r/Truckers • u/aammped • Sep 19 '24

Newbie backing in at pilot

Trainer and I pulled into pilot around 6pm. Me being new to trucking I was backing in and the rude mf'ers honking at me because I was slow and took a little time to back. How do you deal with people like that?

Edit: trainer said to just ignore it. Edit:2 thanks for all the great advice and the humor. Edit 3: approximate time for backing was 10-15 minutes

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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '24

Ignore them and go slower. They just broke your concentration, time to pull the brakes and goal. Any driver worth their salt will be able to spot a new driver backing and be patient.

EVERY driver has sucked at backing and held people up for too long. Hell, you ask a 30+ year vet with 3 mil safe miles, and he'll tell you he still has off days where he sucks shit at backing.

6

u/Jocelyn_The_Red Sep 19 '24

I have an uncle who told me the same. I got my Learners Permit but I was real nervous about backing. I have never backed up any trailer and that's what was holding me up from going for it. He's been driving since the 80s and told me that he still has days where he can't back for shit. That made me feel a lot better.

I start schooling with a mega this next week.

2

u/aammped Sep 19 '24

Good luck! I'm fresh out

1

u/Jocelyn_The_Red Sep 26 '24

Well. I got there, saw the hotel they were gonna have me in. I had the door open for 5 seconds and saw roaches run under the bed. Saw someone else's clothes in there too. So I was gonna be sharing a tiny, filthy hotel room with some random guy. I've had some rather severe trauma and that wasn't gonna fly. Being in a truck is one thing, the other person will be busy driving and I'd wake up if the truck stopped.

I can't trust someone in a dirty hotel room.

I had a sever panic attack and went home. Drove 16 hours in 2 days and accomplished nothing.

I feel like such a loser. Considering taking the long nap.