Well I survived the first the first day of my HC licence course. The ten hour day had me second guessing decisions that came naturally earlier in the day, things like the correct sequence for hitching and unhitching trailers.
Interestingly enough, I've driven non stop
Adelaide to
Alice Springs (15-16 hrs) before in a car several times and NEVER did I feel as mentally drained as I did yesterday after 10 hours, and that 10 hours included several breaks.
All the things I was told while growing up by my dad, who used to drive trucks, all made sense. I always knew not to dart in front of trucks when slowing down, all extra room when a truck indicates to change lanes, avoid sudden moves when in front of a truck...and the list goes on.
Well I always did those things because "Dad told me so". Yesterday I realised just why.
That was the second part of the day. The first part was a baptism of fire where I was rudely introduced to a chap by the name of Eaton. Commonly known by his fiends (yes fiends NOT friends) as "r. Oh I forgot to include synchros." Now I know why trucks slow down to 20kmph long before a corner. Breaking, shifting gears while double clutching and matching revs is a bit much to ask while coasting around a corner, hence, it all needs to be done before the truck even reaches the corner.
Simple things like reversing around a corner become so much more difficult when the tail end of your load is 25 plus metres behind you. Distance is very hard to gauge out of a convex mirror.
Anyway, for now, I have a left leg like popeye's arm, I'm shifting gears in my sleep and my toe nails got trimmed by the engine fan after I jumped back into my manual 4 cylinder buzz box. I live to survive another day, so Wednesday, I'm back at it for another 10 hours of punishment.
Hats off to all you truckies, no matter how big or far you drive. I guess at the end of the day, you're Exploring Oz too.....just in a different rig.
Keep the black stuff underneath, and the blue stuff up above.
Fab.