My CDL School Experience

Hey all,
I been a member here for quiet sometime, and have wanted to drive since I was a kid. I've always loved trucks, and yatta yatta.

Anyway, I attended a truck driving school in the area, and obtained my CDL. I really wish I wouldn't have attended the school I did, but it was about the money. I honestly don't feel the school taught me enough to pass a CDL test at a state skills testing center.

The school took me on the road once in a tractor-trailer, but the trailer was a 36' trailer mind you. I probably drove the tractor-trailer about 5-10 miles turned around, and drove back to the school. Yes, that was all the on-road driving they allowed me.

I do know my pre-trip in and out without a doubt, and I pretty much know the shifting points, and I can upshift without issue, and with downshifting I can downshift slowly, but I get all boggled up when going 55mph, and downshifting to a stop at a redlight. Also, I haven't ANY tractor-trailer experience going up, or downhill.

I learned all the pre-trip by watching a video over, over, and over, and then going to the truck(the single cab-single axle International) and touching and speaking the entire outside/inside pre-trip.

I then practiced in their 150' iirc, about the size of 2 single-wide mobile homes lot in the single cab-single axle International with 14' lowboy trailer) doing the offset/alley dock/parallel park. The instructor never road with me, or gave instruction, etc..

So, your now wondering how did you get your CDL then?

Ohh, I went to the truck driving school, and then they sent me to a 3rd party testing center in which I honestly believe they were/are affiliated with to simply pass people. I also want to mention I took my test in a single axle with a lowboy 14'(iirc) trailer.


So, with all that being said. I know I should paid alittle more($1k more) and went to the school I knew I should have went to.

Now I have to go back to school, and pay again because I failed a driving test at an orientation because I simply didn't have enough instruction, or time to even have more than 20 miles total experience in a tractor-trailer, and not to mention experience with a 53' trailer behind the tractor.

I'm posting this to maybe motivate some of you to inspect the school your thinking of attending, and make sure they actually teach you, or give you instructions, and above all else actually give you some time whether it's with a instructor, or alone on the pad with a 53' trailer behind you.

Yes I got my CDL, but there isn't much you can do with it without experience, or actually being able to pass a newbie driving test at a company orientation.

I had pre-hires & orientation lined up for
- Roehl
- Knight
- Schneider
- Swift
- USA Truck

I sadly cancelled the orientations simply because I honestly know myself I couldn't pass the newbie driving test. I have no college degree, or a high paying job, and I like most of you are going to try and make a living driving. I don't really like the idea of being OTR, but I have talked to over 30 companies locally, and they all require 6 months to 3 years experience OTR before they will hire you. I may love OTR, but the idea of being away from home, and family for 2-3 weeks at a time isn't very appealing rightnow, but I have a dream of driving a truck, and figure I should grab it by the horns, and see what happens. I hope I can even make it 1-2 years to then come home, and just drive a dump truck, or something locally.

This is my story, and I don't want to name the school due to it's size, and I probably would be identified, and I really want to just start fresh, and hit the road, make some money, and live life.

 

I really, really, really wish I could find someone around here who would give me a chance driving a dump-truck hauling coal/sand/gravel/whatever... They just all say need experience OTR.. It's infuriating to say the least.

I was thinking of Waste Management.. I have seen tons of opening for jobs for people with some experience, but none for newbies. They actually specify on their site newbies-experienced.

I actually wouldn't mind driving a bus either, but we don't have those around here.(rural Ohio). We have tons of trucking companies(coal/rock/dirt/sand/asphalt) just none that will give a newbie a chance.