My Training So Far. ...

Sandy, don't stress about the manual. Automatic and manual transmissions both allow a tractor trailers to go in one of four directions, forward, backwards, left or right. The only draw back is if you train in automatic you'll have a restriction on your license which means "some" jobs won't be open to you. However considering a lot of companies are going automatic and there always seem to be a huge driver shortage

Way to go Sandy!!!

Well school is almost over ...Wait What??? yep you read right my time is almost over. 160 hours (4 weeks) ???? Today was backing practice again and I didnt have the nervousness like before as bad , so I climb in that truck and do it , got all 3 maneuvers. I was so excited when I did the alley dock and got out to look ,I started jumping up and down I had it right on! could I do it again...well No lol but my instructor said it was the adrenaline rush to take a break and Breath and then keep practicing. So next week more practice and then test. Felt good to get that right and get more of the feel of positioning that trailer. I started doubting myself and really let that creep in my mind , I know I have to stay focused.

Well school is almost over ...Wait What??? yep you read right my time is almost over. 160 hours (4 weeks) ???? Today was backing practice again and I didnt have the nervousness like before as bad , so I climb in that truck and do it , got all 3 maneuvers. I was so excited when I did the alley dock and got out to look ,I started jumping up and down I had it right on! could I do it again...well No lol but my instructor said it was the adrenaline rush to take a break and Breath and then keep practicing. So next week more practice and then test. Felt good to get that right and get more of the feel of positioning that trailer. I started doubting myself and really let that creep in my mind , I know I have to stay focused.

Absolutely no negative thinking. Practice, practice, practice and you will do just fine.

Way to go Sandy! I laughed out loud when I read your reaction to doing the alley dock...good thing I wasn’t in class. LOL

I am so excited for you!

Thank you Joseph! Yes Kim it was definitely a sight lol

Practice, practice, practice. When you screw up, get mad and then laugh at your self and start over. No matter don't give up

Not giving up!! Today class was canceled... truck broke down and had to be checked out. So those of us in the automatic was outta luck with backing practice or any road test. So we start over tomorrow

The 90 degree alley dock is something I can going to have to learn on the road. At CR.England alot instructors pearch about how important it is for students to know to parallel park a tractor trailer. However when we spoke with the testor's all them would tell us that parallel parking a tractor trailer is the stupidest thing you could attempt to do in the really world. A student asked about doing the 90 degree alley dock, student was an experience driver but let his license lapse We had him tell us about the 90 degree alley dock and we asked the instructor why we weren't being taught that? The answer the D.O.T thought it would be more beneficial for us to know how to parallel park something after school 99.99% of students will never do.

Parallel parking, or any other backing maneuver teach you how to control and manipulate that monstrous vehicle in reverse. In CDL schools you will usually get some silly formula like "turn all the way to the right until you see the center of the landing gear, then stop and turn..." They basically teach you to get it in the box so that you can pass the test. That sort of teaching leaves you feeling useless and frustrated once you're out here running solo. Everyone will learn to back a truck on their own out here. There will be a lot of times you need to understand the principals of the parallel parking maneuvers. You may not be literally parallel parking, but just moving your truck over to the next loading dock is basically that maneuver.