Prime CDL Training

My brain says "truck stopped, bathroom break time!"

I sleep real good while the truck is going. However everytime it stops I wake up. Guess going solo I will need some new sleep patterns. 🙄

Old School, u have spoke the truth and more truth and more truth than I want to hear. I dont attempt to park in the truck stops- he does it..if I attempt at at a shipper he is telling me so much if I get it in I don’t have any idea how I did... and if I get frustrated he will park it. Sad that I’ve allowed myself this comfort level and then whim I can’t when I really don’t know if I can. Decision made I’m allowing myself two more weeks on this truck... taking advantage of time to learn...and then I am going SOLO.

Let’s be realistic! The only reason they want you to stay on their truck is the moola you’re making them. You remain a B-seat? It’s $700 a week until you upgrade. While they’re banking the rest of the money you’re supposed to be making. Kim you’re from W. VA, winter driving isn’t new to you. Shoot, I drove through blizzard conditions yesterday along I-80 in Chicago. Luckily it had just started but it was blowing sideways.

Donna, I was at a pick up that had my trailer jacked up so high it took me an hour with 3 breaks to get my heart rate down from cranking so hard. You did the right thing by going to the yard dog to help out.

I agree wholeheartedly with OS! The sooner you go solo, the quicker you’ll learn what it takes to be successful out here. Some folks love teaming. Personally, I think that once you learn how to manage your clock, you can make just as much, if not more than teaming. I know Rainy makes more solo than when I was training with her.

Truer words have NEVER been spokes

If I felt better about the backing I would be ready I’ve got my miles.

-Donna

Here's something to think about. What is going to be different about your backing when you're solo?

Let's look at two possible scenarios.

1) Maybe now if you are having trouble getting backed into a dock or a parking spot you just give up and have your trainer complete the maneuver.

2) Maybe now if you are having trouble getting backed into a dock or a parking spot your trainer starts saying things like, "Ok, turn left, more, more! Ok, stop, pull forward and turn right, all the way... now start backing up. Okay, hurry up and get the tractor under your the trailer... whoa! You didn't get under it quick enough. Pull forward!"

Donna, nobody, and I mean NOBODY "feels" good about their backing when it's time to go solo. They can't because they are rookies - they lack any kind of experience to establish their skills at going backwards because it's too easy to rely on their trainer's help or advice. NOBODY learns to back by being told which way to turn the wheel. Nor do they learn by just letting someone else take the wheel.

Backing is only learned by doing the very uncomfortable work of repetitively trying it ourselves until we slowly begin to get a "feel" for how the trailer reacts to the driver's input at the wheel. For some of us this takes a great deal of time, but it has to be done by ourselves.

I looked like an idiot when going backwards as a rookie driver. My legs would be hurting sometimes because I had to G.O.A.L (get out and look) so many times to make sure I wasn't going to hit anything over on my blind side. That's how you learn to drive in reverse - you just do it! Don't worry about how silly you look or how long it takes. Your main concern is that you don't hit anything.

To be successful in trucking we've got to put ourselves into situations that we aren't comfortable with. We take hotel rooms with total strangers at orientation. We commit to living in very tight accommodations with a stranger while in training. We do whatever it takes to get our loads delivered on time. We drive all night or in less than desirable weather. We stretch our limits so that we can better ourselves, therefore improving our performance, our skills, and our results. All these efforts are returned to us in not only better paychecks to support ourselves and our families, but also in the extreme gratification and satisfaction of accomplishing something that very few people ever do.

Trucking is best experienced by those who are willing to take on new and difficult challenges. Cowering to the difficult parts of this job will stifle your ability to grasp the concepts of success in this career. Donna, you have already shown considerable bravery and commitment to your new career. Now it's time to step up your game and face the next level of challenges. Going solo is like starting over again. You're going to be uncomfortable and feeling like you've forgotten everything you've already learned. It's like the first time the trapeze artist works without a net. Once you remove the familiarity and the comfort of that trainer being right there in the truck, a new level of learning begins.

You've just been sort of riding the bike with the training wheels still there as a back up, and as much needed protection. Eventually you've got to take that risk of removing those training wheels. Is it going to be scary? Heck yeah it is. It's also going to be exhilarating and liberating. You're gonna scrape your knee a time or two, but you're going to be loving your freedom so much that those minor knee scrapes are going to propel you into a new level of accomplishment. That is when you will both learn to back the truck, and slowly begin to "feel" like you know what you're doing in reverse.

Backing A Truck Is Like Clown Soup For The Soul

A couple of things to add.

#1 There are somethings that ANOTHER can explain to you, but they can't help you comprehend it.

#2 Somethings your just are going learn on your own.

#3 Although it sounds counter intuitive and productive? If YOUR NOT making mistakes? You're NOT doing it RIGHT. In that we learn from our mistakes, improvise, adapt, an overcome.

Just to add, you CAN stay on the trainers truck after upgrading but that is up to the trainer. if you are both company drivers then you are a company team. if the trainer is a lease op, he would have to pay you more but have the relaxation of sleeping while a more experienced driver is in control rather than picking up a new student and starting over.

i was terrified to go.solo and felt the same about backing. i started my day after midnight and parked by noon for easier parking for shutting down. i spent a lot of money on reserved parking and asked yard dogs to drop the trailers in tight doors. i practiced a lot on my breaks.

I know there are many factors to figure in the equation but a some what rough figure what can one make solo at prime being company. It’s been said 700$ on tnt however I’ve made better than that several weeks. 1000$ to stay on trainer truck and 1300$ roughly to team.

Tnt is $700 or 14cpm whichever is better. So if you do over 5000 miles, you make over the $700

thats why

One quick question before I go to the bunk and crash:

Whose idea of an evil joke came up with the slanted dock?!? Sheesh!

Good night/morning everyone and be safe. *yawn*

🤔🤔 do you mean the wrong way slanted parking spots at the TA ? (You either have to blind side or pull in)

Or

Do you mean the docks on an incline, that you have to slide your tandems back after you get about to the door, or you'll rip the skirts off your trailer. Oh, and let's not forget the moveable wooden ramps that you have to get your trailer tires up on so they can get into your trailer.

Yeah, good times !

This is the kind of loading dock I’m talking about:

This kicked my butt last night. I tried for 30 minutes to get in one like this. There was plenty of room on both sides of my door and in front. But for the life of me I could not get the trailer in there straight. I’m going to blame it on it being the very end of my 11 hour driving shift. 😁