A Community College Training Experience
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Graduation is today—Tuesday, July 19, 2016. The past 8 weeks have been an experience like no other. The bonds and relationships built with classmates very much unexpected, but not unwelcome. We made it. The remaining 10 student drivers (of an initial class size of 13) have earned a CDL.
The truck driving training program began on Monday, May 23, 2016. It is 8 weeks, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the local community college. The curriculum focuses on developing backing and driving abilities through classroom, simulator lab, driving range and roadway driving experiences. A typical day is designed as classroom (8 a.m.-11:30 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.), and driving (12 p.m.-4:30 p.m.).
The classroom curriculum covered the following subjects by lecture, homework assignments, quizzes and exams:
o CDL permit preparation (3 days of prep. for DMV CDL permit exams)
o CDL log book (FMCSA hours of service regulations)
o CSA (FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program)
o Basic control(s) & shifting
o Vehicle systems
o Inspections (pre-trip, en route, post-trip, and air brakes test)
o Backing & docking
o Coupling & uncoupling
o Sliding 5th wheels & tandems
o Preventive maintenance
o Space & speed management
o Night driving & other extreme driving conditions
o Skid control
o Road hazard awareness
o Railroad crossing
o Emergency maneuvers
o Accident procedures
o Handling cargo
o Cargo documents & paperwork
o Transportation technology (GPS, Qualcomm , e-logs etc.)
o Trip planning & transportation security
o Driver health
o Special rigs (doubles, triples, reefer , flatbed etc.)
o Hazardous materials
The driving range and road driving application of knowledge and skills includes:
o 90 degree backing & alley docking maneuvers
o Offset (left & right side) backing maneuvers
o Straight line backing maneuvers
o City & rural driving
o Night driving
o Skid pad driving exercises
The CDL skills test was July 13th, 14th and 15th. (My test was on the 13th of July.) The test: 1) Pre-trip vehicle inspection, 2) Backing maneuvers (straight line, 90 degree and offset [right & left]), and 3) Road test. The past 8 weeks have been challenging, stressful and fatigued, yet very spirited and satisfying. This entire experience and its rewards will always be remembered.
Drive safe and friendly, my friends.
-Highway44
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated