Parallel Parking Struggles

Nobody in my class can get any consistency with the parallel parking or alley dock maneuvers. I have never seen our instructor attemp it, so I am going to ask her tomorrow to demonstrate. That's going to tell me if she knows what she is doing. If she can't hit it, then she isn't instructing correctly. At that point I may blow my top, and I'm the calmer one in the classroom.

If hitting the back center cone of the parking spot isn't an automatic fail on the skills test I will back the trailer in way over that cone as far as I need to be able to pull up and get everything within the boundaries, set the brake, and sound the horn. Two points for hitting the cone.

Sorry assed CDL pass strategy, but I guess I'm going to have to do what I gotta do the pass the CDL.

If it is the 90 degree I will have enough points to screw up a few times and still pass.

As much as I hate the government, it needs to crack down on student-to-truck ratios for training. Us older guys in class try to help each other. If we didn't we would be in worse shape than we are now.

Rant over. Flame away...

 

It's been 7 years since I went to school for my CDL but the instructors did demonstrate before throwing a student into it.

 

My instructor's background is pulling doubles...

 

That's the secret. Loose the point for running over the cone in front and back straight up.
Easy peasy.

 

Where are you getting your training from?

My first on the range thing to do for any and all students was a clear demonstration with me or an other trainer driving. If you search my posts I recently posted about watching a so called trainer attempt backing into a door with a trainee in the passenger seat and it took her more than 20 attempts and she still wasn’t in.
So Yes I would definitely ask for a demonstration! Heck I would get a couple others together and not just ask but Demand it!

 

The real secret is to have someone teach it correctly so you need not hit any cones.

 

Parallel parked the other day like a boss. Better than most people can a car.

Parallel is experience. To be good at it. Not just Paralleling, just a lot of backing experience.

We were taught checkpoints of where to turn the wheel and when at the school to pass the test.

Alley dock is pretty much ( think of a clock face ) turning sharp until you're at noon, then back to nine.

The hole you're going into is at six.

 

There are plenty of YouTube videos to watch. CDL school is just to pass the state exam, nothing more.

 

I'm glad I gor my CDL with no school. I get pretty mouthy when i know some is full of spit

 

I will divulge that information when I have finished school and received my certicate of training. The review will be epic. I broke down the cost per hour for advertised hours of training and came up with $14.49 each student pays per hour to be there. Three hours of pad time per day and get maybe 15-20 minutes in the truck each day doing maneuvers. Then we have to spend another three hours in a classroom. I spent two months tuning out instructor led conspiracy theories while doing the bookworm, and another two months in a classroom in which the instructor rarely even spoke to us. The whole place is a scam. I hate to say it, but everything I learned is from YouTube and discussion and practice with other students. Pad instructors are paid under $40k a year and there is zero consistency in day-to-day operations. Some of the instructors were surprised when I showed them that FMCSA mandates Entry Level Driver Training from an a training facility on the FMCSA list. I have that from ELDT.com and it was actually better than what I am going through. The school told me I couldn't take the CDL skills test until I finished THEIR program.

I have pre-trip, in-cab, and air brakes down solid. I can straight back and offset with no problem. Test day won't come fast enough. I feel I can pass and get my cdl. The skills test won't be perfect, but I have 12 points to play with. All I can say that I am going to be behind the curve when I get out in the real world of trucking, but I will prevail.