Asking All Drivers

I don't have that much time on ice or in snow, but I did encounter some tough conditions this last winter. It was within my first three months of driving, and I had no clue of what to expect. If conditions are so bad, my advice is don't do it, but the company will probably urge you to continue unless it's whiteout conditions. In my case, the customer shut down for the day because the roads were not passable. I still found my self on the icy interstate , with a number of four wheelers, and a couple of other big trucks. A couple of cars spun out or got stalled in the middle of the road, while all the trucks moved ahead safely. So my next advice would be to take it very slow, and to be gentle on your accelerator input as well as your brakes and steering controls. The icy parts seemed more drivable than the snow that later covered the road because the snow became too thick for my tires to pass through. It was around that point that I took an exit and parked my truck in a safe spot until the snow melted the next day.

I do my driving in the South East, and we just aren't accustomed to snowy conditions. If I were going to be driving in places that are known for heavy snow, I would want to prepare my truck ahead of time, bringing all the supplies I need to drive and survive winter weather.

Beyond that, even if you are intimidated by shifting and backing up, the reality is you will be doing this so often that in day to day practice you will get better. It really helps to remember what they should be teaching in driving school, don't shift in a turn, don't shift over railroad crossings, and when backing don't hesitate to GOAL: Get Out and Look. When I'm going someplace new, if I have a chance, I like to get out and look before I drive up and get ready to back up, so I have an idea of what obstacles are around. Even when this isn't an option, I remember to slow down and look around. Backing up is an ongoing skill, so don't let tough situations intimidate you. It sounds ridiculous, but pump yourself up. Say to yourself "I got this, I can do this".

Hope this was helpful!

What is the biggest misconception people make when considering driving?

This is the biggie right here. Expectations. Most people think they know what it's going to be like getting started in trucking. When everything turns out to be completely different than they had expected it throws them off terribly. More careers are ruined before they even get started because of false expectations than anything else. It's not the shifting, backing, navigation, and other rigors of the job that prevent most people from finding success in this industry. It's their attitude and approach.

When the company recruiters turn out to be salespeople that will say just about anything to get you onboard, which is their job of course, people begin to think they're being swindled and start mistrusting the system.

When the training is faster-paced than they expect and the instructors seem to be a lot less gentle and patient than they had hoped for they begin to think nobody cares about their success and become cynical towards the process.

When their time on the road with a mentor turns out to be less like a gentle hand guiding them through the rigors of the road and more like a boss pushing them to perform they again become disillusioned with the entire ordeal.

The best approach I can think of is the same way you would going into the military. You don't know necessarily know what challenges you're going to face, but you know there will be a lot of em and you're just going to handle it one day at a time. Getting your career underway is super tough and everyone faces a long list of challenges along the way. Just keep a great attitude, work hard, and learn all you can.

Everything here is right on the nose. I've talked to several psd students that are falling into this. I'm back getting ready to test out, and I'm hearing these complaints over and over. Like was posted before. Don't panic, do what your mentor or instructor tells you, amd it'll be fine.

Thanks and appreciate the replies so far. So much to work through mentally.