Profile For Barry Y. ( Watchd0g)

I miss the dry and cold mountain air. This hot humid air is not for me. I don't know if I'm sweating or if it's the humidity and to top it all off I'm still getting complaints about my idling Cold mountain air I miss you, until you start snowing.

Quit Idling... LOL. Yea Swift likes to send those messages. I usually reply to them with a message saying install APUs.

I would like to thank all the members of this forum for helping me make the life changing decision. last year I was laid off, and thought about trucking. I used this forum nightly to dig deep into the world of trucking. I made up my mind and went to a local school, got my cdl, and off I went to SWIFT. Best decision of my life. I love it.

But, without the research I did on this sight, I think it could have held a lot surprises I may not have been ready for.

Time out on the road, time away from family etc. I was well aware of this because of this site. I prepared my wife and myself, and things are good.

last time out it was 8 weeks, a bit long, but as I said, I knew this could happen. To anyone thinking of a becoming a trucker, I highly recommend spending a month or two on this site to read the stories and advice of all the great members to know exactly what you are getting into. Thx TT members.

A happy trucker

I am off to Schneider training in Carlisle, Pa on the 23rd. Well, I have to report on the 22nd. I guess now I get to learn the phase 2 stuff like hooking up the trailers, docking etc. I am happy that they run the same 10 speeds I learned in.

Hopefully I get through this next test and start trucking soon.

Thanks very much for the replies guys! From what you are saying, it sounds as if I can pass the test even if I am not successful with the parallel parking. I will be practicing parallel parking this afternoon, and my test is next Tuesday. I feel comfortable with everything else, so it sounds like I can pull it off. That said, if for no other reason than my pride, I really want to successfully and completely parallel park on the test.

I am not looking for an over the road job. I am about to retire and I will sometimes be helping a friend of mine do dirt work and small construction site prep. Between he, I and a third friend we have various pieces of equipment from small dozers to back hoes. I just want to be legal for moving this stuff around. I have some other things going that would make it good to have a car hauler. Nothing too big, but enough to haul a couple of one ton crew cabs.

In my early years, I drove a five ton tractor with a large radar trailing behind while in the Army and worked as a mechanic in a big truck shop for a while after I got out of the Army and moved stuff around the yard and road tested. I'm certainly not an experienced OTR driver, but I am not a rank beginner either.

Thanks again for the quick, friendly and useful responses.

I will be hanging out here and will report my test results.

Larry

I am not sure about Texas, but I believe they have standardized the tests in all 50 states. In Pa, you do 3 tests. Pre-trip inspection including air brakes, Skills Tests (straight line backing and parallel), and then the drive test. In Pa it is in that order, and you can not move on to the next test until you pass the current.

I am currently being recruited by Schneider, and they have stated that they are switching over to automatics and currently 1/2 their fleet is automatic. The other half is 10 speeds. I would prefer a 10 speed as that's what I learned in at school and I don't want to lose those skills.

Gratz man

Woohoo, I passed it. I was nervous as heck, but calmed down once I started the skills test.

When you pay $5000 for CDL school, what do you consider acceptable as far as how many students per truck/per trainer, how many times you get to go out to drive on the road, often times short on trainers (therefor ending up with one or two trainers having to split themselves up), students from previous classes who show up to hog the trucks because "I'm testing out tomorrow and need practice", leaving you and the other two students standing there waiting to start practicing....I mean, we paid a lot of money to attend classes, the trucks and instructors should be available to our class, no?

Our group only goes on the weekends because we all have jobs or other obligations. Going 5 days in between is already enough time that went by, sometimes it makes it a bit difficult to remember what you've learned the weekend before. There's an average of 3-4 students per truck already. We take turns.

Just curious.

My school was FT M-F - 8am-4 pm. We had 8 students in our class split in 2 trucks. I got lucky, my truck had one guy with previous experience, and he tested and passed after week 1 of driving, leaving us with tree students. So I was getting 2-3 hours a day. Doing weekends only has to be rough, with out the repetition I doubt I would feel confident about testing tomorrow.

Hi all, I am testing tomorrow at noon. I have been dwelling on this all weekend long. I am not worried about the pre-trip/airbrake test, not the road test. Straight line backing? no problem. Setting up for the parallel park, that is my issue. I suck at that part. Once straight , I can do the parallel with ease, but I suck at the set up. I have a hard time getting the truck straight. My last ditch idea is to do a forward parallel park maneuver after I do the straight line back. I am hoping that will get me close to straight in the far left lane. My plan; back up a bit after the straight line back part, then do the forward parallel and hope I have enough room to get straightened out...

Not sure about NC, but I believe here in PA it goes along these lines>

Pre trip inspection: call out what you are looking at, what you are looking for , and why. (cracks, missing bolts, leaks, bad hoses etc.)

Skills test. Backing and parallel parking.

Drive the course. On course the instructor will have you do an emergency pull off (placing your triangles), a down hill maneuver with flashers, and probably a rail road crossing. Make sure you are looking (not just mentioning it) at all intersections in all directions, slow and put on flashers at rail road crossings while looking both ways before, during and in the mirrors as your trailer passed over. pay attention to any signs, he may ask you what they said. Truck weight limits, bridge clearance signs etc.

don't hit a curb, don't stall and don't violate the other lanes.

My course has a few tricky areas. One spot is a 2 lane undivided sharp bend, you need to hit the flashers and stop if needed, because you do indeed have to violate the other lane to stay off the side walk on the right. So to sum it up, find out what course they use on the road , and learn it, practice it, and dream about it.

Ok, I'm going to remember everything you said and I'm be prepared for that...i don't how I can get the test route though, that would sure help out a lot ...I'm keep digging and see what else I can find...but thanks for taking the time to write a reply...

It may take a bit of time, but maybe go sit at the DMV and then try to follow someone testing.

I got lucky, the school I go to also does most of the testing for the region, so my instructor's know the course and know the tester.