*I am working on my next memoir that includes being an over-the-road truck driver in 2002. This is an excerpt from the 1st draft. Enjoy!
The first time I get behind the wheel in driver-training the truck does not have a trailer.
We are “bobtailing.”
Bobtailing changes the braking dynamics significantly, as there’s less weight over the rear axles, leading to reduced traction and longer stopping distances. I discover this the hard way when I approach a freeway on-ramp cloverleaf too fast. As I navigate the tight curve too fast, a police cruiser pops up around the bend ahead of me.
My adrenaline kicks in as I realize I am closing the gap too quickly.
Instinct kicks in, and I slam on the brakes, feeling the tires screech and protest against the pavement. The truck skids a bit, and I fight to maintain control, desperately trying to avoid a collision.
The sensation of the rig sliding without the usual weight of a trailer is unnerving, and the distance between my bumper and the police car’s bumper evaporates in a heartbeat.
Miraculously, the truck comes to a stop just inches from the police car’s bumper.
I nearly hit a police car within minutes of getting behind the wheel for the first time on the clock.
I expect that the officers will pull me over.
But they don’t. Perhaps, they too, are happy that there was no-harm done.
