Wow, I can’t believe my CDL training is over. It seems like just yesterday I was so anxious to get started. Now here I am with a CDL driver’s license in my pocket as I write this. They actually trust me to drive an 80,000 pound truck?!? Yikes! Luckily I’ll be eased into that with a trainer at my first trucking company.

I thought I’d write a few of my thoughts and experiences for those of you considering going to truck driving school and becoming a truck driver. It’s hard to make blanket statements as CDL training is different from state to state. My training took place in the great impeachment state of Illinois. Due to Mr. George Ryan and his CDL scandal here in Illinois some years back (scandals in Illinois? Yes, it’s true!), this state actually has some of the toughest standards for getting a CDL. In fact, an Illinois CDL is transferable to any other state in the country, but Illinois doesn’t accept an out of state CDL until you take the Illinois CDL tests. And just a note: we have CDL practice tests here on our site.

The reason I mention this is because getting my CDL was hard! I know that in many states, it might be easy. But let me tell you something. Getting into this, I thought this would be a cake walk. Oh how wrong I was. It wasn’t so much the driving that surprised me, but the bookwork involved. Studying for the written CDL exams required nightly study time. Studying for the pre-trip exam also took some intensive studying. I’d literally wake up in the middle of the night and my first thought was about the pre-trip inspection exam. I’d wake up and immediately think “steer tires must have at least 4/32 of an inch of tread depth in each and every major groove.” It was intense, but it paid off come test day! And the pre-trip inspection stuff is actually something you should know. The chances that you’ll actually check every single thing every single day is probably pretty low. But it’s good to know it, just in case.

And if you’re in a quick 4 week CDL training period like I was, it’s probably a good idea to simply concentrate on the things you’ll need to know for your CDL exams. There was one guy in my class that would ask every question under the sun. You know the type. The “what if” guy. I respect that he wants to learn as much as he can, but there will be so much information you’ll need to know for the CDL exams that clouding your brain with additional info is probably something that will work against you. While in CDL training, just worry about what the instructors say is important. Remember, a condensed truck driving school doesn’t make you a truck driver. It gives you just enough knowledge to quickly pass your CDL exams. Once you pass your exams and go over the road with a trucking company, your company trainer will be able to teach you more real world stuff. This is when you can ask those “what if” questions. Just get your CDL license first, then pick your trainers brain when you finally hit the road. You’ll be with your trainer for about 6 weeks driving all day every day. So there will be plenty of time for those questions later. Just get your CDL license first!

Learning to drive a truck was tougher than I thought, at least at first. Since I drive a manual transmission car, I thought I’d have an advantage over those who have never driven a stick shift before. Rhonda warned me that driving a manual transmission truck is much different than driving a manual transmission car. She was very much correct! Those of you who have never driven a stick shift vehicle before, don’t even worry about it. There is no disadvantage to this. In fact, you are probably in better shape since you don’t need to break any bad habits. For those of you who are familiar with a manual transmission in your car, completely forget all of that when you step into a tractor trailer for the first time. Listen to your instructor and re-learn how to shift all over again. If you try to shift the same way as you do in your car, you’ll grind gears all day long. The first day you learn to shift, you’ll wonder what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into. But don’t worry, the amount you’ll learn in just that first week is incredible. I still can’t believe how quickly I learned to drive. The first day driving the truck I could barely get moving without the instructors help. By the 3rd week I was having competitions with my fellow classmates on who could shift the fastest!

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