About To Start Training With Roehl

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, I've been busy communicating with family the last few evenings.

Week 3 Day 2:

Pretty much the normal routine of pre-trip with backing in the morning and driving in the afternoon, followed up by a post trip inspection.

Week 3 Day 3:

The new class got settled in and started learning their pre-trip on on my week 3, day 2, so we walked them through the pre-trip while we were doing ours. My classmate and I split up and split up the new class to work in small groups, getting both trucks pre-tripped at the same time. I like the way they do this because it was a confidence builder when I was a 1st week student to see a 3rd week student able to breeze through and explain the pre-trip to me. It also helped me develop my own flow for the pre-trip when I was the 1st week student. As a 3rd week student, it's helping me solidify things I may be missing, and the 1st week student's questions make me stop and think about what I'm checking, what I'm saying, and why I'm doing so.

After the pre-trip, my classmate and I went out for a driver evaluation with the other instructor to see where we are with out training. While both of us had a few issues, we both did well overall and got some advice on how to fix those issues. We also showed the 1st week students how to do a post trip inspection before calling it a day.

Week 3 Day 4:

We started off today by going to the Fort Worth DPS Mega Center to fill out our testing paperwork and pay our fees. After we completed that, we watched a student from another school (or possibly someone who was taught individually, as the truck he was driving was a CDL test rental truck) do his backing skills tests in a single axle daycab pulling a 28' pup trailer. By the time we returned, we had a bit of time to do a pre-trip before lunch.

After lunch, we both drove a fair distance. When I drove, we got caught up in pre-rush hour traffic. That was an experience to say the least, but I did well. This drive felt like it was my best drive so far in the program. Things are starting to come together well. When we returned, we watched a series of videos on the event recorder system in the trucks. To finish off the day, we unhooked our trailer and split up with the 1st week students to do post trip inspections.

Man I'm getting bad about missing days here. Sorry about that.

So, Week 3 Day 5: We did our daily pre-trip, then worked on our offset backing and parallel parking before lunch. After lunch was all classwork, then post trip.

Week 4 Day 1: Started off with the daily pre trip and then driving on the road for about an hour. Then a bit of parallel parking before lunch. After lunch, we did more parallel parking and offset backing. Then post trip and called it a day.

For some reason I'm struggling with the parallel parking. I was doing well on Wednesday afternoon with it, but after the break from backing on Thursday, I had some kind of brain drain on Friday that I only barely started recovering from after several backs this afternoon. I'm doing well with everything else. I'm strong on the pre-trip, have no issues with the straight line back, can do the offset with maybe a couple of points deducted, and I do well on the road. Hopefully I'll get back in the swing of things with it tomorrow.

Week 4 Day 2

As usual, our day started with a pre trip inspection. Afterwards, I drove us about an hour or so to a Love's truck stop for fuel and to pick up a rewards card, which I completed the registration for once I returned to the hotel this evening. My classmate drove us back to the terminal. Then we took our lunch.

After lunch, we started with several offset backs and went into parallel parking. All but a couple of my backs went well this afternoon. The two that were a bit on the ugly side, I had to work for, but managed to get them in with minimal if any points deduction.

Once we had completed our backing for the day, we disconnected the trailer and washed and detailed the truck, followed up by a post trip. Students here almost always wash their training truck the day before testing. In our case, my classmate has his test tomorrow and mine is on Friday. To keep our worked hours straight, I will be off tomorrow and half the day Thursday.

Overall I'm happy with where I'm at and feel I'm ready for the CDL test on Friday.

Hey good luck on your test! I am considering Roehl and the gycdl program myself and reading this has been helpful. Thanks

Thank you David.

So far, I'm impressed with the program they have set up here and I'm feeling good and ready for the test.

Good luck on your test on Friday and thanks for the precise information you have provided. You are helping a lot of us that trying to get in the trucking industry.

Please give us an update on how the test go and what is included in test.

Week 4 Day 4:

Due to my test day being Friday, I had yesterday (Wednesday) and the first half of today off to keep the hours worked where they should be.

When I came in after lunch, I did a few backs and pretty much took it easy so not to overdo it the day before my test. I'm ready for tomorrow. Before leaving, as with every day, I did a post trip on the truck.

Tomorrow morning I'll be heading out early to make the drive to take my CDL skills tests.

Good luck!

Don't really know what to say, so I'll just say what happened.

We left the terminal at about 5:30am, I was driving. We stopped on the way at a truckstop about 20 miles from the test site. Left there at about 7:20 to head to the test site. We arrived at about 7:45, so we drove around the area a bit so I could practice a couple of the awkward turns, then returned to the test site at 8 for my 8:15 appointment.

There were 2 trucks already there, so I had to sit in the truck and wait until about 9 or so to start the test.

I drew the front of the truck, engine compartment, and coupling. I completed that with no issues and moved on to the in cab. I did well with that, missing only the emergency equipment.

During the air brake test, I missed the button pop out test. I realized this after I had started the pressure build up test, stopped told the tester I missed something and asked if I could restart the test. I restarted the test and passed the air btake test.

I then had to wait on another person to complete their backing skills tests. This took about 15 or 20 minutes.

When doing my straight line back, the lanes felt narrower than they should be, but I completed it with only 1 or 2 points (not sure how they score a cone. I ran over the flat part of a cone with one of the drives.). I then did the offset back, which I did a 3rd pull up on and got it in.

On the parallel park, I used both of my get outs and made too many pull ups. I still couldn't get it in the box.

Despite this, I am VERY fortunate and am being given a 2nd chance to take the test. Not everyone that goes through the program is afforded the opportunity to take the test again (using comoany assets, that is. I could always rent a truck to take it again if need be, but that's another discussion) if they don't pass the 1st time.

I'm currently at home for a few days and will return Wednesday night for some additional training/practice on Thursday and a retest on Friday.

There is a lesson that others can learn from this. When you're in training (at a minimum), have a positive attitude, listen to the instructors, show your commitment to the career, be a courteous, safe, and attentive driver, and be respectful. Doing these things can go a long way to help you out if things don't go your way or if you struggle a bit with something.

Despite this, I am VERY fortunate and am being given a 2nd chance to take the test. Not everyone that goes through the program is afforded the opportunity to take the test again (using comoany assets, that is. I could always rent a truck to take it again if need be, but that's another discussion) if they don't pass the 1st time.

Am I just being too sensitive but given only 1 chance to pass seems a bit harsh when the Company has spent so much time and money to put you in a seat and make them some money. Help me understand Folks !