What didn't you learn in driving school?

how to run over 4 wheelers and get away with it.

 

I just cover my eyes and chant "I'm invisable you can't seeeee me!"

 

Wow... that is a good question. For me, I was lucky, I didn't go the traditional path out of school, I didn't hire on with a big training company, I went with a smaller one.
My "orientation" consisted of one in the office with paperwork, policies,benefits and such. Then I spent two days with our dispatch department, seeing it from their side of the fence. Then I spent two days with our mechanic learning in depth about the truck. Then, they sent me out with my very experienced grumpy old trainer LOL ( I say that affectionately) I wasn't just cut loose after my trainer, I have mentors, we are not in the same truck, but I follow them a lot, and that is very helpful and safer. Then I do also have some solo trips, sometimes it is from a truck stop close to my drop/pickup and where my mentor has to go a different way. So it is more in between being cut loose after training and still being with a trainer.
Anyway, I think the schools train you to drive a truck enough to get your cdl and have some basic skills and that is all they need to or can do. Your trainer takes you on the road under real loads, real road conditions and that is where you can and will learn to drive.
However, the schools do a very poor job of teaching students anything about the trucking industry. It was very helpful for me to spend those two days in the dispatch office. I gained an understanding of why dispatch, based on the loads and miles assigned to a driver would believe the driver had the hours to take or move a load. I also got to know them as people who dispatch and they got to know me as a person who drives a truck.
I think the trainers have a lot of work just showing us the roaps, when they should be spending their time and energy teaching us to drive the truck, secure the loads, pre-trips, during trips and post trip inspections.
The schools should do a better job of teaching the students how to manage and log their time, how to plan a trip effectively, and how to understand and communicate with dispatch.
My trainer told me of this guy he had that could not read a map, had no understanding at all of using an atlas. I knew how to, only for trip planning I was taught, get to the nearest interstate, move along the interstate, go to destination, get back to interstate.
That is not the most effective way for me to plan or run my routes. My trainer had to teach me how to do that. I am actually not on the interstate a lot, it is often more effective for me to make my way through the highways and county roads.
If the schools screened better, not just allowing anyone with the willingness to go enter, then operated like colleges, meaning you must pass Atlas 101 before in order to take trip planning and you must pass all the classes and academic part before they can get in the truck to learn. It would thin things out quite a bit. Instead they push everyone through and let the trainers deal with it.

 

How to handle that 80K when in a skid. No skid pad training back then !!!!

 

We were suppose to learn something? Now you tell me!

 

Nana that is funny
There are times cruising down the road and having 4 wheelers want to check me out that I do want to be invisable.

The other day I stuck my tongue out at some kids who were making faces at me

 

ROFL Oh I love that Lavender!

 

Tiptoing away...that made me giggle...had visions of truck transforming to optimus Prime and literally tip toing away...we got 4 new tires yesterday, my huby said she likes her new sneakers...had vision of our truck wearing high top converse sneakers...

Yup, a vivid imagination...sorry for interrupting...