Today was just a very long bus ride. 9.5 hours on a Greyhound (not the longest, by any means).
I've just checked into the hotel and microwaved some soup for dinner. Tomorrow is the first day of orientation and I want a good night's sleep. I also need to make sure I don't miss the bus in the morning!
One nice thing already is that I have my own hotel room. There are no other female students currently in orientation. There are two parts to the hotel: the part where the trucking students stay and the part that is open to the public. The public rooms are much nicer and I get to stay in one of those for all of orientation. I'll have it to myself unless/until another female student arrives.
It's a non-smoking hotel (you can smoke outside on one specific side of the building only), which is nice. People on the Greyhound bus today were smoking in the restroom and the whole bus reeked!
I brought some microwaveable soup and some Snack Pack pudding. Enough to get me by until Tuesday night, when there's a shuttle to the local Walmart for provisions.
30 September 2012
26 September 2012
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
It's been a quiet week. Lots of tidying up, packing things away in storage and trying to pare down my orientation stuff to a duffel bag and my backpack.
I've finally decided which company I want to work for. I want to do flatbed (because I'm insane, according to one of my instructors).... and maybe I'll love it and maybe it'll be the end of me... but it's what I want.
It's hard to know what type of trucking you want to do... all you can do really is read up, talk to other drivers, pick the type that appeals to you and see how it goes.
I got a prepaid sim card for my friend's old phone (they gave me their old iPhone 3), so at least I'll be able to stay in contact. It uses the AT&T network, which seems to work well enough in my town... but we'll see what reception is like when I'm OTR.
I leave for orientation on Sunday morning. Nine and a half hours on a Greyhound Bus.
Stay tuned...
I've finally decided which company I want to work for. I want to do flatbed (because I'm insane, according to one of my instructors).... and maybe I'll love it and maybe it'll be the end of me... but it's what I want.
It's hard to know what type of trucking you want to do... all you can do really is read up, talk to other drivers, pick the type that appeals to you and see how it goes.
I got a prepaid sim card for my friend's old phone (they gave me their old iPhone 3), so at least I'll be able to stay in contact. It uses the AT&T network, which seems to work well enough in my town... but we'll see what reception is like when I'm OTR.
I leave for orientation on Sunday morning. Nine and a half hours on a Greyhound Bus.
Stay tuned...
23 September 2012
Final Test and Graduation
Just realized I haven't posted since Monday. Oops!.
Tuesday, we went out driving in town and on the highways in the morning, then practiced on the range in the afternoon. After being at school for fourteen hours on Monday, leaving a little after 5 on Tuesday was delightful.
Wednesday, most of the seniors went out driving in the morning, but three of us were left behind. One was a student who would not be testing this week because that student needed more time. The other one and I were confused about why we were left on the range. We assumed we'd be going out driving in the afternoon instead. Nope. We practiced parking and pre-trip inspections all day. The other seniors joined us in the afternoon.
Thursday, we started testing. I was given the very last testing spot in the afternoon because the head instructor thought I might want to go out driving in the morning, since I hadn't the day before. I told him that I was ready to go and if anyone wanted to switch me timeslots, I was more than willing. Waiting all day was giving me the worst nerves and stomach cramps.
In hindsight, I should have gone out driving in the morning. It's not that I thought I didn't need the practice, I was simply hoping someone would switch me timeslots. A lot of the guys wanted more time to work on their pre-trip inspections (they hadn't started practicing them until this week!). I did end up switching with someone and getting the first timeslot after lunch.
I was so determined to get all 71 points on my pre-trip inspection. I studied the hell out of that thing. I got every single point of each part that I mentioned.... but I was so nervous that I skipped the coupling system entirely. Oops! So I missed those six points. 65 out of 71 was more than enough to pass.... but I am still kicking myself about it!
Parking was terrible. I could not get the angle right on the parallel parking and I used every pull-up I could. You get four free pull-ups (pulling forward to readjust the truck) for all of the parking maneuvers. After four, you get docked a point for each one you get. You also lose points for touching or knocking over cones (I think 2 and 3 points, respectively). I did finally get the truck into the box for the parallel, but it wasn't pretty. I really should have gone out driving in the morning. It might have helped my nerves.
The driving could have gone better. My instructors had been telling me that I leave too much space when I make right turns. On the one hand, you want to swing out enough that your trailer doesn't hit the curb (hitting a curb is an automatic fail on the test).... but you don't want to "open a door" (leave enough space) for a car to sneak in between you and the curb. Ideally, you want to keep your trailer close to the curb to "close the door" for any car wanting to sneak past. I had been working all week on "closing the door". I did not hit any of the curbs and I very deliberately left less than a foot of space between my trailer wheels and the curb.
I missed four points (there are four right turns on the test route) for being too close to the curb.
The rest of the points I missed had to do with not watching my mirrors often enough (continuing to check my right mirror as I was merging instead of only glancing once or twice) and for once hitting the brakes kind of hard. I was downshifting for a red light and was watching my tachometer (RPM) and had already taken the truck out of seventh gear and was going a little to fast to hit sixth, so I hit the brakes, and revved up to 1500 RPM and caught sixth gear.
It was an either/or situation. I was either going to fail the test (automatic fail if you coast for more than the length of the truck without finding/being in gear or stopping) or brake hard to get my speed down to catch sixth.
I also didn't get the truck slowed enough in the final turn into the school's driveway. I was supposed to be down to fifth gear for the turn and I only got it down to sixth. I had been criticized earlier in the test for starting my downshifting/slowing way too soon for my turns.... and this time I clearly waited too long.
I was so nervous! He doesn't tell you your points or whether you passed until after you park the truck back on the range at the school. I passed, but I was so nervous. If you do really horribly on the test (so much so that the tester fails you or feels unsafe with you driving), he makes you sit in the passenger seat and he drives the truck back to the school.
He was really gruff and condescending during the test (it's not his job to be nice... I get that), but he was really pleasant on the way in. One of his daughters went to the same university I did. When we got to his office, he asked me for my license and permit. I reminded him that I'd given them to him at the beginning of the test (and assumed they were on his clipboard). He had left them in the copier! He laughed and said that if we'd been pulled over, not having my license and permit would have been his fault.
I decided right then and there that I could not accept an orientation slot at the company where they put you into your own truck (alone) after orientation... no trainer. I clearly need a few weeks with a trainer in the truck. I have pre-hires from every company I applied to (nothing on my driving or criminal record... spent too much time being a good girl and working to pay for college)... so now I'm spoiled for choice about where I want to go. I've narrowed it down to two companies and I have a week to decide.
We were told to "saunter in around 9am" Friday morning. We had a few additional (not on the state test) parking maneuvers to learn. Mostly, it was the 90 degree ally docking and how to offset while going forward (if you have space, offsetting while going forward and then backing straight up is so much easier!)
Then we got our diplomas after lunch. The first week (classroom) instructor asked me to talk to his class and give any advice. I told them to make the most of their time on the range and get as much time in the driver's seat as possible. It's really unstructured out there and you could easily sit at the break table most of the day and smoke... and no one is going to to remind you to actually practice your driving or pre-trip. You're a grown-up and it's up to you to make the most of your time. I also told them that if you break down the cost of the school per day, you're paying $400 per day to go there.
Don't waste your money. Don't waste your time. Get the job done.
Tuesday, we went out driving in town and on the highways in the morning, then practiced on the range in the afternoon. After being at school for fourteen hours on Monday, leaving a little after 5 on Tuesday was delightful.
Wednesday, most of the seniors went out driving in the morning, but three of us were left behind. One was a student who would not be testing this week because that student needed more time. The other one and I were confused about why we were left on the range. We assumed we'd be going out driving in the afternoon instead. Nope. We practiced parking and pre-trip inspections all day. The other seniors joined us in the afternoon.
Thursday, we started testing. I was given the very last testing spot in the afternoon because the head instructor thought I might want to go out driving in the morning, since I hadn't the day before. I told him that I was ready to go and if anyone wanted to switch me timeslots, I was more than willing. Waiting all day was giving me the worst nerves and stomach cramps.
In hindsight, I should have gone out driving in the morning. It's not that I thought I didn't need the practice, I was simply hoping someone would switch me timeslots. A lot of the guys wanted more time to work on their pre-trip inspections (they hadn't started practicing them until this week!). I did end up switching with someone and getting the first timeslot after lunch.
I was so determined to get all 71 points on my pre-trip inspection. I studied the hell out of that thing. I got every single point of each part that I mentioned.... but I was so nervous that I skipped the coupling system entirely. Oops! So I missed those six points. 65 out of 71 was more than enough to pass.... but I am still kicking myself about it!
Parking was terrible. I could not get the angle right on the parallel parking and I used every pull-up I could. You get four free pull-ups (pulling forward to readjust the truck) for all of the parking maneuvers. After four, you get docked a point for each one you get. You also lose points for touching or knocking over cones (I think 2 and 3 points, respectively). I did finally get the truck into the box for the parallel, but it wasn't pretty. I really should have gone out driving in the morning. It might have helped my nerves.
The driving could have gone better. My instructors had been telling me that I leave too much space when I make right turns. On the one hand, you want to swing out enough that your trailer doesn't hit the curb (hitting a curb is an automatic fail on the test).... but you don't want to "open a door" (leave enough space) for a car to sneak in between you and the curb. Ideally, you want to keep your trailer close to the curb to "close the door" for any car wanting to sneak past. I had been working all week on "closing the door". I did not hit any of the curbs and I very deliberately left less than a foot of space between my trailer wheels and the curb.
I missed four points (there are four right turns on the test route) for being too close to the curb.
The rest of the points I missed had to do with not watching my mirrors often enough (continuing to check my right mirror as I was merging instead of only glancing once or twice) and for once hitting the brakes kind of hard. I was downshifting for a red light and was watching my tachometer (RPM) and had already taken the truck out of seventh gear and was going a little to fast to hit sixth, so I hit the brakes, and revved up to 1500 RPM and caught sixth gear.
It was an either/or situation. I was either going to fail the test (automatic fail if you coast for more than the length of the truck without finding/being in gear or stopping) or brake hard to get my speed down to catch sixth.
I also didn't get the truck slowed enough in the final turn into the school's driveway. I was supposed to be down to fifth gear for the turn and I only got it down to sixth. I had been criticized earlier in the test for starting my downshifting/slowing way too soon for my turns.... and this time I clearly waited too long.
I was so nervous! He doesn't tell you your points or whether you passed until after you park the truck back on the range at the school. I passed, but I was so nervous. If you do really horribly on the test (so much so that the tester fails you or feels unsafe with you driving), he makes you sit in the passenger seat and he drives the truck back to the school.
He was really gruff and condescending during the test (it's not his job to be nice... I get that), but he was really pleasant on the way in. One of his daughters went to the same university I did. When we got to his office, he asked me for my license and permit. I reminded him that I'd given them to him at the beginning of the test (and assumed they were on his clipboard). He had left them in the copier! He laughed and said that if we'd been pulled over, not having my license and permit would have been his fault.
I decided right then and there that I could not accept an orientation slot at the company where they put you into your own truck (alone) after orientation... no trainer. I clearly need a few weeks with a trainer in the truck. I have pre-hires from every company I applied to (nothing on my driving or criminal record... spent too much time being a good girl and working to pay for college)... so now I'm spoiled for choice about where I want to go. I've narrowed it down to two companies and I have a week to decide.
We were told to "saunter in around 9am" Friday morning. We had a few additional (not on the state test) parking maneuvers to learn. Mostly, it was the 90 degree ally docking and how to offset while going forward (if you have space, offsetting while going forward and then backing straight up is so much easier!)
Then we got our diplomas after lunch. The first week (classroom) instructor asked me to talk to his class and give any advice. I told them to make the most of their time on the range and get as much time in the driver's seat as possible. It's really unstructured out there and you could easily sit at the break table most of the day and smoke... and no one is going to to remind you to actually practice your driving or pre-trip. You're a grown-up and it's up to you to make the most of your time. I also told them that if you break down the cost of the school per day, you're paying $400 per day to go there.
Don't waste your money. Don't waste your time. Get the job done.
17 September 2012
Today was a really long day.
Because we're now seniors, we go driving on the roads in the morning and then we practice parking maneuvers and pre-trip inspections on the range in the afternoons. This morning, I had my best day of driving yet. I was catching most of the gears when I was downshifting, smooth and calm. The instructor I had this morning was the same one I had my very first day. It was nice to show him how much I've improved.
This afternoon, I finally got the off-set and parallel parking down solid. I feel very confident in my parking abilities now. I might have to pull up once or twice to make sure I'm at the right angle... but I don't knock over any cones.
We had a short break (maybe 20 minutes) around 5pm. Then we had our "night driving" session. We were scheduled to be driving until 9:30, but again.... we were dismissed at 9pm (half hour early). My driving tonight was horrible. Part of the problem (and no, I'm not entirely blaming the equipment for my crappy driving) was that I couldn't get the seat to latch into place. This meant that in addition to the usual up and down motion of the air-cushoined seat, it was also sliding forward and backward. Any slight jerk meant that I was then bouncing all over the place and unable to control my foot on the clutch petal... so I was dumping the clutch and it all just escalated into a big mess. By the time my turn came to an end, I was very close to tears. I was disappointed in myself, especially after how well I'd one earlier in the day. It sucked.
The instructor spent a good five minutes telling me that I could make all the excuses I wanted, but he hadn't had any problem with the seat and one of the other students (who later admitted that he'd managed to get the seat latched into place, so it wasn't sliding forward and backward) hadn't had an issue with the seat... so it wasn't the seat, it was me.
Part of it was the seat. A lot of it was me getting flustered and not being able to recover from that.
When you're shifting, one of your feet is on the clutch and the other is on the accelerator. This means that the only part touching the floor is the heel of your right foot. That's not enough (for me at least) to counteract the bouncing sliding seat.
Both of the other students had two turns of driving. I only had the one. To make it worse, it was not dark yet when I had my turn... which means I have zero night driving experience.
Gah! Disappointed in myself. Going to bed now. I'll do better tomorrow. Onward!
Because we're now seniors, we go driving on the roads in the morning and then we practice parking maneuvers and pre-trip inspections on the range in the afternoons. This morning, I had my best day of driving yet. I was catching most of the gears when I was downshifting, smooth and calm. The instructor I had this morning was the same one I had my very first day. It was nice to show him how much I've improved.
This afternoon, I finally got the off-set and parallel parking down solid. I feel very confident in my parking abilities now. I might have to pull up once or twice to make sure I'm at the right angle... but I don't knock over any cones.
We had a short break (maybe 20 minutes) around 5pm. Then we had our "night driving" session. We were scheduled to be driving until 9:30, but again.... we were dismissed at 9pm (half hour early). My driving tonight was horrible. Part of the problem (and no, I'm not entirely blaming the equipment for my crappy driving) was that I couldn't get the seat to latch into place. This meant that in addition to the usual up and down motion of the air-cushoined seat, it was also sliding forward and backward. Any slight jerk meant that I was then bouncing all over the place and unable to control my foot on the clutch petal... so I was dumping the clutch and it all just escalated into a big mess. By the time my turn came to an end, I was very close to tears. I was disappointed in myself, especially after how well I'd one earlier in the day. It sucked.
The instructor spent a good five minutes telling me that I could make all the excuses I wanted, but he hadn't had any problem with the seat and one of the other students (who later admitted that he'd managed to get the seat latched into place, so it wasn't sliding forward and backward) hadn't had an issue with the seat... so it wasn't the seat, it was me.
Part of it was the seat. A lot of it was me getting flustered and not being able to recover from that.
When you're shifting, one of your feet is on the clutch and the other is on the accelerator. This means that the only part touching the floor is the heel of your right foot. That's not enough (for me at least) to counteract the bouncing sliding seat.
Both of the other students had two turns of driving. I only had the one. To make it worse, it was not dark yet when I had my turn... which means I have zero night driving experience.
Gah! Disappointed in myself. Going to bed now. I'll do better tomorrow. Onward!
15 September 2012
Week Two Recap
It seems like the second week just flew by. It was really intensive, both for parking maneuvers and for driving practice. We would spend the first hour of every morning practicing pre-trip inspections together. It was the time to ask questions of the seniors and instructor and just make sure we not only knew the part and possible problems, but where the part was and what it looked like. I didn't now anything about engines (other than how to check/fill fluids in a car) before I got here.
I did end up recording the pre-trip inspection (71 things, each with a description of possible damage/defect to look out for), the four-point brake check and the parking brake check. I learn better when I hear something... .also, it frees up my hands (no clipboard/paper to hold) so that I can literally have my hands on the truck parts I'm describing. I will have it all memorized by the end of the week, no problem! I listen to it last thing before I go to bed and first thing when I get up. Kinda glad I'm single.... not sure listening to a twelve minute recording of truck parts would be the most romantic way to end an evening.
After our pre-trip inspection practice, juniors (my class) would spend the rest of the morning on the school range practicing parking maneuvers. I'm much better at parallel parking than offset parking... but my off-set parking is coming along. I'm more worried about hitting a cone on the parking part of the test than I am about messing up on the driving portion. You have to pass the pre-trip, brake inspections and parking maneuvers to even get to the driving portion of the test.
After lunch, we would be divided into groups of three and then we'd go out on the road with an instructor. At first, we were on a small loop of side streets out by the airport. From Wednesday to Friday, we were driving in town. I drove for 1.25 hours on Thursday in every type of road that comes up on the CDL driving test: highway (on/off ramps too), city, school zone, lots of stoplights, hills, S-curves, etc. My downshifting still needs work, but I did okay. I have yet to even hit a curb with my trailer! It was a little unnerving. My palms were so sweaty that I was stuck to the steering wheel like a gecko.
On Thursday afternoon, I signed all the paperwork for my school loan. Since we had to each sit down with the head of the school individually, I thought it would be a good time to ask him about something that had been bothering me:
School is supposed to be from 7am to 5:30 pm every day (Seniors have an additional 4 hour night driving session on Monday of their final week). We have never once stayed past 5pm. On Thursday, my driving group got back to the school right around 5pm and no one was using the parking trucks on the practice range, so I climbed into one... thinking that I could squeeze in another half hour of parking practice. I was told by an instructor to get out or the truck because it was time to go home.
CDL training is three weeks long. So if school costs about $6,000. Fifteen days of class means that we are essentially paying $400 per day to go to school here. If the school is promising a certain amount of hours of training, I want those training hours. I paid for them. I took out a loan to pay for them.
When I went in to sign the loan documents, I told the head guy about being asked to get out of the truck and he asked me for the name of the instructor. I explained that all of the instructors dismissed us at 5pm. He said that he knew that the instructors stayed until 5:30, but not that they were dismissing us early.
I really like the instructors at my school. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I want to get my money's worth. And I'm not so confident in my driving and parking abilities that I don't think some additional practice time would go amiss. Missing half an hour per day for the two weeks of driver training adds up to 5 additonal hours I could have had to practice.
I'm glad I said something about it, at any rate.
We haven't learned how to couple/uncouple the tractor and trailer yet. Looking forward to learning how to do that. Also, just more time behind the wheel.
Last weekend was so short (we had class on Saturday to make up for Labor Day) and it's so nice to have a full two days off. Other than listening to the pre-trip and brake inspections on my iPod, I haven't done much school-wise.
I have been reading up on various trucking companies on TheTruckerReport.com. So much valuable information. I have pre-hires from eight companies, but there are two that I am especially interested in. Sad to say, I will probably end up working for the company whose orientation starts the soonest after I obtain my CDL. I've been unemployed for nearly two months now and money is tight. I can't afford to sit around and wait.
My poverty, but not my will, consents!
The guys in my class are really great. I've made a buddy, whom I'll call Pete for the purposes of this blog. He's really nice (and we have the same weird sense of humor) and since our driving abilities are about evenly matched, we make a good team. He makes school a lot of fun. I really hope we stay in touch after we graduate.
The first day we did pre-trip inspections, I asked an instructor why we didn't inspect the trailer brakes (tandem axles). He responded "we never talk about those". As soon as he walked away, I turned to Pete and said "The first rule of trucking school is we do not talk about our tandem axles! The second rule of trucking school is WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT OUR TANDEM AXLES!" It's now a running joke with us.
Monday is going to be a long day. We're seniors now, so in addition to our normal 7 to 5:30 schedule, we have our night driving session 7am to 9:30pm is going to be a looooong day.
Going to relax tomorrow (Sunday) and listen and read through my pre-trip. I need to get that down solid.
I did end up recording the pre-trip inspection (71 things, each with a description of possible damage/defect to look out for), the four-point brake check and the parking brake check. I learn better when I hear something... .also, it frees up my hands (no clipboard/paper to hold) so that I can literally have my hands on the truck parts I'm describing. I will have it all memorized by the end of the week, no problem! I listen to it last thing before I go to bed and first thing when I get up. Kinda glad I'm single.... not sure listening to a twelve minute recording of truck parts would be the most romantic way to end an evening.
After our pre-trip inspection practice, juniors (my class) would spend the rest of the morning on the school range practicing parking maneuvers. I'm much better at parallel parking than offset parking... but my off-set parking is coming along. I'm more worried about hitting a cone on the parking part of the test than I am about messing up on the driving portion. You have to pass the pre-trip, brake inspections and parking maneuvers to even get to the driving portion of the test.
After lunch, we would be divided into groups of three and then we'd go out on the road with an instructor. At first, we were on a small loop of side streets out by the airport. From Wednesday to Friday, we were driving in town. I drove for 1.25 hours on Thursday in every type of road that comes up on the CDL driving test: highway (on/off ramps too), city, school zone, lots of stoplights, hills, S-curves, etc. My downshifting still needs work, but I did okay. I have yet to even hit a curb with my trailer! It was a little unnerving. My palms were so sweaty that I was stuck to the steering wheel like a gecko.
On Thursday afternoon, I signed all the paperwork for my school loan. Since we had to each sit down with the head of the school individually, I thought it would be a good time to ask him about something that had been bothering me:
School is supposed to be from 7am to 5:30 pm every day (Seniors have an additional 4 hour night driving session on Monday of their final week). We have never once stayed past 5pm. On Thursday, my driving group got back to the school right around 5pm and no one was using the parking trucks on the practice range, so I climbed into one... thinking that I could squeeze in another half hour of parking practice. I was told by an instructor to get out or the truck because it was time to go home.
CDL training is three weeks long. So if school costs about $6,000. Fifteen days of class means that we are essentially paying $400 per day to go to school here. If the school is promising a certain amount of hours of training, I want those training hours. I paid for them. I took out a loan to pay for them.
When I went in to sign the loan documents, I told the head guy about being asked to get out of the truck and he asked me for the name of the instructor. I explained that all of the instructors dismissed us at 5pm. He said that he knew that the instructors stayed until 5:30, but not that they were dismissing us early.
I really like the instructors at my school. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I want to get my money's worth. And I'm not so confident in my driving and parking abilities that I don't think some additional practice time would go amiss. Missing half an hour per day for the two weeks of driver training adds up to 5 additonal hours I could have had to practice.
I'm glad I said something about it, at any rate.
We haven't learned how to couple/uncouple the tractor and trailer yet. Looking forward to learning how to do that. Also, just more time behind the wheel.
Last weekend was so short (we had class on Saturday to make up for Labor Day) and it's so nice to have a full two days off. Other than listening to the pre-trip and brake inspections on my iPod, I haven't done much school-wise.
I have been reading up on various trucking companies on TheTruckerReport.com. So much valuable information. I have pre-hires from eight companies, but there are two that I am especially interested in. Sad to say, I will probably end up working for the company whose orientation starts the soonest after I obtain my CDL. I've been unemployed for nearly two months now and money is tight. I can't afford to sit around and wait.
My poverty, but not my will, consents!
The guys in my class are really great. I've made a buddy, whom I'll call Pete for the purposes of this blog. He's really nice (and we have the same weird sense of humor) and since our driving abilities are about evenly matched, we make a good team. He makes school a lot of fun. I really hope we stay in touch after we graduate.
The first day we did pre-trip inspections, I asked an instructor why we didn't inspect the trailer brakes (tandem axles). He responded "we never talk about those". As soon as he walked away, I turned to Pete and said "The first rule of trucking school is we do not talk about our tandem axles! The second rule of trucking school is WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT OUR TANDEM AXLES!" It's now a running joke with us.
Monday is going to be a long day. We're seniors now, so in addition to our normal 7 to 5:30 schedule, we have our night driving session 7am to 9:30pm is going to be a looooong day.
Going to relax tomorrow (Sunday) and listen and read through my pre-trip. I need to get that down solid.
11 September 2012
Off-set Parking and More Driving Practice
This morning, we were shown how to do off-set parking. Off-set parking is when you pull forward and then back into the lane/space right next to the one you just occupied. Like if you needed to back up one space over at a loading dock, for example.
I managed to do it once, then by the time I pulled back forward to do it again, I forgot which cone I was supposed to be looking for and out of which mirror. I also got really frustrated with the other student in the cab. I was looking for the instructor so I could ask him to show us off-set parking one more time, but instead he had me go in another truck where a senior student was doing laps around the entire compound to practice shifting. We switched off and I managed to shift from three through fifth gears and downshift back again... and (after a little practice) could do it with no grinding whatsoever.
After lunch, we went back out to the sidestreets by the airport to practice in groups. My newfound shifting/downshifting skills did not come with me for the trip. I did much better at double-clutching today and shifting up in gear is going really well, but downshifting is still really hard.
Baby steps.
We worked on the four-point brake checks and pre-trip inspections again today. I remember what/where all the parts were, now it's a matter of memorizing the list and what can go wrong with each piece. I took some pictures with my phone in case I needed the reference, but I hope I don't need to refer to them. Our instructor also uncoupled a truck and trailer so that we could look more closely at the coupling system.
Tomorrow, I need to get more practice in off-set parking. Also, we are learning how to couple and uncouple tomorrow.
I managed to do it once, then by the time I pulled back forward to do it again, I forgot which cone I was supposed to be looking for and out of which mirror. I also got really frustrated with the other student in the cab. I was looking for the instructor so I could ask him to show us off-set parking one more time, but instead he had me go in another truck where a senior student was doing laps around the entire compound to practice shifting. We switched off and I managed to shift from three through fifth gears and downshift back again... and (after a little practice) could do it with no grinding whatsoever.
After lunch, we went back out to the sidestreets by the airport to practice in groups. My newfound shifting/downshifting skills did not come with me for the trip. I did much better at double-clutching today and shifting up in gear is going really well, but downshifting is still really hard.
Baby steps.
We worked on the four-point brake checks and pre-trip inspections again today. I remember what/where all the parts were, now it's a matter of memorizing the list and what can go wrong with each piece. I took some pictures with my phone in case I needed the reference, but I hope I don't need to refer to them. Our instructor also uncoupled a truck and trailer so that we could look more closely at the coupling system.
Tomorrow, I need to get more practice in off-set parking. Also, we are learning how to couple and uncouple tomorrow.
10 September 2012
Home on the Range
This morning, I finally got to climb inside a rig. First time. Ever.
We spent the morning alternating between pre-trip inspections and praciticing backing in the trucks. I ran over four cones total... but over all, I think I've got it down. In the late morning, most of the students were concentrating on pre-trip inspection stuff. That meant that there was a truck not being used. I spent about 90 minutes just backing down a lane of cones and slowly driving forward. I've got it down solid now.
After lunch, we divided into teams of three. Our instructor drove us out to the local airport (about ten minutes from the school) and we practiced driving on some side roads. There's about a two mile loop of roads out near the airport. Three stop signs and one long curve. We all took turns driving, stopping and turning.
I did okay. I had a lot of trouble going in and out of fifth gear and downshifting will take a lot of practice, but I did well enough that when it came time to drive back to the school, the instructor let me drive. On the way back to the school, he told a story about a former student who made it through school and on the final day of CDL training, drove on the highway for the firsts time. That student decided immediately that it trucking wasn't for him. I did kinda wonder whether I was asked to drive back to the school because he thought I was ready or to give me the opportunity to decide now that trucking wasn't for me.
After I parked the truck back in the lot at school, the instructor gave me a fist-bump.
It was a good day. No casualties (other than those four cones, which I'm sure have seen worse).
Tomorrow's adventure: off-side parking
We spent the morning alternating between pre-trip inspections and praciticing backing in the trucks. I ran over four cones total... but over all, I think I've got it down. In the late morning, most of the students were concentrating on pre-trip inspection stuff. That meant that there was a truck not being used. I spent about 90 minutes just backing down a lane of cones and slowly driving forward. I've got it down solid now.
After lunch, we divided into teams of three. Our instructor drove us out to the local airport (about ten minutes from the school) and we practiced driving on some side roads. There's about a two mile loop of roads out near the airport. Three stop signs and one long curve. We all took turns driving, stopping and turning.
I did okay. I had a lot of trouble going in and out of fifth gear and downshifting will take a lot of practice, but I did well enough that when it came time to drive back to the school, the instructor let me drive. On the way back to the school, he told a story about a former student who made it through school and on the final day of CDL training, drove on the highway for the firsts time. That student decided immediately that it trucking wasn't for him. I did kinda wonder whether I was asked to drive back to the school because he thought I was ready or to give me the opportunity to decide now that trucking wasn't for me.
After I parked the truck back in the lot at school, the instructor gave me a fist-bump.
It was a good day. No casualties (other than those four cones, which I'm sure have seen worse).
Tomorrow's adventure: off-side parking
08 September 2012
CDL Training - Week One Wrap-Up
First week of CDL training is in the bag.
I can't help but think that, like so many other things in life, you get out of CDL training what you put into it. I could see how someone could learn just enough to pass the tests... or you can make sure you know as much as possible about driving a truck. I took out a big loan to pay for school and I intend to get as much out of it as possible. I don't do anything half-assed... if I'm going to be a trucker, I will be the best possible trucker I can be.
We had to go to school today (Saturday) because Monday was Labor Day. Today, we learned about map reading and did a lot of review. We also took our last written tests. The last three guys who needed to pass their permit exam all passed today, so we can all hit the range on Monday. Our "homework" for the weekend (whatever's left of it) is to read through the Pre-Trip Inspection and try to commit as much of it to memory as possible.
Excited to actually be in the trucks next week. I've never even been in the cab of a semi before.
Going to record me reading the "pre-trip inspection" and "brake test" pages on my iPod. I learn better with audio than with visual stuff. I'm nauseated by the sound of my own voice though. It's always so much higher than I expect it to be. Could Jeremy Irons read my homework for me please? That's be lovely.
I can't help but think that, like so many other things in life, you get out of CDL training what you put into it. I could see how someone could learn just enough to pass the tests... or you can make sure you know as much as possible about driving a truck. I took out a big loan to pay for school and I intend to get as much out of it as possible. I don't do anything half-assed... if I'm going to be a trucker, I will be the best possible trucker I can be.
We had to go to school today (Saturday) because Monday was Labor Day. Today, we learned about map reading and did a lot of review. We also took our last written tests. The last three guys who needed to pass their permit exam all passed today, so we can all hit the range on Monday. Our "homework" for the weekend (whatever's left of it) is to read through the Pre-Trip Inspection and try to commit as much of it to memory as possible.
Excited to actually be in the trucks next week. I've never even been in the cab of a semi before.
Going to record me reading the "pre-trip inspection" and "brake test" pages on my iPod. I learn better with audio than with visual stuff. I'm nauseated by the sound of my own voice though. It's always so much higher than I expect it to be. Could Jeremy Irons read my homework for me please? That's be lovely.
06 September 2012
Class A Permit Exam
The morning started out with a recruiter from Averitt. I was a few minutes late (which I hated... I think it's so rude to be late and I usually show up very early for anything. Disappointed in myself for sleeping through both of my morning alarms) I'll do better tomorrow.
Today we reviewed for our Class A permit exam. We had a lot of fun. The guys in my class are really sharp and the review went fast. Then our instructor handed out cookies (but I couldn't have any because I can't eat wheat).
We broke for lunch at noon and we all went our separate ways to forage for food and then make our way to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The wait time was less than five minutes, which was unexpected and really nice. I was sent to a computer to take the "general knowledge" portion of the exam. Then I waited a few minutes, then another person sent me to the computer kiosks to take the "air brakes" part of the test. Then waited a few minutes, then a third person sent me to the computers again to take the "combination vehicles" portion of the exam. The wait wasn't long, I just found all the shuffling around to be quite silly. Why not have the other two portions of the test follow the main section? Just my two cents.
The only snag came when I had had finished the final part of the test, waited my turn and then was sent to yet a fourth person to get the actual permit. She photocopied my DOT physical exam paperwork (which the first clerk who handled me had already copied) and then took my license. She looked at the computer and then told me that I had to take the "operator exam" (which is the general test you have to pass in order to have a driving license in the state of Indiana). I told her that her computer was wrong. Her supervisor came over to "help". She said that I had to take the "operator exam" if I wanted to transfer my license to Indiana (I already have an Indiana license). Then she said that my license must be expired (it wasn't... two more years before it expires). The she said that I must "have some points" on my license (again, not true. There are no points on my license). Eventually, the clerk figured it out. She'd checked the wrong box and the computer thought I wanted to be a chauffeur or something.
One of the guys in my class, instead of having him wait a few minutes for an open computer (or even giving him that option), they had him take a paper test. Then he had to wait for someone to grade the paper test and officially enter his score. He must have been stuck there all afternoon doing all three sections of the test. Poor guy!
My entire visit to the BMV took less than 45 minutes. Except for the crazy woman who almost rammed into my car as I left (she was driving on the wrong side of the road), it was actually kinda fun.
Yeah, I just had fun at the BMV.... maybe I need to get out more!?
Today we reviewed for our Class A permit exam. We had a lot of fun. The guys in my class are really sharp and the review went fast. Then our instructor handed out cookies (but I couldn't have any because I can't eat wheat).
We broke for lunch at noon and we all went our separate ways to forage for food and then make our way to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The wait time was less than five minutes, which was unexpected and really nice. I was sent to a computer to take the "general knowledge" portion of the exam. Then I waited a few minutes, then another person sent me to the computer kiosks to take the "air brakes" part of the test. Then waited a few minutes, then a third person sent me to the computers again to take the "combination vehicles" portion of the exam. The wait wasn't long, I just found all the shuffling around to be quite silly. Why not have the other two portions of the test follow the main section? Just my two cents.
The only snag came when I had had finished the final part of the test, waited my turn and then was sent to yet a fourth person to get the actual permit. She photocopied my DOT physical exam paperwork (which the first clerk who handled me had already copied) and then took my license. She looked at the computer and then told me that I had to take the "operator exam" (which is the general test you have to pass in order to have a driving license in the state of Indiana). I told her that her computer was wrong. Her supervisor came over to "help". She said that I had to take the "operator exam" if I wanted to transfer my license to Indiana (I already have an Indiana license). Then she said that my license must be expired (it wasn't... two more years before it expires). The she said that I must "have some points" on my license (again, not true. There are no points on my license). Eventually, the clerk figured it out. She'd checked the wrong box and the computer thought I wanted to be a chauffeur or something.
One of the guys in my class, instead of having him wait a few minutes for an open computer (or even giving him that option), they had him take a paper test. Then he had to wait for someone to grade the paper test and officially enter his score. He must have been stuck there all afternoon doing all three sections of the test. Poor guy!
My entire visit to the BMV took less than 45 minutes. Except for the crazy woman who almost rammed into my car as I left (she was driving on the wrong side of the road), it was actually kinda fun.
Yeah, I just had fun at the BMV.... maybe I need to get out more!?
05 September 2012
Why I chose my CDL program
I looked at a number of different trucking schools and at company training programs (where the company itself teaches you how to drive instead of you attending an independent CDL school). There was a school about 50 miles away, but the only financing they offered was through a specific transport company that required you to sign a one year contract and to spend the first six months of that contract as a team driver.
No, thank you.
I know I'll have to share a cab with another driver during the initial training phase, but I have no desire to be a team driver. The school I chose is actually just outside South Bend, Indiana. Their financing process is that you take out a loan and then (hopefully) whichever trucking company you work for agrees to make a specified loan payment (not deducted from your salary, in addition to it) each month that you work for them.
Not all companies offer loan reimbursement, but a lot of them do. It's a good incentive.
No contract. I like the freedom of choice.
No, thank you.
I know I'll have to share a cab with another driver during the initial training phase, but I have no desire to be a team driver. The school I chose is actually just outside South Bend, Indiana. Their financing process is that you take out a loan and then (hopefully) whichever trucking company you work for agrees to make a specified loan payment (not deducted from your salary, in addition to it) each month that you work for them.
Not all companies offer loan reimbursement, but a lot of them do. It's a good incentive.
No contract. I like the freedom of choice.
Early Days
Yesterday (Tuesday) was my first day of CDL training. The morning was a lot of welcoming and paperwork. There are a dozen people in my class and I am the only female. I am the only female student in the entire school.
By the second day, most of the class was relaxed enough to joke and tease each other (nothing inappropriate). The instructor is really great. He's clearly very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He engages everyone in class and he's always willing to review anything you didn't understand or try to explain it more clearly if you are having trouble. All you have to do is ask.
I've gotten some weird looks from the guys in the other classes, but everyone at the school has been very respectful. On the first day, I was sitting in the reception area waiting to ask my recruiter about something, and the guy next to me asked me if I was a recruiter for one of the trucking companies. I told him that I was a student at the school. His response? "What does your husband think of you driving a truck?" He didn't say it rudely and I think it was an honest question. He seemed surprised to learn that I wasn't married. And that pretty much sums up the conversation.
For the record, I am single. I've never been married. I don't have children.
That give me a lot of freedom of choice when it comes to trucking jobs (no family means that "home time" is not really a very high priority) in that I don't really have other opinions to take into account. I have six pre-hire offers so far and I'm really weighing my options. I'm reading as much as I can about each company and reading through online trucker forums in search of firsthand reviews from people who have worked for them. Knowledge is power.
I printed out the 2012 CDL file from the website for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. I glanced through it over the weekend, but didn't get a chance to read much of it in-depth until Monday night. Today, we received a binder containing the pertinent parts of the CDL manual (not all sections apply to tractor-trailers, some are for buses, etc.) and I was surprised that it was the Tennessee CDL manual from 2006. Most of the information is the same, but a few bits of information was different. The headquarters for this family of trucking schools is in Tennessee, but why have a manual that is 6 years out of date? The .pdf for the current Indiana CDL manual is online, free and available to anyone.
We are scheduled to take our CDL permit test on Thursday afternoon. I think I'm ready. We played a trivia review game in class today and I beat everyone else by quite a margin. Sometimes being a nerd and bookworm really comes in handy. I wanted to make it clear that I am serious about becoming a trucker and being the best student I can be is my way of showing my dedication. I was aware going in that some of the guys probably wouldn't want me there and I think I am just trying to prove that I deserve, as much as anyone, to be sitting in that classroom. Also, I just plain like to win!
Here is what the schedule for the few days of class looks like:
Day One
Welcome, lots of paperwork, filling out applications and starting on CDL knowledge for permit test.
Day Two
CDL handbook and test prep. Information about air brakes. "Fieldtrip" out to a truck in the training yard to see brakes in action.
Day Three
Morning - CDL review. Afternoon, all students to license branch to take CDL permit test.
The rest of the first week (and the following weeks) of school is driving practice on the test range, highway and in the city. We will be doing the driving test toward the end of the third week of class.
By the second day, most of the class was relaxed enough to joke and tease each other (nothing inappropriate). The instructor is really great. He's clearly very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He engages everyone in class and he's always willing to review anything you didn't understand or try to explain it more clearly if you are having trouble. All you have to do is ask.
I've gotten some weird looks from the guys in the other classes, but everyone at the school has been very respectful. On the first day, I was sitting in the reception area waiting to ask my recruiter about something, and the guy next to me asked me if I was a recruiter for one of the trucking companies. I told him that I was a student at the school. His response? "What does your husband think of you driving a truck?" He didn't say it rudely and I think it was an honest question. He seemed surprised to learn that I wasn't married. And that pretty much sums up the conversation.
For the record, I am single. I've never been married. I don't have children.
That give me a lot of freedom of choice when it comes to trucking jobs (no family means that "home time" is not really a very high priority) in that I don't really have other opinions to take into account. I have six pre-hire offers so far and I'm really weighing my options. I'm reading as much as I can about each company and reading through online trucker forums in search of firsthand reviews from people who have worked for them. Knowledge is power.
I printed out the 2012 CDL file from the website for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. I glanced through it over the weekend, but didn't get a chance to read much of it in-depth until Monday night. Today, we received a binder containing the pertinent parts of the CDL manual (not all sections apply to tractor-trailers, some are for buses, etc.) and I was surprised that it was the Tennessee CDL manual from 2006. Most of the information is the same, but a few bits of information was different. The headquarters for this family of trucking schools is in Tennessee, but why have a manual that is 6 years out of date? The .pdf for the current Indiana CDL manual is online, free and available to anyone.
We are scheduled to take our CDL permit test on Thursday afternoon. I think I'm ready. We played a trivia review game in class today and I beat everyone else by quite a margin. Sometimes being a nerd and bookworm really comes in handy. I wanted to make it clear that I am serious about becoming a trucker and being the best student I can be is my way of showing my dedication. I was aware going in that some of the guys probably wouldn't want me there and I think I am just trying to prove that I deserve, as much as anyone, to be sitting in that classroom. Also, I just plain like to win!
Here is what the schedule for the few days of class looks like:
Day One
Welcome, lots of paperwork, filling out applications and starting on CDL knowledge for permit test.
Day Two
CDL handbook and test prep. Information about air brakes. "Fieldtrip" out to a truck in the training yard to see brakes in action.
Day Three
Morning - CDL review. Afternoon, all students to license branch to take CDL permit test.
The rest of the first week (and the following weeks) of school is driving practice on the test range, highway and in the city. We will be doing the driving test toward the end of the third week of class.
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