Comments By David John

One thing that may help.

Realize that knocking over the center back cone costs 2 points.

Poking the tractor wheels slightly through the blind side of the box will cost 2+ points.

Points can add up quickly, but ...

The goal is to get it perfect and complete the driving range without losing a single point.

However, for the exam, you are allowed 11 points total that you may lose (ie. points to give up) and still pass the test.

You must have the tractor/trailer completely inside the box when you finish. Being outside costs 10 points and is likely a fail.

In the real world you may not have the ability to push outside the limits of the box (ie. “lose points”), but in the real world you will have the ability to do as many GOAL (get out and looks) and pull-ups as you need.
And in the real world you will further develop your skills to the point those GOALs and pull-ups will become limited to only what is necessary for an experienced driver.

During driver training, losing 2 points by pushing past the back cone may help by giving you the additional space you need to align yourself in the box perfectly. 2 points to save from losing 10...

Knowing this relieved me of a certain amount of pressure/stress during this maneuver. Getting it absolutely perfect is possible, but given the time available for practice (and in our case using different range locations) made perfection a bit harder.

Note: the examiner will not allow you to continue driving through the back cone (or side). They will stop you when you begin to drive out of the box, but knocking the back cone over and then pulling forward to straighten gives you a few extra feet in front.

The Recipie provided by the instructor does work. Almost. Use that sequence of turns and the sequence of pictures the instructor provided.

THEN Learn to adjust things slightly.

Develop an understanding of how the tractor and trailer are moving.
How the back of the trailer is entering the box. (driver side)
How the back of the tractor is entering the box. (blind side)

When you are straight and backing the tractor/trailer into the box, watch the trailer tires and learn how deep they can go in. Then understand the movement of the trailer tires (and back of trailer) relative to the driver side of the box when you are backing the tractor down into the box.

When you turn the tractor to “push” the back of the tractor into the box, watch the trailer tires again, and their movement. Note here also that you need to be watching the blind side tractor tires ALSO to get a feel for where they need to end up before you try to “dive” the front of the tractor into the box.

When backing the tractor tires into the box, before diving the steer tires into the front of the box, I would often go a bit too far. My instructor gave us driver side tire/line points of reference regarding our halt when backing the tractor tires into the box. Watching the driver side in this instance took away my sense of how the tractor was moving toward the far side of the box. That loss of reference caused difficulty in developing my sense of how to adjust when things were not quite perfect.

When backing, for some, the recipie (sequence of turns and pictures) will work perfectly every time. This was not the case for me. In developing an understanding of how the trailer and tractor were moving relative to one another and relative to their desired positions in the box, I was able to begin to learn how to make adjustments.

Safe travels! It will be fun to say Hello sometime, out on the road.

😃

I ran a load of Aluminum beams from Delhi, LA to San Diego, CA this week. ....snip...

One more thing... As I was driving back to Delhi my dispatcher calls and says, "Hurry back in if you can. I've got another load headed to that same customer ..."

Old School, if you are heading back to San Diego and you have time for lunch/coffee/etc. I would enjoy the opportunity to meet and say Hello!

Depending on the day/time, it should be possible for me to drive (pretty much anywhere in San Diego) to connect.

Thankfully, recommendation taken on this, without previously having all of the information. During discussion in school it was understood this was a hard account. It was not understood to be as hard as described here. Given the opportunity I would (more than I did) encourage my class mates to read things said on this site.
As a rookie OTR driver (to be), given what I have read, I will likely choose to take heat from the dispatcher rather than agree to one of these runs. Yikes.

Following the additional reading Old School suggested, regarding the Dollar Store accounts, and finding input from many of the experienced drivers who contribute on this site ... two Rookie Solo Driver’s summed things up rather well.

“I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOR NEW DRIVERS.
YOU WILL EITHER HIT SOMETHING
OR QUIT AND HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB.”
— Steven

“And the CONSENSUS is ..........
drum roll please ..............
don't walk away from this opportunity ..........
RUN FOR YOU LIFE!!!”
— Tractor Man

One such thread...

Dollar Store Accounts are incredibly hard, especially without experience

I believe a lot will depend on your location.

I am not planning on staying local as I believe much that has been said in previous posts. I do have an interest in being home multiple times a week (nightly?) however and have had my antenna twitch when presented with these opportunities. Perhaps I will consider local in future.

It might pay to talk with the truck driver training school in your area. Many here will (correctly) tell you that the school will tell you anything to get you to train with them. This is a possibility. However, you may be able to look at a “hiring board” and see announcements from hiring companies. You could take a list of names and check out the companies and their posted hiring positions on-line. The better driver training schools will be able to back up what they tell you with data. These 5 companies XYZ, ABC, ... are hiring new CDL drivers directly out of school. AND ... We had ## students from our school hired into each of the companies in the past 6 months/1 year.

While at this school I learned of a number of companies that this school trains drivers for...
In this case the company itself would hire NON-CDL individuals and hire the truck driver training school to train them to be drivers. In Phoenix there were a few, but the big one at the time was CalPortland a concrete delivery (and other construction related products) company.

There are a number of local dairy and foods related companies who hire product delivery drivers and then offer the opportunity to transition into CDL-A after the first year.

One fuel tanker company, Coastal, was also open to hiring (and did hire) students directly from one of their approved CDL schools. (I believe folks on this site would strongly recommend against tanker and especially HAZMAT tanker in the first year. I am inclined to agree. But Coastal is doing this. You can find information on Coastal’s website.)

I am also aware of some “pseudo-local” positions that are available at present. One national carrier had a route Phoenix-San Diego, daily. The truck would drive back and forth. The driver would be away from home every other night and then home weekends.

I am also aware of the fact that a number of national carriers are looking to fill driving positions in the “Dollar” store area. Dollar General, Family Dollar, etc. These positions were described as home nightly, or nearly so. The discussion among students and instructors lead me to believe this would be an easier load/unload situation but one in which many stops would be involved and each stop would very likely present very unique arrival and parking challenges.

I think with research you’ll find local opportunities that might work. But take care in considering if this is the time to begin.

I believe Old School’s and Rainy’s pictures to be real and realistic and something to consider seriously when understanding how these challenges will play out at present.

I hear that the first year in this industry is the hardest. So much to learn. Drinking from the fire hose. And just a process where we are developing our endurance, creativity and patience.

Taking on this incredible new challenge may not be a problem for you.
But taking it on at this moment, with other life challenges, compound the difficulties you will face and may make it harder.

Best Wishes!

The picture you mention was taken by Chris Burkhard, a photographer who inspires.

That particular picture was taken in Switzerland, I believe.

Chris’ images caught my attention before I went through the process of considering ‘Pure Joy’, as mentioned.
He later did this Ted Talk which struck a chord ...

“Every photograph is precious ... “
- Chris Burkhard

Pure Joy, Chris Burkhard - TedTalk

I have seen some of these places, or similar. He captures in a photo what I see and feel.

And my profile picture. A place where I find Peace, Happiness, ... Joy.

I spent some time considering this, what is ‘Happiness’, what is ‘Perfect Peace’ and perhaps ‘Pure Joy’.
For me, it seems, we are all in search of something. In search of happiness.
The question was, for me, what is that something?

Following quite a bit of thought I came to the realization that perfect happiness, peace and that joy I am searching for, may be seen as an instant in time. A few seconds in the day.

When standing outside, of an evening, waiting and watching for a sunset. A time without a need to hurry or be anywhere. A time of waiting. While watching the sunset I tend to see varying stages of “pretty”. It develops to a point where the colors are incredible, the view (and pictures others post) are amazing. There is a point where everything is perfect. And then from that point the colors continue changing and while still beautiful, are somewhat less so. Then the time comes where the stomach growls, or you begin to get cold or you realize you must be somewhere else. A time where perfection has passed and the present and ‘moving on’ is calling loudly.

For me the point of perfect peace, pure Joy, is found at that instant of perfection while viewing a Sunset. This can be a sunset at the beach or on a mountain. The natural beauty of the area can enhance. All, I find, is much better still when shared with someone you Love. Pure Joy in that instant in time.

This measure of peace and joy and happiness can be found in other things, in other times, other places. A newborn child, friendship, in achieving something new. But in this sunset I find a sense for what that feeling truly is, ‘pure joy’. Awe and amazement and a feeling of being truly happy.

I wonder, where is that point of true happiness for you?

Perhaps a start with the other side of ‘life on the road’. The travel and ‘sleep in your vehicle’ I have experience doing.

It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words ...

I was taking a look at my profile and I realized the few photos included in my list are those I have posted in response to threads I’ve seen. Information unrelated to me. I thought to upload, and believe I can only do this trough a post, a few photos that tell a little more about me.

I’ve created this thread for that reason.

Others would be welcome to, are invited to, share photos to this thread as well.