Finished Knight Orientation

I've seen some trainer trucks do just that.

 

They do run team in those training trucks. A trainer out of PHX told me usually after 2 weeks he does it because he gets all the miles It depends on the trainer, student and load scdl.

 

That's pretty stupid. I trained at Schneider years ago. I drove about 8 hours a day and my training engineer drove 2-4 hours a day and I only spent two weeks with him. That's all I needed and I can't see anyone needing anymore time than that.

 

Congratulations on surviving an engine break failure while going down a 6% grade as a rookie! Part of successful trucking is being in bad situations (equip failure, bad weather, etc.) and 'surviving!' What doesnt kill you (or the truck) makes you better...



Sounds like my 1st couple of weeks in training: had a battery failure on a brand new Volvo truck during the 3rd day of its maiden voyage.

Also, while waiting at a crossing into New Brunswick from Maine early in the AM (fortunately my trainer & I were in the truck, having just showered), had a logging truck pull in next to us and sent 3 of it's bulkhead logs into our trailer doors (my trainer believed if we werent there to confront the logging truck driver, he would have run!). Had to have the customer use a fork lift to rip the doors off the trailer to unload later that morning!

You've gotten a taste of the hazards & vulnerabilities of being OTR....so far, so good!!


BTW, backing into a space is everyone's "short suit" starting out......takes experience and then becomes 2nd hand.

 

Sounds like they are testing you for your CDL-A all over again! Did you have any idea these would be the requirements to "test-out" to get your "solo" truck? I understand having to do the driving test and the backing,.....but the pre-trip?? Not that it isn't important, but how many drivers do a 100+ point inspection every day, and how many rookies know exactly what they are looking for? Naming off inspection points is one thing, understanding and recognizing what a "DOT failure" looks like is another.

Hang in there. Do what you gotta do.

 

Sounds like a combo of a bad trainer and over-critical road tester with the Pre-trip scrutiny.

NO drivers due a full-up Pre-trip by-the-book EVERY day!

As a 5 yr Express driver, taking a different tractor out each time I started out in Phx, I would do a 'fair/quickie' Pre-trip (tires/fluid/lights/wipers/certs, etc.) where I failed 1 out of every 2 tractors on Knights "Ready Line!' Tractors that had been looked at/washed/cleaned out, and 'passed' by the folks there.

Some problems didnt show up until I got the tractor on the road, such as bad steering wheel shimmy, no engine brakes, uneven braking, etc.

But as far as backing, as I said b4, it's all newbie's short suit, but with enuf pull-ups, a driver shud be able to get the trailer in altho not necessarily centered. Your trainer failed you if he didnt give you enuf opportunities to do, or passed you knowing you couldnt do.

But, hang in there, as it all comes with more experience...


EDIT: FYI, when I 1st started driving we had to log 30 mins b4 starting out and 30 mins at the end of the day for Pre/Post Trips, which ate up 1 hr of driver's on-duty time allocation. After a couple of years of seeing drivers running out of time or lying on their log books, they changed the reqd time to 15 mins for each...altho a full-up Inspection (crawling under trailer & tractor to check the brakes, gauge tire pressure of each of 18 wheels and possibly topping-off, etc.) would take all of the 30 mins originally reqd!