Comments By Barry Y. ( Watchd0g)

Not sure about NC, but I believe here in PA it goes along these lines>

Pre trip inspection: call out what you are looking at, what you are looking for , and why. (cracks, missing bolts, leaks, bad hoses etc.)

Skills test. Backing and parallel parking.

Drive the course. On course the instructor will have you do an emergency pull off (placing your triangles), a down hill maneuver with flashers, and probably a rail road crossing. Make sure you are looking (not just mentioning it) at all intersections in all directions, slow and put on flashers at rail road crossings while looking both ways before, during and in the mirrors as your trailer passed over. pay attention to any signs, he may ask you what they said. Truck weight limits, bridge clearance signs etc.

don't hit a curb, don't stall and don't violate the other lanes.

My course has a few tricky areas. One spot is a 2 lane undivided sharp bend, you need to hit the flashers and stop if needed, because you do indeed have to violate the other lane to stay off the side walk on the right. So to sum it up, find out what course they use on the road , and learn it, practice it, and dream about it.

I've been going to CDL school for one month now. It's a weekends-only program, 8am - 4pm Saturday and Sunday with an hour break for lunch. In that time we have had ZERO class time, and I get in the yard truck time for straight backing about twice each day. I have time to do two straight backing maneuvers before I have to give someone else the truck. I also get one 15 minute driving opportunity each weekend since I got my permit (last weekend).

The problem is that the school only has one truck that is legally allowed to leave the yard, and one truck in the yard to practice backing and parallel parking maneuvers. There are also only 3 instructors that work at the school at any given time it seems. Right now the weekends are full of "graduated" students who are there for "practice" for the pretrip, backing, parallel parking, and driving they will need for the CDL test. Compound that with the problem that after you "graduate" it can take up to 2 months to get scheduled for the CDL test with the DMV.

So as you can see, all the time my classmate and I should have in the classroom doesn't happen because our instructor has to be in the yard while students are using the truck, which leaves us standing in the yard the entire day doing pretty much nothing. (I was using this time to study for the permit test and now the pretrip inspection.) All the truck time my classmate and I should have is taken up by about 15 other people that need to "practice" on the weekends so they don't lose the skills they just learned prior to their scheduled CDL test.

I'm not concerned with the cost I've fronted for this schooling. (About $6000 after interest is figured on the signature loan I signed.) What I AM concerned about is that the rate at which these other "graduates" are failing their skills tests, I'll likely be on the same path to failing because it's obvious I won't have nearly enough time in the truck to master the skills I need. So I'm figuring this schooling is pretty much a waste of time.

I talked with my instructor, who is super cool. The suggestion that was made was this: After I complete their program, he recommends not being scheduled for the CDL test at the DMV and contacting Prime and starting my training with them from the bottom of the totem pole (PSD), because really that's what I'll need in order to pass the CDL test. One driving instructor at the school (which I've only seen once or twice) used to work for Prime and told me how awesome they were as a company and gave me the direct contact information to an in-house recruitment guy, bypassing the 800 number recruitment salespeople.

So, it looks like this is what I'll have to do. I can't head to Prime prior to the end of February because I have plans on the last weekend of February that cannot be changed. I'm pretty bummed and I wish I had heeded my first instinct to just go to Prime from the outset. Expensive lesson to have learned, but at least I still have some options. And, at least I have my DOT physical card and permit (which is valid until July) so I'm at least two steps ahead of the game when it comes to new students there.

Wish me luck. Rainy D, I'll likely be PMing you in a bit. Right now I'm off to get tattooed by my good buddy, the world famous Bob Tyrrell, who conveniently happens to be in town for a tattoo convention. I have zero guilt about missing a day of class, because, well, what exactly would I be missing, right?

Wow. Just wow. I thought I had it rough at my school with 8 people split in 2 trucks. We get about 40-50 mins each day driving. a bit in the morning and a bit after lunch. My instructors last day was Friday, but he came in Saturday to work with some of us because we lost a day last week due to snow. We get a new instructor Monday. He has been riding with us to learn the course. The new guy is cool, but not as relaxed as the other one. I guess he is probably nervous too, being new to the job. He does know his ****, and I think we will be fine. The other thing we did that was cool, was to have 2 guys stay home Friday, the other guy and I will stay home Monday. So Friday I got a lot of drive time. I hope we continue that over the next 3 weeks.

Doing week ends only has to be rough, how the heck do you your timing down on shifting?

I have already thought along the lines you are thinking about, if I fail, hopefully I can get in with swift or crst and try again. Hopefully it doesn't come down to that, I went to this school to avoid the long OTR contracts the big schools have.

So far, the couple of companies that have caught my attention have a strict no pet policy... Schneider/TMC

Also UPS, but as they have you home daily, not an issue.

I find myself ending up with some nasty bruises after a weekend spent in trucking school; I wonder if it's because of the seat. I have to move my seat forward and literally squeeze myself between the steering wheel and my seat in order to be able to press the clutch all the way down.

The bruises I end up having are the size of medium pickle right below the crease of the back of my knee, and are dark purple/blue/black. :(

Hi Vamp, Being a short dude myself, 5'5" I found I had to pull the seat all the way up (maybe one click back), and lower the seat down a lot. Its funny when I have to swap seats with a class mate after I drive ( I am the smallest guy in class at 150 lbs.), because when they jump in after my drive time, they sink that seat to the floor :-).

It does seem we loose some visibility when we lower the seat, but we need the balls of feet on the floor.

Hi Guys, I just completed my 2nd week (week one was class room for permit prep) of training and I have developed a bad habit of stalling the truck when trying to move from a standstill. A sure fail on the test.

I am in a 2006 international 10 speed. The instructors have us start in 4th as we have empty trailers. Early in the week I was hitting it fine, but all the sudden, I am stalling the truck about 50 % of the time now when starting out from a stop. I think this started right after my first drift back, thus making me make damned sure I am hard on the brake at any stop. Now I just don't seem to be getting off the clutch and brake smooth, I panic, hit the gas and stall... I stalled her 3 times in a row today.

Any advice for a now spooked new driver?

You do a DOT physical for school. You do a drug testing and most likely another physical when a company wants to hire you.

I had to drug test for school. Not sure if this is common or not but they wouldn't let you operate a semi on the public roadway without one, probably for insurance reasons.

Phil

Yeah, I've seen some schools say they require drug testing, and from the research I've done, it's been stated several places that the DOT physical needed for school has a UA test.

You need the Physical to get your permit from DOT. That's a requirement to take the written tests. Also, DOT (PA anyways) is now requiring (as of 12/21/2015) that you bring your SS card and Birth certificate ( originals, no photo copies). Everyone in my class got turned away because no one had them. The book didn't mention it.

If i can offer you any advice it would be to useHigh Road Training Program. I went through school in October and after studying that, it made the first week easy as can be.

Thanks for all the advice, I have indeed been using the High Road training program here on Trucking truth. It has been a blessing, as has this entire site.

Week one is in the books. I went to the DMV on Thursday (yesterday) to take GK, Tankers, and Air Breaks... Aced them all.

what a feeling to get the permit testing outa the way.

Today, Friday, I got to ride with another guy and an instructor doing a last day of an refresher course.

I learned a lot.

after all that , I was able to run about 20 minutes or so with a 48' trailer around the lot, to learn double clutching.

Yea, I suck at it.

One thing I can hang my hat on, I didn't stall the truck, or try to put her in reverse...

I think I did ok. not well, but not bad.

Onhe major thing I F*'D up, I forgot to grab my log book...

Got my cdl Christmas eve very grateful and happy!

Gratz!

I am pulling for ya, I start School Jan. 4th and have seen your posts here, and we have had a lot of the same questions.

Looks like you will be out on the road a couple weeks ahead me. I wish ya all the best and look forward to your updates.

See ya out on the road :-)

If i can offer you any advice it would be to useHigh Road Training Program. I went through school in October and after studying that, it made the first week easy as can be.

Thanks for all the advice, I have indeed been using the High Road training program here on Trucking truth. It has been a blessing, as has this entire site.