I just thought I would share my time in training with everyone and when I go to orientation I will also be keeping everyone posted. First of all I am 22 and live in Brookfield Ohio. I have wanted to drive a truck for a long time because my father used to be half owner of a trucking company and has worked on them since then, so here I am starting my path to be a driver.
I decided to go to a school to get my CDL and just pay back to student loans(since you can get those for TDDS) instead of being commited to a company for a year or two. I am going on the weekends since I still have to work full time to pay my bills while in training. I just finished my 9th weekend witch is the end of the classroom portion of the training. The classroom training includes all the basics: map reading, fmcsr, gen knowledge, all the endorsments, load securement, weight distribution, and all that other good stuff. We started out out with a trainer that came off an ##### but ended up being pretty cool but still grupy when you mess up. then the third week they switch us to a differant trainer(kinda threw us off) who was really cool and funny(mostly cracking on wannabe supertruckers and Idiots) his key phrase was: you all just want to hop in and drive the big truck, but there are things you gotta learn in here first.

Last weekend was our last weekend in the classroom. On saturday we finished our last tests which were the final and fmcsr tests, then we went outside and studied for our pre-trip test on sunday. On sunday we took our pre trip test and started on straight line backing. Wow you would think this was the hardest thing in the world. The instructor had to gather us all up 3 times and explain the basic(common sense to most) of straight line backing. we had about 3 or 4 people that it took 4 hours of non stop straight line backing while being yelled at by the instructor to get in in the cones straight once. Other than that it was fun, I don't care if they want me to just go forward and backward all day, that just makes me that much better at backing up. I would purposelly get out of alignment so I could fix it on the backup(it was fun). Before I stop I also want to ask if anyone has some isight as to why you would spend 5 to 6 thousand dollars on training and just jerk off all day? Three of the guys in my group do nothing but jerk off all day and bother the rest of us trying to learn how to drive, and one guy is just a straight up idiot: he would sit and listen to what the instructor said, repeat it back then try and do it and would screw up or forget what he said. The same guy was being yelled at half the day when we were straight line backing because he could not keep his foot off the accelerator when the instuctor told us three times before we started that while driving in the yard there is absolutely no use of the accelerator and always use the lowest forward and reverse gear. I guess there are those type people everywere though.

That was about it for week 9, next week we start paralell and alley dock.

Before I go I am scheduled to go to orientation for Roehl transport on July 16th and I will be driving national flatbed.

I'll keep ya'll updated as I go through traing, orientation, Evo I and II, and into my truck.

I cant wait! Good luck to all you drivers

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___"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."___

I just talked to Stacy, my recruiter at Roehl. Another guy that goes to school with me is also going to Roehl on July 16th. Roehl is going to rent us a car to drive to Gary, IN instead of having to ride a bus. She is going to see if we can get the same hotel room to because they pare you up in the rooms to save money, and we both smoke so it will work good. That would be cool because then I don't have to sleep in the same room as a complete stranger at least and I will know someone at orientation.

I just hope everything goes as smooth as it has been and I don't have to sit and wait for a driver after orientation like some of the guys I talked to.

Well I'll keep updating this if anyone cares to read it.

Good luck drivers.

__________________
___"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."___

Good deal on getting the rental car instead of bus. About your training, sometimes it does seem like there are a lot of idiots out there. But when you think you're doing great, and then all the sudden, you have an incident, you can be humbled pretty quickly. Sounds like you're on the right track though.

One thing that wasn't mentioned in my training, and my driver trainer didn't warn me about, was the front corners of your trailer when doing a pull-through. When you're swinging wide, to pull in straight between two parked trucks, you have to be careful or you can hit the back of their trailer with that front of your trailer that's sticking out. This is easy to do because you are usually busy looking at the back of your trailer trying to make sure you have enough room to get in.

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The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel.
--G. K. Chesterton

Yeah, I had some experiance with that. My brother took me to Truck world in Hubbard, Oh, right near were I live and let me practice my pre trip, backing, and alley docking, and he warned me of that. As I was making a wide right past a truck I watched the front of my trailer and it swings out a couple feet, I came pretty close to the truck on the left with it.

I really wish i new more people with trucks around here so I could get more practice parking and turning. I do pretty good but the more practice you ge the better.

__________________
___"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."___

Yeah, I was fortunate, we only had 2 people in my night class, the instructors were great and it went smooth. However the class before us had 2 people just like you are describing, one just would not listen to what the instructors were saying, the instructor would say keep it simple dont turn your wheel any more than you have to....this guy would straight line back and turn his wheel with both hands and get all out of line...I agree, I would intentionally get out of line on purpose just for the practice but this guy would takeout a cone the instructor would be yelling and telling him to stop but he would just keep going....the guy finally passed but it took a lot of extra training and patience of the instructors.

Anyway, good luck to all and see ya on the road, I start with Crete on Wednesday.

We just finished site day 2, were we learned how to do the parralel. It was cool me and most of the guys got it with only one pull up or none after the first 2 times. Now we can pretty much do it with only using one pull up or none. The same guy I was refering to before was just not listening to the instructor. He was running over cones left and right. The instructor was on the side of his truck all day yelling at him. He would sit there and listen to the intructor tell him don't turn the wheel before you start to move and when you start your first turn to get the trailer to go to the right dont turn it more than once. The guy would turn the wheel before he started moving then when he started moving he would crank it more. He hit the first cone at least 20 times yesterday. It was just annoying after the first couple times. But hey some people just dont have what it takes.

__________________
___"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."___

I am in school now and I have had problems with the parrarel but I told the instructors if they come and yell at me or try to tell me how to do it I will never be able to do it so just leave me alone and I will get it myself.

Well after the instructors took my advise I am hitting the hole 8 out of 10 times. I am not running over cones too much since there is not any yelling.

Please keep in mind sleepy people learn different ways.

One thing that we have in colorado is we do offset backing, we also do parrarel,straight line but no alley docking.

I do things better with little to no instruction when they try to tell me what to do I make more mistakes.

I was doing great the first 1/2 of the trip then the instructor try's to tell me how to drive even though he said I was good before, that is when the mistakes began.

They learned the hard way the instructor almost caused me to hit a pole I started my right turn and was doing good when he started saying turn! turn! turn! well the rear of my trailer almost took out a pole.

He was telling me to turn harder right and get out of the other lane back into the right lane well then he proceded to ask did you not see the pole I said I seen it that is why I was staying out in the other lane so I would clear it.

After that I will be letting all of the instructors know when they get in and I am driving that unless it is important or were to turn keep mouth closed but they need to give me advace warning for all turns.

I do not have a poor attuitude I just can not think when someone is hollering in my ear to do something.
They can tell me were to turn but that is it.

sorry for the long post just my 2 cents and my experince at school so far ps I test for cdl this Friday told will probally pass as long as I do not make any big mistakes but all looks good so far.

Yeah, you have to be really careful about that, especially, when you go out with your driver trainer after school. When you're behind the wheel, you're ultimately responsible for the safety of the public and the vehicle's occupants. However, the trainer can save both of your lives also if he sees you do something wrong. It comes down to good communication.

Yelling does never equal good communication. It may be necessary on occasion to get someone's attention, but this should be reserved for emergencies.

Good for you!!!

I cross fingers for your CDL test. Keep us posted, will ya?