I'm Taking The Plunge, I Am Getting Ready To Start School Oct 1 At CRE

I haven't kept up this post. But, I thought I'd give an update. I got my medical card and permit, then called CRE. They were to get back to me with a school start date. I waited and called back twice and got no response from my recruiter. I guess she went on vacation or something. Meanwhile, as I was waiting, I got a call from a PAM recruiter asking me if I was still interested in CDL training. I said yes and had a class start date. I finished my training with CDL of Alabama in Summerdale, AL. I passed my CDL test the first go. Now, I'm waiting for a mentor. I was notified that he would be picking me up sometime after Christmas.

Overall, I'm so glad I went with PAM. I loved the school. The instructors were all top notch and because the class had only 15 students, I feel we got more personal attention. I was the oldest in the class, obviously, but in the end, we were all part of a family. The 'kids' all called me the Old Lady, I started that goofing off one day. I said, I can't do that! I'm just a little old lady! It stuck. The instructors all gave me a 'hard time' because of my age. They razzed me about being Air Force, they were Army, Navy and Marines. All in all, we were family by the time I left.

The trucks were all older and there were some mechanical issues due to students clutching improperly. Well, that's school for you. They have manual transmissions, so there is no exemption on my license.

So, I'm fulfilling my goal. I will be driving for at least one year for PAM. I'm excited and I will make it be the best year I can possibly make it. I don't have any negative thoughts going in to my training. I'm looking for the best. I know it won't be perfect, but it will be my best.

One thing could have been better covered. They didn't cover logs at all. I know nothing about e logs, or paper logs, hours of service, how to plan your trips, drive times, etc. The schooling was accelerated and taught only the cdl test, backing manuevers and shifting. I will say this... The High Road Program here on Trucking Truth helped me so much when it came time to test. I aced all three basic tests and only missed HazMat by 1. I forgot to skip the ones I didn't know and come back to them on HazMat, plus I didn't study here first. If I had used the High Road program for HazMat I would have passed it first time. I will retake the test while I'm waiting for my mentor. PAM offers a bonus for getting your HazMat so I'll be getting that.

I recommended this site to everyone I was in class with. There were several there who didn't have a contract with a company yet and were looking to get hired.

So, If I have time and I can remember, I'll keep up with this as I ride and train with my mentor.

Thanks TT for being such a help and encouragement.