Double clutching and my instructors attitude

I went to trucking school earlier in summer. First day out I could not get double clutching to save my life. I was of course nervous and was trying but the instructor wasn't very patient. He stated that he wished he had brought tape as he would tape my hands to gearshift. I also was told that I " shifted like a woman" and I was "jacking off gearshift". Is this the mentality of instructors in trucking schools? Has anyone else been humiliated in front of other students or had similiar situations? I was just so frustrated that I went to getting straight truck license instead. Am I crazy to want to go to a "company school" and stay away from "CDL Mill" ???

 

I guess I got lucky, my instructors were very nice and taught me alot. I think you might need a thicker skin for this industry.......as my over the road trainer was pretty rough and had some very colorful discriptions of my lack of develped skills. I just knew it was all about getting prepared for the road.

 

sounds like you were making a mistake I saw another student make. when shift the truck keep your hands on the shifter until its all the way into gear. He was kind of throwing it into gear and then grabbing the steering wheel which of course it never went into gear! Now as to the Nuthead instructor he needs to be fired you are not one of his kids and there is no reason to humiliate anyone in a teaching situation. when an instructor does that its a sure sign of a lack of confidence on his part. try a different school.

 

It was your first day? No excuse for said instructor to be that way ever, you can make a point and not be a jag about it. Anyway shifting in general ,IMHO and I am by far no seasoned driver just finishing my first year, is all about rythm, it takes time,patience and practice. Keep your hand on the shifter, use a lighter touch,it will go in, there are many little thing you will pick up but work on the basics. get that Acdl you can always drive a straight truck with that A. Just try not to let fools like that bother you, get some thicker skin it will be needed mre than you know. Good luck

 

If u think he was bad wait until your on the road and see/hear what other drivers will say about your driving or lack of double clutching

 

I had a teacher that was sort of like that but it was always in a joking manner, at least if you knew him well enough you understood that. I could see it rubbing off wrong on some people though. He was always talking crap to us but we did to him too when he was driving so it was actually quite fun. If you missed a gear or grinded all you heard was him yelling talking mad crap though. It definitely wasn't a, "Well, this is what you need to do to make this better" type commentary.

The funniest time we were stopped at a red light with a Werner truck across from us on the other side of the intersection. He says, "See, that guy over there looks like the biggest dumb*** on the planet. If he can drive a truck, so can you!"

Could your teacher have been the same way and you took it wrong? I can't say honestly, maybe he's just an #########. Either way in any line of business you have to feel people out to see if you can act like that around people because many will take you the wrong way.

If you go out with a trainer though, many will not be kind. I got lucky and my guy was great but it seems to be far and few between with trainers that don't treat you like crap. If you can't handle it in school you have to ask yourself are you going to be able to handle it for an extended period basically living with the same guy.

 

It sounds like you had my instrustor in Ft Worth, Tx. This cowboy was a total dick. He would sit there yelling at you like a drill instructor. I remember he was saying this one guy was shifting like a woman. he was just a typical texan. Can't say anything without berating you and making you feel stupid.

they can't say, "hey you doing that wrong, you need to do this instead"
they say " what the hell are you doing boy? are you stupid? why would you do it like that?"

 

This whole idea is such a joke. People go to school to learn to drive right. Then they stick you in some 20 y.o. truck and teach double clutching. Then you get into the real world, which for 99.9% of these students, is a company driving job. And now your in a 2-3 y.o. truck and you'll never touch the clutch once your moving again.

 

aint nothin wrong with shifting like a woman I do it quite well.18 gears a jammin