Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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CFI Training - Truck Dynasty, Springfield, MO
Day 15
Got some more on-road driving done today! Four of us plus the instructor took a truck and trailer over the highway and did a lot of driving on the streets of Springfield (we went past the Prime terminal several times), and practiced our turns and shifting in a large industrial park. I did much better today than I did when I last drove a few days ago. Still not at 100% yet, but making good progress. As my instructor told me, "as long as you're improving each time we go out, you'll do fine on your CDL exam."
After getting back to TDDA, we went back to the yard to practice backing. Didn't get to do alley dock today, but got in plenty of offsets and parallels before wrapping up for the day.
I found out today when I'll test, it's at 7:30am on Valentine's Day. Good thing that we'll be in school Saturday, and maybe Sunday too. I'm going to get in ALL the practice I can before the big day.
Time to hit the hay, thanks for reading!
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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CFI Training - Truck Dynasty, Springfield, MO
Day 14
Missouri weather is crazy.
Was awakened at 11:30 last night by... a thunderstorm, pouring rain, and tornado warning sirens! Then it got much colder, and got freezing rain and snow!
Today was a short day at TDDA, we had blowing snow and icing to deal with. We all watched a video first thing this morning about "Truckers Against Trafficking". Very educational, and more than a little disturbing. We had a good discussion in class about it.
After class time was over, everyone got tested on the in-cab pretrip, except for me and the other two that passed the pretrip test last Friday. The remaining three of us got to spend the rest of the morning working on our yard maneuvers in the meantime.
We ended up leaving for the day just after noon due to worsening road conditions. We'll have a full day this Saturday to make up for the lost time.
Also found out today that my test date will be either Wednesday or Thursday next week, depending on which DMV test site I get assigned to (Carthage or Strafford). I should know for sure by Monday.
That's about it for today, thanks for reading.
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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News Article: Is a guaranteed minimum pay the solution to the driver shortage?
Something like the old US Navy ads comes to mind: "It's not just a job, it's an adventure!"
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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Thanks, Rainy. I'll have to seek out your advice when it's time to take my furball on the road.
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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So the Dyson works best for cat fur, I take it? I'll keep that in mind in case I decide to take one of my cats with me on the road.
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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CFI Training - Truck Dynasty, Springfield, MO
Day 13
Pretty much the same routine today, pretrip then back to the yard to practice backing manuevers for the remainder of the day. We had five students earn their CDLs today.
Looks like I'll be testing for my CDL sometime next week. The CFI recruiter told me my schooling would only be for three weeks. Not going to worry about it, the extra week will do me good to prepare for the exam. The only bad thing is that means another week without a paycheck. Wish I would have known about this before leaving home.
I'm gonna make it my goal to hit the trifecta when it's my turn to test.
That's all for now, thanks for reading.
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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CFI Training - Truck Dynasty, Springfield, MO
Day 12
First part of the day was the usual pretrip routine, then it was on to parallel parking and alley dock. I was a lot better with the alley dock today, I'm finally understanding the 'feel' of how it's done. A little more practice and I'll be good to go.
After lunch, I got called for on-the-road time. It was my first time on the highway with a trailer, and it was a humbling experience when it came to the in-town part. The instructor told me it wasn't bad for my first time out, but I definitely need to get the hang of downshifting. There's a LOT of information to process at once, and it feels like learning to drive all over again. Like G-Town says, you always have to "watch your wagon!" It really takes some getting used to. At least I didn't hit anything! We took turns driving between four of us, and we got back to TDDA just before 5pm.
That's all for today, time to practice the shifting rhythm a bit before going to bed. It's been a long day!
As always, thanks for reading.
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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CFI Training - Truck Dynasty, Springfield, MO
Day 11 (week 3)
Today began with the usual routine, everyone pretripping the school's five trucks and trailers. We had five new students start today as well. Also had two guys take the CDL exam this morning, one passed, the other will need to test again later in the week.
In the meantime, there was a long wait for the trucks in the yard. Got to get in a couple alley docks this morning... need more practice, but I'm getting better each time I do it. Worked on straight and offset backing, and got in a blind side parallel park before the end of the day. Looking forward to getting some road time soon. The past two weeks have gone by fast!
That's all for now, and thanks for reading!
Posted: 5 years, 1 month ago
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We Had A Major Truck Accident
Get well soon, Dan. Prayers for a speedy recovery.