Prime CDL Training - Springfield, MO

Really focus on the pretrip... that is the one thing a trainer cant help you memorize. 90% of people who fail do so on the pretrip!!!

and yay michael got a trainer...happy dance!

Really focus on the pretrip... that is the one thing a trainer cant help you memorize. 90% of people who fail do so on the pretrip!!!

and yay michael got a trainer...happy dance!

Yes ma'am, have been going over that a lot.

Today was so fridgin cold!! Was out on the pad watching backup procedures and I was so cold I almost fell asleep. Thankfully they pulled some personal cars over to warm up.

I got to try some straight backing but unfortunately ran out of time after I started.

Tomorrow I should get to try again. Quit excited either way, I feel each day is useful and I'm not just wasting away.

OH, safety meeting tomorrow so free food :-p

Pay close attention to the tandem tires when people are backing. People used to tell me to watch but i didnt know what i was looking at. The key is getting the trailer tandems where you want and knowing at what point you need to pivot.

Turn the opposite of how you want the back of the trailer to go

Turn the same way you want the front of the trailer to go.

Are you backing in a reefer or FB?

For flatbed, there are reflectors on thr front corners. as soon as you see the reflector in the mirror it means you arent straight. turn the wheel TOWARDS the reflector until you can't see ut anymore.

Really focus on the pretrip... that is the one thing a trainer cant help you memorize. 90% of people who fail do so on the pretrip!!!

and yay michael got a trainer...happy dance!

Just thinking out loud..

We have a massive driver shortage and many people fail in pre-trip inspections. I am not sure why a driver is supposed to remember every part names for a test. Also people can forget things when they are stressed. You can be a great driver but it is not necessary you are a person who easily remeber names. I remeber in my college math class exams our professor told us, "open the test book and check formulas and use calculator. You are living in 21st century and everything is at your finger tips and in real life you are going to use computer or calculator and check books to solve problems". Same way why can't the DMV just hand over a check sheet with all the names so students can check each one and explain it to the inspector. So that way you dont have to worry that you are not going to miss anything and I bet not many student will fail.

We have a massive driver shortage and many people fail in pre-trip inspections. I am not sure why a driver is supposed to remember every part names for a test.

They don't fail for forgetting the name of the part. They fail for forgetting to inspect a part altogether. Big difference.

In fact, you don't necessarily need to remember the name of the part, only that you should inspect it. However, I suggest you do learn all the part names so that you can better familiarize yourself with the mechanics of your truck. It's not like there's a whole ton of things to remember, really. Muscle memory is key here.

You can say to your Examiner " I don't remember the name of that part, but I know I'm supposed to check for..."

That said, they're still really no excuse for not learning the pre-trip, names and all.

A so-called driver shortage is no excuse to relax the pre-trip requirements.

JJlearner, there is a tremendous amount of Commitment required to just get through the training process. There's just as much commitment required during that rookie year, and the continuation of the career.

One thing that shows evidence of that level of commitment is when people show the tenacity to actually learn the materials needed to do a proper pre-trip inspection. Millions of people have learned it. I'm sure there was at least two or three hundred thousand of them who "not necessarily easily remember names."

Sure there is a big driver shortage, but that shortage is for safe and productive professionals who consistently get a very challenging job done while sometimes encountering incredible odds and difficulties. The last thing we need is a bunch of wannabes who have to have cheat sheets because they aren't even willing to learn to do a pre-trip inspection.

Are you backing in a reefer or FB?

It was a flatbed but that was because they just put me on any truck not having a trainer. It'll be reefee but that does help.

I go over pretrip whenever I can. I'm getting to the point I can visualize and do it in my head. Learning names of parts takes time, as a non mechanical person it just takes time and practice. Knowing the names feels important to me beyond just passing a test. I want to know why I'm looking for something not just what I'm looking for.

Everything with this job takes skill. Some things will be harder than others but it's up to me to find a way to learn, otherwise it's not for me. The rules shouldn't change to make it easier to gain more workers. Especially gaining less qualified workers.

Thank you Turtle and Old School for explaining this. I am studying hard and practicing at home and I can remember most of the names. I am only worried that I may get nervous and will forget things.

Thank you Turtle and Old School for explaining this. I am studying hard and practicing at home and I can remember most of the names. I am only worried that I may get nervous and will forget things.

Also for the future when needing maintenance, knowing the names of things could be critical. One of the best ways to learn quickly, I have discovered over the years, is to write down the stuff I repeatedly forget. Because when copying the information word for word, you have to read it then write it, then read it again to make sure you copied it correctly. That kind of repetition works.

Thanks Pete