Question about Class B training

Class b is the same as driving a van. Just bigger.

 

Ok....how about a really big car? That you can't see out of lol


Its easy, you just have to watch your mirrors

 

ya b class is easier than A. but dont give up man i struggled like crazy in school. i wanted to quit every day.

 

If you have problems with a semi, you may have problems with say a 24 foot box truck.

 

New to the forum, so howdy everyone. If you look at my years in trucking, it says 22. This is all class B years and I can tell that class B can be very much as hazardous and hard as class A driving in some circumstances such as driving a concrete truck or a liquid tanker and the reason being is that with semi tankers as a general rule have a lower center of gravity that straight trucks and as such, some straight truck tankers are easier to roll over. Also as mentioned, concrete truck rank just as high and maybe higher even than end-dump tractor trailer set-ups at roll over hazards. With that said, it all depends on the truck, the cargo and what kind of truck you are going to drive. International short hoods drive very much the same as any car with a standard transmission, with a similar forward view and turning radius and as such they are very easy to drive ( this is what my propane truck is currently). Also a lot of the smaller cab-over delivery van trucks are also very easy to drive and get in and out of tight spaces with ease. Those are the trucks you see rent to own furniture stores using. Then you get into concrete, dump trucks and Large propane trucks and such with tandem axles. These trucks are a touch more complicated because they are built on big rig tractor frames usually and as such they have very wide turning radiuses, a lot more gears ( the same as any other tractor trailer set-up) and a higher center of gravity. Dump trucks with a bit of smarts are generally not to prone to roll-overs as long as you are hauling solid cargo such as gravel (semi-liquid asphalt makes these trucks roll over very easy) and you make sure you are on a flat level surface when dumping.

As far as backing, straight trucks are much easier to back, you just usually cant look out the back glass like you can in a car and have to use your mirrors and always remember there is a blind spot back there that you can't see with the mirrors so it is best if you memorize obstacles as you drive up to a place where you have to back in so that when you start backing in and something like a small tree doesn't come up in your mirrors, you know that you need to get out and see where you went wrong before you and that object collide.

As for testing, class B is a breeze to pass on all fronts. Go and get your fingerprints and background check done TSA and get the Haz-Mat, air brakes and tanker endorsements at least. these will open up many more job possibilities with higher pay for you. For instance it usually isn't to hard to get a job driving a propane delivery truck with little or no experience and this job will generally land you in the 12 - $15/hr range and often pays commission on top of that wage.

I hope this helps and fell free to ask any questions you might have, time for me to get to work atm.

Good Luck,
Zedd