My Central Thread

Thanks for this thread i'm fixn to start central in Ca how many weeks is your training they told me two weeks of class then six weeks on the road

 

It really bothers me that so many schools like to train students in things the way they do.
I think that you should learn all shifting and driving with a trailer hooked, and a partial load on the trailer. A nice light 20k in the back would be enough.
The truck would brake better, and it would pull more like it should.
Learning to drive without a load earns you some bad habits. That would not occur if trained with some weight.

Anyway, sounds like you are doing well.
Backing comes with time, even the straight back. You just have to remember that you have to steer opposite of what you feel you should. Some people like to put there hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and then it feels more like normal steering.
I have thought about talking to Rick on several occasions to see if he would call me when/ if he has an opening at one of his schools. Eather the one down here in my area, or the Buffalo one.

 

Much agreed. I'd actually like to see them load a trailer up with 45k lbs when you do driving up and down long, steep grades. This would definitely make it better for getting a feel on how to upshift and downshift in either case and know what using the jake brake feels like, the limits of the jake brake, how you need to adjust your shifting pattern (rpm's) when under load and facing such obstacles, and how weight affects your braking ability. Hearing about it isn't the same as actually feeling it happen. Or, at the very minimum, have a trainer drive and explain the differences and show students how it is different than being under a light/no load.

 

Very true...i started learning to drive while i worked at pepsi...& a loaded 48ft van pull of pop is sumthin u got to be careful with especially when you where braking...my 1st couple days i picked up many cases of pop off the trailer at every store we delivered to...no fun...

 

The school I went to when I got my CDL had a bridge span in the back, right about 25k. It was bolted to the floor of the trailer, so you never pulled empty.
Truck was a "new" one year old cab over White GMC.
Trailer was a 45 footer. As was normal at the time. The 53 footers came in later.

 

Remember Swing Wide It's a Freaking Truck.....
Oh wait....that is for SWIFT. But it still applies. Always drive the trailer.
In time you will get to where it is automatic. You will know exactly where that trailer is at all times in a turn.
You should still look and check at that point, but you will know.
It will take a couple months to a year to get totally to that point.

Backing on the other hand you will always have to look. For some reason it just does not like to stay exactly where you think it should be. This is mostly due to different tandem settings though. If the were set at the same length all the time it would be a faster learning process.

 

Do you take your test for your license before or after you go with your trainer

 

You get your license while at the school.
Then you go out with a trainer. You are a fully licensed class A license holder when Central hires you.
Not fully trained lol, but you hold the license and know just enough to kill people.