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Anyone REGRET going to feeders?
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<blockquote data-quote="Dracula" data-source="post: 1088718" data-attributes="member: 42691"><p>Trust me, unless you've driven an 18 wheeler before, being nervous is completely natural. DO NOT let that stop you from doing it. Remember when you went to package car and had to do the driving test? You were nervous then. You're nervous now. You WILL get over it. It's like anything else. You get used to it. Always respect the equipment and the weight. Feeder school doesn't even come close to preparing you for what the road and the equipment has in store for you. That's why you have older, more experienced drivers to help. Lean, and lean hard on them. Where I come from, those drivers were more than helpful. </p><p></p><p>Here is what I remembered about those early days: driving on the road isn't as bad as you are worried about. Rely on the five seeing habits. Keep that following distance long. Turn wide, wide, wide. And always, ALWAYS, triple check the other lanes when you merge. Live in your mirrors. That's your main danger area if you keep the front safe. When you hook up doubles, you'll worry like hell that you don't have everything hooked right, because they spend so little time during feeder school on hooking up. But remember, almost without exception, you'll know right away if the hookup isn't right. If you hook up the hoses wrong, or don't turn on the air the right way, the rig just won't move or move right. </p><p></p><p>When I went to feeders, I went with quite a bit of seniority. So when I got back here, I just got in under the annual bid. So I did my five day ride, one week in the yard spotting, then bid, and got, a good road job. So I was kind of all on my own. I had a lot of help from the senior drivers, but I always seemed to hook up on my own. I took quite a while before I felt comfortable. One of my first nights hooking up on my own, I got hooked up, started to take off, but something just didn't feel right. I drove almost to the gate before I realized the tires on my back box were skidding across the yard. I left some pretty cool tracks across the yard. But what I did wrong was I didn't turn on the air to the back box. </p><p></p><p>If you don't have much seniority, you'll learn backing in the yard. And if you don't feel comfortable, stay in the yard. You'll learn more about the equipment there than you would on the road. It took me more than a year to really get comfortable to back, because I spent a year on one run where I never did much backing.</p><p></p><p>If you drop the package car mentality, and just take your time, you'll be fine. The sups won't bug you for about six months, but then they'll start their usual nanny state tactics. Ignore them, tell them you are working safe, and start making money, Fred.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dracula, post: 1088718, member: 42691"] Trust me, unless you've driven an 18 wheeler before, being nervous is completely natural. DO NOT let that stop you from doing it. Remember when you went to package car and had to do the driving test? You were nervous then. You're nervous now. You WILL get over it. It's like anything else. You get used to it. Always respect the equipment and the weight. Feeder school doesn't even come close to preparing you for what the road and the equipment has in store for you. That's why you have older, more experienced drivers to help. Lean, and lean hard on them. Where I come from, those drivers were more than helpful. Here is what I remembered about those early days: driving on the road isn't as bad as you are worried about. Rely on the five seeing habits. Keep that following distance long. Turn wide, wide, wide. And always, ALWAYS, triple check the other lanes when you merge. Live in your mirrors. That's your main danger area if you keep the front safe. When you hook up doubles, you'll worry like hell that you don't have everything hooked right, because they spend so little time during feeder school on hooking up. But remember, almost without exception, you'll know right away if the hookup isn't right. If you hook up the hoses wrong, or don't turn on the air the right way, the rig just won't move or move right. When I went to feeders, I went with quite a bit of seniority. So when I got back here, I just got in under the annual bid. So I did my five day ride, one week in the yard spotting, then bid, and got, a good road job. So I was kind of all on my own. I had a lot of help from the senior drivers, but I always seemed to hook up on my own. I took quite a while before I felt comfortable. One of my first nights hooking up on my own, I got hooked up, started to take off, but something just didn't feel right. I drove almost to the gate before I realized the tires on my back box were skidding across the yard. I left some pretty cool tracks across the yard. But what I did wrong was I didn't turn on the air to the back box. If you don't have much seniority, you'll learn backing in the yard. And if you don't feel comfortable, stay in the yard. You'll learn more about the equipment there than you would on the road. It took me more than a year to really get comfortable to back, because I spent a year on one run where I never did much backing. If you drop the package car mentality, and just take your time, you'll be fine. The sups won't bug you for about six months, but then they'll start their usual nanny state tactics. Ignore them, tell them you are working safe, and start making money, Fred. [/QUOTE]
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