Well guys, i FINALLY will be starting my CDL driving class tomorrow at 7am! The class lasts 3 weeks, going from 8am to 5pm Monday thru Saturday with the exception of tomorrow starting at 7 due to tons of paperwork. By Thursday 5/7/09 i will have obtained my Class A CDL and will spend the rest of the 3 weeks driving (i assume). I am totally looking forward to this!!! My Workforce place agreed to pay 75% of the $3,500 tuition fee, so my family was only responsible for 25% of it, or about $875.

 

Been there done that. lol Just some quick words of advice. Don't get excited behind the wheel an stay focused. Always leave a way out. learn the mph for each gear makes it easier to down shift.

 

what he said. they will probably teach you to double clutch but know that if you do it right you can no clutch shift without hurting the tranny... even know they may tell you otherwise

 

They teach the " double clutch " to teach the correct timing for the shift. If you say " clutch, clutch " in your brain you will find it will shift just as easy as using the clutch. I never use the clutch. To much like work.

 

I wish you luck and keep us posted . But a word of caution to anyone else considering this . Freight is at its lowest level in 5 years . All the major carriers have reduced their fleet size . As more drivers lose their jobs and more driving schools turn out graduates the oversupply of drivers grows . I read posts by both experienced drivers and school graduates that are members of trucking forums that they have been looking for a job for weeks without any luck . I read posts by company trainers that have rejected recent CDL school graduates and sent them home . This goes on a driver's DAC report and his driving career is over . Things are a lot different than they were a year ago . When a school says 75% of their graduates get hired it's usually because that's how many former graduates quit in the past month . Believe me , nobody is hiring because business is picking up and they are adding trucks .

 

when i first started training for my CDL i was a rocket when i was driving. I eventually learned to take it SLOW. and it worked for me. the people who test you dont really care how slow you go (reasonable) just as long as your safe, especially when turning people behind you will be like *** ? Laos they like to see you "rock-n-roll" in the seat, it is almost comical but look EVERYWHERE move back and forth, to see your mirror's full range of view. good luck.

 

well had my first day today, nearly 12hrs worth of it. Started out in the classroom from 7am to 12:30 and went through about 30 chapters of info and 5 30 questions tests. After that we begun practicing our backing skills on a modified riding lawn mower with a lengthened rear frame and a makeshift 5th wheel plate with home made 15' or so flatbed trailer, after that we watched some vids on backing up and coupling/uncoulpling, and took another 30 quest. test. Then i began drilling the pre trip inspection....HOLY ****, for every item i look at i have to say "securely fastened, not bent cracked or broken" we can NOT say good or good enough or anything. I def. need more work on PTI! After that i went and practiced backing a trailer with a smaller daycab Sterling truck and a 20 some foot flatbed trailer.

IM POOPED!

 

today we practiced backing into a 45 deg. alley dock as well as straight line backing. Also learned how to couple and uncouple trailers. Kept drilling the PTI as well.

 

Offset axles? Is so remember, just because flatbeds show more of an area of view for backing doesn't mean they are easier.. I'd rather back a 53' box over a flatbed with offsets anyday

 

Listen to what rick says..its a TOUGH job market out there. The only advantage students have over exp drivers right now is, alot of companys are willing to hire them because they KNOW they can pay them less & most likely give them the junk runs also. But on a lighter note good luck & PAY ATTENTION, more to whats going on around you than the "instructor". Remember those who can't do teach.

 

just finished class today...... Had a "dress rehearsal" of the ACTUAL DOT test today, everything from PTI to skills test to driving test. Tomorrow i will be there by 5:30 AM to run through the DOT course one more time and then get tested by DOT to get my Class A! Instructors told me today i will have NO ISSUE obtaining CDL tomorrow! Also got packets to study for doubles and triples, tanker and HazMat. Took all 3, passed doubles/triples and tanker but failed HazMat. HazMat has a LOT of numbers and stuff to remember!!

 

Hey now, wait a minute! I resemble that remark! Sometimes you're right tho. But there are still a lot of really good instructors out there, no matter what the discipline, who teach from experience, not some book. I like to think I'm one of them!

Don't sweat it, you'll get it when you try again. Haz-mat is the worst test as far as I'm concerned. The whole haz-mat section needs to be re-vamped as well. Explosives should be in a class by themselves, not lumped into the general haz-mat section. This is something I've been 'preaching to the choir' about for a few years now to no avail, (yet!). I've driven a lot of loads in my life and there isn't much that I would refuse to haul, but explosives is one of them!

chaikwa.

 

yeah HazMat is something else!!!

 

Good luck on your test man. I really need to get my Class A since my dad thinks we need to get semi tractors to haul grain. Grrrrrrrr, just one more thing on my to do list.

 

Been there done that, Haz-Mat is tuff, good luck and hang in there.
I'm not driving much anymore (some weekends) but I worked too hard get all those endorsements and I will keep them even though I am back to being one of "those teachers" I really hate being lumped together with "those teachers" thats about like saying "those drivers, those fork lift drivers, those fast food workers..etc..." Sorry if I took it wrong but I have spent 17 of the last 18 years being a good teacher, just got burnt out for awhile and took a year off and did the driving gig. One good thing about my old driving job, I left on good terms and every time I see my old boss he always ask if I'm ready to come back to work for him, he said make the call and I will let someone else go to make a position for you!