January 11, 2024

Over the holidays, James and I, spent a few days with my brother Russ, his wife Linda, their son (my nephew) who we call “G” and his fiancé Leslie. Over one of our incredible meals together during the weekend, Leslie asked me what I thought about driving such a big vehicle? She asked, “What is it like to drive a semi?

It didn’t take a moment to reply because I’ve thought about that question quite a bit.

I remember the first time I realized just how comfortable a big rig was to drive…

…it became crystal clear, during the 12 hour drive that James and I made in a small SUV, back in 2017.

We rented a vehicle to get home from Minnesota to St. Louis, after an orientation.

Boy was that a miserable drive!

We rented a very nice little SUV for the trip home — and mind you — it wasn’t that long of a drive, only 12 hours or so. It was a handsome little vehicle. The seats felt great when we first plopped ourselves down for the drive home. After five or six hours I was reduced to a great big blubbering cry-baby!

There was no way to move in that little car. To adjust. To get comfortable. Every bump in the road felt like it went straight up my spine. The sound of the wheels on the pavement felt like it was piped right into my skull.

By contrast… a big truck has room to move with nearly unlimited adjustments that can be made to the seat height, tilt, seat depth, arm rests, seat back, seat bladders (those bladders inside the seats that can be pumped up or down with air), steering wheel position, air ride settings and more.

And that’s just the captains chair!

The entire cabin is made for comfort from the environment controls like A/C, heat, radio, etc. You have several feet of space above your head that helps mitigate road noise. Most late model big trucks have cabin sound dampening that makes having a conversation with a co-driver, sitting over 3 feet away in the passenger seat, easy.

The average big truck is 8 feet 5 inches wide. There’s a sense of spaciousness that believe it or not… makes a difference. It can feel like sitting in a living room 🙂

A big truck is a whole different ballgame when it comes to long-distance driving. I’d rather be in a big truck than any car you can name — on a long drive — any day of the week and even in any kind of traffic.

Leslie also asked me if it was difficult to learn to drive something so big as a semi? And before I answer that — between you and me…

Though Leslie is definitely a dyed-in-the-wool city girl (oh how I can relate!) — she strikes me as the kind of woman who would get in a big truck without a moment’s hesitation LOL.

Her responses during our conversation were, “I can see that. I would think it is comfortable… to be up high like that… and have such a command of things.” (BTW: Leslie is a surgeons nurse)

My brother Russ and Leslie after Thanksgiving dinner!

So… I’ll be completely honest

The first few days behind the wheel of a big truck is intimidating. It takes a minute to get used to the volume around you. If anyone tells you it’s not daunting… they’re not being honest. The sheer size of it — up close!

Thinking that you have to “manage” the truck is the one mistake most people make. You don’t. Instead, let the truck do all the work and be the attentive guide.

Of course a good trainer always helps too!

James and I each spent 10,000 miles in training with different trainers who gave us the wealth of their knowledge and experience. We got that done in a matter of 2-3 weeks.

There’s no question that driving a truck that can weigh as much as 40 tons (80,000 lbs) and more for ‘heavy haul’ — is different from driving a personal car or truck — but — there’s a major sense of accomplishment that comes as you gain experience doing it.

Driving a big truck is easy once certain things are firmly in place. Here are a few keys to always keep in mind:

1. Take your time — NEVER get in a hurry
2. ATTENTION, attention, attention.

And then there’s… G.O.A.L. Some companies have this etched into their side mirrors to remind drivers how important that single action really is. Our first company had it at the top of the side mirrors.

G.O.A.L = Get Out and Look

How many times have Jame and I avoided a problem by having G.O.A.L. etched in our memory? Can’t begin to count.

More soon!
– Andrea