Comments By Lawrence K.

I started attending WWCC's (Walla Walla, Washington) CDL program on June 23, 2014. For the summer quarter, the classes are four days a week (M-Th), seven hours of class time. The first 10 days of class was spent in "textbook" learning. For the most part, it was training to get your CD permit. If one carefully read the class description material on WWCC's website, he/she would learn that having the permit was a prerequisite for taking the class. In other words, you were already supposed to have it.

I did.

The rest didn't.

The class started out with 11 students, but over the course of that first week, one left because of failing the drug test (marijuana), and one left for financing. Two were added. Some more left for reasons I can't remember. At this point we have eight students in the class. Clearly, I passed all the tests.

Thursday, July 10, 2014, we took the final written test. Compared to the chapter tests we were taking, sometimes four a day, the final was quite simplistic, not because I did well...I would have said the same thing if I failed the test. It was a standard test from PTDI, 104 questions, multiple hunch. It wasn't until this last Wednesday that the instructor had completed grading the tests, and he announced there were two As on the test. I was one of them. Later when he was gone, I glanced at grade book (which was open on a side cabinet in the classroom [the instructor is not concerned about "security"]), I saw that I got 98%, and the other A was 94%. Therefore, I was No. 1 on the written...1/3 of our grade. Since I had all my documents turned in that the instructor required before we could drive....even in the yard...I went out road driving that afternoon. There were only three of us that had all our documents turned in. The rest were dismissed until Monday so that they could get there documents.

Some here may remember, that I went to Swift's Driving Academy in Lewiston, ID, right about a year ago. After 2 1/4 days, I had to leave because of scheduling conflict. At that time, I didn't see any possibility of resurrecting my CDL dreams. However, about four months ago, in "talking" on Facebook with a peer I knew from college forty years ago, he stated he would pay for the WWCC course in its entirety. He sent me a check that amply covered the expenses, and more, and here I am.

So as of today I have been driving the truck for five days. I have enjoyed every minute.

The school has four trucks to use for training, and we are divided into three groups for road training. Road training was from the very first day! The daily schedule is like this: for the first hour, we do pre-trip inspection training. Then for the next three hours, two groups go out driving on the road (taking two trucks) and the other group works in the yard on the backing exercises. Then in the afternoon, the road and yard groups swap. In the morning there are three instructors (two for the road drivers and one for the yard), and in the afternoon two instructors (one for road drivers, one for yard).

Back to the first day of driving. Except for the couple of hours a year ago at Swift Academy, I have never driving a truck, and that was only in the yard. The only shifting done then was between first and reverse, and no touching the throttle. We practiced the straight backing exercise.

But!

I have driven for over 50 years, not truck, but it did count for something. And I have been interested in trucking driving for about 45 years, and been studying it 15 months. I learn a lot, even practical stuff, by reading how to do things.

That first day of driving, when it became my turn, it was as if I was "born" for this. In fact, the instructor made the comment that he was sure I had driven truck before. Nope!

This last week, driving on the road went just as well. One of the road instructors is a sadistic $&$^^#^! He likes to take us on narrow, windy, hilly county roads. It is really a lot of fun, but I jokingly made a comment to him about it, how he must hate us. He agreed...while chuckling....and stated that if we could drive these, we could drive Interstates. Which I agree with.

The backing in the yard has also gone well. The little bit of backing with Swift made a difference. They pointed out a few tips that have not been presented here....except by me to a couple of receptive co-students. If a co-student is not receptive, I won't help them. I am too old to take crap anymore. :)

The straight and offset were fairly easy for me to master within the parameters of the basic skills test of the DMV exam. Two days ago (Thursday), I had a truck/trailer all to myself, so I was able to do backing exercises for the entire three-hour block. I decided to work on the 90 degree. I asked the yard instructor to help me, and at the end of the three hours, I was able to get it "docked," losing about 1-3 points if I was being tested at that time.

The instructor announced the DMV testing dates...August 6-7...so we have 10 more days of practice. By that time, I suspect I will be doing better on the 90. (If ANY of you have any tips on the 90, I would certainly appreciate it!) I surmise that if I were to take the DMV test today, I would probably pass.

I have been giving a daily report on Facebook, you can read them at https://www.facebook.com/internationallawrence . You will, most likely, have to send a friend request to see it. Now that I have started this thread, I may copy/paste what I write there over to here.

Lawrence

Thank you all for providing some clarity on this point.

Conclusion: No, it is not logged.

That was what I was after. :)

Thank you

Lawrence

From what I have found out, the Pre-Trip inspection is required at the minimum once a day.

However the name is pre-trip, not daily inspection. So a driver could feasibly have more than one "trip" in a day.

So, for that driver who has one than one trip a day, does he/she have to do more than one inspection, or only one for the day?

To provide clarity, in the morning I have a load from Seattle to Ellensburg. This is an approximate 100 mile, 2 hour trip. I get the load unloaded, and go to Yakima, about 40 miles, 1 hour drive. I get loaded, and go back to Seattle. Feasible to comply with the 11 and 14 hour rules.

So according to the law, not what a driver MAY do, would 2 inspections be required or only one. I am talking about a full Pre-Trip, not just a Casual walk around before leaving Yakima. Lawrence

Thank you, Guy. I knew I could get a straight answer here.

I have used Google and searched this site for an answer.

I have heard that if I use my car to drive to pick up my truck, it is counted as part of the 11 hours driving rule. Is that true?

Thank you.

Lawrence

Last July I went to a Swift Academy, Lewiston, ID, but for a couple of reasons, I had to leave....Not because of any negative reasons. Since I didn't have any up front funds, company training was the only option.

However, a couple of months ago, a person I somewhat knew forty years ago said he would completely pay my way to go to Walla Walla Community College (without having to pay him back), taking the CDL course. I can't pass up this opportunity.

So yes I'm studying again. Much easier the second time.

Lawrence

Got it. Thanks. Very clear.

In essence with the split sleeper provision, you nudge your 14-hour to a new starting point. Normally, if one kept a strict 14 on, 10 off schedule, the 14-hour starting point will always start at the same time each day. However, with this provision, you have moved it x-hours driving and 8 hours sleeper berth. In the given example above, it moved from 7am to 10pm.

Very clear. Thank you.

Lawrence

I understand the split sleeper berth provision. I have explored it to ad nauseam. I would like to provide an example from the Fed's "Interstate Truck Driver's Guide to Hours of Service." I than have one or two questions about it.

Example: You come to work at 7:00 a.m. You begin driving at 10:00 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m. you spend 8 hours in your sleeper berth. At 10:00 p.m. you resume driving. Those 8 hours in the sleeper berth do not count as part of the 14 hours.

This means that you only used 7 of your 14 hours so far, and your 14-hour limit gets extended to 5:00 a.m. the next morning (original 9:00 p.m. limit plus 8 hrs.). Your driving limit is still 11 hours and so far you have only driven 4 hours. That means you have 7 hours of driving time still available, allowing you to drive from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.

At 5:00 a.m. you take your second rest period, going off duty for 2 hours. That brings you to 7:00 a.m.

This example covers 24 hours. I have fulfilled the 11 hours of driving.

So.

I know that at this time, the 11 hour rule is reset. Is the 14 hour rule also reset at this time? Does that mean that on the second day, I could immediately drive non-stop for 8 hours, take the 30 minute break, and drive for another three? That would mean that from 10pm the previous night until 3pm on this second day, I have only had two hours rest. Sounds a little "wonky" to me.

Any clarification would be helpful. I hope that I was clear that my questions relate to the second day, not the first.

Lawrence

I really pondered replying or not. But as you see, I have decided to do just that.

I was surprised at the tone of the comments, I truly expected them to be more supportive, even to the point of suggestions; but that was not to be. One member of the forum DID take the high road, however, by emailing me privately, asking a few questions, and stating that he/she may have an option I had not considered before. It was a good option, unfortunately (there's that word again) I did already consider it. I was very appreciate of his/her gesture.

The main term that was used in the responses was "determination," or its derivative. The main point was that I was not determined.

Well, I don't know if I am or not. However, it did take me 14 years to get my Bachelor degree. I have been married for 36 years to the same woman. We do have a 33 year old son who is disabled. Four years ago, he married a gal he had known for a couple of years, and after getting married, found out about her emotional problems. I have spent numerous hours helping him and her to HAVE the determination to get through this. I have also worked for my father-in-law twice! :) The last job I had (I quit in September 2012, and have been looking for work since), I was there almost 6 years. Most people do not last 6 months! In fact at my 6-month anniversary, there were only 4 of the 22 who started when we did that were still there! And that was unusual that 4 lasted 6 months. Like I said, I worked there 6 years.

One thing that I learned by raising a disabled child is reality. Oh, it is nice to say you can do whatever you want, you need to be more determined, etc., but the reality of life is that those platitudes do not always work. My father-in-law told my son he could do anything he could set is mind to. Well, no, he couldn't. He could never play a clarinet regardless how much he wanted! He could never play sports regardless how much he wanted. But what he *could* do, he did well. He has his MBA in Business Marketing.

The reality of my situation is that I am out of options. Oh, ya, I forgot, get a job at McDonalds! Like I said, I have been unemployed for 9 months. I have applied there, and many other places, with only ONE interview, and no job offers. I was so determined to get that job, that I purchased, with non-discretionary funds, new clothes to make a decent impression. That set me back in my finances for an uncomfortable time.

I was so determined to attend CDL school, that I spent months working to that end. On unemployment, I receive $900/month...about 1/4-1/3 of what drivers make a week. My rent is over half that....and the apartment is in the low rent area of town. I also spent $100 to reserve a seat for this fall quarter. That is non-refundable. And I still have not recovered from spending that money. I have had several utilities threaten to be turned off. It will probably be about another three months to get stable again.

As I stated above, I have spent months working towards finding training. I have traveled to private schools, I have worked with company-sponsored schools, I have, as I already stated, put a down payment on community college. Many/Most company-sponsored schools declare that they do not discriminate, as they are directed by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Liberties Act, but they do. And I am the one discriminated against. Oh, they say, if you weren't ___________, we could accommodate, without even realizing that they were/are breaking the law.

So, it finally boiled down to Community College. I have worked with WorkSource and several other agencies to see about funding, but nothing is available to me. Because of defaulting on my student loans from 1973, I am not eligible for student loans.

Truck driving WAS going to be my solution to unemployment! But now, it appears totally out of reach. As wrote in my original message, I even considered some novel ways of raising funds, and was thoroughly scorned about it.

Well, probably this tome can probably be shot through with another Now Wait a minute! If anyone does have some constructive ideas, I am willing to consider them.

Lawrence

Unfortunately, it appears that my truck driving "dream" has been shattered. Because of several factors, company-sponsored driving schools are not available to me, and I cannot finance community college. Before you ask, Yes, I have looked into all the retraining, loan, etc., options and nothing is available to me. I even thought of a novel way to raise money, but I received total scorn for it.

It's been a long time since I felt like living (no, I am not going to end my life), and that feeling is now gone. Eeyore is full of hope compared to me.

Thank you all for your support while I searched what options are available. And thank you, Brett, for this great site.

Lawrence Now "Off Duty"