Simulation for CDL prep

I was a CDL instructor for 3 years.

No "simulator" will help you. Want an idea what driving a truck is like without going to school? Get a friend that has a pick-up truck and rent the longest trailer you can find that doesnt require a CDL and drive it around, back it up, ect. This will give you an idea at least. Nothing on a computer is going to help you understand.

Period.

(waits for my 1 star review)

 

No, you get 4 stars for a) not being a jerkoff with your response attitude and b) actually providing a realistic option that I'd not thought about. Nobody is perfect, except to maybe our moms, so no 5 stars.

We had a 19 ft camping trailer about 10 years ago that we hauled around Texas for about 3 years (2 trips a year typical) and that was about it. Was about 8,000 lbs fully laden, but usually towed it around 5000-6000 lbs. I don't recall ever getting parked in one try and the lots were usually at an angle to assist in that. It would always take me 2 or 3 attempts to back in places, either at the park or at home, so that's a good indicator of how I kinda suck at it. Maybe because I didn't do it enough and with too much time in between? Dunno. Was always cringy to me.

Back to your suggestion: I have a buddy who hauls his show car(s) around in a covered trailer with his well-worn Armada. The trailer is big and has to be on the limit of non-commercial. IIRC, the axles are perhaps 2/3 of the way back. He made fun of me an my 19 ft camping trailer backing skills so I'm sure he'd be all for doing and afternoon or two with me for gas money and some tacos.

 

Still more food for thought....

The longer the trailer...the "slower" the backing.

Put another way: the longer the trailer, the slower it will respond to steering wheel inputs.

A 53-ft trailer will back "slower" than a 48-ft....& a 48-ft will back "slower"....than a 45-ft trlr.

Thus -- unless your friend's car hauler is at least 45 feet long, you're probably wasting your time (& money, & tacos)....& his.



As suggested earlier -- don't overthink it.

More "bad" news: others have already concluded that I'm a jerkoff.

-- L

 

Good point on the transmission. I actually leaned to drive as a kid with a standard. Have driven most of everything except 3-on-the-tree, so I'm comfortable with updating to a tractor-truck. I'm sure that it'll be a bit a learning experience having more than 5 gears and lower RPMs, but I'm comfortable hopping into something with a clutch.

All good points for sure. The one about having a problematic trainer is something I'd not thought about and is probably something I should look into.

The general comments that I see and get is that I should not go to a CDL school as it's a waste if the carrier will do the training. Not sure about that since it locks me into that company under penalty of repayment for typically a year. The companies also seem to charge 30-50% more for the training in that respect. I've seen reports of repayment being around $6000-$7000, but it's $3000-$5000 at a <reputable> school or community college, with cost being different due to add-ons like HAZMAT or the previously noted manual transmission rating. The whole "go to CDL school" or not is a big thing for me. I'll be asking the trucking companies about.

Currently I'm looking at Knight with more focus as they have a terminal (Katy, TX) that's less than 50 miles from my home. Most others seem to have their terminals on the southern/eastern side of Houston or around Dallas which is a bit of a distance for me. It's difficult for a noob to gauge who would be better since most previous employees will rarely have much good to say about their old jobs.

I hadn't thought about tanking as I would think running OTR dry or reefer would provide a much more complete build of experience. Maybe flatbed would be even more involved, but I've been around that before (heavy lift & haul eng service) and am not interested in it. My original education is actually as a naval engineering type, so dealing with tanks and their effects on stability, applied loads (static and dynamic) are well known to me. Perhaps I should look into that rating as well if I go to classes.

Yeah, I used to work welding crews at Houston city docks and similar from time to time early in my career. Was common to drink a couple of gallons of water and not have to pee as well as boots going gummy on the black deck barges in August. That's a game for the young IMHO.

 

Yeah, doesn't look anywhere near that length. Maybe you're right. I will get tacos as well, though.

I have difficulty taking a dump without planning and prep.

No worries. Everyone will have some that love them and lots that hate them. Could be the other way around depending on who you are.

 

Points to ponder....about your CDL school (& other) options:

• If you do CDL school on your own, independent of a carrier....you then later enter their facilities a "free agent"....with a totally level field ahead of you. If they later change their pre-arranged plans on you, you are under no schooling obligation to stick around. Conversely -- if you do the carrier's CDL school -- you pretty much have to stick around & take whatever they dish out (unless you're otherwise willing & able to write them a nice reimbursement check). This contractual obligation could later involve/require copious amounts of Vasoline....
• The carrier's CDL school of late will likely involve trucks that only have automatics -- so it's very likely you'd be stuck with that "automatic only" restriction on your CDL.
• The CDL school at a carrier is very likely to have a highly compressed curriculum schedule -- resulting in much more of a "firehose" learning experience -- where you are expected to assimilate a lot of material in much more of a hurry. Conversely -- depending on the schedule you select -- the experience & curriculum at the independent CDL school would be much more laid back, & relaxed. The latter is the option I chose. In hindsight...I'm sure glad I did!
• Schneider is the ONLY place I have seen....that routinely hires rookies, & will start them off doing smooth-bore tanker duty. Primarily because of the "surge" produced when the tank's fluid cargo moves from tank end to end -- I opted to start out pulling dry vans first....& go to tankers, later. The big advantage with this option is you then later MUCH BETTER appreciate the many advantages that the tanker sector offers over pulling "boxes".

-- L