CRST: The Second Chance Part 2.

Day 3: Finally Monday came I can't recall a longer weekend. So I went back to the classroom. As usual people arrived late, walking in talking on their phones, then getting attitudes with the instructors when told to put their phones away. So finally the class was about to begin. Then some other instructor, management looking type walked in. Him and the first instructor spoke, he then turned and face the class "May I have your attention, if you have your driver's license, learners permit, D.O.T Medical card, gather your stuff exit the room turn right proceed to the room at the end of the hallway. About a dozen of us stood up and went to the room. For twenty minutes maybe thirty we sat there. Finally the manager came in. He apologize for the delay ask for our documents verified them and had sign some piece of paper. Then we were told to report back there at 1pm. Okay so I will be in the afternoon classes I thought. 1pm rolled around, finally time to get this show on the road. The manager came in took roll call for our group and then told us report back the next day at 1pm and then he was gone. My training if you want to call it that had basically been showing up for roll call and then being sent on my way.

I spent the next 24 hrs's wandering about, going the pre trip by drawing a picture of a tractor and trailer and writing down everything I would check for. Day4: so 1pm came and the dozen of us gather in the room. Here comes roll call and another report back here tomorrow at 1pm. "Hurry up and wait". The manager walked speaking with someone on his phone, the manager didn't seem like he was having a good day, in fact he seemed to be having a rotten day. He ended the call and began roll call he was getting ready to say something, no doubt "report back here at 1pm tomorrow" however before he could his phone rang. He spoke with someone ended the call and got up and walked out. He was gone for twenty minutes. When he came back he seemed to be even more stressed out then before. He started by apologizing about the last few days and us being in limbo. He then explained his problem well at least the one or one them with the school. Here's the short version. They had no room for us at the training school. The actual training school in Cedar Rapids for CRST is called the North American Driver Training Academy (nadta). He explained they were booked solid, they were having staffing issues, some students had fallen behind in training, or hadn't been able to test. Now there was my group and the other group of new permit students. He told us that 10 of us would be going to the Hawkeye Academy. At NADTA you train on automatics and at Hawkeye you train on manuals. Let me say the idea of learning to drive on a manual tractor trailer scared me. It was something I did not want to do. Put me on an automatic I will take a restriction on my license. The manager told us our choices were either go to hawkeye or Waterloo as it's also called. Waterloo is the town where the Hawkeye training Academy is located or go home and wait for them to call us and get us in at a later date. Okay I thought I am going to learn to drive a manual. So ended training day 4.

You seem to want this bad enough. What difference does it make what you train on? Both move Freight. During CDL school I drove a manual, during my training at my company it was an automatic. Then I got my first truck and it was a manual and I did have reservations but I've driven for almost 5 weeks finally went through the mountains today and I'm still alive and I still have a job. LOL. I admire your perseverance. Don't let a little thing about a manual or an automatic throw you off. Wasn't backing your problem at England? Trust me it's easier to back with a manual then it is an automatic. Automatics bump and jump around. Good luck to you be patient and get 'er done.

You seem to want this bad enough. What difference does it make what you train on? Both move Freight. During CDL school I drove a manual, during my training at my company it was an automatic. Then I got my first truck and it was a manual and I did have reservations but I've driven for almost 5 weeks finally went through the mountains today and I'm still alive and I still have a job. LOL. I admire your perseverance. Don't let a little thing about a manual or an automatic throw you off. Wasn't backing your problem at England? Trust me it's easier to back with a manual then it is an automatic. Automatics bump and jump around. Good luck to you be patient and get 'er done.

I was absolutely terrified when I had learned I was going to Waterloo as most students call it. Imagine my fear level when I learned that I would have to parallel park as part of the backing. My whole time on the backing range behind the wheel was just about one hour spread out over 3 days. I passed my backing test on the first try. Out of the 12 points I could loose and still pass, I lost two points