Comments By BK

I’ve seen a few “leaning loads”, but probably nothing that bad. I definitely think it’s not supposed to be like that. I wonder if the driver could even see traffic from his driver side mirrors? It looks like the load would be blocking his view. I would also think that if a trooper saw that, the driver would be getting stopped.

When I say nutrition on the road, I don’t mean roadkill, lol.

What do you avoid eating as a health conscious driver? I just spent 2 months staying with my friends while I recovered from surgery. Both he and her are Nutritionists. One of their key teaching points is that knowing what NOT to eat is as important, perhaps more important, than knowing what to eat. what are your thoughts and practices on this subject?

Jessica, driving and shifting a car with a synchronized Manual transmission is totally different from operating a non synchronized truck transmission and double clutching and getting the right RPMs with each shift. But if you can get the hang of it, I respect that. I have posed the question before: Would you prefer to pass the test in an auto or fail it in a manual? Each student has to answer that for themselves.

Also, going for tanker driving right out of the gate is not safe, recommended or probably not even possible. If you want to do flatbed right away, that is much more realistic. But get in your first year safely and then make your decision on how to proceed.

Like Kearsey said, don’t overthink it and don’t think so far ahead that you lose focus on just the main requirement, that is, getting your CDL. Good luck..

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Tobias, I think Jessica only has her learner’s permit, not her actual CDL-A license. She can correct me if I’m wrong.

Jessica, if I were you right now I think I would pursue your training and testing in an auto tranny truck. Almost all companies that you could start with are running autos. This is just a suggestion and only my opinion based on a limited knowledge of your circumstances. Then you wouldn’t have to be so worried about finding a way to get more manual tranny practice.

I feel bad for new drivers trying to get started in the profession right now. Very tough economic environment for new hires. See Brett’s topic above about the great freight recession we are currently experiencing. All you can do is to try and get your CDL and keep applying for jobs.

Roger, your story is still too short on detail. Are you employed by a trucking company now? If you were employed for 8 months and are not now, what was the reason for you leaving the company?

Oh I almost forgot. Company sponsored training is the recommended way to go. There might be a few exceptions, but company sponsored training has tremendous advantages.

David, have you checked out all the various links on the site? Your questions cover a lot of ground and much of the information that will be helpful to you is already on the site. You can also make use of the “search” feature.

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training ProgramsApply For Paid CDL TrainingTruck Driver's Career Guide

• CDL Practice Tests
• High Road Practice Questions
• Android App: CDL Practice Tests

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

And remember, it usually takes about one year of solo driving to really settle into the career, so don’t be thrown off course by some ups and downs.

Thank you All for your time and replays, highly appreciated! This will give me more freedom to play with mandatory sleeper rules. On the other hand I still think this rule should be simplified. In my case, with dedicated loads, my sleeper time in the middle of the day is 4-6h every second day. If you add to this mandatory sleeper time on the end of the day you end up with 12-14h in the sleeper every second day. For drivers like me, paid by mile, it's a waste of time and money.

Thank you All,

Mike, many, many drivers would agree with you, myself included. The FMCSA regulations are one size fits all and many drivers chafe under the restrictions, but it’s the government so no big surprise.

Hi Bob K. ,

The technique NavyPopPop described is really a good one.

The other thing is to always, without fail, do a visual inspection every time you are away from your rig when you come back. Even if you fuel up, pull ahead and go into the store, check it when you come back. If the rig is out of your sight, check the connection. This practice should be burned into your soul and brain. Also, when you connect to your trailer, stop before your tractor touches the trailer, get out and look to see if the king pin and fifth wheel are at the correct heights so you don’t high hook. That is another practice that should be part of every connection. Then, finally do a tug test to be absolutely certain everything has hooked up properly. I’ve never had anyone pull my pin, but it can happen. Be ever vigilant.

Hello Tobias, welcome to the forum.

You can drive a commercial vehicle within the state at 18, (intrastate), but not across state lines, (interstate), until you are 21. Have you tried to find a driving job in your local area? Maybe agricultural or Municipal? You want to find something to drive so that your license doesn’t get “stale”.

Many companies won’t allow their drivers to take a passenger with them at all if the passenger has a CDL. I know my company has that restriction. So, your chances of getting another driver to train you on the road are not very good. Finding a local job of some sort seems like your best bet. Maybe check into distribution centers to see if you could get a yard driver job or doing trailer shuttles. Perhaps someone else here will be able to give you some other ideas.

Very impressive that you got your CDL at 18. You sound like a real go-getter. I know it’s going to seem like a long time until you turn 21, but time will pass and you will have many opportunities. Keep us posted about your job search and with any other questions you have. Good luck!