I'm failing Out Of School

Don't let anyone pressure you about time. Yes, we'd all like for you to hurry up, but it's going to take a lot longer, if you hit something. Get out and look as many times as you need to, and take as long as you need to, to back in. We'll all be frustrated, but not nearly as frustrated as if you hit our parked trucks...

 

If you are not adjusting the mirrors and the seat to benefit you, you should! I always adjust mirrors to suite ME,

 

Some people have "it" and some don't. Apparently you do not. No shame in giving up and moving on to something else. Roads are littered with useless drivers---no sense in adding more.

 

We have our students start backing the fist day, by the end of the week they are doing offsets and 90s. After learning which way to turn the wheel when backing, try doing 45s to learn how to go around the cone into the alley, if you need some cones forming a radius see if they will let you using them. We offer 1 on 1 time if the student is having a hard time at no extra charge. Our goal is to have them succeed. we spend an hour or so in the classroom and the rest of the day in the truck. Most book work is done as homework, leaving a lot of hands training which we feel is the most important part of being a trucker.The biggest problem on offset or 90 is oversteering and holding it to long. As soon as you start thinking to get under the trailer start turning at that moment. We have helped with students from other schools that didn't pass the backing or pretrip with great success. good luck and just stop and think if you need to while backing.
David
NWTA

 

All Schools should be 1 on 1, mine is, and the reason I chose them. Why anyone would want to be in a group with limited times is beyond me.

 

Usually by the fourth or fifth day in field, they take you out onto the highway or interstate and get you into 10th gear. Forget if you still have not mastered straight back, alley dock, either of the two parallels, the pre-trip inspection or the air brake test. Whether or not you skip, grind or ruin gears on your way up to 10th, they are taking you out there anyways. Ready or not. Then, since the idea is to get you up to 70mph so that they can get you to "master upshifting and downshifting this way", they will move you over to the left lane.

The above was sarcasm, but just what took place in my case. I switched schools because of it; because it was not a school, but a military academy factory for CDL students pumping them out with barely any skills sharpened. Learn at YOUR OWN pace and if and when the instructor pushses you to do something that you're not ready for, push back. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

One day that nice instructor will be just a memory. YOU will have to correct yourself.

This is a rubicon a certain percentage must cross. Mine was on Allegheny Mountain on ice. I came out of the eastbound tube into a ice storm. Previous to entering that one it was rain. When I hit the ice I rememered that it's 7% for 5 miles down twisting and winding. And here I am at 50 plus and already leaning to the left banking which also started to drop off pretty good. Not a good set up.

I wondered how I made it that far. Well I did. And that should be that. But it's not "That's that" it never is.

My instructors were... colorful and profane. One was a smaller one. But had a mouth of Johnny Cash. To this day when that trailer is coming round I hear that voice of his. Why you *&^% #######, here you are... she's coming round again, what do I keep telling you about.. /rant /rant /rant /rant in my ear. It's stupid and hard to explain. But there is that.

 

Isn't it dangerous to not have your seat adjusted right?

 

Before you drive you should always make sure seat and mirrors are adjusted to your liking.