First time going solo OTR, im afraid.

OTR is a good job for introverts. Sit alone in the truck all day in your own little peaceful world. Hardly any people to deal with. Free to live in your own mind. Nice and peaceful.

Ugh, that guy wants to talk to me. I'll just smile and nod. Oh good, he's done or at least can tell I'm not interested.

Back to my own little happy place.

 

You get out of your comfort zone. You will never grow, you will never improve, and you will never achieve any goals by staying in your comfort zone.

You do have goals, don’t you?

 

Miss home? Work towards getting a job that keeps you close to home. Plenty of stuff to keep you busy out there while learning this industry. Apply yourself and keep advancing...before you know it you have a great career while being able to have a life at home

 

Whatever you do stay out of the fleshpots and houses. You are young it looks like and what you are feeling is normal.

I worked around that problem by thinking I consider America my home. I don't really where I am in this Nation. Im still home. And it really was after I delivered pretty much everything everywhere. I do not feel welcome in certain areas such as Salt Lake for obvious reasons but alls well.

The key to happiness is a very simple existence.Free from conflict and drama.

Now if you can get the dispatcher to stop micromanaging you and safety critters to back off veiled threats and the Shipper to get you loaded and rolling in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours you will REALLY achieve paradise.

 

We all have to step out of our comfort zones. For example on Oct the 20th 1990, I soloed flying a Cessna 152. You have to be a pilot to understand how that feels. I did 3 "touch&gos" and came in to get my shirttail cut off. "aviation tradition". To this very day when I look at that old shirttail, I remember how nervous I was, then I also remember how glad I am I did that.

Another time I had only been instrument rated for maybe 6 months. I got caught after an overnight stay in Columbia SC with bad weather. I seriously considered just staying there another night or 2. I snapped out of it and flew my first instrument conditions flight. I was up in the clouds for just over an hour. Once on the ground, I saw how much my confidence had grown. That flight was the first of many I did.

In life, it's one tiny step at a time. Just do it!

 

You will get over the fear like everyone else. But.......If your female be careful at the truck stops/rest areas especially after dark. Carry a sharp legal instrument with you for self protection or pepper spray.

 

“The Brave die only once.”

Luck in battle.

 

You'll love it! After that first trip, you want to hit the road again ASAP.
Hope you chose a coast to coast company so you can see the USA.

 

I am as introverted as they come and I have had many jobs. In my opinion, there is no job as suited to introversion as OTR truck driving. On my best days I start out early in the morning already loaded, wake up at the truck stop take care of personal business while everyone else is asleep, pre trip, hit the road, drive all day, 30 minute break, get the best pick of parking at the truck stop (make sure no one can block you in), cook dinner play around on internet, go to sleep wake up and do it all over again. Sure some days you have to deliver and/or pick up and maybe you have to fuel, otherwise it's alone time to the max!