Profile For Larry P.

I went through the Sage Driving Program during July and early August. I've now failed the CDL Driving Test twice. I am 65 y.o. and need a job. I was a little intimidated by the truck in the beginning and probably took a little longer getting acclimated to the thing than people younger than me. But also, Sage cancelled my first two observations and so I had my first driving experience without the benefit of having ever ridden in a truck before. Now, the way they schedule at Sage is your Drive Times are, basically, about three and a half hours. So, I had my first two drive times in the same day, having never been in a truck before, except in the yard behind the school where I drove in first gear and learned to brake and clutch. I picked up the gears fairly easily, but my biggest problem was that when approaching a signal light and turn, I would get very anxious about downshifting properly and slowing down enough to safely turn the corner. There is a lot to think about when you've never done it before. Anyway, starting the third week of school, I was basically not scheduled for anything except for two days a week during the 3rd and 4th week. And those days also included a timed pre-trip inspection. So, I had to observe and drive in two days each of those weeks. I told the guy who runs the school that I was not ready to take the CDL test a full week prior to my test date. I told him I needed more drive time; that I was not ready to test. But he did not schedule me to drive the entire week prior to the test. I had my final drive on a Tuesday afternoon, and I tested the next Tuesday morning. All I did was observe 4 times during that week, because they had cancelled so many of my observations that they had to cram a bunch of them into that final week. After I failed the test, all he would do was give me one hour of drive time and about 30 minutes of skill review before I had to take the test again, which I failed. I failed both at the alley dock. I am extremely ****ed at Sage. They have an arbitrary schedule that they follow, and they do not alter it for those who are not progressing at the rate they want. Of my class of seven students, only three passed on the first try. So, my question is: Is there a company in South Carolina who will rent me a tractor-trailer to practice with and test with? Sage is going to make me wait weeks before I can test again with their truck. It is really an outrageous situation. I am perfectly capable of doing this. I just needed a little more time to acclimate properly to the truck. If he had given me the time during that last week, I believe I would have settled down and passed the test. Now I'm in a jam. I didn't take this course out of curiosity. I need a job.

This is the best Forum I've seen online. I'm 60 years old and needing a new window of opportunity. Lost my office job and now I'm looking to get out on the road for the next 10 years or so before I have to retire. I could sure use some advice on how to proceed. There's a trucking school where I live that I can attend, but I'm wondering if going straight to a company-run training program would be better. Seems like they push you harder at those though and I wonder if my age will be a hindrance in that situation? I'm healthy, but don't have the same stamina that I had in my thirties. I don't drink or smoke. Any input would be appreciated. Also, I'm tending to be attracted to those few companies that have auto transmissions. Should I re-think that attitude? Thanks.