Bad training experience. Dangerous?

AModelCat · Jan 31, 2019

I grew up around trucks. Dad owned several over the years. I was driving them around and backing them up when I was 14. School I went to had me driving around the lot for a couple hours before we even hit the pavement. Despite being comfortable in a truck, I was scared ####less the first time I went on the streets. I could only imagine your level of anxiety.

Point is, if the instructor really did just toss you the keys after you watched him drive for 5 minutes then he's a complete ####ing idiot and has no business teaching anyone anything IMO.

Snakeschasingcars · Jan 31, 2019

yaddayadda said: ↑

I never told him how it was supposed to be done. My concerns are outlined in my post. Not reading, or not addressing my concerns, is not very productive.
Click to expand...

I did address your conceens... You didnt like my awnsee doesnt change tjat fact...

You are not allowed to coast into a stop or you will fail your test...

It is normal to be thrown in a truck and start driving on public roads...

Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear. Sorry if i dont agree with you. I dont agree with what you are saying...

Snakeschasingcars · Jan 31, 2019

AModelCat said: ↑

I grew up around trucks. Dad owned several over the years. I was driving them around and backing them up when I was 14. School I went to had me driving around the lot for a couple hours before we even hit the pavement. Despite being comfortable in a truck, I was scared ####less the first time I went on the streets. I could only imagine your level of anxiety.

Point is, if the instructor really did just toss you the keys after you watched him drive for 5 minutes then he's a complete ####ing idiot and has no business teaching anyone anything IMO.
Click to expand...

Its normal.. When i went to a school aherere was 4 students in the truck. But we did have one day of straighy line backing befire hand.. But thay was onkybin 1st gear and back n forth in a straighy line... But anyways the instructor drove for 5-10 minutes than we all took turns. And yes i never seen the inside of a truck intill the day we did strait line backing... Was i nervous as hell... Hell yeah i was. But i followed instructions and did just fine. I think i only got to actualy drive 5 or 6 times at 10 to 15 minutes actualy driving.. Before taking the test.... Its not rocket science... But yeah make sure you can see out your mirrors..

They had like 7 or 8 instructors and they all did it like that.

Brandt · Jan 31, 2019

yaddayadda said: ↑

I get that, and was working on it, and happy to work on it. Just not when I'm approaching stopped cars, and missing downshifts because I'm (quite naturally) not practiced at it yet, and am not in any correct gear for slowing down, yet there the cars are getting closer and closer while someone screams to stop coasting, keep it in gear, stay off the clutch, blah blah.
Click to expand...

I mean they should let you practice in lot before getting out on the road. We had a couple days of backing practice before ever going on the road

x1Heavy · Jan 31, 2019

yaddayadda said: ↑

I am currently enrolled in a CDL class A training program. It's not associated with a company, because I didn't want to go that route. In other words, I'm paying for the thing myself, going through a school not associated with a company.

Anyway, after a few days sitting in a classroom, today was the first day in a rig. It was my first time EVER sitting in a rig, i.e. I had never even been a passenger in a rig before today. So after riding with the instructor for a few minutes while watching him drive and shift, I was thrown into the driver's seat, never having sat behind the wheel of one of these things in any capacity whatsoever. Not even just messing around in a parking lot.

Might as well start at the beginning. First off, I'm a small guy, both in height and weight. Just sitting in this thing, I couldn't see out of it. When I rolled down the window and tried to adjust the drivers side mirror (all I could see was trailer, not road or anything else) the instructor yelled at me, said there was nothing wrong with the mirrors so don't touch them, and if I was having issues it was me not the mirror. Well, I couldn't see out of the passenger side mirror either because there was a big cb radio mounted right in the middle of the dash sticking up in my field of view. You might say I should have adjusted the seat higher, which in fact I tried, but then I couldn't reach the pedals very well, and the cb was *still* in the way.

So after not being allowed to touch any mirrors, I was then told to pull out of the parking lot, into the city, and start driving. Among traffic and people. Without ever having done this in any capacity at all. Well, if this didn't freak me out enough, then being yelled at for (quite naturally) doing almost everything wrong while in the extremely stressful position of 1) trying not to kill anyone while 2) also trying to listen to the instructor's yelling and somehow correct what I was doing wrong, and to somehow even process all of this stuff happening at once... well, lets just say it wasn't an ideal situation.

Look, I don't like being yelled at, but I'm a big boy. At the end of the day, while it isn't the most ideal or conducive learning experience, I can deal with it and persevere. I can deal with stress, being freaked out, being thrown into a bad situation, whatever. I can deal with difficult things, challenges, etc. I'm not an entitled snowflake. My issue here is safety. I don't mind learning and being corrected - but the correction and instruction I'm being given, even if it is 'correct' or 'by the book' or even legal by government standards, is not safe in this situation, by my appraisal. Let me illustrate.

Example: I kept being yelled at for 'coasting.' Well, the following (apparently 'wrong' way) is what I've done in my car for decades. Upon approaching any kind of 'slow down' or 'stop' situation, I simply pop the gearshift into neutral and apply the brake. If I stop, I sit there with gear in neutral and foot on brake, until light green or whatever, then I simply pop it in gear and start moving. Well, when I applied the same technique to the truck (the only technique I've ever known) I'm screamed at at the top of someone's lungs, and told to put the thing in gear and keep it in gear, 'stay off the clutch!!,' blah blah. This is while I'm rapidly approaching a stopped car or whatever in front of me. Look, I'm sure you'll all say what the instructor is saying is 'by the book' or technically correct. And I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with, though, is the very real possibility (and it almost happened several times today) of plowing into some stopped car in front of me, or into an intersection, because I don't know how to do it the 'right way' yet, haven't practiced it, and if I had only been allowed to do it 'my way,' no such danger would have ever been present. Being forced to pop the thing in gear, keep off the clutch, and keep barreling towards someone's rear end in some enormous monstrosity of a vehicle while every fiber of your being wants to decouple the engine from the transmission and apply braking... this just can't be good or safe at this juncture. For some professional? Sure, I guess. But for some guy who was just thrown into the drivers seat, and who's instinct is exactly the opposite? Look, being forced to do it the 'right way' on the fly, among cars and traffic, without ever having practiced it... I just found it extremely dangerous.

Another offense I kept committing was not sitting there at a red light directly behind someone's bumper with the thing in first gear, clutch pushed all the way in. Again, I'm not a big guy, I'm not a tall guy, and I don't weigh very much. This clutch is very stiff (I'm sure they all are). It's also very far for my leg to travel. In my own car (yet again, all my experience and instinct is exactly wrong) I sit with the gear in neutral and foot on the brake. When the traffic starts flowing, I pop it in gear like it's nothing, and away I go. Now it's important to understand that I don't mind doing it the 'right way' if it is indeed 'right' to sit there in first gear with the clutch mashed to the floor. I *want* to do it the right way, whatever that is. But again, my concern is safety. What if my foot slides or pops off the clutch, like it almost did several times, and I go plowing into the car ahead of me?

I could keep on going here, but that's probably enough. One thing I'd like to know is how normal it is to just throw a guy directly into driving out on the roads among other cars in traffic having never sat in one of these things his entire life. I'd like to know how normal it is to not be allowed to adjust mirrors or see out of the truck. Finally, I'd like to know how I'm supposed to safely correct my bad instincts and driving habits (coasting, etc) without risking killing someone.

If you have any advice on what I should do, I'm all ears. By the way, I have a friend who drives trucks professionally every day, and when I recounted my story to him today... well, I'll wait until I hear from some of you first. I'm still in 'processing mode' here and trying to figure out what to do.

Thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

I'll start with mirrors. YOU adjust the #### things to SUIT your eyes. Instructor did you a disservice.

YOU DO NOT coast in a 18 wheeler. The Law (Actually there is a DOT Regulation..) that requires power to be on your drives at all times.

Whatever you did in the car? Stop it. Right now. And forget about it. You wont believe how easy that big strong 18 wheeler will be able to slip and lose it's footing when drifting back there. Next thing you see is all trailer and by the time you process that SMASH into your cab and YOU.

The rest of it? I'll lighten up and say please consider the yelling as a reinforcement tool. Many instructors do not even yell. They speak soft and a army snaps to do what they are told quietly and quick.

You need to either find another instructor or stand up for yourself and tell him to be quiet. You are going to get the mirrors just right for everyone's safety (Especially yours) and you are going to do better. Basically tell your teacher to tone it down.

My post is a little bit different than most. When I went to school abuse, lanaguage and hitting is part and parcel of learning etc. But fast forward to today it's best not to do that. But I am too old to change so sue me. But you have to assert yourself.

Someday it will be all you and that 18 wheeler going to god knows where in the deep winter and you will be gone a while. Hopefully you can do it. If not? Then there is no harm. None. Except maybe a lot of money lost.

Chinatown · Jan 31, 2019

My cdl school instructor was rude to me, so I numb chucked him, from the drivers seat.

x1Heavy · Jan 31, 2019

If you REALLY want some fireworks in training, Marry a wife like I did and then try to teach her how to do trucking. If she aint already been damaged in some way by ham fisted instructors in trucking school.

I had many try to teach me something along the way, but only a few were very good. Those are the ones you keep.

CrappieJunkie · Jan 31, 2019

yaddayadda said: ↑

I am currently enrolled in a CDL class A training program. It's not associated with a company, because I didn't want to go that route. In other words, I'm paying for the thing myself, going through a school not associated with a company.

Anyway, after a few days sitting in a classroom, today was the first day in a rig. It was my first time EVER sitting in a rig, i.e. I had never even been a passenger in a rig before today. So after riding with the instructor for a few minutes while watching him drive and shift, I was thrown into the driver's seat, never having sat behind the wheel of one of these things in any capacity whatsoever. Not even just messing around in a parking lot.

Might as well start at the beginning. First off, I'm a small guy, both in height and weight. Just sitting in this thing, I couldn't see out of it. When I rolled down the window and tried to adjust the drivers side mirror (all I could see was trailer, not road or anything else) the instructor yelled at me, said there was nothing wrong with the mirrors so don't touch them, and if I was having issues it was me not the mirror. Well, I couldn't see out of the passenger side mirror either because there was a big cb radio mounted right in the middle of the dash sticking up in my field of view. You might say I should have adjusted the seat higher, which in fact I tried, but then I couldn't reach the pedals very well, and the cb was *still* in the way.

So after not being allowed to touch any mirrors, I was then told to pull out of the parking lot, into the city, and start driving. Among traffic and people. Without ever having done this in any capacity at all. Well, if this didn't freak me out enough, then being yelled at for (quite naturally) doing almost everything wrong while in the extremely stressful position of 1) trying not to kill anyone while 2) also trying to listen to the instructor's yelling and somehow correct what I was doing wrong, and to somehow even process all of this stuff happening at once... well, lets just say it wasn't an ideal situation.

Look, I don't like being yelled at, but I'm a big boy. At the end of the day, while it isn't the most ideal or conducive learning experience, I can deal with it and persevere. I can deal with stress, being freaked out, being thrown into a bad situation, whatever. I can deal with difficult things, challenges, etc. I'm not an entitled snowflake. My issue here is safety. I don't mind learning and being corrected - but the correction and instruction I'm being given, even if it is 'correct' or 'by the book' or even legal by government standards, is not safe in this situation, by my appraisal. Let me illustrate.

Example: I kept being yelled at for 'coasting.' Well, the following (apparently 'wrong' way) is what I've done in my car for decades. Upon approaching any kind of 'slow down' or 'stop' situation, I simply pop the gearshift into neutral and apply the brake. If I stop, I sit there with gear in neutral and foot on brake, until light green or whatever, then I simply pop it in gear and start moving. Well, when I applied the same technique to the truck (the only technique I've ever known) I'm screamed at at the top of someone's lungs, and told to put the thing in gear and keep it in gear, 'stay off the clutch!!,' blah blah. This is while I'm rapidly approaching a stopped car or whatever in front of me. Look, I'm sure you'll all say what the instructor is saying is 'by the book' or technically correct. And I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with, though, is the very real possibility (and it almost happened several times today) of plowing into some stopped car in front of me, or into an intersection, because I don't know how to do it the 'right way' yet, haven't practiced it, and if I had only been allowed to do it 'my way,' no such danger would have ever been present. Being forced to pop the thing in gear, keep off the clutch, and keep barreling towards someone's rear end in some enormous monstrosity of a vehicle while every fiber of your being wants to decouple the engine from the transmission and apply braking... this just can't be good or safe at this juncture. For some professional? Sure, I guess. But for some guy who was just thrown into the drivers seat, and who's instinct is exactly the opposite? Look, being forced to do it the 'right way' on the fly, among cars and traffic, without ever having practiced it... I just found it extremely dangerous.

Another offense I kept committing was not sitting there at a red light directly behind someone's bumper with the thing in first gear, clutch pushed all the way in. Again, I'm not a big guy, I'm not a tall guy, and I don't weigh very much. This clutch is very stiff (I'm sure they all are). It's also very far for my leg to travel. In my own car (yet again, all my experience and instinct is exactly wrong) I sit with the gear in neutral and foot on the brake. When the traffic starts flowing, I pop it in gear like it's nothing, and away I go. Now it's important to understand that I don't mind doing it the 'right way' if it is indeed 'right' to sit there in first gear with the clutch mashed to the floor. I *want* to do it the right way, whatever that is. But again, my concern is safety. What if my foot slides or pops off the clutch, like it almost did several times, and I go plowing into the car ahead of me?

I could keep on going here, but that's probably enough. One thing I'd like to know is how normal it is to just throw a guy directly into driving out on the roads among other cars in traffic having never sat in one of these things his entire life. I'd like to know how normal it is to not be allowed to adjust mirrors or see out of the truck. Finally, I'd like to know how I'm supposed to safely correct my bad instincts and driving habits (coasting, etc) without risking killing someone.

If you have any advice on what I should do, I'm all ears. By the way, I have a friend who drives trucks professionally every day, and when I recounted my story to him today... well, I'll wait until I hear from some of you first. I'm still in 'processing mode' here and trying to figure out what to do.

Thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

Coasting gets you an auto fail. So he is right there. The mirror issue, refuse to move the truck, in name of safety, until you can see.

yaddayadda · Jan 31, 2019

AModelCat said: ↑

Despite being comfortable in a truck, I was scared ####less the first time I went on the streets. I could only imagine your level of anxiety.

Point is, if the instructor really did just toss you the keys after you watched him drive for 5 minutes then he's a complete ####ing idiot and has no business teaching anyone anything IMO.
Click to expand...

Yeah man. It's exactly what happened. The friend I mentioned earlier (the professional driver) said the same thing you said when I told him - 'complete idiot, no business teaching anyone, report the school and instructor, and find new school' etc.

Anyway, to those who mentioned straight line backing or being able to drive in a parking lot for a day, that would have been *MUCH* better. I almost didn't even go in today (thought about dropping)... but I did. And funny - today they had me straight line backing in the parking lot. They left me totally alone, so I spent 30 minutes just adjusting mirrors, seat heights, seat forward/backward distance, got to stretch my leg and figure out clutch play, shifter feel, etc. Then at my leisure I could play around and experiment while just driving backward and forward. I figured out that just braking some while the truck is going forward won't choke out the engine (like it would in a car), so I got more comfortable with 'not coasting.' I even started shifting up a gear or two while doing pull-ups, then downshifting to slowdown before stopping and doing the backing maneuver.

My point is, yeah, if I had gotten to work in a parking lot doing pullups and straight backing before being thrown out into city driving never even riding passenger in one of these things before, that would have been much better, as i'm much more comfortable now. They put the cart before the horse.

yaddayadda · Jan 31, 2019

Chinatown said: ↑

Do you have any idea what type trucking you want to do?
Click to expand...

I have some ideas. But assuming I even pass this thing, one thing I DON'T want to do is go the 'normal route' where I work as some rookie for a company getting paid 48 cents or whatever a mile, out on the road for weeks at a time, etc. I'm not gonna do that. You are welcome to contact me in a private message if you have ideas or advice.

Thanks.

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