CDL Training At A Local College Truck Driving Academy

Week 3 we are half day in classroom reading and taking online tests over the JJ Keller Tractor Trailer Driver Training Manuel and the other half we are in trucks learning to shift gears, double clutching , using splitter, doing pre trips, hope i get better at shifting, I’m doing good on turns but down shifting and getting the right RPM’s is going to take some practice.

Day 13 we started straight line backing and off set backing and I did it pretty good only had to use 2 pull-ups on one offset and the other did it without pulling up backing is one of my strong parts still need lots of work shifting and downshifting but getting better everyday, rest of the day was spent doing lessons and me and another student went out and did a pretrip and brake tests on a truck and practiced that a few times. We should test out in week 5 and the rest of the time will be spent driving taking short day trips is what we are told working on highway driving and different grades out by Palo Duro Canyon.

Today was a lot of driving, we drove (20 miles one way) to a town east of the campus using only the access road along I-40, no highway, but it had a lot of stop signs, yield signs, sharp turns, small 2 lane road, we went to the Loves truck stop, RR break then my student partner drove back, we did more straight line backing, more driving tomorrow then Monday will be all classroom working on trip planning, map reading and logs, i am improving on shifting especially the downshifting and getting the RPM's right so it's smother. Tomorrow will be the end of week 3 we should start testing for our CDL week 5 and 6. Still need some work on Pre-trip, my problem is I say to much and need to be more on what is required for the state test and only saying the key words they are looking for that way they will know I know what I am talking about.

Brent have you taken a look at this?

Click here, it’s really good and might help you learn PTI:

• Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide
• Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection
• Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
• Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Questions

Yes I just printed off the list on here I like the way it’s broken up into sections I will definitely study that, I do really well on in cab but always miss something like Volts or forget the horn, ABS, I need to study coupling and suspension parts more and this will help appreciate it.

Good luck, stay focused,...you’ll get it.

Thanks G Town I appreciate it, have a couple of weeks to get it down which is good.

Day 15 we drove on a major street downtown for about 15 miles, traffic lights, turns, cars, other triucks, was interesting putting everything we have learned up to this point and driving and shifting all while watching lights, other drivers, was a good day, we also backed and practice off set backing more today, good end of the week and end of week 3, 5 more weeks to go.....

Today was doing paper logs, hours of driving and all the laws associated with that and trip planning and working out of the road atlas and learning how to read a map and trip plan. No driving today good thing there is about 4-6 inches of snow,

No driving today good thing there is about 4-6 inches of snow,

But you're in TEXAS!? You'll get plenty of opportunities to drive in it