Comments By Randall H

Congratulations... I'm currently on the bus headed out to prime

Here are the links to my diary and the backing maneuver "formulas."

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-3605/Page-1/the-diaries-of-randy-prime-inc

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-3853/Page-1/how-to-parallel-park-

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-3855/Page-1/how-to-complete-the-offset-backing-maneuver-for-the-cdl-exam-as-done-in-missouri

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-3854/Page-1/how-to-alley-dock-for-the-cdl-exam-as-done-in-missouri

But I will be getting my own DOT physical and a sleep test done if needed by my own dr who is a certified DOT dr too.

Regardless if you get your own physical...I did to take my permit test before going to Prime...... you still have to do their DOT physical when you get there....no exceptions. What you experienced is why I mentioned that kind of stuff on my "Diaries of Randy J. @ Prime, Inc." Because of the way the whole system works (money being the driving force), there are things prospective students need to know to help not becoming the victim of the process.....being sent home instead of getting it all in hand BEFORE leaving home. Good luck once you get back here. Hang tough. It can be a grinding process of patience and perseverance.

Congratulations... I'm currently on the bus headed out to prime

Great. I wrote a thread on here called "The Diaries of Randy J. @ Prime, Inc." You will find some useful info on there to help you through the orientation and training for your CDL. You can call me @ 334-498-0026. I'm gonna be here a couple more days before I head out for my next phase.

There is another thread on here by Daniel P. on how he conducts his pre-trip inspection. It is step by step with pictures and what to say. I cannot overstate the advantage of beginning to learn this. When you have spare time during orientation, do yourself a great service and study it so that you have it nailed down very early in your process. Far too many students fail their pre-trip, the first of the 3 testing parts and that kills their whole process because you cannot move on to the other 2 parts until you pass that first. KNOW IT, KNOW IT, KNOW IT.....like your name.....KNOW IT!!!

I have some other training pieces that will help you with your backing, the other part that trips people up on the exam. This material is priceless. I was given this info on the training pad and I spent less than 3 hours on the pad learning it and never practiced it again before I took my exam. I told it to someone else struggling and they went right out and passed the exam. It works! These two things will set you up to pass your exam after you learn to drive your truck.

Good luck with your journey. Stay focused on the goal.

Be blessed and be safe.

Congratulations! Is Prime still paying a bonus for a trifecta? I think I got $250 and my instructor got $900 when I trifecta'd. I stayed with him for TnT, we got along well.

Yes it is my understanding they do. The bigger bonus is that I got rid of the most rude, inconsiderate, impolite, and angry-at-the-world person as my instructor..........and that now I get to earn a paycheck!!!

6 weeks ago I started exploring the idea of trucking, and found TT. On April 28th I called Prime and started the process. On May 12 I arrived in Springfield for orientation. On May 19 I started my CDL training phase. Today I took the CDL exam and passed all 3 parts for a TRIFECTA!!! Oh what a relief it is!!! I am thrilled to have this part done.

Thanks to Brett and TT friends for all of the help and advice in getting to this point on my journey. Next up, meet my trainer for the next phase and head out for my 30000 miles and learning the OTR aspect of this.....and earning a paycheck!!!

Be blessed and be safe!

Huge congrats!!! Just passed my CDL today as well!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you and CONGRATS to you too!!

I THINK the bigger concern from their viewpoint is that you tell them precisely when you worked and when you did not and be truthful about why you were unemployed, etc, etc. You clean background is a plus and I'm sure you are NOT carving out a new path of someone wanting to do this coming off of being unemployed. Check out the companies that offer it and then contact them and tell them your situation, what you want, and ask questions about the company and see where it takes you. I'd be surprised if you did NOT find a company that would accept you. I always approach things like this with the idea that the worst they can do is say "No." More likely you will get a "Yes," if not more than 1.

So dig in and do your research....there is plenty of info on here......start calling them and see where it takes you. Good luck with your journey. (I started mine 6 weeks ago and passed my exam today.)

6 weeks ago I started exploring the idea of trucking, and found TT. On April 28th I called Prime and started the process. On May 12 I arrived in Springfield for orientation. On May 19 I started my CDL training phase. Today I took the CDL exam and passed all 3 parts for a TRIFECTA!!! Oh what a relief it is!!! I am thrilled to have this part done.

Thanks to Brett and TT friends for all of the help and advice in getting to this point on my journey. Next up, meet my trainer for the next phase and head out for my 30000 miles and learning the OTR aspect of this.....and earning a paycheck!!!

Be blessed and be safe!

Not much new on my last week. Just more of the same but my shifting is getting smoother and smoother. I am able to process everything so much better with the burps on the radar screen being fewer and father between. Now the BEST PART.....

Today I took my CDL exam and had a Trifecta!!! First mission accomplished, licensed driver!!! I will soon meet my trainer for the next phase and be off to OTR land where a whole new world of adventures and learning await me. Because I had local for my PSD phase, there is much that I missed out on and my new trainer will have to bring me up to speed on those things, but I know it's just a matter of doing them. I am so relieved to have the exam done.

The "teacher" in me has led me to helping many other students. Some have instructors who literally tell them to figure it out on their own. So I have spent time teaching them. I have one special story regarding that.....

I was at the Millennium waiting on the shuttle and started chatting with another student. He was very frustrated and told me he had failed his exam TWICE already. His instructor had nothing new to offer and told him to get in the truck and figure it out. He felt so lost and clueless where to start. So I told him about the "formulas" for parallel, off-set, and alley dock, using the "V" and the landing gear. He soaked it up like a sponge and thanked me. That was about 5 days ago.

Today, while I was waiting to do my exam, he showed up there and we met again by chance. He was telling another student his story of failing and frustration and then said that yesterday he passed his exam because of what I had taught him. That made me feel SO GOOD. I was thrilled that I had shared it with him and that he was able to comprehend it without even seeing it or being in the truck when I shared it with him. It truly makes me feel great when I see other students passing their exams. I feel it while I'm watching them go through the various parts of the test and it agonizes me when I see one fail.

So when he told me he had passed his exam, that alone was GREAT news. To see how our chance meeting led to helping him do so made it that much better. He was all grins as he told me and thanked me. So today was a double blessing for me.

I again want to thank Brett and TT friends for their part in helping me get to this point. I will be staying with TT as I continue my journey.

Be blessed and be safe!!!

The set up. You will pull forward to the barrier as instructed by the examiner. He will tell you whether you are starting left and offsetting to the right, or from the right, offsetting to the left. These instructions are for offsetting to the left.

1. Turn the steering wheel hard right. Back up slowly until getting to the center of the "V" (at the edge of the mud flap). STOP.

2. Turn the steering wheel hard left. Back up slowly until the truck is aligned straight with the trailer. STOP.

3. Turn the steering wheel hard right. Back up slowly until getting to the center of the "V" (at the edge of the mud flap). STOP.

4. Turn the steering wheel hard left. Back up slowly until the truck is aligned straight with the trailer. STOP.

5. At this point you will be backing straight, looking for the target cone in your right mirror. The target cone is the front cone on the right side of the opening. Continue to back until the trailer tires are positioned such that you can clear the cone and turn the trailer into the opening. STOP.

6. Turn the steering wheel hard left and slowly push the trailer around to near straight. STOP.

7. Turn the steering wheel hard right and bring the truck around in alignment with the trailer and complete the backing into the opening, adjusting to stay inside the box until the front of the truck gets inside the box. STOP.

Obviously if you get the trailer in a position where you are not sure of how close you are to barriers, a pull up can be used to straighten it out and then have more of a straight line back into the box. And of course you have Get Out And Looks to use if needed.

8. Once you are sure you're inside the box, set the parking brake and honk the horn to let the examiner know you are done.

Just reverse the directions to offset towards the right.

The set up..... From inside the middle lane (there are 3 side by side lanes used for off-sets and the straight line backing), you sill pull forward straight forward to the barrier ahead, with the front of the truck right up to the barrier. When doing so, stay as far to the left side of that lane as possible. This is the set up......the alley dock box is to the back left for this maneuver.

I am going to guide you through some steps without pictures because if you follow these first steps your trailer will be heading right towards the open box. If you do not end up going right in, a pull up will certainly set you up to do so. My instructor showed me this ONE TIME and then turned the truck over to me. The first time I did it I missed the target opening a bit and had to do a pull up to adjust. On the next one I did use a pull up but only to be sure I was not crossing a blind barrier. On the next two I knew I had it within the box and used NO PULL UPS and only got out to look when I was fully in the box, to verify I was in the proper position to end it. Here's how it goes.

1. Turn the steering wheel hard right. Back up slowly until you see the landing gear leg on the far side of the trailer. First you will see the near side leg, then the "V" and then the far leg. STOP. DO NOT MOVE.

2. Turn the steering wheel hard left. Back up slowly until getting back to the center of the "V" (at the edge of the mud flap). STOP. DO NOT MOVE.

3. Turn the steering wheel hard right. Back up slowly until you see the landing gear leg on the far side of the trailer (at the edge of the mud flap). STOP. DO NOT MOVE.

4. Turn the steering wheel hard left. Back up slowly until getting back to the center of the "V" (at the edge of the mud flap) STOP. DO NOT MOVE.

5. Turn the steering wheel hard right. Back up slowly until you see the landing gear leg on the far side of the trailer (at the edge of the mud flap). STOP.

(The reason this is done in these steps instead of taking it hard all the way is to avoid putting the front of the truck all the way out to the right side barrier. By taking it in pieces it leaves plenty of room for when you need to follow the trailer in.)

6. Now back up and hold that leg in your mirror as the guide (at the edge of the mud flap), also watching the back of your trailer as it moves towards the opening. You can adjust as you go, but using the leg of the landing gear as a guide should send you very close to the right place.

7. If you get the trailer back towards the opening and it is NOT on target, before you violate a barrier, you can pull up. Steer out to the left and swing back to the right and out towards the barrier in front of the truck. Stop and then turn the steering wheel to the right and complete the move towards the opening, watching the trailer out the window.

8. Whether as a result of step 6 or step 7, once the trailer is going into the opening, turn the steering wheel to the hard left and bring the truck around to align it with the trailer, adjusting to keep the trailer between the barriers. Another pull up could be used here if needed to make it a straight line back in.

9. Back it in slowly until the front trailer tire is at the third cone from the back. STOP. Put on the Parking Brake, Get Out And Look to make sure you are in the box all the way around. If necessary make an adjustment. STOP, put on Parking Brake and honk the horn to let the examiner know you are done.

You might not nail it the first time, but you will quickly see how it works and be able to build on it. This technique can be used effectively where the radius for the truck has limiting barriers. Should your set up in a different state be slightly different, the technique would still be helpful in making the major move towards the opening, with the adjustments being different.