Profile For Michael C.

Hello, I just started a truck driving program and my trainer and I aren't getting along very well. The on yard week was filled with me driving around trying to learn to do stuff on my own because he was sleeping or on his phone. I'm nervous about driving the truck because I'm new at it and I don't feel very comfortable about driving in the city with him if he doesn't care about my training. He has also already set up my cdl test for this week and I will only have 12 hours of road time by that point. How can I learn everything I need to know in 12 hours?!? Any suggestions or advice?

Bad trainers, or it seems in your case, instructor's, suck. Unfortunately they're out there, most of them just for the extra $$$. When I went through company sponsored CDL training I was there for ~4 weeks. From day 1 getting my CLP to the day I tested and got my CDL I might have had at most, 6 hours of actual road-time driving. That being said I knew going in that this was going to be a sink or swim program, pushing ~30 people a week into a program isn't smart business in my opinion, but it isn't my decision. The first day I started driving at the yard and practicing backing was the end of week 1 after I got my CLP. I don't consider myself extremely intelligent but I made it a point from the beginning to soak up as much info from each instructor at the yard that I could. That helped immensely, I sifted through all of the information they gave me(some good, some bad) and found what worked best for me. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed, take it one step at a time and if you don't feel safe with that instructor, speak up and talk to someone above them.

TL;DR - 1. Speak up to that instructor or go to the next link in the chain if they aren't instructing/helping you. 2. Focus on soaking up any information possible. 3. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed, breathe and focus on the task at hand.

Also quick question for all the primates on here. Do they pay for your truck washes and trailer wash outs or is that something you have to pay for yourself

Iirc, Prime pays for 1 truck wash a month and however many trailer washouts you require for loads. Unless things have changed with the truck wash its the "basic" wash. If you want the undercarriage/frame washed with their coating wash it's out of pocket.

When I was pulling Prime trailers with the company I trained at I went coast to coast twice in that month, also hit 42/48 states in that time. I'm sure it also helped my trainer lived in CA. But yes, I'd say it's definitely possible.

I've only been to the NE 1 time. The only advice I can give is, if your not delivering in NYC, avoid at all cost(just my opinion). The other piece of advice is park early. Once you get past PA, if you don't park early finding a parking spot makes finding a needle in a haystack look easy.

TL:DR - 1. Avoid NYC if you can. 2. Park early as you can.

As far as simulators go, if you got the $ you can make a pretty realistic setup (flight, racing, driving sims). As far as driving simulators ATS is the "newest", I find it pretty decent. They have weigh stations, "CAT scales" near fuel stops. They even added a more "realistic" system when hooking up to a trailer where you can miss the king-pin. However, I think it'll be a while before they can simulate jumping the king-pin over the fifth-wheel. For about $600 or so you can have a pretty realistic setup with wheel/pedals/shifter. There is also a newly made shifter that makes it more realistic for truck sims. It basically turns the standard shifter into a 10 or 18-speed shifter(http://csio.tech/).

There are also mods for it that you can download that gives you the whole country to run.

Hands down I84 between Hermiston and Portland in Oregon in the springtime. Specifically around sunrise, the scenery along the columbia river is amazing.

Sounds like a good day for making money. Albeit a tiresome one. Longest single day run I've had was 683.8miles in 10hours 58 min on the clock governed at 63 as well.. Made it from Nashville to Dallas. Just in time to get the last open spot at the pilot. Construction through memphis, little rock and texarkana just about ruined my plan A that day.

TS would be cool, but I think Discord would be easier. It's more of an IM'ing program with voice built in if wanted. Can be accessed by PC or smart-phone.

In my short length of experience that I've been driving, Here's the biggest DO and DON"T I can give.

DO- GOAL, without a doubt if you're not sure, get out and look. Don't leave it to "I think I got it".

DON'T- The biggest mistake I've seen other people make, that I'm guilty of as well is, being in a hurry. If you do a quick youtube search of trucking accidents, especially those at yards and truck stops, majority are caused by the driver being in a hurry. "Ahh, there is a spot, I got this, swing around at 15mph not looking in your mirrors and then boom, you tear off the front end of the neighboring truck or trailer". As much as you need to get to your destination, take your time, especially in heavy traffic, people WILL cut you off. If you leave room, 4-wheelers will take the spot. If you leave no room, they'll still take it. Biggest difference is that you have more time to react and adjust accordingly.

I LIVE IN NEW YORK IN I CHOOSE TO DO DEDICATED EAST REGIONAL WHICH STATES DO THAT INCLUDE

Why are you yelling?