When Is It Too Soon To Look For Another School?

Changing schools will not improve your backing or eliminate the potential for a difficult personality. They're everywhere.

Jeremy try to slow things down. You'll get it...we've all been through this.

We have faith in you! You can do this and show all us newbies how it is done. Good luck and don't over think it.

Jeremy,

Today, it took me 45 minutes to back into a dock. At the 40th minute, the light bulb turned on, and I slid it right in.

That light bulb WILL turn on for you. The same thing happened to me in school, too. Patience is the key.

The neat thing about today, is I can see Susan D's company HQ from the dock. I could also see the CRST training area, Because I missed the turn into the place I am delivering.

We are So Close, but so far away!

Jeremy, you have gotten some great advice. If you look at training diaries you will see the problems we all had. You can do it. Also, keep in mind CRST has a non compete clause in their contract, which means you will have a very difficult time getting another company to look at you. Good luck.

Also, keep in mind CRST has a non compete clause in their contract, which means you will have a very difficult time getting another company to look at you.

That would only apply if he voluntarily left the company before his contract was up, not if they let him go.

Well, I would rather die than quit anything. Living with the unknown is worse than almost any result.

With that said, I didn't quit today. I failed miserably on my backing test, but not for lack of trying like a desperate man. I passed PTI with no problem, but when I did the backing test... Yup, that was ugly.

I get three more attempts to pass it. If I do it tomorrow, then I learned from my mistakes. If I don't, then I re-assess, try to learn some more, and try again the next day.

People who are in the same class as me are passing, so I can't blame the "system", the instructors, or anyone else. Its all up to me.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Jeremy I could be completely off-base in this conclusion, but it sounds like you are really being tough on yourself. You don't need to be perfect at this, as in executing it without a pull-up. Save that for "Jeremy v2.0".

It's okay to use a pull-up. Get it in the hole (even if on an angle), and pull-up to straighten out and then straight back into the box. Make it easy on yourself. There are no style points, ugly is okay, as long as you get it in the box. Try to get extra practice if you can, ask an instructor for help.

You'll get it.

Good luck.

I've been following this topic since Jeremy started, and now I want to jump in and double underline G-Town's comment about pullups.

I'm an instructor at Swift's Academy in Memphis. I tell the students that a pull-up is NOT any failure at all. It is simply an adjustment to make things better. In fact, a pull-up can be a really useful tool to get your trailer where it's supposed to be. That's why they allow you pullups!

If you can use a pull-up, you don't need to worry about getting the back of the trailer exactly right next to a cone, with the trailer lined up to go exactly into the box. Plan accordingly, expect to use a pull-up (or two!) and relax a bit.

I am CR England. To get your CDL here. You need to pass a backing skills test. First is the straight back, you pull forward 100 yards reverse, pull forward again, do an off set parking move move the tractor and trailer from one lane to another by backing it up. From there you do another straight line backing pull forward and parallel park. We started training last Thursday on it and did it through Sunday. After an hour everyone had it but me I just couldn't get the hang out it. It seems no matter what I kept getting worse and worse and everyone else got better and better. It got to the point some students would walk down to the end of the lane whistle and the truck would go to them or they would say okay truck I need you to go here and then there the truck would obey 😭😡😤😵. I couldn't get the truck to move back in a straight line. Monday came the first day of testing and sure enough I don't pass backing. I knew I wouldn't I know I am not good at it and I had consider throwing in the towel. But I have gone to all the training I can and slowly I have gotten better. Straight backing I make sure the tractor and trailer are straight and I go back wards very very slow the split second I see the trailer going to one side I slow down even more and turn to that side to bring it back in line. The instructors here know that not everyone is going to pick up on different areas right away. They know a student who is a whiz at backing might not be good with turns, maybe the student is an excellent driver but can't pass an in cab inspection or a pre trip inspection. They really don't care what your weaknesses is, as long as you practice and keep trying to improve they will work with you. After I failed the backing test I went straight over to the training area and found dozens of students whom I all thought did the backing perfectly wanting help some where in the same boat as me skill wise I found out. day by day I get better.

Well, I passed my backing test today. And while I might have been behind the wheel, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to one particular instructor who got me on the right path!