Comments By AntoineF

I was just informed that a student 5 months ago was forced by Quality Drivers/Celadon in Alabama at the Gadsden Alabama School at Osborne had to retake the Alabama CDL-A Permit test, The reason was it was in the contact that they pay for it? Is this strange or is it just me? could they not just reimburse you the cost? I have a Alabama CDL-A Permit with HazMat,Tankers and Doubles/Triples paid for by me and earned with study on my own this sounds crazy? Does any other school require this when the school is in the same state your permit was issued in?

CR England sent me to American Truck Driving Academy in Opelika, AL it's a 3rd party school they contract through no it's not a glamorous school the trucks on the backing field need to be replaced they had one that if you stayed on the brakes to long you lost air pressure you ended up having NO brakes. they had 5 road training trucks and 3 backing maneuver trucks 1 road truck just sits there because it went to Freightliner to have a new clutch and transmission put in with in a day after they got it back it wouldn't go into 5th gear so they have to wait for the other one being serviced to get back before they send it off again. The instructors know what they are doing I was in and out in 3 weeks yes I know I need more work on my backing maneuvers especially alley dock but I know that will come with time in the real world. The school needs updating they also have a no cell phone policy while on school property if you're looking for a school with newer equipment than this school IS NOT for you but if you live close to the school and want to learn the basics than go there. Also the hotel CR England puts you up in it's alright but watch out for housekeeping they're thieves if you can bring your car because there's not a lot to do unless you have a car to go back and forth.

Hi did you get your cdl i live only about ten minutes from the school already have my cdl with all endorsements from Alabama? couldn't afford to pay the school fees on my own? how many weeks were you there?

I've heard it from alot of old timers say Mass is so ridiculous at the things they fail you on. It's no wonder that all you see around Mass is not just job posts but huge highway billboard signs asking for CDL drivers, because to get one in MA is so fn hard. I've never heard of anyone passing the first time and most take 3-4 times to pass at $350 a pop. I'm going for my fourth time and here is some of what I've see personally and experience:

1. First time around I did my inspection perfect the state trooper said got almost every single item on the list, but he had to fail me because when I went in the cab I only turn the truck to electronics to display my gauges and test lights. BULL

2. First time failed the airbrake test because I said after releasing my parking EBrakes I'll wait till the needle stops and time it over a minute and shouldn't lose more than 3 PSI over that minute. Forgot to say that I lose 5-15 PSI when I release my EBrakes. Bull

3. One guy finished his airbrakes and was done with the airbrake test and just shutting down the truck and pressed on the brake while the EBrakes where on. Failed the airbrakes because state said he was compounding the brakes. Bull

4. On my alley on one pull up I slipped into fourth which gave the truck a jolt so I tried to put it in second and it slipped into reverse for a second and it made the beep, but I didn't move. So I just get into second and continue the pull up. State trooper counted that as two pull ups because he was in his car just listening for the reverse beeps and not watching. So when I got almost in the alley and was just looking to straightening it out before backing up I failed for going over the pull up limit.

5. Seen guys fail the maneuvers because they didn't get out of the truck using three points of contact. Trooper was telling people that they weren't driving the truck in a safe manner and some other bull which made no sense how getting out of a truck effects the way you complete a maneuver.

6. Same trooper fail people for looking out the back window. Which make no sense when in the real world you will use everything you can to do the maneuver safely.

7. The reason I'm going for the fourth time. I failed at the every end when I say every end I mean the every every end. Took the trooper out on the road and was a piece of cake even told the trooper if I pass (which I assumed was) I had a job interview right after for a driving position and I would finally have a job. Told him I was paying out of pocket for everything and the bank account was getting real low with $350 a pop. So completed the road exam and trooper is telling me I did great. We're in the parking lot, I'm at a complete stop at the parking space, I put the EB on, put it in low gear, and go to switch off the ignition, and my foot comes off the clutch and the truck stalls. Trooper looks at me and says I just failed for the truck stalling out. Which left me a grow man almost breaking down knowing now I don't have a job and running out of money to pay for another test because at the every every end while I was parking in the parking lot my truck stalled instead of shutting down. The trooper just got out and said "O well you drove great you should have no problem the next time". Even my instructor was looking at the guy like the biggest ******* the trooper was. I was so in shock I stood in the truck for awhile thinking about if this guy was just joking. The instructor even tried talking to the trooper about it because it wasn't so ridiculous. But that's why people absolutely hate state troopers because they're not human. To fail the driving part of the exam on something that was not even driving and was so minimal. So now I'm at around $6000 in to this and now I got to wait 4-6 weeks to get another exam date and hope to pass that.

All of this is why every single person there at the exams including the instructors are getting fed up with it and the things they are failing there students on. While the troopers are complaining about coming on their days off and the huge backlog of guys trying to pass. Had a guy that drive OTR for 14 years go for the test with me because he let is med card expire and he even failed for the same reasons. Mass is a joke

I feel for you brother seems they have funds raising racket going on think how much they are making in retest fees the feds need to investigate them something in the milk isn't clear there? Can you go to another state take the test and then come back an change it over? that would be an extra expense too? but man you deserve better than that they are losing tax revenue from people not working who could be driving and getting paid and paying income taxes? They are always saying people don't want to work and want a handout the they do everything they can to keep you from working?

Hang in there they can't keep a good man/woman down

Congrats and happy driving

I will start school in Gadsden, Al for Caledon on the 26th of this month. I will do a daily post about it here, in case anyone is interested in it.

Hello I have My Alabama CDL Permit already with HazMat,Tanker and Doubles/Triples I just need My Passport and TWIC Card? Will That help me any already having them?

I will start school in Gadsden, Al for Caledon on the 26th of this month. I will do a daily post about it here, in case anyone is interested in it.

Hello I will be going to Gadsden, Al on the 29 June 2015 does it help if you already have your permit and all endorsements(HazMat,Tanker and Doubles/Triples) just need My Passport,TWIC?

Having just gone through this at Advanced School of Driving in Fontana, my instructor gave me some tips to help make it through the backing exercises.

First thing you need to master is straight line backing. Pull forward and get the tractor as close to straight in line as possible and center the steering wheel. As you prepare to back up, put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. While backing, move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. And never move more than a quarter or at most a half turn of the wheel. If you keep a close eye on the back wheels of the trailer in your drivers side mirrors, use that side as your guide. If you need to move the trailer wheels closer to the left line, you move your hand left from the bottom of the steering wheel. Only move about a quarter turn, then turn back the other way to straighten out the tractor. Practice this and you should master straight line backing.

For the 90 degree alley dock, line up about 8-10 feet away from the front edge of the docking cones. Idle up (I used 4th on a 10 speed) so your door lock knob is aligned with the far side cone, and start counting up 12 seconds then stop. Go into reverse, and turn the wheel to a right hand lock. And allow the tractor to come to just less than 90 degrees off the trailer. Now this is where it gets a bit tricky. You have to remember that right is tight, left is loose. So while you are completing the maneuver, as soon as you hit that 90 degree mark, you stop and lock the wheels back in the opposite direction. At this point, before you start moving again, get your head out the window and track the trailer. This is where you have to just learn how to watch the trailer and get it into the hole, making adjustments as you go back. And you should not need to completely uncurl the hook on the trailer unless you hooked it too tight to begin with, or if you are cleaning up a straight line back. If you need to do a pull up to straighten out the tractor and trailer, then you can back in easier. If you master straight line backing, you should be able to get it into the hole for your test with one pull up, maybe two.

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

could you draw this out or break it down i'm confused? 8-10 feet from the front edge of cone?

Found out today in class that I will make minimum wage(Alabama min. wage 7.25) plus$ 1.00 for driving miles with trainer and min wage (minus the extra 1.00) for all other duties on truck with trainer

Found out today in class that I will make minimum wage(Alabama min. wage 7.25) plus$ 1.00 for driving miles with trainer and min wage (minus the extra 1.00) for all other duties on truck with trainer

THANKS that what I thought?

Not 100% sure but I think you go home to test....