Student Concerns

I just turned 22 last week and already obtained my CDL Permit and currently attending Key Power CDL School in Miami. I started yesterday and was put to do Straight Backing and finished with Offset backing Blind Side. That was two hours worth. Today I went in from 8-12 and did both Offset backing setups and eventually moved to blindside parallel parking. Eventually I got the hang of that but struggled for 2 hours with driver side parallel parking? My instructor demonstrates and then walks me through it and lets me do it on my own from there on. Does this seem normal? He keeps saying I'm doing great but I don't feel like I've mastered the parallel parking and he already speaking about moving on to Dock Alley and Shifting Monday? I just don't know if I'm actually doing good or he is just blowing smoke up my ###? How long should it take me to get this stuff ?

 

Don't concern yourself. Your CDL school will only get you your license, you'll learn to drive with your trainer when you pick a company. The main thing is don't get in a hurry. Take your time and G.O.A.L as many times as it takes. There is no shame in it. There is also no time frame for how long it should take you to master backing. I can tell you you won't master it at school though. It takes real world experiences. Good Luck man, don't beat yourself up about it. You'll get it.

 

That's pretty much what he said, but am I suppose to be able to get it done at least 8/10 times? I just feel like I should be 100% ready for when a company trainer "evaluates" me, do I have the wrong idea of all of this? He never pushes the get out and look deal, he just says I can't expect to do it in one shot, I may need to pull up. I saw a guy doing straight backing for 4 hours straight today so I didn't feel too bad. He also keeps talking about how I may not need to be there for the full 40 hrs, but I don't see how I will be ready by then if I've already been out for 6. Am I just panicking? Is all of this normal?

 

well, it all depends on what kind of program you're in and what kind of company you're looking to get on with. is it a long, comprehensive, in-depth program? are you looking to get on right out of school with a better than average company? or is it a quickie-just-teach-you-enough-to-get-the-license CDL mill that will get you on with just whatever bottom feeder will hire you?

if it's the first kind, you'll do fine over the 8-10 weeks the program runs and get plenty of time on each exercise to become proficient.

if it's the second kind, which I suspect it is from your comments, you'll be like alot of the 'students' who attended orientation with me at my company and the subsequent classes through my testing out and getting my truck with other students from my school who followed me at the company we went with......

your lack of training will be painfully obvious, and you'll fail the initial road testing and more specifically the backing portion of it, and be sent packing to apply to one of the bottom feeders......

if you think that's harsh, it is. but it's the cold hard truth of the matter.

I can give you contacts to confirm what i'm saying if you need it from the horse's mouths.....they went to the quickie schools and failed their road test and ended up going with a less than desirable company because they couldn't back proficiently, had trouble with the road work, and one even had a preventable accident on his initial orientation road test because his school didn't even have him pull a 53 before they sent him out into the world to apply for work.

if they don't drill you repeatedly on this stuff and take the time to make sure you know it before you get out there, it's not going to be a fun experience when you actually get into the truck with a road tester.

having siad that, good luck to you man. sounds like you may need it..

 

He shows me and lets me figure it out, I eventually get the feel for it after repeating and repeating the maneuvers, but my concern is as to when will I know if I got it down? Should I be getting it right each and every time? Or will I need to pull up and correct here and there? I just feel like I should be able to pull in the parallel in one shot without corrections like pulling up? It's obviously been 6 hrs total of training? Am I expecting too much of myself?

 

no you won't get it right every time.

there's guys out there who have been doing it for years who don't get it right every time.

the main thing is setup. setup. setup.

GET OUT AND LOOK if you aren't sure and never push a bad position.

patience. patience. patience.

practice practice practice.

don't rush yourself.

i'm a country boy who daddy put in the seat from the time i was old enough to reach the pedals backing tractors and farm trailers, boats, pickup trucks and trailers.....it laid a good foundation for backing the big trucks, but.....

NOBODY gets it the first time every time. not me. mot you. not my trainer, who has over 20 years in. nobody. wait till you get out there and see the guys in the truckstops. and the later in the day it is and the more tired you get, the worse you'll be lol....it never fails.

don't be such a perfectionist and put so much pressure on yourself. there's no shame in pulling up or even pulling out and setting up again......and you get respect for getting out and looking as opposed to trying to be a hotshot and thinking you know when you don't.......as another guy on here said who i will give all the credit for saying....."it's only a 53 foot walk to be SURE"......that is the mark of someone who is a professional in my opinion, as opposed to the guy who HAS to get it the first time, pushes a bad position or setup, and ends up dinging someone's fender or trailer.

at 6 hours, take a breath and relax and don't expect soooooo much of yourself. it will come.

 

Welcome to the TTR Forum. Just remember the school's only goal is to get you a CDL and them your money.

I'm a little concerned with your post talking about 40 hours (1 week). It is my understanding that most starter companies are looking for 160 hours (4 weeks). A good couse at a college lasts as much as a couple of months or more. A refresher course usually lasts 40 hours or 1 week.

Is the training accredited? Have you checked to see if you can get hired after this training?

Are you aware of the problems living in Florida may present for finding a company?

 

You're not going to be perfect after only 6hrs of training. Having to do a pull up or not will depend on many factors. For example if it's a straight in alley dock with plenty of room and no obsticles, yeah you should be able to get it in one shot provided you've set yourself up properly. A blindside back into a tight hole may require a pull up or two. The most important things are setting yourself up properly, and taking your time. You're being too hard on yourself dude. You won't get it over night. Hang out at a truckstop and watch the "pros". Many of them still haven't figured out how to set up and back in properly.

 

Those are very relieving words, I just wanted to make sure I'm not off to a bad start. I've broken the backing habit of driving a 4-wheeler and can actually have the feel for both the trailer and the tractor which was very frustrating at first. Another question, should I sit there for 4 hours straight going back and forward, I've been working out before doing all of this because I figured there would be a lot of physical strain, but also mentally , should I take a break in between to give me better results during the training? I need to work on not rushing, no matter how slow I get it done during the test, as long as it's done right I will pass correct?

 

I hate to do this to you when you're stressing about backing, but from the sound of it there may be a lot of things you haven't yet considered. Hope this helps. Good luck.

THE PLAN
Here's my standard copy and paste advice. Remember this information reflects my opinions based on the facts and information that I have. I hope you find something of value in it. It is aimed toward helping new drivers avoid common misconceptions, disappointments and pitfalls within the industry. The most important thing you can do is search and read. Find out everything you can about becoming a professional driver and what will be expected of you. There is so much more to this profession than just driving. You will be expected to know and understand the laws and regulations that affect the industry. Armed with facts, form some realistic expectations. This profession is not for the "faint of heart". It will be a good fit for some and not for others. This profession is not what you think it is.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Do a lot of reading in the "Good & Bad Trucking Companies" section of the TTR Forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what type of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go to work. Set some long-term goals and figure out what steps you must take to reach them. Becoming a "professional driver" should be a step you use to reach your long-term goals, not a long-term goal.

YOUR MVR, CRIMINAL & JOB HISTORY
You must research these subjects to determine how they will affect you and your personal history and records. You would be absolutely amazed at how often schools will train you when you may not be employable as a professional driver. Their objective is to get you a CDL and them your cash. Job placement is second to this.

As a professional driver your MVR will be second in importance only to your health, protect your CDL. All companies look at your MVR and have limitations on how many and what type of violations you can have. They also have a limit on how many accidents you can have. Most set a limit that is some combination of tickets and accidents over a three or five year period. Be aware that speeding in excess of 15 MPH over the posted speed limit is considered reckless driving in our industry. In addition, many violations, such as improper passing, will be recorded on your MVR as reckless or careless driving. Reckless or careless driving and truck rollover accidents can be a career ender.

Criminal convictions can present a problem to entry into the industry. Each company has their own policies on this. Treatment of misdemeanors varies widely among companies. Most companies want either three, five, seven or ten years since a felony conviction. I have read driver requirements on some company websites that say no felony or misdemeanor convictions ever. Certain convictions such as aggravated and sexual offenses, alcohol, drugs and theft are also very hard to overcome. Alcohol and drug offenses can be a career ender.

I have personally spoken with a company that will not take you if you have more than eight months unemployment in the last thirty-six months. That is pretty tough in the current job market. I have also spoken with a company that responded to a longer term of unemployment with, "You were a stay at home dad, right?" You will have to account for all your employers for the past three years and provide detailed contact information. Your job history is important and you must explain and document any gaps. A less than ideal job history can limit your opportunities.

Now don't let any of this stop you from pursuing your goals. Just be aware of the drawbacks before investing your time or money and be realistic in the expectations you have for your situation. Don't go through training and find out you can't get a job. I have read success stories, on this forum, from drivers who had only a slim chance of finding a job.

RECRUITING & TRAINING
Just be aware that most school and trucking company recruiters are subject to deceive you or lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear; based on what you have told them you wanted. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second to this.

Each person's financial situation is different. Don't take training from a company if you can afford to pay for it, get financial aid or even finance your training. If you do take company furnished or sponsored training, you will be contractually obligated to this company for up to year. If you leave, without fulfilling your contract, they will trash your DAC and credit reports and turn the balance over for collection. Many times you can find less expensive, and sometimes higher quality, training at community colleges or technical schools. Sometimes you may be able to get assistance with training costs. Check with the schools and your local employment office for possible financial aid.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. This can be a few weeks to a few months. Often drivers wait a week or two for their trainer to pick them up. Recently companies seem to be banking drivers in anticipation of needing replacements and trainer wait times may be increasing. During the first phase of training pay is often $400 a week and the second phase is usually $500 - $550 a week. Some companies pay less and some pay a little more. Some companies are poor at training and just run you team with your trainer. Check into this. Your trainer should be in the seat beside you, training you, not sleeping so he can drive the next shift.

You don't want to wait around too long after training or you'll have trouble finding a job. If you get out of trucking before you have a year in, when you try to make a comeback later you will find they want you to start over.

THE JOB & PAY
Driving a truck is not like any other job. Local driving can be backbreaking delivery work 10 - 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. You may park quite a distance away and make multiple trips with a hand truck to get your deliveries in and up steps. In my area most dump truck jobs pay no more than a good factory job. Regional driving is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR but the work is not as hard as local. The repeated waiting while loading and unloading will wear on you, push your HOS limits and reduce the miles you can run. Typical OTR driving is out for 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home. It entails less manual labor, usually less loading/unloading and more miles. Many OTR drivers have taken local jobs to be home more and gone back to OTR so they wouldn't be too tired to do anything when they were home.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Many local driving jobs want OTR experience while local experience is seldom useful for OTR jobs. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday morning or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads often deliver early Monday and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week. Some jobs do get you home for 36 - 48 hours on the weekend. Your location will play a big part in all of this.

New OTR driver starting pay is usually about $30,000 - $40,000 annually. It will often be less if you choose regional because you will drive fewer miles. Don't use high weekly mileage numbers to calculate your potential pay since this will often lead to disappointment. Obviously you will know your pay per mile so many companies will exaggerate your weekly mileage to make their job position seem more appealing. I would use 2300 - 2800 as a weekly mileage figure. If loads are slow or the economy is soft, you often find yourself begging for 2000 miles a week. This will vary widely and some companies may run you 3000+ miles a week.

Above all be aware that time equals miles and miles equal pay. If you spend a lot of time at home or loading and unloading your pay will suffer. Some companies will utilize your hours well; keep you busy and you won't require a 34-hour reset. Some companies will use your hours poorly, reset you in Nowhere, USA every weekend and never get you any miles. Most OTR companies don't put any value on local experience so it is better for your career to drive OTR first, if you will ever want that option, or to get that good local job.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of living while on the road. If you get a day off for each week out, that will be about 319 days (45.6 weeks) a year on the road. Spending $4 for breakfast, $8 for lunch and $12 for supper will cost $24 per day. At this rate, you will spend $7,656 per year on meals. You can easily spend $10,000 a year when you add laundry, showers and other items that maintaining a home away from home entails. IMHO, A frugal person can probably get by on $4,500 - $6,000 per year.

GETTING HIRED
All the big companies have websites and online applications. Isn't this great and convenient? IMHO, no it isn't. While it is a fact that most of them will require you to fill out their online application at some point, I would not depend on this to get hired. I have read posts from drivers who were approved but their application got lost in the system. They made a phone call and were in orientation a few days later.

I personally believe, and know when I have been in a position where I hired; someone that proves they want that job is more desirable. Visit the company you want to work for if possible. If not then call them. Then fill out the online application. If you make an impression, someone will be waiting for your application to push it through the process. If they make you do the online application first, still follow up in-person or by phone. Make them want to hire you. You need to do something or be someone who stands out from the crowd. Do regular follow-ups by phone on the jobs you really want.

Too many new drivers just settle for a job from the list the school has. There are many more job options available. The school works in volume and looks the best when it says 90% of our graduates find employment. So obviously they get better results from companies that hire in higher numbers. These companies can hire all their graduates with the least effort on the school's part. If you have anything in your history that makes you less desirable than your competing job applicants, a phone or in-person interview will often bring the best or only results.

MISCELLANEOUS
Now I'll share some suggestions and some thoughts on common misconceptions. If you have no winter driving experience or are apprehensive about winter driving in a truck, consider attending school in early spring. This will give you several months to acclimate yourself to your new driving career before you have to tackle the chore of winter driving. It also will get you started in the busier time of year when more miles are usually available to make you more money.

Often new drivers believe that a diving job will allow them to see the sites of our great country. While there will be some opportunities to do things, you will seldom pick the location. Some resourceful drivers manage to find things to do and even manage to get loads going somewhere they want to sightsee. For the most part, it is more likely, you'll see all the sites you can from the truck windshield on the Interstate or parked at the truck stop. Company policy varies with respect to out of route miles and use of their tractors for personal conveyance. Know your company's policy on these matters.

Educate yourself on idling laws and your company's policy on engine idling. Find out if they have APUs (Auxiliary Power Units). You need an idling engine or an APU to keep you warm or cool during you off-duty/sleeper berth time. Find out what your company's policy is on inverters. You will need one for your computer or other electrical devices. Usually you will be limited to what you can plug into a cigar lighter/outlet.

After researching come up with a short list of companies that meet your needs and requirements. Don't forget to consider and compare pay rate, potential miles, health insurance, retirement plan, idle policy, APU availability, layover pay, detention pay, rider policy, pet policy, Prepass, Pikepass and toll & scale reimbursement policy. I'm sure there are more and not all items apply to every company.

Some companies pay a percentage of the load revenue instead of per mile. Some of these treat you as an employee and some treat you as an independent contractor. As an independent contractor taxes won't be withheld and you will be required to make quarterly payments for your income tax and social security. In addition, an independent contractor usually won't have health insurance or workmen's compensation. While percentage pay isn't inherently bad it is packed with pitfalls for a new driver. My advice is stay away until you understand the industry better. If you go this route, now or later, do lots of research.

Where you live can affect your hiring options and your ability to get home time. Most companies won't hire from an area if they can't get you home. If you live in Florida, especially South of I-4, you will most likely have fewer hiring options. Due to cheap rates, many companies don't run that area. Do some extra research if you live in Florida.

Just say no to lease purchases. Don't let your company persuade you to sign a lease purchase. While not all are a contract with the devil, all are designed so that you make the company as much or more money than you did as a driver. Often you are nothing more than a company driver with operating costs. Your personal needs, income and home time will come second to their loads and profit. Just like company training you have obligated yourself to comply with a contract that has dozens of pages insuring that you get the short straw. My advice is stay away until you understand the industry better, if not forever. If you go this route, now or later, do lots of research.

While it is impossible to cover everything you need to know, this should at least make you realize there is much to research and consider before you take a leap into the deep end. Trucking is much like any trade or profession that offers a challenge, an advancement path and great pay. You can only learn the important things through experience on the job. Always protect your CDL; it is your means of making a living. Do not let anyone pressure you into making bad decisions. Be ever mindful of the responsibility you bear and the liability that mistakes can cost you and your company. Never operate a commercial vehicle above your skill or comfort level. Both will increase with experience.

There isn't a single dedicated professional driver that won't tell you we need more professional drivers in this profession. Make a commitment to yourself right now to be more than a steering wheel holder. Take pride in what you do and others will see this. You will find it will make you feel good about yourself and pave the way to the jobs others only dream of. Good luck and go make us proud.