Comments By Kirk P.

500 a week is pretty low pay for driving job honestly.

Also bruce, McDonald's is always hiring. You'll be local and home every night.

That's another reason I didn't quit and go to that job $2,000 a month versus $4,000 a month? lol I want to make some money.

One of the guys I went to CDL School with landed a local gig right out of school. He hauls grain 2 hours down the road and comes back. Starts at like 6 am and home by 4:30 - 5:00 pm. He averages about 500 a week, which isn't bad at all. But it was basically one of those things where he knew a guy that knew a guy or something like that. I asked if he could see if they needed another driver but they didn't. Then I was in my second week of riding with my trainer with my company and he called and said they had an opening but I choose to stick with this OTR company instead.

So my point is, there are local gigs that you could find. Even local concrete and construction companies need drivers. But I made a tough decision and decided it would be better in the long run to at least get a year OTR and then start searching for a local job. It's been tough especially on the wife and kids but I've learned more in 3 weeks of training than I ever would have starting out local. Sometimes you have to make a little sacrifice and think about where you want to be a few years down the road. Make yourself marketable and get some OTR experience and then you will be getting looked at before they look at guys fresh out of school or no OTR experience. They want reliablility not a liablility.

A friend of mine laughs and says I always look ready for the golf course...which I am! 😆 But seriously, decent cargo shorts (or pants if required or it's cold) and a "breathable" shirt, collared or crew neck, and hiking shoes or my oil resistant work shoes.

I always take it as a compliment when a cashier says; "you don't look like a truck driver."

That's what I'm sayin! Take pride in yourself, right?

Kirk, like Old School said, "You got this." Yes, your trainer is screwing you on your hours, but as he and Pianoman and you have said, you're almost done. Days away. Even if he becomes the most extreme corn hole in the world, just hold it in… a few more days… and you'll be off on your own. I imagine this is just one of the many aspects of the trucking lifestyle you encounter that will be disagreeable to you, so overcome this and move on, and you'll be the better driver for it. Chickiemonster posted a thread several days ago (Ta-Da) where she mentioned the peaks and valleys of her first year, the highlight of which was she couldn't be happier after her first year driving. That could be you; in our year you'll look back on this as just one of the many obstacles you overcame and are happy and proud to be a trucker. Drive safe!

Yea, I totally agree, 2 more days now and I'm home free! The good thing is though, my trainer isn't a ******* or anything like that, pretty laid back guy and I've learned a ton. I just wanted to see what you guys had to say, thanks for all of the replies. And I will continue to update my progress and ask questions in the forums!

Still in training here but I've been wearing polo type shirts because they are very breathable and help me keep cool, plus they look nice, I've also recently discovered these wrangler jeans at Walmart that are made from sort of stretchable material, very nice investment I think. You can squat and climb and bend your knees and the material stretches so you don't tear anything and it's very comfortable for me. And a pair of regular work boots, since I'm flatbed I'm out a lot strapping and tarping usually in dirt and mud. I think I might get on board with G-town and get some bright reflective shirts so I don't have to worry about wearing a vest.

On another note I see a lot of truck drivers out here that dress like bums, And I think to myself wow are they not making that much money? Or do they just not care? Anyways, I prefer to dress somewhat decent or casual I guess you could call it.

I'm on my last week of riding with my trainer but I've got to say it's been pretty frustrating.

Here's why...

Go to CDL School and learn how to drive

Go to orientation with my company and get told a slightly different way to drive and how to tarp and strap loads (flatbed)

Get with trainer and throw everything out the window and get told another way to drive and use straps etc.

Like being told to coast through turns in neutral and select a gear afterwards which I know is wrong. Or being put on the clock later in the day after I've been up for hours, which I'm pretty sure he does so I can drive after he can't and in order to get to our receivers faster or earlier and get more loads. Or the few loads that were suppose to be tarped but we didn't tarp. What's a trainee, fresh to a company to do? A few more days and I'm done...any thoughts?

Just a few more days? You got this!! Do your best to just roll with the punches and get through your training so you can get your own truck. Don't worry if you don't know how to do everything when you get out on your own--none of us did.

As far as the different driving methods and techniques you've been taught so far, do what is safe above all else. For example, if your trainer wants you to tailgate before passing someone, don't do it because it's not safe. As far as coasting through turns...eh...let's just say there's more than one way to skin a cat. Personally, I don't like to coast through turns and technically you really should be in gear, but that's not a huge safety issue in my opinion as long as you are in control of the vehicle. The argument is that if you aren't in gear, you aren't in control of your vehicle. So, if you're going to coast around turns, that's fine, but don't put her in neutral--leave the truck in gear and push in the clutch to coast. Again, the main thing here is to control the vehicle--whatever you have to do to achieve control, even if it's not "conventional," is the safe and proper way to do things.

You also mentioned logging. The right and proper way to log is to log what you do. That said, "being awake" does not consititute being On Duty. Someone correct me on this if I'm wrong, but when team driving I believe you can legally sit up in the front Off Duty for two consecutive hours immediately following or preceding eight consecutive hours in the sleeper. Technically the rest of has to be On Duty. Not gonna lie, I broke this rule all the time in training because I enjoyed sitting in the front watching the scenery when my trainer was driving. Also when driving otr, I usually logged 10-15 minutes On Duty when I arrived at a customer and switched to Sleeper until about 10-15 minutes before I was going to leave. If I had stayed in the sleeper the whole time I was at the customer this would have been totally legal, but in reality I was actually backing into docks and taking paperwork in, planning my next trip, etc. So yeah, I "worked the clock" alot.

The important thing to remember is that the clock is there for your protection and for the protection of others on the road. If your trainer is requiring you to get up several hours before you drive and then having you drive a full shift, go ahead and log On Duty. That way you start your 14 hr clock so you don't still have available hours way past the point where you're tired. Once you're out of hours, you can't legally drive and no one can make you. If you're required to observe or study before you start driving, technically you should be logged On Duty for that. On the flip side, if you are getting up way before your driving shift starts just because you want to and then complaining you are falling asleep at the wheel, you simply need to manage your time better and not get up until it's almost time to drive.

Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck

I get what you're saying, but the thing is we are not suppose to be opperating as a team. We should both be on and off at the same times. But I'll give you today as an example. Both wake up at around 7 and he drives a few miles down to the shipper and we get loaded for an hour or so, he drives us to the receiver about 3 hours or so away and we unload for an hour or so. It's about noon and then he switches me over to on duty not driving so my 14 hour clock is now ticking. We go to get our next load took a couple of hours with strapping and tarping and we start heading towards our next drop which is about 7 hours, he drove one of those hours and then we switched and I drove the rest which was about 6 hours, get into the truck stop at about 11:30 at night. So I was basically up and working, learning, training for 16 to 17 hours on duty, but only drove 6 hours.

Yea well that's my plan so far, just keep my head down and get through it and then when I get my own truck I'll be perfectly content. I think maybe it's my military mindset that's getting the best of me, being told how to do something and then doing it exactly that way pretty much all the time, ya know? And then being told that I should do it this way instead when not even a week ago at orientation they told me a different way to do something just kind of blew my mind lol, but it's ok. I'll make it, just kind of wanted to share my experience with you guys and see what you think and thanks for your input!

I'm on my last week of riding with my trainer but I've got to say it's been pretty frustrating.

Here's why...

Go to CDL School and learn how to drive

Go to orientation with my company and get told a slightly different way to drive and how to tarp and strap loads (flatbed)

Get with trainer and throw everything out the window and get told another way to drive and use straps etc.

Like being told to coast through turns in neutral and select a gear afterwards which I know is wrong. Or being put on the clock later in the day after I've been up for hours, which I'm pretty sure he does so I can drive after he can't and in order to get to our receivers faster or earlier and get more loads. Or the few loads that were suppose to be tarped but we didn't tarp. What's a trainee, fresh to a company to do? A few more days and I'm done...any thoughts?

I went with one of the local community colleges in my area, come to find out it was a actual training company doing the training and they were just renting a room to have the class out of and they had some sort of agreement with the school. The school would see that they got students while they had their class there, I'm sure there was a lot of money involved in some aspect of it as well.

As sub-par as the training was all 4 of us in that class got our CDL. And they did have recruiters come in from various companies. Maverick, Schneider, U.S. Express, Keim TS and even the local concrete company came by looking for dump truck and concrete truck drivers.

But i do like the fact that I'm not in debt to a company or have a contract. But I was prior military and used my G.I. Bill so I know not everyone has that opportunity.

I found what helped me a lot was just mentally thinking about it and planning it out in my head, watched some YouTube videos that helped and shifting was my biggest concern. 2nd day of driving and I was floating gears. Some of the other guys in my class were still having trouble shifting even at the end of class.

I also had the opportunity to come in on off days and work on it with just me and the instructor. I would ask about coming in on a Saturday or something if that's possible. It's really just one of those things that the more you do it the better you get at it and the more comfortable you become!

Keep in mind - YOU MUST DOUBLE-CLUTCH for a DMV Road Test.

I figured out how to float early on in driving school - when it came time for my road test - I'd forgotten how to DC correctly (because I DIDN'T PRACTICE IT ENOUGH - I FLOATED INSTEAD). I failed my first road test ON SHIFTS. Never stalled or had to stop to find a gear - but I couldn't shift smoothly. I could float up/down 2-3 gears - but had difficulty making a regular old DC shift.

Floating COMES LATER - learn how to double clutch and don't worry about floating gears until you have your CDL in hand...

Rick

I was told the same thing until I found out my grader actually use to drive trucks for like 15 years, I floated and he didn't say a word about it. But yes double clutching is required!