Scared nervous and just a big mess!

Remember you asked.....Now here is my advice.....maybe you need to re-think the choice you've made.....nervous and scared are not things you need going through your head. If you had to take a 10 day furlough and forgot the basics , this makes my notion that you've made the wrong choice even more true.....if you don't have the basics down you are really gonna have an up-hill battle. The school should allow you all of the practice time needed to pass the CDL test required by New Jersey.....at the very least. That is something I would go into the schools senior official's office about...confront them with this...you paid them for training..then make sure you get it...or just move on.....my opinion is just move on....nothing personal....... mind-you...but if you're already nervous as you say...a truck that's 70 feet long , bends in the middle and weighs 40 tons , is not the place you need to be....Good Luck! I only wish you good things...reason for saying you asked at the start.

 

Just perfectly normal human nature to feel the way you do. We all feel nervous sometimes.
You can do this. Relax. Pay attention to your instructions. Relax. Think before you do something. Relax. Picture in your mind what you are about to do, then do it. Relax. Remember your training. Relax. Take your time. Relax. You can do this, and you will. Just relax, think, and take your time. You can do it. Think before you do it.

 

We all were nervous. So much time spent learning the business then it all comes down to this test. What helped me was taking it slow on the backing. In Illinois there is no time limit. When I did my pre-trip test...I had the state inspector repeat the question 2-3 times for clarification. We had people fail because they misunderstood the question. A lot of the time it was a simple mistake.

What I noticed at my CDL school was there was a lot of students with family members in this industry already so they had a pretty good handle on things. My wife and I had white collar jobs so this was a whole new world. I'm sure some of our instructors thought we'd never make it but guess what ? We're almost at 2 years and making money. It's hard to learn when the people teaching you assume you know everything already. Most of these schools are staffed by drivers who took the job to just get off the road. No disrespect to them but they aren't the most patient instructors.

Your going to pass without a doubt.

 

I was nervous and scared during my test but passed everything perfectly. You will do fine this time. Worst case scenario you will fail it.

 

Try not thinking about it so much. I usually do something unrelated to the task I'm nervous about. I'll usually go to a buddy's and talk sports or something different to get my mind off whatever's bother me.

If you have time to talk to a shrink, that may help too. They usually have some good ideas when dealing with performance anxiety issues. I've had anxiety for much of my life and seeing one helped me out a ton, but it took months. They also do shorter-term things but don't expect miracles. I'm more confident in myself than I have been my whole life. Not ####y but feeling capable.

 

Honestly, your analysis is completely ridiculous. The guy has gone to trucking school and you expect him to not be nervous when you know that the trucking schools only give you a crash course to learn the bare minimum of basic information to pass the state CDL exam. That's all these school do, teach you the BASICS to pass the exam. They don't teach you the ins and outs of life on the road and advanced driving techniques. To say he obviously picked the wrong profession is, quite frankly, a very dumb assessment.

I know when I took the CDL test I was nervous. Then again, I generally have always performed well on tests, whether it be written in a school setting or my CDL test. I guess you can think that even if you do fail it's not the end of the world really. You do have to work to get as much truck time as you can at the school so you can practice and keep your skills fresh. Just take the test one step at a time. It's basically a set procedure, pretrip inspection, then one skills test after another, then road test. Just try to relax and you'll do fine.

 

dont listen to this guy. It's totally normal to be nervous. Just don't let it get the best of you. Focus that nervous energy on the task at hand and you will be fine.

When I first started driving, for the first six months I couldn't sleep the night before I had a delivery. I would worry myself to near death about backing into a dock. What if I can't do it, what if I hit something, what if I look like an idiot. But guess what? I was always able to get it in the dock. Everytime. My worrying was all for nothing.

 

Actually, your worrying was for good reason. Careless people are the ones that hit poles and various other objects. People that worry more are in general more careful and hence, less accident prone.

 

Looking forward to when you come back on here to tell us you got your CDL