Trainco School

I actually asked Blackie yesterday if they had their PTDI cert. and he said that they chose not to renew their certification this year.

He said that not only did the certification not do anything substantial other than give them something to put on their website...and didnt help their students get jobs they otherwise couldnt get...but that it cost a L.O.T. of money, and they chose not to keep it. I have not found a single company that I have contacted, that didnt previously have Trainco on their approved list of school to hire from, that even asked me about the PTDI certification. They wanted to know mainly what the instructor to student ratio was, how many hours for each section we were scheduled to get, and whether or not they included a certificate of completion upon graduation.

Also, Trainco is the only school in Northwest Ohio that is approved by the DOT to train and test on site. They are regulated so strictly because of that, I think you get a better education that 90% of the CDL mill type schools.

 

Or he REALLY likes the "other" school.

 

OK...last night was day 2.

We went over some drop and hook in class, then did it on the range. A few had quite a bit of trouble with just backing under the trailer. Everybody else was bobtail straight backing while two were with the instructor D&H.

 

Day 3 last night.

We watched a SWEET 1984 Eaton Fuller transmission video that explained how the twin shaft transmission works. Pretty cool actually.

Then we went into the yard and started some combination straight line backing. Oh lord.

Now, I have experience with a tractor trailer before and I could just do it right from the start even when it was my first time. Not being arrogant, but I am just good. Some people just get it, and some people don't. I am okay with that. But after I did about 10-15 cycles, I had to give the truck to somebody else to practice. Again, I am okay knowing I have more experience that everybody, but I just get a little bored sitting in a daycab staying warm while everybody else is jack-knifing themselves. lol

But overall...our instructor is very informative and I learn things from him when he isn't even intending to teach. Jus the way he does things...I dont know...like watching him open the hood. It could be hard to do, but after seing his little jerk and tilt thing he does...I do it without even struggling. And he didnt really talk about what he was doing when opening the hood, he just did it.

Getting ready for Day 4 and trying not to think about Day 15 or 22 or...

 

Conventional. But it is one of the older Volvo's and the fiberglass is broken and it pulls against you when you get it about 45 degrees. lol

 

Day 4 consisted of some range work. Everybody was doing some straight line backing, and a couple were in a whooooped cabover learing to shift properly. I started doing some offset backing because I am a little further advanced than everybody else, because I have done it before.

Then we did class work and started with the logs. yuck...but, it might be the most important non-driving responsibility you have as a driver, so I paid attention.

 

Day 5...more of the same, just different people doing different things. I did some shifting, and did pretty well once I remembered that the tempo is important with a big truck and double clutching.

Then, we watched Signal 30. If you haven't seen it (most of you HAVE to have seen it)...then I suggest doing so. It is pretty intense. GRAPHIC!

Next week we will get on the road, and start tooling around in a bobtail.

 

Not yet. Right next to Owens right?

I think he said we would go there Monday, and then drive the test route to get familiarized with the US-20 RR tracks and all that.