Newbie needs advice about getting into trucking!!!

sorry guys for no update, but its been crazy here.

So... let me start by telling you, I have my CDL!!!
I happy to start a new career.

Okay...so lets backup, lets start with Wolf Truck driving school. The price of the school was the cheapest around. Elgin Community College wanted $6000, Progressive was almost $4000 and Wolf was $1890. You had to pay for your permit, dot physical and dot drug test. I had to know how to perform all 9 brake test, and know all suspension parts and conditions before the instructor would sign you to go drive. Wolf's rules are no one can drive until the instructor signs that you are ready, and that you have a min. of 60 hours in class. At 60 hours I got signed to drive. No one told me that I had to have a physical and drug test before you do your skills in the yard. The physical was a joke, some old dude that was a chiropractor. I filled out some paper work, he checked my blood pressure, and did an eye test, I did the drug test and I was done. I would like to mention that there is some favoritism going on at Wolf, but I just did my thing. The instructor in the class was Great. The instructors in the yard were great also. The girls in the office ... well that's a different story. It was suppose to be a 4 week class....Well it ended up being about 10 weeks, it had nothing to do with me or anything I did. I worked hard on doing the best job I could, in the class or in the yard and on the road. It was time to take my test with the state inspectors. I was asked about air lines and hoses and conditions, rear trailer air and mechanical suspension, rear tires and front tires and rims. We got in the truck and he asked about the steering wheel and conditions, emergency equipment, and to perform some brake test, starting with the air leaks and fan downs, and then service brake and then spring brakes. Which I had no problem with. So on to the skills test, I was really nervous like a kid, not sure why. Well part of it was people were failing left and right, I think 8 people out of 20 passed!!! that's what made me nervous. So on my pull up, I stopped on Zero, backed the truck up the 300 feet, so off to my right turn, and I wasn't sure what I got, looking thru the mirror, was it 4 or a zero, so on to my 45 back up, I was hoping to not screw up. A couple guys hit the cones backing up, and were sent home with a FAIL!!! so I started backing up and was a little off, pulled up a little to straighten her out and backed her in. I was hoping for a 3, but a 6 would still be passing. I set the brakes and got out of the truck to see a ZERO...WOW!!!. So I asked the inspector, " what did I get on my right turn". He said " You nailed it with a perfect score, all ZERO's". The road was a piece of cake. Well that's what I thought. I was almost run over by a chick in a Honda, that ran the red light!!!.......So over all it was Good. Not happy that it took 10 weeks, ..but crap happens. So...I'm studying the tanker and haz-mat test this weekend.

 

Tanker and haz-mat test passed today. Time to fill out apps.