Opinion On Starting School Just Before Winter...

Its probably better then starting in the summer. If I were a new driver I would definitely want some training in winter conditions so that when I was on my own I would know what to do. You will be one ball of nerves when you are driving through two feet of snow and can't find an off ramp!

Even if you don't need to chain up make sure you do anyway so that you know how to when the time comes.

 

I personally hate drivin in snow crap, I can do it (well I might add ) because I was trained/taught well, it's the ig-mo drivers out there that make it stressful. But, I'm starting school the 26th of this month here in West Virginia and we have some crappy roads, crappy maintenance and too many crappy drivers, but I figure get schooled in the bad and it will be 'smooth sailing' after. Then I hopefully won't have to worry about it again til next winter

Good luck!

 

You are going to have to be driving in all of it. So you might as well get going on it now. Why put it off?

 

Yeah I will be starting school in the winter as well. Gotta do what you gotta do!

 

I really debated this one.

I've been driving in North Idaho winters most of my life. Last winter I was driving an F450 with a 9' Boss plow and a sanding hopper all winter long... piece of cake.

But driving a semi is a whole nuther ball game. That's a lot of rig to be moving around on slippery roads and trying not to lose control of. I'd feel a lot better with many months of driving experience.

My wife and I discussed it and we both felt it would be better to wait till early spring to start school. Fate didn't see it that way, though. As it turns out, I'll get some state funding and just enough unemployment to see me through school if I go now.

There's every possibility that I'll be going solo right about the first of January.

 

You are not the first driver to be afraid of winter. Hell, we ALL went through this at first. And we all drive in the winter time. (In my case, past tense however.)

The key is "easy does it."

 

It may be an advantage in case you mess up you can say it was because of the ice

 

Best time ! Absolutely the best. I had a little skid in a relatively safe situation the first week of driving school (in Detroit in December). Got the jitters out. But no seriously it is a good time to learn. I spent my first few weeks in training in January running I90 with my trainer. Now he was a huge pain and very unpleasant to be around but he knew what he was doing when it came to winter driving. It makes you more cautious and more confident all at the same time.

 

And they will just say, "Oh, so you were going too fast for conditions?"
And then you have a preventable accident on your record.

Being new won't get you out of trouble.

But, personally, I think it is much better to be with a good trainer for your first winter driving experiences. It is too easy to misjudge when you are both inexperienced and very nervous, and all the 4-weelie snow and ice driving will not help much if your trailer starts to pass you.