Probably a stupid rookie question.

I absolutely hate ABS. Any effort to over ride the ability of a competent driver is wrong. I understand why vehicle manufacturers are pushing to automate driving functions, because so many drivers (including "professional" drivers) suck at what they do.

 

I just finished orientation this wknd, saw a few videos on it

 

I'm glad you finished your orientation driver and let me know if I can answer any questions for you. Been out here for 38 years so I've been around this thing for a while.
Good luck

 

I should be able to answer these questions. But I suspect you might have more than one issue.

Let's start off simple.

1- You do not use Jacobs in ice. There is no point.

2- You generally do not use Jacobs in snow, sleet, slush, rain with temperatures approaching freezing. More likely than not it will be frozen under your wheels in shady spots etc. Wind chills also come to mind.

3- Rain is sometimes ok to use the Jacobs when you are LOADED. Especially if the temperatures are no where near freezing. Somtimes you hit valley rain and mountain top snow. Or ice. And then back down into the valley rain.

That closes the jacobs side of your questions. I am reluctant to address this further because you have three months experience. I am not going to confuse you or mess with your thoughts by saying my own jacobs habits are not always true to form. Don't do as I do is what I am trying to tell you. The first three jacobs encounters with the law.

Regarding brakes.

My life long rule is to come down the mountain in the gear I climbed it in or lower one or two or more gears down and slower. This is actually a old time original rule dating to your grandfather's time after world war one.

When the speed is correctly established in the correct gear for the load, grade and so on you will come down the mountain without touching your brakes at all. Having cold breaks ready to stop your tractor trailer in a genuine stopping.

Mountain work is a specialty of mine. I have many posts about it in greater detail.

Mountain work in a big tractor trailer seperates the men from the little boys who will only get hurt or someone killed. It is also a exercise in Sir Issac Newton's laws in physics. When you achieve a very special position on a mountain, up or down or side ways... in which your entire rig is balanced against gravity requiring no jake, no brakes no nothing. Sometimes it will require a jake a while to maintain that balance.

 

I use my Jake everywhere, within reason.

If the Jake causes you to crash while loaded, you most likely would have crashed anyhow.

Remember also, that unless you have four way axle locks, the jake will start to only slip a tire or two. You WILL notice if this happens, as the RPM's will drop right quick.

If the Jake manages to slip a tire or two, you are now in a VERY precarious position, meaning you are close to the threshold for losing all control. Slow down NOW!

 

You worry too much. I have never been in a situation where a couple of wreckers and a crane could not get me out of.

 

The problem with most CDL schools is they teach to pass the test, not how to drive a truck like you need to. Not that it's a bad thing because you have to pass the test but you are fooling yourself to think you are ready to head out OTR and take on all the road throws at you.

 

I agree @m16tyi, they should teach more, but I had to get all I could get while in the school. I took advantage of every training maneuver, and took extra turns when I saw fit. I was always volunteering, whether it was practice road driving, asking questions, going up to experienced drivers and holding long-late night conversations about anything pertaining to trucking, or watching thousands of videos. I believe you get out what you put into it. I came in with a hunger to be a professional truck-driver, not to get a trucking job. For me, it has been early mornings and late nights. Although I've gotten my cdl in 3 weeks, the everyday hunger is still there. I will be going out with my trainer to do my 10k miles in a couple days, so I just surround myself with people here at the terminal that share their trucking experiences. I knew i would have limited time at the academy while getting my cdl, so I had to remind myself everyday and minute why I came here...which is to learn to be a professional truck driver. Its all about trucking and nothing else.

 

Congratulations on earning your CDL.
I'd like to borrow something from the aviation community. We in the aviation Community believe that a Private Pilot license/PPL is a license to learn and that is the way we should look at our new CDL. It's a license to learn.
Very few new drivers can actually land a job driving a commercial vehicle without having some sort of experience. Unfortunately the way the trucking industry is set up is you have to get a certain amount of time with a so-called driver trainer who more often than not doesn't really have that much experience. But he or she does wear a hat that says driver trainer and you have to spend a sufficient amount of time with that person in the same truck until it is believed that you are ready to test out. Once you have passed your road test you are ready to be assigned your own vehicle. And then you acquire at least 2 years of experience. At this point you can be more selective about where you want to work.

One of the advantages that the drivers of today have is they can go to places like this website;
The Truckers Report and they can acquire much information and guidance from other experienced truckers in order to keep moving forward in their new career.

Personally I don't think drivers should qualify as driver trainers until they have a minimum of 5 years experience in all states and weather conditions. And even with that 5 years experience they should be required to undergo better training then is provided this day in age.
There are many people out there that are good drivers but they don't make good trainers because they don't understand that not everyone is the same or learns the same. You definitely have to have some people skills and at least a certain degree of psychology under your belt because not everyone thinks the same. People come in all different shapes and sizes and backgrounds.

It's a screwed-up system to the say the least thanks to Corporate America. But one day this requirement will be far behind you and you will have become a full-fledged forever learning professional bonifide freight relocation specialist.

And just remember as it says in my signature
"Truck driving is a thinking job,
When you quit thinking, that's when you're going to get yourself into trouble.

Good luck to you

 

Trucking is a life long journey, you will never stop learning. Unless you have a mind to be that stupid and actually stop learning. Even now I am still learning.

I am not here to offend you when I say the following theory on newbies at trucking school being taught just enough to pass a test....

The amount of what you do not know is a threat directly to your first 18 months or so out there as you attempt to remain employed without incurring damage, a preventable etc. If you understand the fragility of your position in the trucking industry from that point of viewing, then you probably have a advantage over 99% of everyone else in your class. And some day own 20,000 tractor trailers moving the industry to your will.