Must be a fresh batch of new drivers this week.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by SteveScott, Jul 18, 2019.

  1. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

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    Not near that bad here, but you have to be pretty good at backing straight and blind side dock and several other manuevers. My daughter is also pretty good at backing, even with a dolly under a pup behind a straight truck, but they don't do the hills, chaining or backing out of roads things.
    I never have to this day taken a driving test, I got my license in 76 in a small town, and was not even in a truck, just took the written test, and there was no such a thing as a precheck back then.

    I have never known anybody that took a transfer to try and pass a driving test with, that would be a bear, for some of the tests. lol
     
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  3. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Incompetence, like poverty, is a decision. A series of decisions over a lifetime, actually.
     
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  4. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    How many times in anybody's career have they needed to parallel park a truck and trailer? I remember being taught in CDL school and having to do it on the CDL test, but haven't had to do it since then.
     
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  5. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I've had to do it a couple times to get into that last parking place in a rest area.
     
  6. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

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    I have actually done it on side roads quite a bit.
     
  7. lot of times anymore with the 14-hour clock and nowhere to park sometimes you got to do it like you're parking your Chevy on the street..
    especially out there in Cali or on the East Coast.
    get into an industrial area there's someplace like that City that does allow truck parking and the place is jam packed in the truck stop and you got to park over on the next block..
     
  8. GhentSaintPeters

    GhentSaintPeters Light Load Member

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    Yep. Never tried parallel parking in a semi in CDL school as it was never covered. About a month ago I had to do it to get the last parking spot around Asheville going north at a rest area. About 8:30pm. That area is a death sentence for drivers running out of time, driving past 9:00pm there is playing with fire.

    So I had no choice. Took me about 10 minutes and I politely asked the truck driver behind me to back up as much as he could (which gave me about 20 extra feet or so).

    Drivers behind me were pissed, but whatever. I've only had my CdL 6 months, I'll take advice from the pros all day long and actually appreciate it if I'm clearly struggling and they see me keep getting out and looking. Nobody wanted to help though. Well that was fine, but at 8:30pm after a long day (so I'm tired) and my first time ever parallel parking a semi - well, it was going to be what it was going to be.

    The driver who was kind enough to back up for me to give me as much room as he could saved my ###. I thanked him afterwards. I don't know what I would've done without that extra space. I would've been screwed I think.
     
  9. used to do it all the time out in California when I didn't want to be anywhere near the truckstop but there was a Denny's down there by Whittier and up around Seattle a lot too.. find
    hotel or something like that got to park at the street.
    in a rest area if it's full and you got to park up on the ramp is you're making your way out you see a parking spot where they're lined up on the entrance ramp there and it's perfectly fine and legal sometimes you gotta back in like you're backing off the street.
     
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  10. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

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    In New Mexico, you had to parallel park to pass the test, I thought it was mandatory and the same anywhere anymore.
     
  11. MartinFromBC

    MartinFromBC Road Train Member

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    I have frequently!
     
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