Has your CDL made you a better driver?

I think it does happen to some... when you are in the truck you have a better view of all the craziness and near misses of all the cars and small pick ups around you.... So for some it does make one more aware and drive better....

however, that being said, the opposite is also true... there are those who get so comfortable and complacent on the road that they are actually horrible drivers...

For me, I am also an avide motorcycle rider... I value my life and my license so I drive and ride safe and always alert and aware....

 

Holding a CDL has made me a substantially better driver. Its corrected a lot of bad habits I never realized I had. I've acquired a lot of patience and no longer feel the need to speed in my car... I no longer feel the need to tailgate... I've garnered a great deal of tolerance for traffic... I love having the ability to decipher when a car or truck is about to do something stupid. I also read every single sign on the road now out of habit. My CDL has turned me from a decent driver to a professional driver.

 

I wouldn't say the cdl has, but driving 3 years OTR has. I understand traffic patterns better and I easily predict what 4 wheelers will do.

Now.. If the question is since ya got a cdl have the BAD driving habits disappeared then no. I drive like a professional in the truck, but On the other hand driving a Kawasaki at 65 mph is no fun.....

 

Not necessarily made me "a better driver", but has made be be more careful about speeding, especially in small towns with slower limits.

I have not received a ticket of any sort in over 15 years. And in the last 10 years or so, I have gotten 2 different warnings from local cops for "a little over the reduced limit.", and those 2 times (all in personal vehicle), the cop mentioned he was giving me a warning rather then a ticket because of the CDL with all endorsements.

 

Granted it's a whole different ball game with my CDL, how I was trained to drive and recertified twice a year on dry and wet surfaces and learning not to accelerate or decelerate in a curve etc. def. helps me. Going to CDL school helped, driving a concrete truck helped a ton because it is so heavy and very top heavy, my trainer as a TL driver helped me a ton, backing school helped even more. Then when I started on my on with nobody else in the truck I have been even more careful but relaxed at the same time. I will never get complacent. What I remember most about my trainings that my trainer told me " If you drive the truck like you are suppose to you will be exhausted at the end of the week mentally", How true I found that to be.

 

I was introduced to the Smith System of driving. The introduction and videos may appear a little korny, but I adapted to most everything he presented in the videos. His system is basically a defensive driving course for big trucks.

http://www.smith-system.com/downloads/Drive_Different.pdf

 

I think it's made me sexier. Never before until obtaining a Commercial Drivers License would parking a vehicle in a lot get me numerous solicitations by women to "party" with them.

 

Absolutely. I use turn signals all the time. I don't change lanes right in front of a truck to get back into the slow lane...give em some room.
I am also more critical of truck drivers now when I am in my car....I watch trucks to see if they make turns without curbing tires, or switch lanes without using blinkers.

I also help give trucks some help when they are signaling for a lane change, by slowing down and letting them in. Being semi-retired, I am not in a hurry to get anywhere.

Since moving to Scranton PA however, I have been honked at in my car by another car for not running a yellow light, along with some hand waving.....people here run yellows and red lights....I guess they think since there are so many pot holes they are entitled to run some lights.

Saw an ad in the paper for a used Mercedes, it said, "southern car, never been run over potholes". Don't need a speed limit here, as the pot holes are so bad, you have to slow down.

 

Was an excellent driver prior to earning my CDL, the only citation on my MVR is from 1986. That being said, having employed my CDL has made me more conscious of my, umm... reaction toward the idjits on the roads ; I don't let their stupidity bother me like it did in the past. Besides, sometimes, their dopey antics give me good reason to blast them with the big horn. Almost daily in fact, some dimwit nearly succeeds in committing suicide against my grill, they just can't wait that 2-3 more seconds for me to go by before they pull right out in front of me... I hope they never succeed and that the data on my dash cam is never needed in my defense.