Roehl Company-Sponsored Program - Day To Day

So today our class is now officially down to 4 people. And we will be testing next wednesday. We started off the morning doing our pre trips. Then spent the rest of the morning practicing all our backing until lunch. After lunch we did our pre trips again. Then took turns driving for the rest of the afternoon. Finished the day with our post trips and back to the hotel. Half day tomorrow being spent in the classroom

Thomas:

Wow!!! Your class is fast moving, which is wonderful. You guys are testing early

Are you ready for your testing?

Karen

So today our class is now officially down to 4 people. And we will be testing next wednesday. We started off the morning doing our pre trips. Then spent the rest of the morning practicing all our backing until lunch. After lunch we did our pre trips again. Then took turns driving for the rest of the afternoon. Finished the day with our post trips and back to the hotel. Half day tomorrow being spent in the classroom

So Saturday was a half day in the classroom. Went over the pc systems in the trucks, hazmat regulations, and legalizing loads. Today, started off the morning doing the pre trip like normal. Then we hit the road and drove around town. Then hit the range for a little bit of backing. After lunch we hit the range again for more backing practice until break time. After break we went over half the answers from the jj Keller books. Then did more backing. Then drove around the block one more time before it was time to head back to the hotel

Day Two(08 Mar 16): 0700 - Waiting in the class room for the instructors to show up. About 5 minutes later, in walked the instructors and informed us we would be working on our turns today. We split back up into our two groups of three and the other group headed out to the truck while mine headed to the simulator. I will be blunt. I absolutely hate that POS simulator. Everything, and I mean everything, feels off. Shifting doesn't feel right, depth perception goes completely out the window, and it will tell you you're hitting a curb even when on the screen you're not. After spending around 30 minutes each on the simulator practicing left and right turns with the trailer, we headed out into the yard to the truck while the other group came inside. For the next 45 minutes everything seemed to go very well. Of course I managed to basically forget everything I had learned about shifting the previous day and managed to bump myself into reverse instead of second as well as mistakenly bumping myself into 9th gear instead of 7th. But after a few minutes everything came back and I began to actually work on my turns. According to my instructor, we all did better than expected. We initially began with just left turns before lunch. Afterward, both groups got into our respective trucks and and began with right turns. Again, my group did well. My instructor felt we were doing well enough that tomorrow we will be hitting the town. In the mean time, after our second break we went out for a "commentary drive" where our instructor drove around town talking us through everything he was doing and looking for. When we returned, we jumped ahead of schedule and the three of us started working on our backing. We did several straight line backs between cones and concrete divider walls with about 3 feet of space on each side of the trailer (don't quote me on the spacing.) After we did much better than expected (again, my trainers words, not mine. I'd never make the claim. Personally I'm still waiting to run myself over while driving.) we moved on to offset backing both left and right. While we were basically walked through this step by step, it was still great practice. Especially getting to practice feathering the clutch. After this it was time to head back to the hotel and grab some chow. All in all, it was nothing short of an amazing day. We are currently a little over a day ahead of schedule. Tomorrow we have, unfortunately, more simulator time planned for backing practices, then we will be taking the trucks onto the roads for some real practice. Time to get some shut eye for what is sure to be an interesting day tomorrow.

As a side note, anyone who comes to Roehls WI location, bring waterproof boots. Currently, both training yards are dirt. And when I say dirt, I mean three inches of mud with small streams running through everywhere. If you ever wanted to know what it was like driving an 18-wheeler in a dirt derby, you'll get to learn.

- Razor

Razor- The medical tests seem pretty heavy with the squats, I'm wondering if that's because you're thinking of driving flatbed or does everyone have to go through that? I'm in CDL school now and hope to test out in 2-3 weeks and Roehl is my 1st choice for employment. I broke my kneecap a few years back and squatting can be tricky for me. After reading your posts I'm a little worried I won't pass this part of the test.

I know you just started and might not know, just thinking you might have noticed others in the class doing different tests depending on what they intend to drive or any other insight you might have.

Is there anyone that works at Roehl on this board that might know? Appreciate any advice given. Thanks, Annee

Regardless of the balance test, you WILL have to pass some type of physical/heart rate test, but it really is not too difficult. You should be fine

Did you have to go through the squat tests? This worries me a little. Thanks, Annee

Razor- The medical tests seem pretty heavy with the squats, I'm wondering if that's because you're thinking of driving flatbed or does everyone have to go through that? I'm in CDL school now and hope to test out in 2-3 weeks and Roehl is my 1st choice for employment. I broke my kneecap a few years back and squatting can be tricky for me. After reading your posts I'm a little worried I won't pass this part of the test.

I know you just started and might not know, just thinking you might have noticed others in the class doing different tests depending on what they intend to drive or any other insight you might have.

Is there anyone that works at Roehl on this board that might know? Appreciate any advice given. Thanks, Annee

Yes everyone has to do the squat test. They figure it is the best way for someone to get under a trailer for checking the kingpin and everything else. I will say that I haven't had to actually squat since I've started I'm short enough I just bend over and I can see everything I need to look at except the brakes. And those I usually end up crawling on my knees so I can get close enough to use my mirror.

I had no problems with the squatting test even though I have RA in both knees. It's a piece of cake.

Ok, thanks for the reply.

My test on Monday regarding squatting: First, squat and go under trailer twice for twenty seconds each time. Allowed to touch one knee or one hand on the ground. Next time was back inside. Had to squat and touch one hand to the floor ten times consecutively. Heart rate monitoring after each tasking.

So this morning we started off with the pre trip. Then we went out and drove around town for a couple hours. Came back to the yard and got some backing practice in. And finished going over the jj Keller answers before lunch. After lunch we did the pre trip again. Then my partner drove to the truck stop in pittsville. Got there and the instructor had me look at the map in the truck stop and told me to find a different route back. Got it with no problems. Drove around town a little more when we got back to marshfield. Then took the truck through the wash and vacuumed and wiped down the inside clean for the testing tomorrow. Then it was time to go back to the hotel. Got CDL exams in the morning in the snow