My wife's experience with MTC Truck Driving school in Missouri

Yesterday, my wife was sick. The flu is going around the school. Today, she went to school, but left after about 2-1/2 hours due to illness. Today they were practicing 90 degree backups. They had 10 people to 1 truck. It took her 2 hours of standing before she was able to get in the truck for only 15 minutes. Then the instructor, a part timer, just told her to turn the steering wheel this way, then that way, then another way. Bottom line, the instructor didn't explain WHY she was turning the wheel a certain way. A few times she had to tell him he was wrong - and some of the advanced students even agreed with her that the instructor had her totally messed up.

Why is it you spend $4000+ for three weeks of training and you actually get, maybe, 22 hours of hands on learning? If I had enough money, I would consider starting my own school with a much better setup then this school.

 

Ladyfire, what helped you out understand how to backup? I worked with my wife for about 3 hours today and she still is struggling. I believe her primary issue is over-steering. So, maybe from a lady's perspective, hopefully you could shed some light. Thanks!

 

This is easy for you to say. You can't change something that you are already signed up for. You need to make the most out of it, but in the end, maybe you can save someone else the aggravation.

 

I guess working with my wife for 3 hours helped out a lot. Today, she worked with Marc @ MTC and she took what I taught her and what Marc taught her and it clicked. Marc @ MTC spent the whole day with my wife and another gal working on 90 degree backups. She got it!

What helped her: I taught her when backing up straight only to move the wheel no more than a half a turn in either direction. If she was going to move the wheel more than half a turn, she needed to stop, turn the wheel, move back a foot and see if the truck/trailer behaved the way she wanted it to. If not, don't turn the wheel, move forward that foot, stop, turn the wheel the opposite direction and then back up. Proud of my wife!!!

 

Feel free! The funny thing is I learned that approach while at C.R.England's class on "Train the Trainer". After 17 years on the road, I learned some valuable things in that class - I also learned within 2 months to get far away from C.R.England!