Profile For Ben D.

To those that have stated that they avoid truck stops, how do you do it? Do you pull into small convience stores or sleep on the side of the road? Sounds like the life for me!

I don't think it's a useless post,...we have seem similar stories.

You control your own destiny, nothing should be stopping you (except possibly the medical thing you eluded to). To be blunt, when your Dad has passed, you will need to be self reliant, with a good paying job that you are hopefully happy with. Be careful not to fall into the trap when a parent throws negative caution to the wind because of their agenda to keep you around...and available. It's your life. Grow a set.

Thanks. I hope my dad isn't going to pass anytime soon, but I know he will eventually. He wants me out because he want to move out himself (I think I may be keeping him from moving as one of the reasons he's staying). Sometimes I imagine that if I were OTR I wouldn't talk to him or much of my family even by phone, we hardly ever talk anyway besides my dad.

Ben, it seems you're going to face one heck of a struggle when you get started in this industry I'm afraid. If you're getting cold feet just thinking about it, the reality is going to be terrifying. That's the truth about this job. It's quite stressful and quite dangerous.

...

Often times the only thing scarier than actually doing something is sitting there thinking about doing it for the first time. I wish I could say that about trucking but unfortunately trucking is pretty darn scary sometimes.

Brett, thanks, you make good points. I've never been totally and completely out on my own (I've always had roommates).

One thing that helped me was advice that said what would you tell a friend if he/she was in your shoes? This ultimately lead to me doing this. Don't let the fear consume you, none of us were born driving this beast, but anybody is capable of learning how to operate one of these rigs. Feel the fear and do it anyways, because time is not going to stop for you. The longer you wait the worse the cold feet might get. Good luck my friend!

Thanks Gladhands - I'm 34, haha and yeah time won't stop, I'm not getting younger...

Ya'lls posts have given me good insight, thank you all for your support. And Tractor Man - I agree, there's nothing left to add...Thanks for listening to me vent.

This is a venting, kind of a useless post I guess, and I apologize in advance for bragging/and/or being long winded.

I've been studying off and on using The High Road (I can remember the first 25 pages or so, I'm on page 49 right now and the fartherest I've gotten before resetting is page 82, I think.)

I've lived at home with my dad for the last few months. While I won't complain and I've got an easy life right now (dad is helping me out and is very generous, but he wants me to get out on my own - like - NOW. We get into fights every now and then and he's a negative and cynical old bird, he's one reason but he's not the only reason I want to be a trucker, though, I've had the dream for years), being at home and not getting this career going is begging me to escape and I'm putting pressure on myself and it weighs me down...

I've contacted a few companies the last few months, and had offers from Prime and Jim Palmer Trucking to start immediately, but each one I had to tell that I'm not ready. I still have to get a doctor's excuse in order to drive, which I hope will happen at my next appointment mid-next-month. I wanted to complain to ya'll that my dad kind of 'unintentionally' blocked me from traveling for training at Prime back in July (he put ideas in my head and was not willing to drive me to the bus station), but looking back I'm thankful that he put doubts up about it because I feel more prepared now than I was then.

As a side note, years ago I traveled out of state for training only to get cold feet and hightail it back home, something I'm glad I did - I don't think I was ready to drive then and I hadn't even heard of this site back then, either, so I'm pretty sure that it would have been a disaster if I had stayed and trained, who knows...

I want to skip having no job, no friends, no money, credit cards and other bills past due, and get to training. I want to move so bad, and studying is painful, - and, half the time I want to say forget it.

I feel like I've changed since I first posted here, though, and I would like to get more involved on the forums and maybe some day post a CDL diary...if I don't get cold feet again...

I don't mean to bump, but I can't just not say thank you for ya'lls advice.

For those that finished the practice CDL here on TT, how long did it take you to complete it? Part of me just wants to sign up with a company NOW and get it going, study it while I'm at the training location, but at the same time I'd like to be prepared - for me, though, it's taking a long time and I'm the kind of person who has to read and re-read things to "get it" - and I've run into a lot of trouble the last time I went through the Hazmat section, Air Brakes, and coupling/uncoupling - my weak spots. But I can tell you how high and wide a truck is!! :P

I also had a problem on one of the questions - I can't remember exactly, but it asked how many seconds to leave in front of the vehicle you're following, I put down 6 seconds (it was a 60 foot trailer question), but the right answer was 7 seconds?

I'm confused about one of the questions in the High Road Training Module.

In this section: 2.7 Managing Space (continued) (and in the one before it), I've had an answer counted wrong regarding stopping an empty vehicle. The manual clearly states it takes longer to stop an empty than a heavily loaded one, and that trucks are designed to stop loaded so they do it more efficiently, and in the section where that is taught, that was the correct answer. But now it is reviewing me on that and counting that answer wrong and saying that a heavily loaded vehicle takes longer to stop, which actually makes sense except that isn't what is stated in the manual, so now I am completely confused.

Am I doing something wrong or not understanding the question completely now? That's entirely possible, but I wanted to figure out if I was misunderstanding something.

Thank you for your help!

Penny

true!

I will be getting my CLP in January. I have been studying and taking tests on THR for the last month or so. I can tell you that it has helped me retain materials way better than reading a manual and a highlighter ever could. The simple, straightforward presentation of materials, and the random questions (more random as you make progress) have helped make the information stick rather than 'pass and forget' like some tests tend to do. I am very grateful for this site and those people that contribute (mostly) no bull**** information to those of us preparing, those still learning, and... OK that last part covered everyone. I have recommended this site and THR to 3 other people I know looking at entering this profession. I guess my ramble basically says 'Why waste the opportunity of such a valuable tool?'

Thanks, Tractor Man. I'll study as much as I can.

You have two choices. Study the manual, take lots of notes, use up a highlighter. OR....... Use the HR and practice tests on this site that simulate the actual tests you will be taking at the DMV in the same type of computer format. Using the manual only will force you into MEMORIZING. The HR will help you LEARN and RETAIN the material. Your choice. FYI......The majority of people on this site that use the HR, Ace their permit exams on the FIRST TRY. And in record time!

I'm ready to pursue my dream, I think. But I'm ready to go like yesterday - studying for the CDL on tt may not be an option for me anymore - I'm sorry - it's great and a totally excellent study tool that I've learned a lot from, but in what shape would I be in if I didn't take it and just studied the CDL training manual the trucking school gives me? I'll probably have to study harder and study unnecessary stuff, I'm guessing, but I guess I'm willing to go down that road. I would like to study for the CDL here on truckingtruth - I'm not trying to bash it - but help me!