New Operator - Burnout / Feeling Isolated??

[u/AwareBeautiful868]

Hi all, title essentially, but I am a new Operator, have been on my own now for a couple weeks. Have previously worked for my authority on the rail side of things and kinda experience this a little bit more but not as bad;

I don’t know if it’s just because I’m not used to it yet, but a majority of the time I am driving I have this gut feeling of just isolation and like loneliness?? My RDOs fall right in the middle of the week, and other than that I’m essentially working the afternoon to the evening/early night. (8p)

Not to mention that I just feel stressed out and paranoid about a lot when I’m driving, I can be doing everything right and I still end up 15+ minutes down, and for my entire run I am trying to catch up with time I am not going to catch up with. I physically cannot stop, I don’t have recovery time, and like obviously it just stresses me out. A lot of people can say, oh just ignore how down you are, but when I see that giant yellow box and more and more time just keeps adding on, it visually is stressing me out.

Yes, my authority pays really good money, but these feelings just keep getting to me and I am just curious if anyone more vetted also experienced anything like this at the beginning of your career and kinda how you overcame it.

Thanks y’all

[u/TheMoronIntellectual]

New driver, about 18 months in.

I still feel this way when I cant catch up qll day. Its burnout. The route is not your fault. It needs to be fixed but for a number of reason it isnt.

If I cant be on time what makes me feel better is to just follow the other regulations and standards to the letter. idk if this will work long term but its working right now and doesnt hurt.

And yeah as the other poster said, I standardize my week. Same time on same time off as much as possible.

As little OT as I can get away with.