Fox Valley Technical College In Appleton, WI

Well it's hump day of week 2 and it just keeps getting better. Today we spent all day on Fox Valley's skid pad learning defensive driving and the benefits of ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) on the truck and cars. We took our freightliners and internationals, with and without trailers, through snow/ice covered areas, slamming on our breaks without and with ABS on. Wow, what an eye opener. Just seeing how far the tractor/trailer traveled after applying the breaks at just 25 mph was almost scary.

Many of us have a couple of bad thoughts in our heads; 1) "I'm a good driver and can handle any emergency situation", and 2) "That won't happen to me". But we need to think about the other drivers who are not good drivers and there's a lot we really don't know. We also need to consider the unexpected. This class taught me that no matter how good I think I am, there's always something that can go wrong. So I need to give myself the biggest edge possible when driving and that's to be as safe as I can. Speed, fatigue, distractions, and vehicle inspections are just a few things I need to be VERY aware of and not allow myself to say, "It can't happen to me."

I hope to have the whole day tomorrow to practice backing. It's almost a new world for me because I've never backed up anything with a trailer before. I'm doing okay, but I want to be comfortable, not just okay with it.

Anyone who's getting ready to go to school, don't get discouraged. The first day is terrible (or so you'll think), but the second day will be a bit better. After the first week, you won't believe how far you've come. Our instructors are great and I can ask them anything without them saying (or looking) it was a stupid question. They take the time to explain and help us in every way. Hats off to the staff at Fox Valley Tech!

Last Tuesday I took my CDL exam. Pre-trip was 100%, backing I lost 11 points (out of 13, whew!), and driving I lost 8 points (out of 45); 4 points for grinding gears, 2 points for not completing my traffic checks, and 2 points for wide turns. WIDE TURNS?! Yep. You have to be within so many feet (?) of the inside curb. Well, it's better than hitting a curb which is an automatic failure. The whole exam took about 1.5 hrs. with the 1) pre-trip, 2) three backing styles, and 3) the road trip/exam.

First I had to do a pre-trip on the coupling area, the trailer, and the in-cab. It's just luck of the draw which parts you'll be asked to explain. There was also the light checks and the air break checks. Two big things to remember with the air brake checks: 1) Make sure your ignition is ON before you do your warning light and buzzer test, and 2) Make sure the tractor and trailer breaks are pushed in and the tractor is in gear. You also need to do a tug test just before you pull out. Testing the trailer breaks with a slight tug (with the tractor breaks pushed in), then the tractor breaks the same way (with the trailer breaks pushed in). Last thing is the service break test which is just letting out the clutch (tractor and trailer breaks released) then after you start to roll, push in the clutch and gently apply the service brakes (foot pedel). Anyway, I passed! I give a lot of thanks to the instructors at Fox Valley Tech College for their instruction and sharing their experience with us. I also give much credit to Trucking Truth and how this site prepared me for much of my training and the CDL exam itself.

I've just got tomorrow to finish then I'm off to Schneider for about 3 weeks of getting "Schneiderized". Actually, my instructor is getting me there now, he was an instructor for Schneider before going to Fox Valley so I'm getting some "pre Schneiderization".

I'm excited, pleased, and a CDL holder! I'll start a new blog with the training at Schneider.