Half way through transport school and it sucks! The reality of my trucking school experience.

It is funny they advertise 180hrs of truck time but you only get 60 and that's if your trainer doesn't come late or park you early the other 120 is observation time riding along watching the other students drive.
I did get a chance to watch my instructor drive into a small town once and that was worth the ride along time. It also made me realize how far I have to go. I can't afford the years of training necessary to get that good. One other thing they had a 10spd truck but it went elsewhere, are you using the 10 JJ. We haven't stalled yet even with the loaded trailer.

 

There is quite a bit of figuring out in trucking.

With that said, constantly talking to drivers at the counter and listening to the stories helps.

There will be a time or three in your future lifetime on the road where the rules you were taught by the book comes up blank as you barrel towards a problem in the next few moments. You will have to cobble together something to save yourself, your load etc. Out of nothing. Essentially writing your own solution as you go.

If you did it right, no one got hurt, nothing got hit maybe some patches torn off your tires and some boxes shaken down but... it is what it is.

I once allowed my rig to slide down a steep grade with parking spring brakes locked on snow and ice and when reaching the nearby path that was my escape prior to a overhang over about 200 feet ravine, I punched the red and blue buttons off and the wheels rotated gaining some traction to go that way to the left following the edge of the overhang.

I needed about a week to get back into that tractor. I knew if I did not, I wont ever do that again.

 

sounds like a cluster. Dont know much about Canada other than its cold in winter and they wont let me in lol -

 

That's a good one, lol

 

Well I'm very happy to say I passed the test today and got my AZ, I studied my ### off and it went like clockwork, the examiner even complemented my driving, my classmate also passed. the important part was we were both motivated and took charge of our own destiny if I was going to fail it wouldn't be for not trying. It also helped that my classmate was a positive force and I was able to feed off that energy.
Whether or not the school wasn't living up to expectations now I can't say, I know you can't wait for them to spoon feed you and it probably worked out that we had 3 different instructors and two similar but different trucks to learn on. As a matter of fact I didn't know which truck I was using till I got there and then I only got to drive around the block once to warm up. Hope it worked out for you JJ be positive.
I also get to go for a test drive for my first prospective employer tomorrow morning, I'm pumped!

 

Awesome. Congratulations. That must be a huge load off your shoulders.

 

Don't jump ship. Truck driving schools come in many different shapes and sizes. This is one of the hardest parts of your career; getting started.
Eventually you will be in a truck with a trainer earning your stripes and then before you know it you will have the freedom to be out there on your own where you will continue to learn more and more and more.

My advice to you is that you take a deep breath and take it a day at a time and one day this will be behind you and you will be glad that you stuck it out.
Every truck driver out there has pretty much started right where you are at. It will pass.

Contact me anytime you like.
I have 37 years out here and I have hauled cars for a long time.

 

You wouldn't believe how much, its a long story but I'd been working on this since January. Maxed my credit and had no other prospects to get back in a job with at least the potential to earn a decent living again. Now as my brother tells me the world is my oyster, at least as far as job opportunities go. Heck I might even make enough money to have fun in Laredo with my friend Nutz4 lol

 

Amen. Preach it. IF there was a preach icon I would have put it here.

Reprising a popular movie from years back, I walked into my trucking school's office on Haven Street with a pack of smoke, 10 dollars in pocket and a half tank of gas on my old ford. 15 minutes later I had Uncle Sam's Money (2500) and a weekend class start day within that week.

4 months later, class A and two weeks after rolling bulk tanker after a 10 minute road trip down 70 to Newmarket and back with a bucket of stone. Physical? Ha. Already given. This was back before 1994.

So easy compared to the carefully constructed mouse maze hamster wheel traps built today.