Newbie Goes To Roehl Training School

So the time finally came for me to go to WI for training.

I'm 34 and just looking to have a lifestyle change from barely making $15,000 a year. I am losing my wife and kids to life and I finally decided to do something about it with a lot of support from friends and family and God. This school is just the first step on a new adventure.

Can I just say, that having not much to compare this too, this is the way you wanna do it. The trade off is the pay for the experience of going to a place where they are gonna help you become a good driver. I looked a few other places but the stuff I found here at trucking truth was so helpful in narrowing down the options and getting what worked for me.

So Far: Hard to report much other than the hotel is included, which you all probably know. The hotel is really nice. I had no idea it had a pool, whirlpool, and free wifi. All of which I appreciate.

First week we need to be there at 6:45, second week 6:30, and third week 6:15. 19 days. Also they changed some things up. They go M-Sat for pretty much all three weeks. General Testing is on Fridays, CDL testing is on Wed the third week, and final exam and graduation is on Friday the third week.

Roehl has recently acquired a driving simulation. L-3 Truck Driving sim (you can youtube search for it) is like a big video game. I don't know whether I like it better than the real thing cause they traded BTW time for sim time. But I'll know in a few days.

Yeah a lot of reading. Seven chapters translates to 120 pgs of reading a night. Open book test the next day. Not bad a book though, interesting.

Gotta study,

Brad

Awesome! Welcome to Roehl! Wow, they really have changed it up a bit. I guess we missed the sim by just a couple of months.

Yeah it is really experimental. So it's day 2 and the whole afternoon we did left turns on the big truck. I appreciated the sim for a little but I am sure glad they got me into the cab quickly. I am really feeling like it is a whole new world. Hard to not get down on myself but it is only the second day.

Give it time. It will come together. All the instructors will do everything they can do get you through it. And, you will get through! Rome was not built in two days either!

Tuesday of week two they called me into the office to have a chat with the supervisor. He talked about how many people come in because they have no other options and they just need to be told it is okay to say the program is too much. He talked about my driving and how it was concerning my instructors.

For the last week I had experienced high levels of panic and anxiety that I had not seen in my life for a long long time. It started when I was on the simulator and my heart began to speed up and my leg was shaking. My nerves were acting up and I wasn't sure what to do. I was going to have to face it if I wanted to reach my goal. But it wasn't getting better. With the progressive shifting difficulties on the road I was freaking out and panicing on the road. It was especially bad when I couldn't find the gear to stop at the light. It just wasn't going away and I couldn't shake it.

As I sat in that office I considered walking away and what that would look like. The supervisor suggested that maybe it was too fast and that perhaps a technical school that lasted for 8 weeks would be a better fit. I felt myself sitting on the fence, not sure if I could see myself walking away but also I was trouble visualizing myself succeeding. I shared that we had a different instructor each time we drove outside the terminal and that I was confused and facing the fears and believed I could overcome them. He said he would give me a day. He said don't think of it as a test, let's just see where you are at tomorrow morning. He left me with two pieces of advice: don't be too hard on yourself and relax. I went out with a trainer before lunch and after and had great drives. I had gotten over the hump and the anxiety. I began to visualize myself making the right shifts, seeing the road more, doing better on the backing, and accomplishing what I can to Marshfield to do.

The people at Roehl are awesome, they really care about you. I appreciated the time and care they took to help me not only pass the CDL test but become a good safe driver.

In the end I took the test and passed. Though I thought failed my 90, I stayed calm and kept pulling up and going back until I made it. Then for the driving part I was so nervous I had trouble shifting but did everything else really good.

I just want to thank Trucking Truth for giving the resources to pursue this course and the high road course to give me a heads up of what was coming. I got my license today! I am so happy that his hurdle has been cleared and I am ready for the challenges of real driving life as a van driver. Roehl was a great decision for me.

Welcome to Roehl Bradley. I've been here 7 months and it sure doesn't seem that long. Don't sweat the shifting. It'll come with practice. I heard they put in some sims. I'm sorry they are L-3's though. In my previous life I worked with driving simulation for 12 years, and I know the main players from all 3 US companies making them. They will work fine for awhile. The advise the guy gave you is very solid, most of the time we are our own worst enemy. Keep calm and stay safe sir!!!!

Graduated school, went over the road with trainer for a run to Ft. Lauderdale, got back tested out and got my own Freightliner. I am running 11, home 3. Finally got the pay from training. Now I have a one year commitment plus (approx 120,000 mi) and I am ready to begin.

Awesome man. Seems like it is going well for you.