Here we go CDL school (Journal)

More practice. More drive time, recruiter time etc. We will also do some trip planning. I don’t think it’s a huge difference beyond other than just degree of readiness. My teachers aren’t happy with giving the bare minimum to pass. They want us to be good at what we do.

 

Basically I just finished my fourth week. So 180 hours. Do I feel like I could get my CDL now? Yea probably. 100% confidence like the back of my hand? Nope. Especially making any kind of tight turn/close call judgement. Bear in mind I’m also catching on fastest of the four of us in class. I can’t imagine how some people do 3 weeks and start driving. It seems irresponsible to me. But again, just my .02. But everyone is different and your prior experiences in different vehicles are different than mine. I’ve just got car, 3 years in a 14 ft box (gas, auto) and a smattering if 26 ft box (diesel, auto). But also a love of sports cars, and sim driving which believe it or not is very helpful.

 

Craven

 

Ours is Monday through Friday 8-5:30. I wouldn’t be surprised if we passed on the highway somewhere in the Jacksonville/kinston/la grange ballpark some day.

 

Day 21: Two guys out sick. I went out solo with one teacher. The other guy did backing all day. Drove about 6 hours total. 180 miles. Got to do a “real life” alley dock at an unused strip mall dock and put it right on the door no problem. Struggled with starting on hills and kept jerking the truck. He said I need to give it more fuel when letting up on the clutch. Tried to show me trolley bar, but I screwed up even worse. Need practice with that. This truck was an old freightliner POS. We hit the shop before lunch to have the clutch adjusted since it had no free play.

Good learning day. Lessons today are:
1) Watch the tach until you are truly a master
2) Give it throttle on takeoffs (I do this in a car, but one of the other instructors had told us not to in the truck)

14 class days until the test

 

Day 24: Two days of backing followed by some road time. Not a whole lot of driving today since we had to pick up trucks for service and whatnot. I got an hour in for 42 miles. Drive kind of crappy today, wasn’t shifting smoothly. Revving to high. But did better on my turns, no close calls. 11 class days left til my test! Making the most of my drive time. I’m comfortable with backing, just gotta keep brushed up on it.