Sage In Lexington, SC.

Day 3 of my 40 hour refresher course is now in the books. Parallel is starting to click, but it's aggrivating still. I figure I can pass my skills test anyway. I'm trying to get it down the best I can, because even though I never ran into a situation that required it when I was on the road before doesn't mean I won't this time around. Now to study the junk out of pre-trip.

Day 3 of my 40 hour refresher course is now in the books. Parallel is starting to click, but it's aggrivating still. I figure I can pass my skills test anyway. I'm trying to get it down the best I can, because even though I never ran into a situation that required it when I was on the road before doesn't mean I won't this time around. Now to study the junk out of pre-trip.

James, sorry I thought you were a newbie. I am with you Man...learning parallel is a royal pain.

James, sorry I thought you were a newbie. I am with you Man...learning parallel is a royal pain.

No worries. I got my CDL-A in 2012 when I went through Central Refrigerated's company sponsored training. I drove company for about 3 months before foolishly leasing. A classmate that got a million-mile trainer, and picked his brain for all it was worth was going to lease, and he made it sound stupid easy. He wasn't trying to convince me, but was simply telling me his plans. I accompanied him to the O/O div., and of course they did sell it to me. I lasted about 4 months before I realized how over my head I was. I took a year and two months off than drove about 4 months for SRT. They weren't a good fit for me, and I knew I should've left in orientation. Until recently I was one of those guys that blames the company for everything and never looked into the mirror to see what I could fix myself, do to fix myself, or both.

Having found this site a little over 2 months ago, it has really opened my eyes and now I'm looking to drive again. This time I actually started to research companies. In that process one instantly shone above the rest for me and that is Decker Truck Lines. Since I've been out of a truck since June or July 2014 they want me to take a refresher. I'm all too happy to do so because I know I'm as rusty as a bolt that's been submerged in water for ages. I want to show up in the best condition that I can so I can make the best of the training period I'll have there. I want to start on the right foot this time, and hopefully make one full year straight. I also plan to pick y'alls brains and vent from time to time when I get my own truck. I look forward to y'all keeping me straight and honest. That's what I love most about this site. Y'all shoot straight and don't hide anything. Just what I need.

Wow James, that was a great post!

It thrills me when someone has that light bulb moment and realizes where they went wrong. Thanks for posting all that because it really points out a lot of the things we talk about in here, and even though many folks think we are crazy, it is nice to realize that we helped someone "see the light." You made so many of the mistakes that rookie drivers make. We are constantly trying to dissuade folks from leasing, especially as a rookie, but we end up getting barraged by folks who try to insult us by calling us "a company man" or some other such nonsense. We just want to help folks succeed, and since we've been in those rookie shoes we know what it's all about.

I wish you the best, and hope to hear of your success this time around!

James P wrote:

No worries. I got my CDL-A in 2012 when I went through Central Refrigerated's company sponsored training. I drove company for about 3 months before foolishly leasing. A classmate that got a million-mile trainer, and picked his brain for all it was worth was going to lease, and he made it sound stupid easy. He wasn't trying to convince me, but was simply telling me his plans. I accompanied him to the O/O div., and of course they did sell it to me. I lasted about 4 months before I realized how over my head I was. I took a year and two months off than drove about 4 months for SRT. They weren't a good fit for me, and I knew I should've left in orientation. Until recently I was one of those guys that blames the company for everything and never looked into the mirror to see what I could fix myself, do to fix myself, or both.

Having found this site a little over 2 months ago, it has really opened my eyes and now I'm looking to drive again. This time I actually started to research companies. In that process one instantly shone above the rest for me and that is Decker Truck Lines. Since I've been out of a truck since June or July 2014 they want me to take a refresher. I'm all too happy to do so because I know I'm as rusty as a bolt that's been submerged in water for ages. I want to show up in the best condition that I can so I can make the best of the training period I'll have there. I want to start on the right foot this time, and hopefully make one full year straight. I also plan to pick y'alls brains and vent from time to time when I get my own truck. I look forward to y'all keeping me straight and honest. That's what I love most about this site. Y'all shoot straight and don't hide anything. Just what I need.

James this is an awesome story. I wish I knew about TT when I was considering trucking as a career. Would have saved me some angst. Even now I continuously learn from the other drivers on this forum and find value in other people's experiences. Best of luck and definitely keep in touch on this.

Day 4, hour 32 in the books now. Whew! Trying to relearn pre-trip after it ran off screaming from my memory 2 years or more ago, relearning parallel, and the school method of offset has my brain about fried at this point. I'm still excited about driving again. I'm trying not to let frustration get the best of me when it tries to set in. I keep telling myself that I have to learn this stuff because I don't want to hit the fleet a substandard driver, and fall into bad habits again. It'll take time and practice, but I'll get there. Tomorrow is my last day. First half of the day I'll be working on my skills again, and after lunch it's drive time. I'll be nervous getting out in a rig again after so long, but I'd rather get my confidence back now so I can pass my drive test when I go to orientation. Nervous, excited, and tuckered out! Y'all get it in the barn shiny side up, and I'll catch you on the flip flop.

My policy for pre trip:

if it can move, leak, break, light up or do pretty much anything but sit their dry and still as a brick... check it. There's probably a good number of things I don't need to check during a pretrip, but I check it anyways because it falls under my policy and it's better to know that something might be about to break and get it fixed asap then have it break at random and not even know what broke.

based on the above I pretty much do a circle around the truck, as I approach I check for the license plate, leaks and leans, then I turn on the lights and while I'm undoing the hood I check those, once the hood is up I check everything I can find in there and around it. Then starting on drivers side I works my way to the back of trailer, go around to passenger side and work my way up to the front.

This might help you learn pre trip http://drivers.evansdelivery.com/information/ImpDocs/VehicleInspection_Interior.pdf

It's a very condensed version of the pre trip check list (as well as some other things). If you need to be told which fluids to check... then I can't help you, you need much more help then a refresher course, but if I can tell you check the fluids and you know which to check (all of them...) then you're good. That's how I explained this list when I showed to my teachers... they all really liked it because the list my school gave me was like 6 pages long which each and everything itemized... it would take you an hour if you went through that one by one.

There's a few things I would re order on that list... but for the most part it's pretty good. Even if you mis something on your walkaround, that's ok as long as you realize it and go check it before you drive off. it would be better to not miss it so you don't spend more time but when you're learning or re learning it is to be expected I think.

If you have any trouble with the air brake test let me know, I have a really good guide I copied / modified from the internet that I can give ya... it's freakin awesome. you can also just go by LEST: Leak test Electrical test Spring break test Tug test. Once you memorize those 4 things you just need to know how to do each one, but that's not too hard to memorize at least not for me. My trouble point was remember each of the 4 tests and the order to do em in.

I got to do a road drive today. Maaaaan was it fugly! I could've sworn I never drove a day in my life. I think I also sweated enough bullets to stock the Marines in Iraq. They didn't have me test out on anything, but I have my certificate of completion for my 40 hour refresher, and come Monday I can email my recruiter and get set up for orientation. I just need to remember to keep my cool, and not let the frustration get to me. Hopefully my road test at orientation will go smoother.

I got to do a road drive today. Maaaaan was it fugly! I could've sworn I never drove a day in my life. I think I also sweated enough bullets to stock the Marines in Iraq. They didn't have me test out on anything, but I have my certificate of completion for my 40 hour refresher, and come Monday I can email my recruiter and get set up for orientation. I just need to remember to keep my cool, and not let the frustration get to me. Hopefully my road test at orientation will go smoother.

Keep us informed. Congrats, good luck, and stay safe.