Tag Archives: attending truck driving school

Beginning Week Two Of CDL Training: What Do You Mean, ‘Don’t Hit That Car’?

Day two of week two dawned (if you want to call it that) chilly and rainy.  Of course, that’s typical for the Pacific Northwest at this time of year. Our truck driver training is advancing into new stages. Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 2 | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The First Week Of My CDL Training

So, finally I got into the school on 4/20 and started the classroom phase.  My school required that we have already gotten the CDL permit and all five of the required endorsements (combination vehicle, doubles/triples, air brakes, tanker, and hazardous … Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

CDL Exam Day: Hoping To Get My License – Not An Ulcer

Olah! I haven’t written for a few weeks, so I have to catch everyone up on how things have been going. I finished school. That’s right. I’m now allowed to drive one of the biggest, baddest vehicles on the road. … Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Passing The CDL Test | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trucking School Is Hard: Peter’s Crybaby Blog

Woe is me. Not only is truck driving school not easy, but getting a job and getting rollin in this economy is not the fastest process by any means! Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Week 3 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

CDL Training Week Two – Finding Out Which Of Us Will Make It Through

Ah, week two. The magical week that separates the truck drivers from the…well… not truck drivers? This is the week that we actually get out of the desk and behind the wheel. The week where you probably will be doing all the basics. If you’re like me, you’re probably scared to death, and if you’re not, then your nerves are made of barb wire and I envy you. I was completely horrified of down shifting for some reason, so when it came time to take a tight curve, I kind of tensed up and almost hit a guard rail. So here’s a little advice, calm down. It really comes natural when you get the hang of it. You’re going to probably start off slow. Snail slow. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 2 | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

End Of My First Week of CDL School, Start of My First Blog

Well I finally did it! After a whole year of thinking about it, I decided it was time for me to dive head-first into the exciting, rewarding career of over-the-road truck driving. So I grabbed my fingerless work gloves, denim jacket and “Smokey and the Bandit” DVD and realized that I had absolutely no idea how to get into the industry…. Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Range Driving and Road Driving Semi Trucks at CDL School

Its been a few days since I posted and I just wanted to fill you in on how my week is going at Central Refrigerated driving school. After the classroom was done last week we started yard work, which includes … Continue reading

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Our CDL Training Takes Us Outside to the Truck Backing Range

The end of week one of our CDL training has us doing a variety of different things, including classroom study, videos, backing up on the truck range, and doing pre-trip inspections. Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Passing The CDL Test, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Truck Driving School Days Two and Three: Our CDL Permit Test and DOT Physical

Days two and three of our trucking school meant more studying, taking our DOT physical, and also taking the written test for our CDL permit. This school is really fast paced! Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Truck Driving School: First Day at Central Refrigeration Training

Ok, so the first day wasn’t that great. I mean it is what it is. You do alot in the 15 day course. Its very fast paced. The rooms they put you in are small, but clean. The second week … Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 1 | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

CDL Test Day – What It Was Like Taking (and passing!) the CDL Test

Wow, the day has finally arrived! We are scheduled to take our CDL road test today! We got about 2 inches of snow last night which is not a big deal around here, but I was still a bit concerned … Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Week 5 | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

CDL Training – Our Training Truck Breakdown!

The last week and a half, we have been doing nothing but preparing for the CDL exam. By the way, we now have a free online CDL practice test. Basically, we’ve been rotating between the yard skills test and the … Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 5 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Truck Driving School 2009: Will The Poor Economy Still Offer Truck Driving Jobs For Students?

In today’s slow economy there are tons of layoffs and more people than ever are considering going to truck driving school and becoming truck drivers – and rightly so. But none of that will matter if you can’t find a job once you get your CDL. So what is the current job outlook for those that are new to the trucking industry? Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Current State of the Trucking Industry, Free CDL Training, The Economy and Politics | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

CDL Training – Hopefully Taking The CDL Test This Week

Last week was pretty busy for me. But things are starting to get a bit repetitive at truck driving school. We’re mostly alternating all day between backing up in the yard and driving truck out on the road. My road skills are becoming quite refined and I’m starting to feel very comfortable driving trucks now. I know I still have a ton to learn and I’m looking forward to getting on with a trucking company and going out on the road with a trainer. I’m sure I’ll be overwhelmed once I’m out there. Continue reading

Posted in Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 4 | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

CDL Training – One Test Down, Two More Remaining

So today was a big day for us. The Secretary of State examiner came out for our pre-trip exam. This day was a complete cluster from the start though. First, the Secretary of State said they’d be there at 7am … Continue reading

Posted in Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 4 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments