Safety Coordinator Going to CDL School

What you will learn in the 4 week school will be just enough to confuse you! Not having practical experiance actually driving for an extended timeframe is the problem. If you want a real connection spend 6 months in the passenger seat, then go to school, get your CDL and then about 3 years in the drivers seat. Otherwise hire someone with real experiance.

 

Have you ever worked for someone who knew just enough to be dangerous? I have and without the practical experiance it’s not a situation I ever want to be in again! Neither would I wish it on my worst enemy!

 

I admire what you are trying to do.

After you get your license, get on the road every chance you get as well, and gain true experience.
That will help you relate to the drivers who are doing it daily, instead of your sitting in an office.

Thanks for trying to get involved and understand some, that is better than 90% of office clowns.

I make my office staff go on ride alongs, throw tire chains, help cinch down loads, and more, so they can at least slightly understand what drivers face day in and day out.

 

Y'all should add to that: one month of running a route, half riding with an experienced driver, and half with him riding shotgun while you do it.

Your eyes will then be open.

 

Exactly the issue! Confused and inexperienced drivers tend to make incorrect assumptions and positions of authority by those inexperienced drivers almost always lead to poorly thought out decisions.

Better Idea, Heed the reasons for the negative posts and learn more than just one day drive alongs could ever give!

 

Don’t worry about getting experience, you’ll get plenty every time they’re short drivers

I’m guessing that your company is covering the cost of the school.. Trust me, they got plans for you and your new CDL..

Lol, you’ll be the new mobile safety manager

You can multitask, right?

 

If the trucks in school are manual transmission, you only push the clutch to the floor when the truck is stopped. For normal changing of gears you only push the clutch maybe 1/3 of the travel, or just enough to put the gear lever into or pull it out of gear. The way to shift a car, SUV, or any other modern automobile transmission IS NOT how you shift a big truck transmission. If you have gear shifting experience in other vehicles, it will slow down the rate you lear to shift in the truck. If you have zero experience shifting gears in vehicles you will learn to shift the truck faster and with less problems. EVERYONE has more trouble downshifting (like when you are slowing) than when you are upshifting (like when you are accelerating).

When you are backing the truck in between lines on the ground, look into your passenger mirror to judge if your trailer is parallel to those lines. If you judge using your driver side mirror your trailer will be pointed slightly toward the driver side.

CDL school is JUST TO PASS THE STATE TEST. Almost everyone in my CDL school felt they did not have enough practice backing or shifting. You might feel that way also. It's normal. Urge EVERYONE in CDL school to study and pass the tests for ALL endorsements, with HazMat be the possible exception. It's especially important for everyone to get the tanker endorsement, EVEN IF YOU NEVER PULL A TANKER TRAILER. Tanker endorsement is required for lots of freight that rides inside or on other trailers. It's a very easy test. BTW, tanker portion of the industry is the more civilized and professional section of the industry. It usually pays better and has a more humane schedule.

 

My next shot of advice is (if your company is willing) is to go to a third party college level (Fox Valley Tech in Appleton Wi or similar) course for 1. WDDC (Wisconsin Decision Driving Center) or skid pad training and if feasible, the same level course for driver trainers. If it is a true course (40 hours), its designed to FIRST define what it is that you only think you know, its not a company trainer course that is basically a finger wave, some very droll videos and a free hat with some trainer logo on it. If you're going to do this, you better start thinking "trucker nerd".. I'd also suggest attending a REAL Smith System Trainer Certification Course. (40 hours).

 

The drivers don’t work for him though, he is just the safety coordinator. Not sure what all that entails at his company but if it’s anything like my safety guy, then he doesn’t do anything but sit in a cubicle and check his email all day.

I don’t disagree with your point, I’m just saying it seems like the OP realizes the issue and is making a legit effort to do better. Heck I wish my stupid safety guy would go learn something... LOL.