CRST Trainers - The Real Deal
Topic 22561 | Page 1
When I was in school last year I rode with our yard trainer as he did the same thing. It was interesting to see him parallel park at about 30.
I've a couple that are more "impressive" than those stunts that really teach nothing. First is successfully getting your very own CDL. Next one is making it through your first year OTR with no accidents, citations or OOS violations. Not sure where that video would have a place here in the real world. X Games?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
CRSTs CDL school in Cedar Rapids is right behind our terminal lol. I've said quite a few times, that if one is up for going to an all team company, after their training, and completing their contracts, drivers aquire some seriously mad skills and are welcomed at virtually ANY trucking job they'd care to apply for. Yes, their company school is THAT GOOD.
Am I a little jealous? Heck yeah. I'm a good driver and have proficient skills and I've been told I'm an excellent trainer, but, I don't and wouldn't dare attempt their little competitions.. I'd be put to shame.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
I'm not impressed. I once drove from Louisiana to Vermont blindfolded, with one arm tied behind my back!
I'm not impressed. I once drove from Louisiana to Vermont blindfolded, with one arm tied behind my back!
And this year's award goes to Old School! 
Someone here asked about this post and I wanted to clarify something...
We were on break and speaking casually with an instructor. We were not being taught how to do this or even that it was a good idea. It was just a video of some instructors out by themselves blowing off steam.
Our instructors have stressed care and safety with our vehicles from day one. This whole thing came about because someone asked the instructor if any of them ever had trouble with backing maneuvers.
Again, this is not how they teach people to do things. And any student attempting to do such a thing would probably be shown the door very quickly.
I've a couple that are more "impressive" than those stunts that really teach nothing. First is successfully getting your very own CDL. Next one is making it through your first year OTR with no accidents, citations or OOS violations. Not sure where that video would have a place here in the real world. X Games?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
All while pouring and drinking not 1 but 2 cups of coffee.
I'm not impressed. I once drove from Louisiana to Vermont blindfolded, with one arm tied behind my back!
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Probably should've tossed this in my diary, but couldn't resist the urge to make it a more broad topic.
While our training program overall is a curious one sometimes, it seems to always get the job done. And today I found out just a little more as to why that is...
We watched some videos on first break today that featured some of our trainers here showing, ummmmmmm, let's say another side of themselves.
The first video had one of our trainers doing some backing maneuvers at unholy speeds. He was out on the range with a camera person and himself, no other people or equipment. First he did a straight back from about 100 yards out doing what I could only guess to be around 50 MPH. Next, he whipped out that lane, threw it in reverse, and proceeded to nail an offset doing a slower (but still fast) speed. And he topped it all off with an immaculate alley dock (done in one shot, no stopping, no pull ups) at a healthy speed. Grand total of time was under two minutes on all three backs. Yikes!
Then a video of various trainers who were bored on a Saturday waiting for students to show up. So they started a contest to see who could alley dock the fastest - BLINDFOLDED!
Didn't get the time on the blindfolded backing, but still... Holy cow!
They're not just great at teaching stuff, they really do have some crazy skills. Probably not that impressive to the old hands around here, but for us newbies... Mind Blowimg!
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated