Comments By Rockin' Rick

TDI Week 2

Well, today was the big day as my class got out onto the road with our instructors. After driving for a couple of hours I can safely say both that I had a blast and that I suck when it comes to double-clutch shifting a ten speed transmission. The good new is that our instructor, Jeff, is the man! The other good news is that I know I will get better. I have a few miles of good shifting, and then brain cramp and stress because I can't find the gears. When I'm distracted by driving through a town, I shifted without thinking about it...and that's what I'm working towards...the shifting becoming second nature.

There's a great article here on TT by an instructor describing the first time he taught double clutching... I can't help but agree that the instructors here will have more to talk about tomorrow over coffee following my class's first day on the road.

Be saf...have a great day!

How are things going, CJ?

I'm considering Stevens after I finish school in SC. Two more weeks....

Hi Brett,

On day 4 and all is well, so far, thank you.

The hurdle I was most concerned about was the DOT physical. Four years ago I took the dirty dog ride to Salt Lake City from SC. Found out the hard way that I should of talked to my doc before I left. He didn't give me the green light because it had been a while since I'd seen him. Makes sense, but I was hot and was PO'd all the way back to SC.

This time, thanks to Jeff from TDI, I got a "doctor's medical release" from my current MD which made the physical a snap!

My week one instructor has logged 1.5 million miles of OTR driving, and taught me enough to get my CDL on my first try. I also took and passed the written tests for hazmat and tankers. The CDL prep here, on trucking truth.com, and from my high speed instructor gave me all I needed.

An interesting, as in unexpected, part of our first school day was filling out applications for 18 trucking companies. That process is all about getting "pre-hire" letters. I got pre-hires from about half of them, some of which I'd never heard of before walking into the classroom.

After listening to a couple of recruiter presentations and contacting some companies myself, I believe more now than ever that There is great opportunity in the world of Professional Driving and I can be as successful as I want to be. Choosing a company has been foremost on my mind. There are companies guaranteeing weekend home time and some guaranteeing a chance to go OTR and log some miles. I would like to lease myself a truck and become a trainer. The company I'm leaning towards requires their trainers to have a year's experience before they can instruct. I can't help but think that having a more experienced initial trainer will be a good thing.

Now, I'm getting psyched for next week. We'll work on pre-inspections and maneuvering combination vehicles around TDI's back yard.

Be safe! Rick

Hi everyone!

My name is Rick. I'm starting school tomorrow with TDI in Richburg, SC.

My background is that I'm retired US Army and I have about ten years of law enforcement and I'm a certified fire fighter, volunteering here with the city FD.

The TDI recruiter has been pretty cool and gave me good advice about getting pre-hire letters. So far, I have a pre-hire letter from Covenant and I got an email from Melton. I spoke with the folks from Swift prior to signing on with TDI and I've been using their CDL prep, along with the TT material, to get ready.

I've made sure I had all my medical ducks in a row and have been cleared, there. In 2010 I rolled out to SLC to train with C.R. England but I didn't have the doctors medical release (DMR) beforehand, and one of my docs didn't give me top cover and I had to head back to the greyhound station far too soon.

The main reason I chose TDI is that I'll be able to use my VA benefits to pay for school. And I've been leaning towards TMC and Covenant because I'll be able to continue receiving my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits while training! My recruiter told me to expect to hear from a lot of recruiters while there at school, so I'm keeping an open mind.

A high school buddy of mine happens to be prepping for the TDI school in Milton, FL and May be a week behind me. So I already have a opportunity to have a team ready to roll once I get through school and training. First things, first.

Thanks, Brett, for creating this site. It's been a refreshing source of info while trying to decide when to bust a move in to the trucking world. My brothers have both been drivers, and my bro PJ drives a dedicated route now for CRST, after having driven for Schneider hauling HAZMAT tankers for several years. My younger bro, KC, didn't take to the ride...so I've had a balance of resources to work with.

Back to studying...and my honey-do-this list!

Have a great day, Rick

Good luck, Svetlana! I start my class tomorrow, also.

Thanks for the update, Chris. Sounds like you found a good situation.

Rick

So I have decided to venture into the wonderful world of trucking. This site has really helped me get a grasp of the CDL test. Now for a bit of background on me.

I am 46 y/o, Married for the last 25 years to my one and only wife. Both of our kids are grown. Son still lives at home but is 21. I have been a Correctional Officer for the last 14 years with a one year break that I was working as a Contractor doing security in the middle east.

Needless to say I am looking for as much info as I can find. Plus my wife isn't keen on me becoming a Truck Driver. Then again she didn't like it when I was the Transport Officer for the prison I work at. Logged over 100,000 miles in Two years and never left the state of Oklahoma.

I have a possible date of Jan. 14 to start at Prime Inc. for my CDL school. Can anyone give me some advice on how to make it easier on my better half?

Hi Mongo,

I'm in about the same boat and hope this transition works out.

I've been in law enforcement for four out of the five years since retiring from the Army, and expect some tight spots but can't wait to hit the road!

Good luck, Rick