Truck Dynasty Driving Academy

A great day today as CFI has made an offer. So I guess I am hired now pending drug tests and such. I find out in the morning when my CDL test is. Normally Thursday or Friday, I am hoping first thing Wednesday, tomorrow so I can get on with it. Today's driving was quick, fun and uneventful. Smooth shifting no stress like it should be. I only lost 4 points the entire day. This would be the pretrip, Lot moves and road driving.

God has been kind and has given me the skills to earn an income for my family. For this I am very grateful.

On the side, the next new class showed up and like the last two there are a few calling recruiters over contracts, others that cannot drive and a few fighting the techniques taught. For me it has always been, Whatever it takes to gain employment without losing my morals. Not that I like the check points and teaching methods a lot, but they do work. I would have liked more concentration on real world driving and less time listening to the instructors forcing students to do things the way taught before insisting they can do it their way. I am wasting hours watching kids that have little at risk.

This school has techniques that work every time. All the student has to do is follow directions and they will get a cdl. On the side for the drivers that do well they coach you about the companies you are going to. I even had an opportunity to see route maps and preferred assignments even though I need 6 months before i can leave the rookie fleet.

Life is good. I would recommend Truck Dynasty Driving Academy to anyone looking for a CDL. We have student from all across the US here. Some need to go home but this school gives you what you need.

Next post I hope to tell everyone I have my CDL.

 

Bad day today. Started with heavy rain to last through out the testing. Arrive 30 minutes early examiner late. When we get started his computers are down. It took 45 minutes to get his tablet back on line. This means I have 45 minutes less to complete my testing.

Now the fun part. As we walk out examiner tells me he accidentally pushed the button for a full Pre Trip Test. No problem as I know it well. I rip through an entire Pre Trip missing only the Passenger Trailer mid box turn signal and the Stabilizer bars on the trailer. That is minus 2 on 175 points. I am stoked but I only have 20 minutes left to do all parking and road test. Getting a bit anxious now.

Once inside the truck for the incab I panic for a second. I get out set chocks and re-enter truck. I get going but now honestly i am second guessing every move. I have not been nervous like this for decades. I have stood infront of 7 officers of the Hells Angels, Monguls and Vagos without getting nervous. Not now. I mess up on the tug test driving forward and braking but I did not stall so not a fail yet. I go through the Tug Test pretty good but I think I left something out. Now for the service brake test I cannot remember if valves are to be out or in and shear panic now. Wait did I already pull forward yes so now I ............. Panic.

Third grade sucks and that is now where my brain is at. I look down and one tank is at 60 the other at 120. Crap last week the truck blew an air line. Sure lets pile on the panic. My mind is going so fast I passed my death and funeral and now I am wondering where to get a coat hanger and marshmallows.

Time to reset...... OK I need to replace my wheel chocks. Brakes Set, Engine running, Trans in Neutral. I get out using the proper 3 point and run to the wheel chock. I then run back to close the door. That is not a point I needed. Set chocks and get back in truck. Belt on, no, yes, wait which test am I doing???

OK Story time. I start talking to calm myself down and go for the pity vote. Wife had her last surgery for Cancer Friday and all is well at home. Just need to get this license so we can enjoy life again. We both are calm again, honestly I think he is roaring in laughter by now but that is just the third grader worrying. OK It is time for the 4 step brake test.

I am lost as I see the air pressures so off. I use High Idle to raise the pressure slowly one then the other max out. I do the talking thing about pressures and such. Now the setup. I put it in Gear and release the brakes, no brakes back out then in then neutral. Honestly from here on it is a bit fuzzy until I drop pressure to 20-40 psi. Crap the valves did not pop. One gage is at zero the other at 30. Pump some more until it cannot release anymore air. Crap nothing. Then one valve slowly slides out. Trailer safety good. Tractor safety bad. Now what. I pump some more. Nothing. More pumping and nothing including air releasing. I have no idea what to do.

I tell examiner at this point I would contact shop for failed brake test and needing service. I am just ad-libbing now. I finish the incab talking about glass wheel play and safety gear. Then I touch the parking brakes. FAIL FAIL FAIL. Never Never touch the valves until you are ready to get out of the truck and the examiner has told you it is ok to get out. My thought was to make the truck safe but that does not matter. You cannot touch the air valves until the examiner tells you the test is over.

So I am a failure. But, he was pretty good afterwards. I only lost 3 points on the entire test. I would have passed and been able to come back later to take the rest of the driving had I not touched the valve. With the air lines breaking on one driver and all the broken lights and neglect on the trucks I was too stressed when the brake tests were not going well.

With $4600 cash for this class I expected great instruction and solid equipment for taking the test. My instructors never told me what is an automatic failure. Things as simple as a seat belt, 3 point exits and touching an F en button would be nice. Now I also know you cannot shift after crossing the limit line at a signal until you reach the limit line on the other side. What else is missing from my instruction.

Do Not get me wrong, this place is still rated in the top 4. They do a good job. I have been to a lot of schools and training over my 58 years. I would just think something as important as when not to shift or when it is not OK to set brakes or you will fail should have been mentioned. My goal today was One and Done with less than 5 points taken. High goal seldom reached but I would have been close.

So maybe a thread of known automatic failures might be good here. Not all schools will tell this. I will even start with what I know is considered an automatic fail:

1. pushing the F en button before the examiner tells you it is OK to secure the vehicle after a pre trip exam. Definitely do not pull it out while testing the automatic safety release.

2. Shifting in turns, over RR tracks or thru intersections.

3> Hitting a curb or barrier.

4. Ignoring whistle by examiner to stop when going too far


Besides failing a simple test life is good. Next time I will be even better. I know my driving is spot on I just did not expect all the other drama. I hope someone gets a chuckle out of this. I know I laughed some for the anxiety and panic. I also slapped myself for something so stupid as touching a button. Like I said, Third Grade Sucks.

 

So not much changed. I might test again on Thursday. I did come up with a list of known fails during a test.

1. DO NOT PUSH the parking brake buttons during brake test if the 20-40 PSI fails to pop them out. Best to pump the pedal till the examiner gives up hope. Still do not touch the parking brakes until testing is done and they ask you to get out and prepare for parking moves. TH
hen ask if you can touch the buttons. Very 3rd grade but a sure fail as I found out.

2.Fail to use seat belt when truck is moving anywhere= FAILURE

3. When exiting the truck you must use the 3 point contacts when backing out of the truck. If you do not have 3 points of contact at all times or exit facing outwards =FAILURE

4.NO SHIFTING EVER during turns, driving through the intersection or crossing RR Tracks. For intersections you should stop 15 feet early so you can grab 2-5th gear. Drive until your cab has crossed to the opposite side of intersection before grabbing 6th and up. For RR Tracks from the markings on the pavement or signage on your lane until you pass the markings or signage for opposing traffic. Turns grab as many as you can before entering safely then stay until truck and trailer are in lane straight.

5.Hitting a curb, barrier or any fixed object= FAILURE This includes backing into the imaginary wall.

6.During driving if you fail to do what examiner tells you to do like stopping at whistle= FAILURE

7. During 90 degree dock maneuver if you back into the wall and a whistle blows it is either 10 points or FAILURE. Back very slow when close to the wall and keep the points low you might slip by without a fail.

8. You only are allowed 2 GOAL (Get Out And Look) If you use 3 after test starts then it is a FAILURE.

9. After the brake test when building up pressure again failing to say the pressure is rising and alarms are sounding with lights indicating low pressure until it reaches 60 PSI, will be a FAILURE. Sit and wait for the pressure to rise and tell examiner why you are waiting and for what. After alarms are off and lights go out you can ask to continue incab inspections.

IF anyone knows of some more let me know.

 

So here I am a SUPER TRUCKER now. My finisher is bored and keeps asking why I am in his truck. He has over 1 million miles and is very old school trucking. Ice chest, griddle and knows where to buy his meat from a butcher anywhere across the country. I am not a perfect driver, but my worries about backing are going away quick. Most I have done were very easy with plenty of room so the bad days are coming.

I am finding the highway construction with 9-10 foot lanes require a lot more focus than it used to. Our truck is new new with less than 50K miles. We have front and side vehicle alarms, lane position alarms it kinda sounds like a Star Wars movie sometimes. Even the experienced guy says it happens more than he would like.

My days have been 9-11 hours of driving with only one trailer exchange so far. I have slid the tandems twice and got them unstuck without help too. It is harder to drive the tractor empty than with a full load. Besides that, living inside 100 sqft with another very large man is awkward at best. We do get plenty of chances to shower sometimes twice in a day, so I do not understand why others do not. Life choices I guess.

I keep asking how to do this or that and what if this happens. He is very patient and answers most any question I have. He is set in his ways too. He has told me other students were late, no shows, drunk, high or even brought a hooker onto his bed. The one day he did not wake up on time it was my fault. I only sleep 6 hours so I normally have my shower and a walk done before he is even thinking about coffee. I poked him and he growled. I let him sleep more. Then my clock showed hours available so I made a lot of noise until he woke up. We were still on time so all is good.

Five days down twenty more to go. After we are done with the mileage and day requirement we return to Joplin for my CFI yard and written test. It did not look too bad and my finisher says I will pass without a problem even if we did it today.

To be honest computer time is rare. This is the first chance I have had without taking away from sleep since Wednesday last week. Today is Sunday and I miss family. Mostly because the wife destroyed my Hustler Zero Turn mower by towing it home 1/2 mile without releasing the wheels. I will be home in three or four weeks so maybe I will get a chance to see if it is worth repairing. From a stalled mower to burning up the wheel drives....... Life on the road is not always kind.

I hope to post again soon. This job is awesome.