing. If I was in a situation where someone was doing something dumb I'd just pull the brakes and put a magazine in front of me so they could see it through the windshield. Like, "Hey, no problem. I'll just go back to reading my article for a bit."

Once in a while you'll get started around a tight right-hand turn and a 4-wheeler will put right into the area you needed to complete the turn. Well you're halfway through the turn so it isn't like you can back up. And you'll run over the light pole if you try to cut it any closer. So you're in a spot where the only thing that can happen is the person in the 4-wheeler has to back up. Well you get some people who get really mad and refuse. Not often, but it happens. So you simply smile, pull your brakes, and grab your magazine. They'll decide soon enough to get out of the way. And trust me, they'll be screaming and waving their arms and freaking out! But don't let it bother you. Why would you? Getting angry out there is always a defeat. Keep your cool and enjoy yourself. Don't take anything personally. Those people don't know you. They're just jerks and you happen to be the one in front of them at the moment. Like everything else out there, this will soon pass and in a matter of minutes it will be like it never happened.

Seems like you fellas missed the point I was trying to get across, which is, Don't be a jerk to other drivers. We have enough things to deal with each day during our job. I do everything I possibly can out here to not get angry and frustrated, because when that happens, accidents follow. Those sayings, "Don't worry, be happy" and "Be nice....", apply well to our industry.

Just 2-3 times? I plan on getting out like 8 times when they start complaining over the CB about it. :P

I used to do the same thing. If I was in a situation where someone was doing something dumb I'd just pull the brakes and put a magazine in front of me so they could see it through the windshield. Like, "Hey, no problem. I'll just go back to reading my article for a bit."

Once in a while you'll get started around a tight right-hand turn and a 4-wheeler will put right into the area you needed to complete the turn. Well you're halfway through the turn so it isn't like you can back up. And you'll run over the light pole if you try to cut it any closer. So you're in a spot where the only thing that can happen is the person in the 4-wheeler has to back up. Well you get some people who get really mad and refuse. Not often, but it happens. So you simply smile, pull your brakes, and grab your magazine. They'll decide soon enough to get out of the way. And trust me, they'll be screaming and waving their arms and freaking out! But don't let it bother you. Why would you? Getting angry out there is always a defeat. Keep your cool and enjoy yourself. Don't take anything personally. Those people don't know you. They're just jerks and you happen to be the one in front of them at the moment. Like everything else out there, this will soon pass and in a matter of minutes it will be like it never happened.

I Have had this happen to me many times . I just pull the brakes and wait even if I am half way through the turn. Yeah some get ****ed but I make them even madder by laughing and smiling and say hey until you move i guess we are stuck here I dont care I have my bed I can sleep here all night . Also I love the 4 wheels at a light who stop past the white line on the road. when your sitting at the light and having to make a left turn and the person is stopped way past that line on the room. I still continue to make my left turn and how these people freak when my trailer is heading right for them they backup very quickly then. I never get mad

I never get mad

That's just it. Truckers drive all day, every day. Most people drive less than an hour per day. It's not their job. They can crank tunes to the max, zip in and out of traffic, get aggravated with everyone around them. You can do that for short periods of time and get away with it for a while.

But when you're driving an 80,000 pound building on wheels over eight hours a day and over 50 hours a week you have to relax, keep your cool, and roll with things. Conserving energy, enjoying yourself, and staying aware of everything around at all times should be goals of yours while you're driving. That's how you have to learn to think if you want to turn good miles safely and consistently.

You also need to keep your sanity while being surrounded by people who drive insane. You will see people risk their lives on a daily basis thinking they might save five to ten seconds getting home. Every single day people do this kind of stuff everywhere you go. You have to negotiate it safely in all weather and conditions, in all terrain, all the time. It's an incredible challenge, but totally doable.

After a while you either learn to handle it well or you don't. Most veteran drivers are either as mellow as a monk or hanging on by their last frazzled nerve. You'll see both types at truck stops.

If you want to enjoy yourself out there and give yourself the best chance of staying safe you need to keep your mind clear and stay relaxed. That's the foundation of being aware of your surroundings at all times, and there will be times that half a second will make the difference between getting in a wreck or continuing on with a wonderful day. The only serious goal you have is don't hit anything, so just relax and focus on that. Everything else that happens in your day is just small stuff.