Start off in long or short hood?

Takes about 10 miles to get used to the big hood...

 

There is nothing to it. A couple of sharp turns and you'll be used to it. When I came out of a t6 otr and started running rock in a flat top 379exhd, I thought that thing was a mile in front of me. By me second load I was adjusted to it.

Right now I'm in an 09 international while my W9 is in the shop getting some work done and I feel naked with all this glass and stubby front end. Going from 550hp to 375 hurts too lol.

 

When you drive a hood you need to understand that you will need more room for making turns and will need to be more careful backing. Some of the hoods have stacks that can get in the way of your sight when backing. It is much more difficult to get underneath and make corrections in tight spaces with a hood. Whether you drive a hood or cabover, you will make adjustments as the situation requires.

 

LOL! My EXACT same reaction!

 

Some schools will have a variety of equipment to train on to introduce the student to different trucks. From what I have seen, most schools use regular hooded trucks, Freightliner FLD's and Century Class as well as Internationals. When i was in truck school in 2000, the only thing I drive was an International cabover. The main purpose of the school is to educate you to pass the state CDL test.

 

when i started my first truck was a slant nose freight shaker triaxle dump truck only thing was it had a 12 foot highway plow hanging off the front. i plowed for the state talk about about trial by fire lol then got in a kenworth W900B short hood and coffin sleeper wasnt bad then i got in my w9L long nose with 72 inch bunk....that i was a lil intimidated by at first but after a couple days and backing in to some tight spots ( which were a lot more common with that truck who would of guessed lol) i got used to it and now prefer the long nose truck...i was offered a newer 07 t800 with only 229,000 miles on it compared to mine which had close to 800k miles and turned the t800 down...so in short i dont like ant-eater trucks lol

 

I trained at Centrals company school and they had us in the Volvos that turn on a dime. Went out with my trainer and he had a W9. Then was issued a Frieghtliner Cascadia for my company truck. I liked training in the W9. There are lots of blind spots and it makes you more aware of your truck and where you are. It also taught me how to set up properly for backing, because in some of thos smaller dock areas if you don't set up right in a w9 you aint gona make it in the hole. When I got in the Cascadia it was much easier to drive but I was still more aware after being in the w9.

 

I had been out of a truck for 4 years, went to a refresher course with columbia freight shakers, went to TMC and had to go out with a trainer. He is an O/O with a nice 379 extended hood and it was no problem driving it or backing it even with a spread axle trailer.