Profile For Cindy B.

OK...so you are backing up, and over correcting...or slow to catch up....here's how I back up..

I put my hands (palms up) on the bottom of the steering wheel...I start backing SLOWLY. To keep my trailer within the area I want it, I watch the TIRES (not the end of the trailer). If I need to go right...I turn the wheel up with my right hand. If I need to go left, I turn the wheel up with my left hand. Holding the steering wheel in this manner, you CANNOT over steer...your shoulder won't move that far. And by watching the trailer tandems (tires) then you can bet your trailer will be where the tires put it. Watching the back of the trailer messes you up...or it does me. I know in my mind that if I put those tires within the lines on that dock, then the trailer will be there to. I know this manner of backing sounds weird...It did to me when the little old guy told me to try it. From that point on , I have never had a problem backing anything up to where I want it. So try this in your car, and USE YOUR OUTSIDE MIRRORS.....get used to using your OUTSIDE MIRRORS...cuz thats all you will have in a truck. I have taken all the center mirrors out of my car and pickup, cuz they are just in the way.lol... So get out there and practice backing...the more you do, the better you will be...

so basically you are just letting the bottom of the steering wheel rest on your palms? is that the right position? Im a very visual person so forgive me for asking what may sound like a rather ignorant question :)

Good morning everyone alright soooo here is my story, I am an LPN who actually loves being a nurse but before I became a nurse I worked for a community college inside a male population prison. I raised three boys on my own and before I got into the nursing program I checked on the truck driving but at the time I had young boys at home and no one to help soooo went with nursing. My youngest has just turned 22 and is in the Marines soooo its now moms turn. I went with my brother a few years back for two weeks and fell in love with the trucks. I now have my cdl permit, have my bag packed according to what Swift told me I needed, I packed 7 days worth of clothes and tons of socks. I have lots of scrunchies for my hair because its sort of long, and I am now anxiously awaiting Sunday so I can get on a bus and head to Tennessee and now that I have slowed down a bit with the things I need to get done I feel like I have swallowed 12 million butterflies. Im worried about backing a football field into the space meant to park a volkswagon in, my main concern is being the safest driver I can be. I worked in a prison so I honestly dont get my feelings hurt easily but I want a good trainer who can make sure I have a basic starting point to know what Im doing to be a safe driver. sooooo here we go, weeeeeeee the adventure begins lol

Such wonderful ideas, so I have a question, when you go out with your trainer after you get your cdl do you have time for showers etc or should I consider it a taste of real life out on the road?

That picture is wonderful!!!! you all were explaining and I tried to get a picture in my head but it didnt come close to what it looks like. that would be a good picture to have for a new part of the training on here, just a thought, but I think it would be very helpful

Swift seems to be a good program but I still worry that it isnt long enough, safety is my top priority with these huge though absolutely amazing vehicles. I still ready my manual even though I passed the written, I just got back on here after taking a couple days off from my study time, Im leaving out of Springfield Missouri to head to Millington Tennessee for training and I wish you had a program as well you are knowledgeable and full of helpful hints, I need all the help I can get :) I think I will be a good driver and I want to be the safest driver out there. Any words of wisdom for during school? by the way, to the ladies that have graduated their training and are out on there own, wahhooooo congratulations :)

good morning ladies :) so I passed my written, took my physical, have my bag packed with the check list completed and nowwwwwww Im waiting to leave Sunday to head of to school and Im so scared its unbelievable!!! I worked 4 years in a male population prison and was never afraid, Im getting ready to go to truck driving school as a fat old woman and Im scared to death. Here are my fears, what if I cant back a football field into something the size a volkswagon parks in, parallel parking the same football field, I keep telling myself that I really really want this and I can do it but the butterflies are doing loop dee loops in there on a pretty regular basis now, any words of wisdom?

good afternoon ladies, ok sooooo I've applied with Swift, Ive taken some of the online tests here and Swift has sent me online classes. I have now read what you are saying I need to bring and I am now feeling like I want to throw up lol ok now my brother use to drive truck, he suggested getting a booney hat so I dont end up with oil etc in my hair when having to get under the truck, also, I saw somewhere not to wear sweat pants however I was thinking a mix of jeans and I have they are danskin pants, they are long, comfortable like sweats but dont get baggy, would that work? also, my son is a Marine and I have tshirts in abundance with things pertaining to that, are those acceptable? I wont bring my "girly" tops, which I have in abundance but as far as tshirts go all I really have are Marine based stuff, I am a supportive and proud mom lol I have slightly longer than shoulder length hair that I would really prefer not to cut, any ideas?

alright ladies and gentlemen, have been studying my book, planned to take cdl written tuesday, been on the site to take practice tests and not doing horrible on them, sent in apps to cr england and prime, cr england recruiter doesnt respond to my calls, butttt I called prime yesterday and they said because I had been fired from my last job I cant go to them until I have a work history of 1 year solid. I am a nurse, there were extenuating circumstances and the claims getting me fired were unsubstantiated and that is all cleared up but prime didnt want to hear it. soooooo does anyone know of a company that does there own training for me to get my cdl that doesnt have an issue with the firing or am I basically tough out of luck for a year? :( also how long is the written test good for if I take it tuesday and pass?

Well good morning/afternoon all. so I have been studying my book like the good little student that I am, I have my questions all ready for the hopeful phone calls back from my applications to cr england and prime. I talked to a few drivers, mostly women, the men looked at me like I was from another planet soooo oh well lol. As a nurse trust me I have learned to not let words hurt me and Ive heard all kinds of things from an er dr telling me I was just a stupid little nurse to some suggestions from family members as to other careers, the nonlegal kind to make my living, Ive been hit punched bit you name it Ive been there and my first 6 months as a nurse I worked in a male population death fence facility. I dont get into the back and forth being hateful thing but Im also not going to melt and start crying, that part Ive got, the trucks, theres the part lol I love them, however, the main reason I picked the companies I did was because they number one dont charge for their training programs, you are guaranteed a job and the most important to me was that they seemed to have the longest amount of time training with a professional on the road. I love to travel, I love the trucks, but I want to be the safest driver out there. Starr your ideas have been fantastic, the baby wipe things was a stroke of genius. I have a friend that is a computer person for one of the big companies and he has been doing this for a very long time so he was also very helpful in helping me get questions together to help me make a decision if I get offered a position by more then one company. I have my list of things I need to bring, complete with a box by each so I can check it off as I go, yes Im a bit ocd, nursing brought that on in a big way lol. I raised a Marine, I can do this. That is my new mantra :)

Ohhhhh myyyyyy so much to do, ok so I read about Primes school which sounded great but heres a question, it says forced dispatch and forced NYC. Prime seems to pay very well, more then what other schools do it seems but given NYC is forced is it worth the extra money?