First Day At TTCC

If any driver gets into a corner too fast then you came into the corner too fast. It's too late to make the turn completely safe so do not apply any power and try to be smooth as possible.

It seems like these driver trainers at some of these schools are taking short cuts to get a student through with as little effort on the driver trainer. Some of the new drivers complain about old drivers and they are stuck on their ways. I can tell you one item they did and I continue the same way is teach with the knowledge that these new drivers are a reflection on the driver trainer. It's our job to pass down what we know to ensure the safer the truck the better. You never stop learning and every day is different. A good driver trainer will take his or her time to teach the right way so the new driver has a better chance. He or she are not there for the little extra pay. Then I see that a large company takes a driver that's been at it for just 6 months and place them in a driver trainer position. I don't blame the new driver training I blame the company.

 

All is go for the 20th Terry. I cannot wait to get started, though like you, I have done a lot of the studying already though I have not done the written yet. I started applying to companies a month ago and this coming week, I am doing in person interviews. By the time I am finished the course I should know where I want to work. It will all come down to the company road test.

I got all my paper work in order, FAST Card, Resume, Crimanal Record Check, and Driver Abstract. There are only certain border crossing where you can get the finalized Fast Card done so if you do not live near one, just do all the paper work and whenever you are near one of those crossing drop in and get it done.

Also checkout Truckstop Canada forum, there are some good guys there that will give you insight into the good, bad and ugly of the companies. Try to get on with a company that has a very good training record. though some may not have the greatest pay at first, the training will go a long way after one year.

 

If you need a hand deciding on companies, let me know. I live in Sudbury and can help you choose a bit better. I'm a float driver if that helps.

 

Terry, hope you do not mind me tagging on my experience so far at TTCC.

Well after a few bumps in the road, I finally started CDL school on Monday. The first day was to feel out the other students and instructor. It did not take long for everyone to get comfortable with each other. The instructor was very good as he has 35 years experience and was doing flatbed work up until two years ago so he brought a lot of real world experience to the learning curve. The in class instruction focused on what we would more or less need to know for day to day trucking with the homework covering the fluff.

There certainly a lot of information covered in the first given that all the information was to cover what we needed to write the AZ exam on Friday. On Wednesday, we had 7 other students join us for the air brake course. It was interesting watching these students roll in, all but one was under I would say 25 and 4 of them showed up driving BMWs and 1 a Lexus. By the end of the day, I would say that only two of those student seemed serious and ready to write the Z exam.

My glass has nine students in total with 7 doing the AZ and the other 2 doing DZ standard. The only young person in the class is doing the DZ and I will say that the lad does not exhibite the most energetic personality. He shuffles his feet when he walks and shows up late every day for class. There is one guy doing the AZ that I think might have spent too much time experimenting with recreational drugs. There is one lady in the class. She catches on very quickly but then over analys everything to the point that she confuses and stresses herself out. I hope she does not do this in the truck or she could find herself doing the drive test more than once. I really hope she makes it. The rest of the group is very good coming from many walks of life and are taking the course seriously.

Of all the information covered this week, I found the air brake portion the hardest. With so many similar numbers and components it was a lot to take in, in a short period of time. It was during one of the "smoke" breaks while talking with the instructor that it all came together. The instructor is a heavy smoker so there were a lot of "smoke" breaks. It seems as though we learned more during these breaks when the instruction was off book then we did in class. I do not smoke but I knew that these breaks could provide extra tidbits of information, it is too bad that a few of the other students did not partake in these grab feists.

Today, Friday, we spent most of the morning doing practise exams for the A and Z MOT exams. We also did the course mid term exam which I aced, so it made me feel good going into the MOT exams. At 2:00pm, the instructor cut us loose so we could go and write the MOT exams. Unfortunately, the instructor forgot to inform us that we needed the original medical to write the exam and three of the students had to run home to get the form. Unfortunately, on student could not find hers and could not write. I was lucky that I sent mine in for medical review, otherwise I would have been in the same boat. Once at MOT, we had to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes just to get to the counter to pay for the exam. Once in the exam room, everything went very quickly. The signs and A tests I got 20/20 on but the Z test I got 17/20. One that I got wrong was my own stupidity as I did not read the question fully. Now it is the other 2 that I got wrong that still has me stretching my head, for one, the question and the answers did not make any sense what so ever and secondly it was the same question both times. You have to love computer generated exams. Speaking with one of the other students, he had the same questions 3 times on his A exam.

So far, I am enjoying the course and the information that is being covered. If the general public only knew how much needs to be learned to be a professional drive, they MAY have a greater appreciation of the profession and think that truckers are dump people that could not get any other job. I have always had an apprecition for the profession and this course has just re-enforced my respect for the trade.

 

I am paying my own way as well, I believe that we only have two people that I know of that are on the second career funding program. They did offer the C written today at no charge but I have absolutely no interest in bus work so I did not bother. I am looking forward to Monday as that is the date that they let you know the date of the drive test. Right now it is sounding like the end of August, but I hope that I can get it sooner.