Just started at C1 Ft Wayne

Ok I've actually been here 4 days but have been so #### busy I haven't had time to post. But here has been my time so far....

Sunday I drive 400 miles here on my motorcycle in a freakin' monsoon. I get here around 8:00pm check in and grab some stuff from the store for the room. I paid the extra $500 so I got a room to myself. The hotel is ok but nothing great. TV, fridge, microwave...I picked up a coffeepot at the dollar store for $14.

Monday. Get up 5:30am (I like to get up early, have coffee and be fully awake. Ride the bike to school. Then paperwork, and more paperwork. dot physical and whiz quiz. And we start studying for the IN op permit test. See if you are from out of state you have to take the IN operators test, pass it, and turn in your home state license. And in my case I also had to take the IN motorcycle written test as well to keep my class M endorsement. Get back to the hotel and take a nap because I'm freaking exhausted from the 8 hour motorcycle ride in the cold rain. I study for a few hours and go to bed. Apparently they really want you to have the full trucker experience because at 4:45am I get the knock at my door. I actually get up and answer it because I'm curious as this will be the first time a hooker has ever propositioned me (I lived a sheltered life in the country). So I crack the door and she asks if I want any company, I just tell her no thanks I just want sleep and close the door.....ooh I forgot since these are no smoking rooms so earlier in the evening I'm outside smoking a cig and this very gay very queenie lack guy in a wheelchair rolls over and asks if the bike parked there is mine. I be polite and say yes. He then begins hitting on me hardcore telling me how he loves rough looking bikers and I'm so big and would I like to come to his room for a drink. EWWWWWWWW! I politely decline and inform him he has equipment I am not interested in.

Tuesday up again 5:30am. Ride bike to school. Start working on gen knowledge, combination, and air brakes. We cover a lot of material and I like the instructor. He's funny and tells it how it is, and I learned a lot I didn't know. I actually find myself taking notes....i didn't even take notes in high school (the chisel and stone tablets were a pain back then). I get back to the room, now hot rod gay guy hitting on me this time, no ladies of the night knocking at the door. I get all my studying done and get to bed. Test day tomorrow so I get to sleep in an extra hour. Yay. I'm nervous as hell. I know the material and am a very good test taker but I'm still nervous.

Wed up at 6:30am. Ride to school. 8-9am we do a quick refresher until the lady from the bmv shows up with the tests. I start taking my tests. I read very fast and have excellent comprehension so I take tests very fast. I finish all 5 of my tests before most people finish their first. I'm pretty confident but a little annoyed there was a lot of stuff on the tests that were never covered in class. Air brakes for instance, the test had 8 questions about dual air brake systems and in class we spent less than 5 minutes on them. I read the whole manual but that is a lot of info to absorb in 2 days. After lunch we start with dot stuff and at 3 our test results come back. Out of about 20 people 5 of us pass every test. I passed all of mine . We get our training log books and start studying how to use them. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is. I get to my room to take the night off and I get a knock at my door. The fella that sits behind me is from cuba and can speak and read english albeit with a really thick accent. He's lived here for 15 years. He had a class B with air brake endorsement but failed his general knowledge and combination tests. He said he noticed I seem to know what I am doing and asked for help. I used to tutor friends all the time in high school so I say sure. I spend an hour and a half with him and realize his problem immediately. He's trying to memorize the sanwers without understanding why they are the correct answers. So we go through his homework and for every question not only does he figure out the right answer but I make sure he understands why it's the right answer. I am confident he will pass his retests tomorrow which if so will just give me more of a sense of accomplishment. I love to teach.

So tomorrow we study logs and mapping a bit. Then while the others are taking their retest we get to go to the bmv and get our permits. Then range time friday and saturday (optional)

I am having a blast here really enjoying the whole experience. But then I always loved learning new stuff so this is all up my alley. Feel free to ask any questions I'll answer what I can.

EDIT: I really believe the saying you will get out what you put into it. If you just slide through class and don't bother to study you will not do well and have a hard time if not fail. I really admired Enrique because he wasnt afraid to ask for help and I am not the most visually approachable person and I am deceptively intelligent given my looks. He was willing to put in the extra time to learn so I was happy to put in the extra time to teach. You get out what you put in.

 

Are you paying out of pocket for C-1 or is your training company sponsored? If it's company sponsored, who are you going with: USA or PAM?

 

C-1 Ft Wayne was a trip.
Good instructors.

Good luck to you!

Keep us posted

 

I chose the $500 plan. I pay $500, get a little more pay and a single room. I'm still with PAM for a year but at the end of the year I get it back.

So yesterday we had class till 2 then got to go out on the range. Our range instructor is great. I think his name was Floyd but not positive. He cant remember any of our names unless we got handles lol. I'm digger of course, the big guy was Tiny, my friend John became DC (double clutch...because he kept forgetting to push the clutch in when he stopped, and the boy drives a 5 speed to school). We did straight line backing. 2 of the 6 of us are able to do it all day without hitting a cone, me and another guy that already has his cdl. So when we finish that the instructor pulls the truck way up and jacknifes it then has me and the other guy straighten it and back it in the space. We both do it perfectly, mine was jacknifed to the blind side too lol. So far driving these trucks is easier than I thought. The practice trucks are total crap. The air leaks so bad chances are when you go to park the trailer valve is already popped out lol. The instructor also told us, if we want, when we graduate he will take us to hooters then to the boobie bar for a beer and a lap dance. If we want? Don't you threaten me with a good time mister lol.

Just bummed now we don't go back to the range until monday. Its class and trip planning today.

 

There is older freightliner, a red one. Thing is a beast!

It was Ivans toy, if you havent heard the story, ask him, its hilarious.

 

Friday. Went at 7am as usual. our last day in class we went over trip planning. My student I tutored failed his tests again. Its frustrating because he knows the answers he just doesn't comprehend the questions as they are written. But if I read the question he is right on with the answer. He got another chance today but I don't know if he passed. We finished class today at 2 and were ready to leave when John Triplett, director of the school came in and told everyone to stay. I could tell he was pissed about something. Then he brought in the second week students going into their third week and even some third week students going into their 4th week. Apparently students on the range have been sneaking out early missing BTW time and failing their PTI and 4pt brake checks. When on the range if you arent btw you are watching the people who are or practicing pti and 4pt brake checks on the dummy rig. this week no one passed their cdl test mon, 3-5 did tues wed and thurs, no one today. Our class is going into the second week with 20 students and there are a good 20 students left on weeks 3 and 4. So we got 40 students on the range with 4 trucks. Classes are extended all next week till 5:30 and all trainers were put on mandatory overtime.

While we were waiting for Joh to tell us all this we notice some clowns goofing off in the back of the room, lo and behold they were all called to go in saturday for more work because they are failing.

You come here to learn, why cu out early, not take every chance to study and get your btw time? Today after school me and a classmate went to the range and worked at the dummy truck for 1 1/2 hours, we were the only ones there as everyone else either went home for the weekend or went to the hotel and goofed off the rest of the day. In that 1 1/2 hours we got our 4pt brake check down pat and the entire front of the trucks pti memorized, basically the first page of the 3 1/2 pages the tester will use. I'm going back to the range tomorrow, probably by myself, to finish the last 2 1/2 pages. Come monday while everyone else is starting new I'll be able to go right to the instructor and rattle everything off.

You only get out what you put in. I guess these guys want to stay in this ######## motel for 3-4 weeks...I'm hoping to test end of week 2 or beginning of week 3, get my license and get my ### home for a few days.

 

so today i find out a whole wing of the hotel has been emptied for a convention. apparently there is a swinger convention at the club attached to the hotel lol.

 

Hey man Im really enjoying your post since Im going to C1 in Little Rock next month to begin my training. Any advice you can really give me before I head down to LR? Did you do the egears or did you get a cdl book?

 

But what would you do if you came out of the classes, and over where you park your bike, there was a wheel chair parked next to it.

 

I can not believe what you have to go through to get a driving job. All I ever had to do was fill out an application, get a phone call, go for DOT physical, get a start time.