Parallel Parking Struggles

I hate hearing these stories about inept CDL schools. You pay a ton of money and end up feeling like you got robbed.

I went to Sage and unfortunately they aren’t in more locations. Pre trip stuff we worked on basically as a group. Everything else was one on one.
Typically you were given a truck to practice one maneuver for half a day and then the second half was road trip with the instructor. Each maneuver got a half day and 1/2 day road trip.

Our class only had 4 students and everyone got one on one training and passed. Even the “Girl”
passed first shot

One guy failed the driving part because he stalled the truck before getting out of the lot. Wasn’t a big deal though, next day he got-r-done.

My only shortcomings for testing out was not reading signs. I was asked what the sign said that I just passed and couldn’t answer. Funny thing is it has been the biggest advice I give new drivers..read every sign because one day you won’t read the off ramp 20mph warning and you’ll be out of a job.

Next is known your load and remember it. Paying attention for higher center of gravity loads and adjusting your driving accordingly. I hauled bottled milk for a couple years, full crates stacked to the ceiling and all the way to the rear. Taught me that some of those posted off ramp speeds didn’t account for what I was hauling..

Anyway, I don’t really advocate running over cones as a plan to pass the test. You’re better than that and all it’ll do is make you look like a dope. It may also make the tester look at you more closely..

 

I know the feeling. I went to a school like that many years ago. They did tell you as they took your 4k that it is just to get your license (sad). They took a lot of 4k from the students. They were not good "instructors"(just because you didn't something doesn't mean you can teach). A lot of students got frustrated and didn't pass. I had the the permit and endorsements so I didn't have to waste time in the classroom (just log book training).
I agree with you. We shall prevail and I did and you will too. All the best on your journey. God bless you taking your test.

 

Sad. Our experience has been completely opposite of yours. Our instructor has demonstrated everything prior to us doing it.

 

I am sure by now you've taken your test, but I've got a "If I can do it, anyone can" story for you.

In my CDL school, we had 3 students in our truck that would ride together. Me, a dude that was just trying to get the automatic restriction taken off his license and another dude who was green like me. The dude that was green was a beast in the truck. Could drive, back, anything you needed like he'd done it 1000 times before. The guy with the auto restriction was mad that he had to back much at all since he wasn't there for that, just for the shifting.

And then comes me.

My instructor did everything in his power to try to teach me what do to and it just didn't click. I mean NOT AT ALL. The only thing I could kinda do was a straight back. Kinda. Offset, oh Lord. Don't even try. Alley dock? Oh God just get out of the way. He finally got so upset he physically got out of the truck, slammed the door and yelled up at me after walking around the front of the truck, "You figure it out on your own, you're hopeless."

So here we are, just me in the truck, just me out on the pad. All other students are in the classroom, just not me. They got the backing down, but not me. So I just sat in the drivers seat and thought about what I needed the truck and trailer to do for me to get the result I wanted. I pulled the truck up, set it up for an alley dock, and NAILED IT DEAD CENTER FIRST TIME. I pulled back out. Set up again, did it again. And again. After 5 times in a row splitting the cones I ran inside (Yes I was basically like a young schoolboy with his first kiss that he wanted to tell all his friends). The instructor came out and said "Let me see you do this, I don't believe it." So I did it for him. Two more times. He walked off shaking his head, and said "I never thought you'd get it."

And for the backing part of the CDL test, I was the only one in the entire class who got a 100. Many got 99's, but not a 100. That was reserved for the guy that had the instructor tell him he would never learn how to back so he would never drive a truck.

So if I can do it, you can do it. At one moment it just finally clicked. I finally figured out what to do and once I knew, it was like riding a bike. I never had to think again.