Category Archives: On The Road In Training

A Driver Trainer’s Perspective: Some Helpful Tips And Observations For Student Drivers

Posted on November 14, 2011 by TruckerMike

Being a CDL instructor or a driver trainer is a very unique experience. I learned more about truck driving over the past 4 weeks than I have in the previous three years combined. It was an amazing learning experience for me. Here are some of the highlights I learned along the way. Continue reading →

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OTR Training- Week 1: Patience and Perseverance

Posted on October 25, 2011 by lucky13

Becoming a solo truck driver is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and I have done some hard things. CDL training will test you in so many ways, and it will go far beyond your ability to drive a truck. Continue reading →

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Trying To Teach Proper Driver Forecasting

Posted on September 27, 2011 by TruckerMike

I’m about three weeks into being a CDL instructor now, working one on one on the road with my student. There’s a lot I can teach, but there’s a lot that can only come with experience. Forecasting what may happen next is one of the most important aspects of safe driving, and one of the toughest to teach a new driver. Continue reading →

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Types of Trainers and How to Deal With Them

Posted on September 22, 2011 by TruckerMike

While I’ve only been a CDL instructor for about a week now, I’ve already noticed that my training techniques could easily go in several different directions. Here are some of the more common personalities and traits a trainer might have, and how to deal with them as a student or new driver. Continue reading →

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A Trainer’s Perspective On Teaching Students How To Shift

Posted on September 7, 2011 by TruckerMike

Today, I became a fully certified CDL instructor (woo hoo!). It feels very strange to be teaching students how to shift a truck when it feels like I just got my CDL license last week. Of course, I’ve had my license for over two and a half years now, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Safe Driving Tips, The Trainer's Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I’m Becoming a CDL Instructor!

Posted on September 1, 2011 by TruckerMike

Yup, I’m doing something I never thought I’d ever do. I’m becoming a CDL instructor! Long story short, an old college buddy of mine started asking questions about becoming a truck driver. After several emails and a couple phone calls together, he applied to the company I drive for and was hired. He’s coming in without any trucking experience and no CDL. After a lot of thinking, I decided to train him myself. Continue reading →

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Training Time Is Over And It’s Time To Test

Posted on August 24, 2011 by JakeCat22

Well, after two weeks with my trainer, I got to go home for three days to relax and get ready for my company test. Before I can get assigned my own truck I had to go back to the operating center and take a series of tests so the company knows I am knowledgeable enough and safe enough to go out solo in my own truck. Here’s how it went… Continue reading →

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On The Road In Training: There’s Been A Lot Of Ups And Downs

Posted on August 10, 2011 by JakeCat22

Well, I have been out with my trainer for a week and a half now and it has definitely been a roller coaster ride. I am learning new things every day, and every day our trainer expects us to do more and more on our own with little or no guidance from him. I feel I have progressed quite a bit, but feel as tho I still have a long way to go, especially since I only have 3 more days with my trainer. Continue reading →

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On The Road In Training: Doing Things For The First Time

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JakeCat22

In my first few days out on the road with a trainer everything is going great. Everything is brand new to you at this point – even my first truck stop shower! I had no idea how that was gonna go! Continue reading →

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My First Days On The Road With A Trainer

Posted on August 3, 2011 by JakeCat22

We completed orientation and I got a call from the company that there was a trainer available to take me so I headed out on the highway for the first time! Here’s how it went… Continue reading →

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The Showdown With “The Colonel” – Handling My Trainer’s Tirades

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

3200 miles with colonel Kurtz and still going surprisingly well. I needed to keep things light with this guy because I still had two or three weeks left with him. When it seemed like he wasn’t going to let up on me, I knew we were going to have a showdown. Continue reading →

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Dealing With Some Crazy Personalities During Training

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

I’ve been really happy with my fortune so far but the first day I met my finisher, I got a little concerned. The first thing he told me was “Forget everything you learned at your school.” And it got much crazier from there. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Will I Know If Trucking Was The Right Career Choice?

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Brett Aquila

Truck driving is one of the most unique jobs and lifestyles you’ll find anywhere. It’s also one of the most demanding, and trucking certainly isn’t for everyone. Everyone faces tough challenges and almost everyone questions whether or not becoming a truck driver was the right thing to do. How do you know when you’ve seen enough? When do you throw in the towel and say “Wow, this isn’t for me!” Read on and we’ll help you understand what you’re facing and when enough is enough.
Continue reading →

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On The Road In Training With Ringo Part 2

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Rick Huffman

The first couple of weeks on the road driving flatbed were hard, because my body was not conditioned to this pace, this type of work, or these long hours. I lost most of the feeling in the tips of my fingers, and I had aches in places where I would have sworn I didn’t have muscles. Continue reading →

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On The Road In Training With Ringo

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Rick Huffman

My first time out on the road in training I had a patient, entertaining, and unique character for a trainer – Ringo – an imposing, grizzly bear of a man with a beard like Dan Haggerty. His patience and entertaining stories made for a very unique experience. Since we were running southeast regional, we would get to go home on weekends, but the “trucker’s weekend” was not something I’d been prepared for. Continue reading →

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