Starting to regret trucking school

LOL , that's a double edged sword. I remember when I was going through it I would look around and think "Wholly #### if this guy can get through this then I should too! " ....... then comes the follow up thought "Wholly #### what if he can and I don't ........ whats that going to do to me..."'

About that time a fellow student introduces me to "It's gonna be what it's gonna be" . As long as you put in the best effort you can the results don't matter, it's gonna be what its gonna be. Helped me through a lot of things out on the road. Especially trip plan for the non existing parking or coming into yards that look like they got cobbled together- and one was- a week ahead of time with trailers all over the place. Just have to learn to stop , breathe, and relax into "It's gonna be what it's gonna be"

 

This is the way .

When my neighbor started trucking , he had issues with backing and he asked the owner of the small company he hired in with if he could come in on the weekend and practice backing .

he spent 8 solid hours doing just what you did .
Backing in , unhooking , drive three laps around the terminal and back up and hitch it up, driver around the yard and find a different empty spot to practice backing it in .
It’s hard to get the hang of it just doing it s few minutes at a time in school but when you spend and entire day doing it , you WILL get good at it .

 

Almost every single person in CDL school feels they did not get enough practice backing and shifting, for us dinosaurs that were taught that. CDL school is ONLY to pass he state exam, nothing else. You will spend close to 2 months riding with a trainer at the company you work for. That is where you learn this job and those skills. The key to improving your backing is to practice every single day, several times, and NEVER FIND AN EXCUSE NOT TO BACK. Most Trainers know will show you all of the dirtbag ways to avoid backing and that just leaves you at entry-level skill level and the anxiety of backing will get amplified. The only people I knew in CDL school that were good at backing had those skills before they can to CDL school.

You just need to drop your terrible car driving habits and drive like you are moving a large commercial vehicle and bad mistakes could kill someone. When you are new it does take all of your attention and it is best to slow down whatever you are doing, like turning or backing so that your brain and skills are not overwhelmed. You will quickly be able to do more and more of the skills almost on "autopilot" as your brain and hands and eyes learn where to be and what to do. Driving a truck is only barely similar to dirving a car, there are wheels and engine and brakes but everything else is different. Don't chicken out before you start working. You've already spent or borrowed the money, step up and use the skills for a year or two and then decide if you want to quit. Quitting early will only make your life harder. It will make the next small obstacle seem like Mt Everest. You can do it. Don't quit.

 

@Doggod....Also--if you tell us what city/state you live in (or near), we can probably make this problem much easier for you.

Some carriers are obviously better "starter" companies than others; so, if we know approx where you now live, we can make recommendations of better carriers.

BTW: what type(s) of freight do you think interest you the most? Are you more interested in over-the-road work? Or maybe regional, instead? Something else?

What endorsements do you have (if any)?

--Lual

 

I remember those days, walking out to climb in the truck at trucking school and looking at the sheer size of that thing with the trailer attached. I used to think to myself “this is like driving around town Pulling a house or something”. It actually seemed ridiculous to me. Fast forward four years later? I drive around this truck as easy as most people do a Volkswagen. It really does happen. You adapt, you learn, you get a feel for it. If you’ve made it this far I would not give up.

 

Totally agree. Always respect that 18 wheeler, it can play havoc on your life if you don’t.

 

I’m not sure the company your going with but is you feel ever so nervous you could always ask to be teamed up with someone. This way you won’t be in the truck alone and always have someone to give advice to you when your unsure. You could work that avenue for a few months then go out alone. Just saying

 

I still can't back. I just throw out cones and tell everyone else that's the hole I am trying to get into.

 

That is not going to help with your skills test on your final test. I was a horrible backer too but overtime I’ve became better. Still not the greatest but can get it in there. The thing that works for me is I slow down. Don’t worry about whose around and what they are doing just concentrate at the task at hand. If backing is intimidating to the point you give up you could always go flatbedding. Flatbedding there is hardly any backing at all. Most places they have you pull forward and load the flatbed from the side. So in trucking they are various options you just have to find what suits you.

 

1st time I went down a mountain I had to pry my butt off my seat with a crow bar I was so scared..lol