6 months in...
Posted by The_Awsom1@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 40 comments
Did it take anyone else a while to start noticing how bad people drive? At first I was thinking, "Wow everyone is surprisingly so courteous and good at driving" but now I'm anxious someone will randomly flip me off for nothing or drive recklessly around me. It took me about a month to start noticing people drive somewhat bad and it has exponentially accelerated since then. Now I see someone acting like an idiot or jackass everyday multiple times a day. Maybe the more I see the more I'm on the lookout for more so it feels like it happens more often now.
daemonescanem@reddit
Its been that way my entire 25 years in the industry.
Who are the worst drivers?
Muscle cars, Dodger Charger/Challenger, Mustang types.
Lifted trucks, Pavement Princesses, Diesel with the giant exhaust pipes always rolling coal like twats
Work vans/trucks. The guys who drive line maniacs, pass on the shoulder pulling a trailer at high speed.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Any advice for a rookie?
daemonescanem@reddit
Use Google maps satellite feature to look at customers you've never been too. Do not use for low clearance trip planning.
Go slow when backing up, doesnt matter how long it takes you. Kind of like a parachute landing, as long as nothing is broken its all good. It will take time for you to build your spatial awareness in the truck. Experience will be the best teacher.
You will never know it all, anyone who says they do ignore them. Im still learning now, and experiencing new situations.
Drive with purpose. Thats the place in between unsafe and to slow. We will always deal with both out there in cars and in trucks.
Dont be afraid to say NO to a dispatcher. If they ask you to do something unsafe. Say no and tell them you wanna run this by safety director.
Protect your sleep cycle. Dont let them run you ragged constantly destroying your sleep cycle, thats a physical danger to a driver. Impacts your health greatly.
Idk what your goals are, but get two good years in as safely as possible and you can write your own ticket. Good local jobs dont come open often, be patient and it will happen. My rule of thumb is food & fuel. Those are the most consistent trucking spots. We always need food & fuel. Consumer goods will go up and down with economy.
Good luck 🙂
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah, you read my mind. I would put the first category as the third worst tho. Those aren't as common anymore I've heard
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah, you read my mind. I would put the first category as the third worst tho. Those aren't as common anymore I've beard
stuck_limo@reddit
The drivers in all areas are getting worse, even the truckers. I had one semi try to run me off the road the other day because I dared move in front of him for emergency vehicle on side of road.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Wow, that's a dot report, and a police report too for me
firemarshalbill316@reddit
You are more aware now and that is a good thing.
They will do all that stuff everytime. Just expect it.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Yeah true
Auquaholic@reddit
Just wait until you notice how bad other truck drivers treat each other. It's disconcerting.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
That's the worst part. Regular cars and pickups it's like ok, I get it, but other truckers can feel like a personal betrayal. When it's another trucker from your carrier, it's a double betrayal
truckingham@reddit
You didn’t notice it at first because you were too focused on navigating your 80,000 lbs death machine. Now you’re more comfortable in said 80,000 lbs death machine, so you have a little more mental space to observe all the jackasses on the road
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Damn, why didn't I think of that lol
Pink_Cheetah_Express@reddit
When I’m in Florida and Texas, I’m losing my mind because no one knows how to drive
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Imagine having your terminal be in Texas 😭💀
declan-OF@reddit
I discovered a pattern in myself where I'll see bad drivers everywhere on some days. But I've learned to stop myself to think about it. And almost every time, something's wrong with me.
Mood, sleep schedule, some reason I really want to get home or get the trailer dropped. It causes me to view others much more critically and start reading intent into their often otherwise innocent actions. Or I'll drive differently in a way that isn't necessarily unsafe, but certainly isn't as courteous and unselfish as I should be.
Once I give it some thought and identify some issue, it helps me reset my mentality and chill a bit. But it does take a conscious effort.
I can't say you're going through the same thing. And you really might have just started noticing something that was already there, but not so obvious. But give it some thought, maybe you'll learn something that could help you on the road. Peace!
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Yeah I've noticed that happening sometimes but it's good to keep in mind. I know learned earlier how stress, distractions, and fatigue have negatively affected my driving but those are a lot easier to correct than a bad mood. Home time does the trick but obviously effects my wallet. Maybe I'll not doomscroll reddit before I hit the road, I always do that and it sours my mood to see something happening fucked up in the world and then say, "welp, time to drive." Lol
DingleberryOrchard@reddit
I'll never forget while on my trainer's truck experiencing Memphis drivers. As soon as we got off the highway, it was loke they could smell blood in the water. Just wave after wave of idiots jamming themselves in front of me.
_877-CASH-NOW_@reddit
I got brake checked my first night out with my trainer. It was like midnight and I was flying high so glad to be a real trucker which was a childhood dream of mine. Checking my mirrors looking at that sweet trailer just in awe I was driving this amazing machine. Cruise set and loving everything. No traffic or anything I was in Oklahoma. Then the only fucking car on the road passes me, cuts over and brake checked me. First fucking night driving a truck. Killed the whole mood. I couldn’t even have my moment that first night driving down a wide open Oklahoma Highway living out my childhood dream lol
stuck_limo@reddit
A little sports car brake checked me. He's lucky I wasn't another type of trucker from another culture or I would have literally run him over. I'm not sure what he was thinking or why. But he got right in front of me and slowed down hard.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Daaaaaamn, first time out of the school and that. That fucking sucks. No magic moment for you.
My first time out with my trainer it was dark and foggy and I was just weirded out by how different an automatic was from a manual 😂
truckinfarmer379@reddit
Not really. I noticed it pretty early on, lmao. I must just live in an area where there’s a shortage of competent road users 😂
Gilgamesh2000000@reddit
It’s not just drivers it’s our species. More idiots than smarts.
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Idk, I think honestly the majority are pretty decent but the minority is so awful that it starts to seem like everyone is.
BlacktopProphet@reddit
You'll get to where you can see "stupid about to happen" from a mile away. You'll change lanes and not be 100% sure why but some back corner of your mind decided you should...and then stupid will happen where you just were. That's why I'll never understand the drivers watching their phones instead of the road...like are you bored? There's all this crazy shit to watch out the windshield.
All this to say: Night driving FTW!
Critical_Opening_526@reddit
I was bored for a bit on US24 between Fort Wayne and Defiance.
I started watching people and keeping track.
Out of 23 cars that passed me while I was tracking, 13 were on their phones. Almost 50%.
StonedTrucker@reddit
Ive done this expirement as well and got around 50%. Thats just people holding their phone. I didnt count the ones mounted on the dash that we know theyre using
Gilgamesh2000000@reddit
Look at who our representation is. Look at what people argue over.
Our species as a whole is gullible and stupid. It’s only natural it’s going to show with driving as driving has a direct connection to common sense.
I have thought about this topic and this is my conclusion.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
Idiots everywhere. Four-wheelers aren't big on big picture thinking.
thatsmymoney@reddit
I really just kinda want some way to send a notification to a nearby driver that says “You almost died just now”
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
For real. I have a lot of slack for 4 wheelers but my fellow 18 wheelers I'd like a button to cause them to just shit their pants
FloydT3@reddit
Just wait until you've been at it for a few years.
Then it'll be, damn, I haven't seen a real asshole or moron in the last 10 minutes. LOL
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
😂😂😂 Oh boy, if it ever gets to every 10 seconds I'm gonna have to hang up my hat
FloydT3@reddit
🤣🤣🤣
IzgoyAgain@reddit
I'm newer and I get cut off to various degrees pretty regularly. some more dumb/risky than others, but it definitely keeps me on my toes. That being said, in my opinion it happens less often than I expected, but maybe I need to just give it time lol
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
As someone who is slightly less new, just know that no matter how comfortable you start to feel, safety is a decision that you will always have to make at all times. Experience can help you but won't save you if you stop consciously choosing safety. A trucker who said he's been driving for 15 years took off my bumper, hood mirror, and headlights cuz he took a turn at a truck stop without checking his mirror and seeing me. I've had a lot of close calls too but every mistake you make that doesn't end in disaster but you realize how bad it could have ended if the situation was just a little teeny bit different is the absolute most valuable experience to have.
Anyway sorry for the unwarranted advice lol
IzgoyAgain@reddit
I appreciate the advice/reminder, I've seen videos of what complacency can do to the most experienced and would never want to be that guy!
Cultural_Finger5316@reddit
I got cut off by a school bus because they almost miss the exit on the highway
The_Awsom1@reddit (OP)
Do school busses have dot numbers on them, or something like that? If they do, that'd be a report for me
Cultural_Finger5316@reddit
I got cut off by a school bus because they almost miss the exit on the highway No got their license plate number and the school district and report it