Comments By Danny S.

Yes Richard it was also good to meet you. I love driving its like I tell my wife about driving the school bus, I am more comfortable driving the bus or the truck than I am my car and I do love driving. I meant to ask you when you are testing I believe you will pass with no problem. I know i will get it but I will spend all week until next weekend analysing it over and over. This is the tough thing about doing the class on the weekends I have to wait a whole week before I can get back in the truck and do it again. All three of us in our truck are concerned whether we are going to test in the truck we are in now or they are going to switch us to a different truck at the end because the truck we are in now the city horn doesn't work the blinkers are not working it doesn't appear that it is a truck that they use for testing but maybe they do it is a 96 freightliner if they switch us hope they do it next week. Let me know after your testing especially would like to know about some details of the route they take you on. Good luck!!

Just finished up my 4th weekend in driving school. Saturday we went to an Industrial Park to practice double clutching and shifting. I knew in my head I could do it I just needed to practice it. I started off a little rough but once I saw how important the right engine rpm was in being able to upshift and down shift without grinding gears I got pretty proficient at it. I have no problem turning and not hitting the curbs I started feeling like real truck driver. Today we practiced backing, parallel parking and alley dock parking. I can do straight line backing, offset backing and parallel parking pretty good. I struggled with alley dock, I think my set up is wrong I am getting too far to the passenger side I think I'm not pulling up enough, got to work on it next weekend I know I can get it. Well that's it for this weekend will let you know more next weekend.

My wife brought up a question about taxes that I wonder if anyone could answer. If the company you drive for does not have a office in the state that you reside, do you have to taxes in the state that you live in and also in the state that the company is located?

What a weekend I couldn't wait to get inside a big rig there are three of us in the truck, I was not prepared to patiently wait for long periods of time while others go through their learning curve. I guess I was expected everything to just click along but it didn't happen that way. Saturday was so frustrating for me I felt like I sat in the back of the truck for 3/4 of the day watching the others trying to learn the skills. We practiced double clutching and shifting and I knew in my mind how to do it but I was so frustrated I couldn't get my foot and hands to worked together and I admit I was a little over confident and was going from first to fourth. I came home Saturday evening wondering if I could really do this. I decided that I needed to calm down and be patient with others who are struggling. I decided today that I was going with a better attitude and just to go with flow and try to help my fellow students if I could the day went much better. I almost have the front of the truck and the engine compartment pretrip down just a few items I miss. I did the in cab and brake test with little problems and did it without study sheet. We did straight line backing did it with no problems my instructor even made get off center to see if I could do it without pulling up, did it!!! We did offset backing no problems, so today I knew I could do this I just got to be patient and not to become over confident, just relax and do my best. Got to get my pre-trip down this week so I can do it from memory next weekend. I hope we get to spend at least half a day on shifting I want to get this down and I know I can if I can just get enough practice. Everyone have great week will update next weekend.

Hey Heavy C, I am sort like you I really didn't won't to go otr especially coast to coast and I figured trying to find a local driving job would be very difficult for a rookie driver. So I looked at companies that I could go regional with because there are some out there that give you that opportunity when you go solo, I choose H O Wolding for that reason, I talk to a great lady there named Carol and she was very upfront and honest with me about them they are a mid-size company family owned and from what I can tell very family oriented and for me I could go regional once I finish with Driver trainer. She told me they would try to get me home at least every other weekend and it was out 5 to 7 days then at home 1 1/2 to 2 days and I could run the southeast region which is great since I live in Georgia. Averitt Express, KLLM, Transport America, Schnider all have regional opportunities, I have pre-hires from KLLM, and Transport America and was waiting till I get about two weeks from graduation to apply with the other two. But right now my plan is to go with H O Wolding be leaving around January 6 to go to Wisconsin. I am sure there are others just have to search ask you recruiter at your school they should be able to give you some. Good luck.

Great Richard, hope I will see you tomorrow at Katlaw.

I was looking in my new Rand Mcnally Atlas for the kingpin to tandem settings all I found was the bridge formula. So I did a search and came up with this document. Some of you experienced drivers tell me if this looks right or is there some place else you get this information?

Kingpin to tandem settings

Hey congrats Danny!

Time to climb up in one of those beasts and figure out how to move it around now, eh?

That's right Brett can't wait to get in one and start driving it down the road, I'm ready to get those wheels turning.

Went today and took my Combinations, Doubles-Triples and Tanker exams, passed with two 90's and one 95. So got my A permit. Waiting until I get my letter back from Fed's on background check then going to take Hazmat test. Now I will focus on High Road Training. On hazmat. To those studying for exam the High Road Training Program is the best tool to use, Make sure you answer the questions how the manual says it, everyone I missed I knew better but I over thought the question or I tried to get logical about and it messes you up just think and study the cdl manual even if the answer doesn't make sense in the real world, the test is to see if you have read the manual. So on to Driving range and road Training.

Just my opinion, but I think you have to decide which company fits you better. The money is important but you could be making good money and be miserable because the company doesn't fit your lifestyle needs. For example I looked at several companies and Averitt for example pays the highest Training pay than I have seen and start you out really good. But I chose to go with H O Wolding because I felt they fit my desired lifestyle as a truck driver. Their pay was a little less but after my research and talking to a great lady in the office there I felt like this was a perfect fit for me notice I didn't say they were a perfect company they were just a perfect fit for me I believe I can be happy working for them. Remember you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Personally I wouldn't just go to another company solely based on money, but that's just me. Remember as I have heard it stated on here so many times get your CDL and stick with a company for a year then you will many opportunities before you just try to pick a company that fits you best.