Just enrolled. Sheridan Adult Vo Tech. So. Fla.

Hi forum.

I almost started trucking school back in 2009 but got hired the day before school started. Back now for another try.

---Start Oct 8
---9 weeks
---7am-2:30 Mon-Fri
---320 hours
---1000+ local & highway miles by end of class
---$1,934 + $100 books/supplies

About me
---53 yrs old male
---Bachelors in Accounting, 18 yrs in the field
---Just got laid off from oilfield accounting job in AK

Never really liked accounting, but I was good enough at it and it paid well. Now is my chance for something completely different. Always liked physical labor more. Don't care much about money right now, just stoked to finally be doing something I always wanted to try.

This forum has so much information. Some scary and some encouraging, but all is pretty interesting and useful.

The school counselor said we'd get out CDL about 4 weeks into the course. Seems like a good time to start contacting employers. Don't want to get to far ahead of myself now, but flatbed or tanker sounds interesting to start if I can get it. Eventually oilfield rotation or o/o would be nice.

I'll try to chime in with updates in case anyone is interested. Thanks to everyone here for posting all the great info.

wilbur out

 

Week 1: Wed-Fri only. Two days of classroom instruction about tractor types, brakes, weight limits, videos on brakes and backing, pretrip (for the range),prep for backing (clutch brake, fuel pedal, shifting R and 1st gear, correcting for drift), general information.

Friday...backing down a lane of cones. Two per truck taking turns, one driver and one spotter. As predicted by instructor, some got it right away, others struggled to varying degrees. I followed the technique shown in class of watching both mirrors and turning toward the drift. Knocked over a few cones, but found it easy for the most part. My partner tried hard and improved with each try, but didn't really get the jist of it. He has a driver friend who was going to work with him over this weekend. Hope he gets it.

The instructor is good at teaching and communicates his expectations well. But he is only filling in for the first four days. New (to our class) instructor arrive this Tuesday.

Still stoked about the future, whatever happens. Even though my elderly dad seemed a bit skeptical about my career move at first, he soon started chattering about trip planning, driving around the country, avoiding rush hours...like he was getting into it, ha ha.

By the way, to powerstroke7.3 and Chinatown...thanks for the encouraging words and advice. Enjoy reading your other posts also...very helpful to us newbs.

 

Ten school days in...School is great. Very little classroom time, mostly out on the range learning procedures one by one, then practicing them. Ten students in the class, two per truck. In the last 5 days we've gone from straight backing to...alley docking, shifting, coupling/uncoupling including air brake leak test and parking brake test, and turning with the trailer...oh, and a urine test thrown in. Next is parallel parking.

Our instructor calls us out on the CB when we screw up, but can be funny too. He answers all our questions very well, and keeps the pace up.

We're using some old 1985 cabover sleepers and some brand new conventional day cabs.

I'm trying to identify potential companies to apply to. Pretty sure I want to try flatbed because it seems more interesting, with the additional skills of strapping, chaining, and tarping, and some physical labor instead of just sitting all the time. Melton and TMC seem like good options.

Trying to focus more on what I want than what pays the most. Took me a long time to finally accept how much more important it is to be happy in what you do than to make more money.

 

Jim,

Thanks for the feedback. Your profile says Central Florida. Did you relocate to the oilfield? Or are you working a rotation schedule that allows you to fly home for r&r? Where is your work located? I worked 2 weeks on/2 weeks off on the north slope for 11 years, commuting from Miami. I drove a desk though, doing budgeting and forecasting, and got tired of it. It would be nice to get a 2/2 rotation in the oilfield if the pay is good.

 

Jim, thanks for the feedback. What oilfield are you working? Your profile says Central Florida. Are you on a rotation schedule, and commuting between Fla and the job, or did you relocate? I worked 2 weeks on/2 weeks off for the last 11 years, commuting from Miami to the North Slope, but worked a desk. Very interested in possibly returning to oilfield rotation somewhere, but as a trucker instead of a bean counter.