3 Weeks Into Training!!! Whoohooo
Topic 4967 | Page 1
Hey Cece,
Grinding gears is my specialty (not on purpose). I am not a full blown trucker yet but, every trucker I've spoken to ( who realize that I'm not a lot lizard 
) advise it will get better with time. Therefore don't sweat it.
Glad to know that you have asserted yourself to get a different trainer. If you are messing up on the same things then all I can say is focus, focus, focus on those things to the best of your ability. Time and practice will improve improve you.
You can do this, there is no doubt about it!!! Cole
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
CeCe...welcome !!! and I'll tell you the best kept secret in trucking.....even veteran truckers....like myself, and my hubs, (who has been driving over 45 years) still grind the gears sometimes !!!!! Shifting is a well balanced dance of your feet, hands,head, and ears...And its one of the hardest things to learn to do...it comes with time...and truly. once you learn to float the gears , its alot easier... Backing....well, not even my veteran hubs could teach me that...didn't even try...told me i'd have to learn that myself, as everyone does it different.....SO I have a really odd way of backing...if you research my posts, you'll find one where I talk about "hands on the bottom of the steering wheel, palms up"...It works for me....may work for you...and I learned it form this little dried up raisin of a trucker, in the back of a truckstop in TX... Keep us updated, and we are here to help you all we can. feel free to post in here or the general forum..theres a bunch of Prime drivers on there !!! Good Luck....and DON"T GIVE UP !!!!! You got this !!!!
Float The Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
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Hi all! Cece here again. Im in the co sponsored program with Prime. I've been on the truck with my instructor for 3 weeks and 2 days and I have about 45 hours. He didn't let me drive for the first few days and after those days we were on roads that were not beginner friendly. After the initial nervousness of driving this big blue truck I started to stop thinking so much and start driving. Anyways, now I am on my way back to the terminal because I am in need of a new instructor. The one I have is a cool guy but a lax teacher. I am still messing up on the same things that I messed up on at the beginning. I've told my instructor and dispatcher what kind of training I need and he still hasn't given it to me. A couple examples: my instructor has never shown me how to properly back up the truck. When I'm practicing backing he is either outside of the truck or in the truck on the phone whilst also giving me varying hand signals. Dude, am I the only person that needs to be shown how to do something. Maybe I am dumb, but I know I can drive this truck if an instructor shows me how instead of talking on the damn phone. My second big problem according to him is i grind the gears sometimes. I'm still a noob, of course I grind them but I get them in gear most of the time now. Which I had to teach myself. I double clutch and my instructor floats the gears. I'm still learning how to to not jerk the truck when taking off through the lower gears. I've asked my instructor for help but he hasn't told me anything yet. He's mostly on the phone. Sorry I am venting. I really do like driving and I think I can do it. I know I can do it. Hopefully I'll be back learning soon.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.