First Day At TTCC

Just finished week 2 at Transport Training Centre and it was another week of stuffing into our brains. This week was less intense than the previous week put still a lot of info mind you, that could have been do to going over some of the same info from the week before as 4 of the people in my class failed either their A or Z MTO exams. Unfortunately, a couple of people had to rewrite one exam 3 times.


In the first week, we had an instructor from one of the other campuses as the regular instructor was on vacation. Their teaching styles were night and day different with the instructor for week two being the better instructor in my opinion. He presented the material where we had to write down the information rather than write it out by hand. I find this way to be better as the info goes from the tip of the pen to the brain.


On Friday, we finally got to see and walk around of the school trucks. It is surprising that how quickly everything falls into place once you put hands on. We did a complete air brake inspection doing the mark and measure method. After the brake inspection it was time to do the truck pre-trip inspection. The instructor showed us the real world pre-trip versus the MTO inspection where they do not even open the hood of the truck. The process of the pre-trip inspection is certainly more straightforward than the air brake inspection.


I forgot to mention that we did this at the Antrim Truck Stop in Arnprior. The reason for this was so that we could see how to weigh a truck on a CAT scale. Once seeing this, the instructor proceeded to show us how to adjust the tandems for various situations. He told us that we will get more practice on this with our on the road instructor. With the field trip completed, it was back to the campus to write the final exam for the school and again, it was a good exam result for me.


At the end of the day, we were given our schedules for the following week for our in truck training, as well as who our instructor will be. I happy with the instructor that I have, he seems to be a get to the point, no messing around type of guy. Finally we were given that date for the practical exam at Drive Test and mine is September 9th. I am hoping that I can get it moved up so I can get back to work ASAP.

 

The reason they do not open the hood is one of the examiners got clipped by a hood when the wind blew it down. I have seen my schedule and they are spacing it out so that I have training right up to test day. I hope to get at least one other instructor during my training so that I get other tid bits of info.

 

Today was my first time behind the wheel of the Freightliner Columbia. I just bobtailed around the school yard to start but as I got better, the instructor took me out to play in traffic. Driving in traffic was a little more intense than driving around the yard. The first time out went as expect but the instructor said that I did very well otherwise he would not have taken me out into traffic so soon. Shifting up the 13 speed was fairly easy but down shifting will certainly will require more work. I am off tomorrow due to doctor appointment but I will be back at it on Thursday, should that trip out prove good enough, I get to pull an empty trailer on Friday.

 

almost...just add up the speeds on the signs and you are good starting with 35, don't hit 10th until 55 unless the engine sound tells you different