CFI At Crowder College

5/8/18 Day8

Today, we practice driver-side parallel parking. I was very inconsistent, due mostly to the 2nd phase of the backing. I was hitting more often between the middle and inner cone when I got straight. I would also get confused with turning the steers in the correct direction. Which would screw up my set up when positioning into the box. We worked on that all day. It was hot out on the backing range. I was given the opportunity to drive one of the trucks back to the parking area without the instructor; another student drove the other one. It was just maybe 1/4-1/2 mile so no big deal. I then backed the truck up with the instructors outside directing the multiple trucks that were parking. I did what was what I would describe as a partial blindside? A fellow student was leaning forward looking out the right side mirror while I was trying to back. Grrr.....i guess I am forgiven for my blunder yesterday. I thought it was cool to be trusted not to wreck the truck. I had an inconsistant day, but no major screw ups.

On an unrelated note, the potential costs for training at Crowder is an absolute bargain. We are fed very well, and I mean very well along with free room. I would be surprised i could receive better traing anywhere else. If I were paying my own way here without committing to a company, it would still be an absolute bargain.

No big deal...? If they trusted you to drive their $100,000 truck 1/4 to 1/2 mile unattended, that's a very big deal - and a sign of the confidence they have in your abilities. Not blowing smoke here, brother. Just think that short solo trip has more significance than you're allowing for.

Can't wait to get to PTI, much less driving at some point. Of course, it's only been two days for me, so perhaps I'm being a little impatient, lol.

As for food... Well, we don't have the same dietary privileges as Crowder, but I knew what I was walking into before I got here, and I'm extremely grateful to be here and learning. As you said, an absolute bargain!

Great to hear things are going well!

Jeremy, the road from the range to the the parking area is a straight, flat public road at the college but fairly isolated. I guess they thought if I could not get it from the range to the parking area in one piece, they wouldn't have told me and the student in the other truck to bring them over. The parking aspect was the most exciting part.

So glad to hear how well you are doing. You will do great.

Big Scott, we will be going out on the road for highway training tomorrow and an evaluation, then to a truck stop, which I am not sure what we will do there. One day at a time.

So glad to hear how well you are doing. You will do great.

Big Scott, we will be going out on the road for highway training tomorrow and an evaluation, then to a truck stop, which I am not sure what we will do there. One day at a time.

So glad to hear how well you are doing. You will do great.

Sounds great. Maybe you'll get to either back into a spot or pull into the fuel island. Have fun.

Good luck today. If you happen to be driving to and through the TS, don't allow someone else's chaos to rush you. Take your time. Have fun.

5/9/18, Day 8

This morning we learn drivers side parallel parking in the morning. I was inconsistant getting the truck line up straight in the box. A few times, I would get in the box, but not straight. Then we alternated blind side and drivers side parallels.

After lunch, four of us went on our first graded road drive out of Neosho and did highway driving. We had a different instructor for it. I went last and drove from a small truck stop, which was more like a convenience store with a small truck parking area. Thete was good and bad on my drive. The good included good control, remaining in my lanes, switching lanes and turns. The bad was my shifting went to crap. I started missing some gears and from there the instructor started telling me that I should be in different rpm ranges than my regular instructors. When I grinded a couple gears, it just got worse. The instructor would not stop talking and was definitely less calm than my regular instructor. The more she corrected me, the more nervous (or irritated?) I became. I missed a few road signs and what vehicles were doing 1/2 mile up the highway, and the instructor would be explaining to the other students what I was doing wrong. I mentioned to him that he was making me nervous, and from there his criticing just got worse. Any ways, not a good drive shifting wise, but he did say I "can drive well, and If I could have improved my shifting, I would have had the highest score in our group." Something to definitely work on, since he is going to be the finisher for our road evaluations next week. I'll just have to get used to his highly verbal style of teaching. Oh boy.

Oh boy.

Sorry, brother. I don't mean to be a tool. But it had to happen sooner or later - that one instructor! We read about him in different diaries or posts, we shudder and think, "Thank God I didn't have that guy."

Okay, maybe he's not that bad. But it sounds like today he may not have been the best influence to have in the truck.

On the other hand, it sounds like you still dealt with it very well. No wrecks, no fatalities. And I bet it was kinda fun just before it turned nerve-wrecking.

Whatever, from the little I've read on here about ya, no way is this the first (or even the most) disagreeable person you've had to deal with. So there's no doubt you'll manage both the person and the situation efficiently and productively.

Almost best score in the group? That's pretty awesome. And a nice indicator of where you are with everything else. Tomorrow's a new day and a new chance to do better than we did today.

Though, you keep doing this well and soon it's going to be harder for you to improve on yesterday.