I Really Need Some Advice ☹️

Alright guys. I need some advice. I failed my test AGAIN. I'm very discouraged right now, but I'm sure it'll get better. I'm not sure how to proceed. I was doing great through the first two maneuvers, I didn't even need to use a pull up on my offset to the right manuever. I was doing the alley dock and things just fell apart. I second guessed my position so I pulled up and it just went downhill. I'm not sure what to do now. I can probably get some more time at Trainco (which is great by the way), but I'm not sure it will help if I still have to use those spring clutch trucks. Does anyone think that renting a uhaul trailer to use with my pickup would help? I understand that the turning would be different, but the principal would be the same, but I don't think I can afford to pay for a semi at a school.(which will probably be the same old stiff spring clutches that Trainco has) any advice is helpful. I've racked my brain and my wife has too trying to come up with a friend or relative who has a truck I could practice with. We can't come up with anyone, just some former truckers we know who no longer have rigs.

Ask your instructors for some extra help. It's not the truck but the operator. Learn how to use that truck. At any company you could get an older truck in the fleet as your first. You are unproven and more likely to hit something. Your school has helped many people pass the test. They are the best ones to help you. Good luck.

I'm not a Trucker YET

BUT I am a Retired United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant.

DI X 2, PMi, Weapons Coach. Marksmanship instructor yada ~ yada.

Be it marksmanship, close combat what ever.

1. Your over compensating

2. Your over analyzing

3. Your over thinking

KISS

KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!

Its the reason over educated people fail in this business.

Quit over thinking and over analyzing

Spring clutch problem, huh? Sounds more like a “guessing” problem.

Know what they call a truck diver who had to take the skills test five times?

A truck driver.

Not only are you doing just fine but your even thinking about going the wrong direction on purpose. The Uhaul will not handle the same.

When I took my test I did more or less the same thing. I did just fine on the first two and when I got to the parallel I set up wrong, got out and looked my two times...

The second time I got out and looked one of the instructors came over and told me the facts of life...

He said, " You haven't lost one point yet and this is the last part"..

I'm pretty thick in the head so he had to flat out tell me.

Back over the cone and pull forward till your inside the box and not over the front set of cones.

It's just a test and it has parameters. Find out what they are and use that to your advantage. And not to kick you while your down but to let you know what's ahead. Once you pass your still not a trucker... You'll have the license and then the real schooling begins. Enjoy the ride and don't over think this.

Dan thinks he know what type of people fail at trucking...

Its the reason over educated people fail in this business

LMFAO...!!!

Really? Like having a "secondary degree over educated?"

You'd be very surprised (possibly shocked) how many of us on this forum have under-graduate and secondary degrees and are damn good Truckers. Right Errol? Right Old School? Susan, I think you have a degree? Anyone else? Not typically something we discuss, but I know there are more. Put in perspective, I work with a retired Physician, 67 years old and he is a top performing driver. I trained him for three days when he came on the Walmart account 3 years ago. I'd say he's highly educated by anyone's standard...yet he has over a quarter-million NE Regional miles with no preventables. F' En A, really good driver.

All of us had a significant level of difficulty learning how-to back the beast. Some more, some less but it never comes easy because of how we are all "wired". Left is not left and right is not right. And that's only where the frustration and challenge begin. Rob's biggest issue is lack of repetition and practice. Simple, he needs more practice in order to get-it just enough to pass.

As a Gunner you understand the value of practice, honing your skills as a shooter and marksman. This is no different.

My advice to Rob is refuse to give-up. Get more practice...and repetitions. No substitute for practice.

That said, the fact I have a degree (which I do) or not, has little to-do with success or failure in trucking. Dan you'll realize soon enough that it's a level playing field and the great equalizer regardless of economic, educational, religious, ethnic and/or cultural background. Anyone can fail and anyone can succeed.

In a word it's humbling for Marines, Computer Science Majors and Ditch Diggers.

And by the way, my degree? I paid for it by working as a laborer and dump truck driver 40 years ago. I continued working for that company part-time even after graduating and getting a job in my chosen field. It's when and where I developed my love affair for trucks and trucking. It's an intrinsic piece of my education that I've never regretted.

Thanks G-TOWN. I'm a bit surprised by some of the replies I have to say. I'm back home, five hundred miles away from the school I already graduated from. I can't exactly "ask an instructor." I was just there a couple of days ago for a "warm up." You don't think I asked for help? As far as it being the operator and not the truck...no crap. I said I messed up. It most certainly IS the truck though. Not the truck I test with, but the practice trucks. I'm not allowed to practice with the good truck, just the practice trucks. And as far as my company having old trucks, I can guarantee that they don't have one single non-hydraulic clutch truck in their entire fleet. Look, if I was good enough to just release the clutch and maneuver at idle speed, it wouldn't be a problem. I am not quick enough to steer without modulating the clutch by pressing it in, holding it down, and easing it out. My leg starts to shake after a while so I cannot get the repetitions that I need. I'm also sorry for being educated and articulate if that offends you for some reason. What the hell?

I will give you the same EXACT advice I gave to a girl at my school taking her test today. Take your time, if you get confused, pause take a few seconds, look at the box, look at your trailer and look at your tractor, close your eyes and visualize what you need to do to steer that trailer where it needs to go.

This girl at school was practicing for the 90 degree, she had done it just fine earlier but her 2nd round of practice went sideways, I didn't tell her what to do I gave her that little piece of advice. When she took her backing tests... she nailed the strait and offset, 3 pull ups for the 90.

Pause, assess, visualize and execute.

Pause: Stop the truck Assess: Look at everything you can, the box, the trailer, the tractor, other reference points ( other cones in other lanes, the fence, buildings, light poles, parked rigs, anything you can get a reference off of ) Visualize: plan what you are going to have to do to get that trailer steered where it needs to go, and how to do it. Execute: use your plan and get that trailer steered into where you want it to go.

That is how I do my backing, steer the trailer.... use the tractor to steer the trailer.

BTW I am ( as of posting this) At the end of my 3rd week of training, about to go into my 4th and my test is coming up this week. I may test Monday or Friday, I will not know until Monday when I get to the yard and am told by an Instructor. You will get it, do not give up, do not get discouraged.

Wait did I make a new acronym? PAVE :)

No one was trying to get down on you. However, I'm confused. You graduated from a trucking school without obtaining your CDL? Again the advantage of Paid CDL Training Programs.

And there is no such thing as over educated. There is no such thing as too much knowledge. We want to see you succeed.