Profile For Pallmall317

I have to wait until Monday to transfer my CDL, I should hopefully head out Wednesday with trainer. Only with trainer for two weeks then if my fleet manager, my trainer and I all agree I am ready for the road I will be solo. I'm going national box, not reefer. I don't know if the trainer will have full or empty when he gets me but I am hoping it's full so I can jump right back into driving

Good reads about your experience with Roehl.

When do you hit the road in your Trainer's Truck and the Trailer loaded with Cargo?

How long is the period with your Trainer?

When will get your own truck?

Which division are you in at Roehl?

Have I asked too many questions?

Days 1 and 2. Pretrip, back, drive. Pretty much the same thing, practice driving and work on what you need to work on. Backing is the same thing and pretrip should not take you more than 20 minutes if your fast, still recommend slow as it's harder to miss something and there's no time limit on the pre trip. Mid way through day two I told my instructor if I passed I would shake his hand and pull him in for a hug. This man became like a father figure to me and he seen the worst and best of me and knew I was going to have a rough day without him. I owe this man so much for his patience and his guidance.

DAY 3 ALL OR NOTHING DAY.... It has arrived. The final test day. Time to show the state examined what I am made of. I got called to test 2nd. So first part of day watched videos, at 9a.m. my name was called so I went out to the truck.... OH NO... who is this third man with my examiner.... nerves instantly shot as this man was an auditor and he was auditing my examiner.

Pretrip test.... went over everything twice to make sure I did not miss one.... well I missed one but I passed. Relieved to move into backing section of test.

Backing test.

Straight line nailed no get out and look no pull up so far so good.

OFFSET - you insert bad words here.... I took two points for using two pull ups more than I was allowed. So in total I used 4 pull ups on my offset. What a shame but I passed.

90 degree back - I managed to back using both my pull ups and both my get out and looks. 0 points.

I passed my backing section with a total of 2 points....

Driving Test- what an experience I had here. Nerves a wreck with a third man in the truck. But I just forgot he was there and I took a man for a ride, this ride....however happened to be the best ride I have taken anyone on. You get 5 grinds before they count against you... I didn't make it to 3. Up and downshifting changing lanes on tight streets I was never in before...constantly checking intersections, remembering signs, people,train tracks,stale green lights watching my tandem and bulk head, watching other traffic, leaning and looking and before I knew it an hour and a half of driving was over and I was back at my home terminal. I observed the examiner many times throughout the ride marking on the test form. I kept thinking oh man that's a point this is a point that's a point. I failed...couldn't be more wrong... not only did I pass but I passed with only single digit points, would have loved 0 points on my driving test but ended at 9. I got dinged for grey areas between my company policy and the examiner's company policy but I wasn't going to argue. I about cried when I heard the words congratulations from the examiner. As I hopped out of the semi using three point contact the examiner and the auditor complimented my shifting as the most phenomenal shifting they have seen. Time to make many phone calls but there is one thing I need to do first. I walk inside and send the next guy out to his cdl road test. I walk in and go find my instructor. I'm leaning on the wall with a distraught look on my face and shaking my head. He sees this and walks over looking sad as I looked like I failed miserably. As he gets close enough for me to shake his hand I pulled my hands out of my pocket, smiled with a tear in my eye and told him I passed. I shook his hand and I pulled him in and gave him a big hug. I told him thank you and he was proud.

Videos for the rest of the day except for our last truckstop pull through lesson.

Final day of class- we spent time on paperwork and meeting our fleet training managers. We got our certificates and a picture and we were allowed to leave at noon. One final goodbye to everyone and off home. Best instructors and best program I ever completed

Thank you Roehl.

It shouldnt affect you. Just get it renewed before it expires.

I passed my physical for my Dot Medical Certificate, but the Dr. only gave me a one year card.

I am 270lbs at 6'1", and he wanted me to lose some weight before he issued a two year card.

I'm not on any medication, otherwise I'm perfectly healthy. And, yes, I'm currently trying to exercise and eat better to lose that weight.

My question is, will only having a one year card effect a companies decision to hire me?

I don't see why he gave you a one year. I want to school with a guy who was 6'2 over 300 and he was given a two year for card

I passed my physical for my Dot Medical Certificate, but the Dr. only gave me a one year card.

I am 270lbs at 6'1", and he wanted me to lose some weight before he issued a two year card.

I'm not on any medication, otherwise I'm perfectly healthy. And, yes, I'm currently trying to exercise and eat better to lose that weight.

My question is, will only having a one year card effect a companies decision to hire me?

Day 1 pretrip, driving and backing. It was a big day. The instructor let us back without his guidance at all to see how we were doing. I nailed my straight line, suffered at my offset and nailed my 90 degree back. After it was over he told me I got 4 points, two on my offset for pull ups and two for hitting the cone on my 90. I didn't run it over, I just nicked the flat edge of it and the cone tilted toward my rim. All in all a great day on the road driving and backing. Pre trip and in cab inspection completely memorized and I feel so confident I want to test this week.

Day 2 Pre CDL test.... Well I kinda got my wish. I was first on the pre cdl test. We started with driving, I took an instructor I never met on a drive around town. I was a nervous wreck. I grown so close to my instructor that I had no comfort with him not sitting next to me in the truck. .. tried my hardest to pretend he was next to me, so I took this man for a ride. It took an hour and I had a big oooops. ..I lost my gear going into a downgrade curve and a light shortly after the curve. Because of that i didnt put my left turn signal on and I passed the white line in road as well as ground some gears... all I thought was I failed. Well it turns out none of that is considered a fail. Just a lot of points. Got back and was told I would have only had 3 points but since my oops I got 13. It's still passing!!!! Did my backs and got 0 points!!!! Pretrip nailed it with only missing 2 on account of my verbage or lack of. Rest of day was backing and driving. The usual. Successfully pulled off a no pull up 90. Using only my first hard right and a mix of hard left straight hard left straight I was able to walk her home. I was so happy

Days 3 - 5. Pre-trip, driving, backing. At this point I was laughing at myself for being so scared almost two weeks ago on the range not wanting to get out of fourth gear. My driving was so good I was speeding and getting in trouble for it. So I worked on a new practice to stay 3-5 mph under posted speed limit and not to accelerate until my icc bumper passed the posted sign. Speeding no longer a problem.

Day 6. Classroom. Operations. Great classroom day learning about the operations of the company.

Day 7 - day off

Day 1 to Day 5 -pre trip, driving, backing. Pretripped vehicle first thing in the morning. Now its time to couple. Well that was easy LAP and PAL. LAP = Landing gear, air electrical and release arm and locking jaw check. PAL is the reverse when you uncouple.

Driving on the road. Oh no my day off messed me up. I'm grinding and losing my gears and to make it worse I'm turning both left and right and going through a roundabout or two and driving through town. You would think I was stirring a pot of soup. I panicked and worked myself up this entire week. Only you can destroy you and it's true. I would beat myself up over every little gear miss it grind. Slow down to soon or late, forgetting to keep my tandems in my lane on that curve. At the same time trying to learn everything I could about the feel of the truck, the clutch, the mirrors. I had a talk with my instructor over my beating myself up. He understood and recommended I say everything I'm doing and looking for while driving. As soon as I started that my driving ability skyrocketed. Very few mistakes, lost gears, too short or too long braking and downshifting almost non existent. Simulator practice again helps but it's not the real thing. By the end of week two I recite and visualize all parts of my pre trip in my sleep.

Straight line backing - self expanatory and really simple with minor adjustments as needed through the back.

Offset and 90 degree BACKING. FIRST OF ALL BACKING FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS LIKE A MARRIAGE, AT FIRST IT'S LOVE AND EVERYTHING IS GOING RIGHT. Then you make the wrong move and now she's ****ed at you. Now you know something is not right and what did you get myself into and can you fix this? Should you pull out or keep going? When is it going to be over and should you just walk away. All joking aside the offset was tougher for me than the 90 until the very end. Plenty of time to practice backing and only half done with the program so plenty of time left to practice backing.

At the end of week two I was not scared of driving on the roads and not afraid to upshift nor downshift. Was not afraid of traffic and had an avantage of being able to check sidestreets, lean and look, use my mirrors and at the same time remember signs I passed. My driving skill greatly increased with few mistakes and an ability to correct my mistakes. Instructor was not calling out as much for me to drive my tandems or pull forward more on those tight turns. BACKING recieved the majority of my attention by the end of the third day.

Day 6 Hazmat classroom training. Learned a lot about hazmat and took a safety test.

Day 7 Day off.... Hot tub and annoy my roommate again. With more study time

First off joining Roehl was the best decision I have ever made after my experiences in their program.

Day 1- was handed many many books essential for the career, filed lots of paperwork. Day 2-physical ability test...monitored heart rate through daily exercises in the career of truck driving, Classroom time and first looks at the semi cab and engine. Day 4- DRIVING ALREADY!!!!!! Ok that was my reaction. We're going too fast. I haven't got to get to know you girl. I need my space. Don't you know what happens when you rush? Ok back on track. It was all left and or all right turns and it was in the range, no open roads. Really a feel for driving your tandems and learning about the 53ft of metal behind you that your pulling around or over curbs, street stop signs, grandma and her bingo winnings... as well as learning and getting shoring double clutch style a second nature. Instructors were lienent as they knew very few of us have ever been inside, yet driven, a semi before today. Check those mirrors bulkhead and tandems. Day 5- THE OPEN ROAD!!!! Wait hunny, we just had this discussion yesterday. I think we are rushing it and I don't know what I am getting into or if it can be saved if things don't work out haha... ok so I was fearful of the open road. I mean other traffic, high and gears, 2 feet of snow and narrower roads because of the snow. Well it was not that bad. We either did all left turns or all right turns. Roads with few hazards including traffic. Got the semi into high gears and learned I slow down way too soon. I see a stop sign half mile away. Time to slow her to 5th now. It's not fun watching a slug pass you and give you the finger a quarter mile from the stop light or sign. We survived and the day was over.

Day 6. Classroom. It varies by what week you join but my first Saturday classroom was F.A.R.P. Fuel and route planning. Sounds boring huh? Pay attention like I did because it's not as easy as one would think. Class helped tremendously.

Day 7 - Hot tub and annoying my roommate. Actually it's a day off. Use it how you would like. I recommend using at least 3 hours to study.

That's a short summary of my week one with roehl GYCDL program. I learned so much and know I have so much more to learn. Enjoyed and appreciated every minute I was given to learn and all the help my instructor gave.