Well My Career In Trucking Is Over Before It Even Started

It's me again lol writing to you guys from my hotel room in orientation before I head home. After a long almost month in CDL school and alot of money and effort put in to this, I'm being sent home from orientation for failing the backing test. The whole course threw me off since I had never done it in school and I have only driven pup trailers, never the less I killed a damn cone, plus I showed up not knowing stuff like hours of service and how to fill out logs, which I was never taught in school but is still on me I know i should have taken the initiative to learn that before hand. Maybe one day I will go back to school but for now and improve my backing and try again or maybe I will use my class A to ty and get a job driving a straight truck but for now I'm done. There is no point in applying for other jobs and waisiting time and money to just run in to the same issues. Thank you guys for all you're support and stay safe out there.

Did you go through a private CDL school for this?

Did you go through a private CDL school for this?

Keith: Zach went to a private school and never pulled or backed anything other than a pup trailer. It sounds as if the company he was hired by (May Trucking) had him do some tests of their own and Zach was unable to get it done with a 53 foot trailer. I can imagine it would be quite a difficult adjustment.

Hey Zach, there is still a way to get it done. Look into a company with paid training if you are able. Im not aware of your current financial situation. It won't cost much money at all. In fact, you will be getting paid for training.

What you just experienced is why this site stresses company paid training. Unfortunately, it appears you had already gone the private school route prior to joining us.

Zach, so ya got thrown off the horse, no biggee, just get back into the saddle n ride that dang horse

1st crap school i went to was 28 ft pups in a dirt lot..... After wasting too much time with them I went to CRST, their off site school used 53's all bout depth perception between the 2 sizes is all

You CAN do it ! Don't give up the hope/dream

It's me again lol writing to you guys from my hotel room in orientation before I head home. After a long almost month in CDL school and alot of money and effort put in to this, I'm being sent home from orientation for failing the backing test. The whole course threw me off since I had never done it in school and I have only driven pup trailers, never the less I killed a damn cone, plus I showed up not knowing stuff like hours of service and how to fill out logs, which I was never taught in school but is still on me I know i should have taken the initiative to learn that before hand. Maybe one day I will go back to school but for now and improve my backing and try again or maybe I will use my class A to ty and get a job driving a straight truck but for now I'm done. There is no point in applying for other jobs and waisiting time and money to just run in to the same issues. Thank you guys for all you're support and stay safe out there.

I would apply for another gig and try again. Giving up is not the answer.

Hey Zach I understand the frustration but don't give up. You overcame the challenges of school, you'll overcome this as well. Apply For Truck Driving Jobs and see what happens. Apply everywhere, somebody will be willing to take you on and offer the time you need to get it down.

Did you go through a private CDL school for this?

Keith: Zach went to a private school and never pulled or backed anything other than a pup trailer. It sounds as if the company he was hired by (May Trucking) had him do some tests of their own and Zach was unable to get it done with a 53 foot trailer. I can imagine it would be quite a difficult adjustment.

Hey Zach, there is still a way to get it done. Look into a company with paid training if you are able. Im not aware of your current financial situation. It won't cost much money at all. In fact, you will be getting paid for training.

What you just experienced is why this site stresses company paid training. Unfortunately, it appears you had already gone the private school route prior to joining us.

That's what it sounded like, that he'd gone to a private school first.

Zach, this kind of position is not going to reward an attitude of dropping out at the first hurdle. Go back, apply for company training, find anyone who will take you and train you properly. You have a good chance to make this work still. It just needs a little more persistence.

Come on Zach! You have overcome so many issues already. You know what hanging in there can do for you. I have written at least two articles based on your experiences you've shared with us. We will be publishing them soon. I know how disappointing this is, but you can't let it be the end of the line. It's simply not what you think it is.

Many folks don’t realize trucking is a competition. We compete against each other for loads and miles. As rookies we have the odds against us. We have to prove ourselves daily. We are going to have problems. We are going to struggle at times. Some of us are going to fall short and get sent home. It’s not the end of the world. We are going to feel very challenged. Resilience is required..

I attended four orientations as a rookie. I finally made it through to becoming an employee on that fourth attempt. I never looked back from that point. I always looked forward during those difficult times of being sent home. I was determined to have my photo put in the dictionary right there next to that word “resilience.”

Getting invited to an orientation does not guarantee rookie drivers a job. These orientations are basically like a job interview. If we get sent home it’s not the end of our careers. We failed an interview - that’s what it amounts to. We move on. We show our resilience. Never give up! That’s a trucker’s mantra. We face challenges daily. We rise to those challenges and conquer them.

You can do this! I hope you will reconsider and make another attempt.

A suggestion, if I may be so bold.

It sounds like the CDL Mill you went to did NOTHING TO ACTUALLY PREPARE YOU to work - they just got you your CDL.

Which is why we ALMOST ALWAYS RECOMMEND DOING COMPANY TRAINING.

APPLY EVERYWHERE to "starter companies" - AND BE WILLING TO DO THE ENTIRE TRAINING AGAIN.

Ask Prime/etc. - if you can come in ON THE BOTTOM - and do their entire training - or at least do Phase II (TNT) and actually get some REAL EXPERIENCE under your belt.

It really "urines me off" (LOL) - when these (supposed) "CDL Schools", sell people a bill of goods BUT DON'T TEACH THEM JACK.

The 9 week course I did, at the County Vo-Tech - DID LOGS, extensive yard skills (backing/offset/parallel/alley dock - 3 weeks worth), and did 1,000 miles on city streets and interstates.

APPLY - tell the recruiter YOU DID NOT GET A WELL ROUNDED COURSE at your CDL School - and you are more than willing to sign on as a trainee, commit to the "contractual obligation", and GET TRAINED THE RIGHT WAY. You might even have to DOWNGRADE YOUR CDL AND RE-TEST. But even if you have to do that - HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE?

I may be Mr Technical Advisor - have held a fully endorsed CDL for over a decade - but if I ever got off my butt and made it out there - I WOULD HAVE TO DO THE SAME. And honestly - I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. As much as I know the rules/regs, as much as I go out and drive a friends truck every once in awhile just to keep my hand in - THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD ENTER THIS INDUSTRY FOR REAL - WITHOUT RE-DOING A FULL TRAINING.

You've overcome a bunch.

YOU KILLED A CONE - NOT A PERSON. And you didn't BLOW A DRUG SCREEN. So you still have a number of opportunities to get behind the wheel. But you OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE TRAINING. And there's no shame in admitting that, both to yourself - AND PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD. I'm actually JEALOUS AS ALL HELL of all you guys - because so many different things have kept me from making the leap. And every time I solve one issue - two more come up.

KEEP PLUGGING - AND KEEP US INFORMED, The things we want DON'T ALWAYS COME AS EASY AS WE'D LIKE. But with accomplishments COMES THE VALUE OF OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES IT TOOK TO GET THERE.

Best of luck to you...

Rick

Where do you live.