Start CDL School For Stevens Transport Mon. 6/6/16 (Whew, Glad That One Is In That Date!!)

Day 10 of Official Training

OMG!!! We need a big fireworks emogee or something! Today was an absolutely magical day! All of my old skills came roaring back as if they had always been here. I guess it was just getting really used to being back in a rig that made the difference. Today, road driving and on the shifting loop, I had absolutely no problem whatsoever. I stuck every downshift smoothly and precisely, even the two gear drops. We did a couple of three gear drops and those are even easier then the two's, now that someone has told me how to do them properly. Upshifts haven't been a problem, but I am doing those more smoothly as well now. I am also proud that I am the only one not doing the old cab-rock on take-offs and shifts. I have told my buddies that when the clutch starts to engage on take-off, just imagine that you are letting more pedal out instead of actually feeling it move, and the clutch will engage smoothly and not too fast giving the old buck and rock. Either they don't believe me or they can't figure it out, 'cause we get rocked around the sleeper pretty good most times. Next up for me as a personal goal is to learn to match what gear I should try to get into by matching road speed to figure out the proper gear, on those occasions when you do get lost and stuck between gears. It was a thoroughly satisfying morning behind the wheel on the road (and very exciting as a result).

This afternoon was our last time with offset backing practice. I had been doing okay, but couldn't figure out why I couldn't do what I had been so good at years ago, and why what she (the instructor) was telling me was just not working the way it should. Well, on my first attempt today, I was looking at my trailer tandems coming up on the center cone, and it just clicked in my head..."I have seen this picture before and I know exactly what to do." I knew that I needed to start counter-steering while my trailer finished going the direction it was going and my tractor would be back straight again by the time my trailer was straight with the line. Then, it was just a matter of continuing straight back into the box! Oh my God!!! I do remember how to do this! I stuck every attempt after that in half the time I was taking before, and much more accurately. Was able to hug the line at just the perfect distance, and all of the small 3-9-6 adjustments she had been talking about for three days worked perfectly after that! So for everyone out there getting frustrated, just relax, and keep trying and it will fall into place at some point and make perfect sense to you. Do not panic, and do not give up!! You will get there.

I found out, for sure, that we do start alley-docking tomorrow and today was such an amazing, fantastic, wonderful, and satisfying day that with my recovered backing skills, I am very excited and confident that I will be able to master it fairly quickly. I will let you know tomorrow.....

Having even more of a blast than ever, now!!!

DSTURBD

Day 11 of Official Training

Today was a good day again, but not as exceptional as yesterday was. We went to a tight area for turning practice and it was fine other than one time when the instructor wasn't really clear just where I was turning to. It was a double turn, coming out from an exit ramp and I wasn't sure if I was going left or right on the second turn, so I set up in the middle. I guess that wasn't quite what he wanted, but there's no percentage in making excuses, so I just went with it after he told me which way we were going. He knows that I have experience, so he tries not to tell me everything as if I were a complete newbe and I appreciate that, but sometimes it bites back when there was something I did need to know. Oh well, no biggie.

We started alley-dock today which is cool, but they are doing it in a much more confined space than I was used to so this will be a challenge, I'm sure. The instructor for this maneuver is very serious about it and doesn't put up with any horsing around which I apppreciate as a lot of my class mates just don't seem to be taking this as seriously as I think it should be, so this is a breath of fresh air for me. I get really tired of the senseless, juvenile joking around constantly but maybe I'm just old. Sometimes I just want to scream, "Hey! Grow the *#@& up and quit screwing around! I'm trying to accomplish something here!" There is one person in particular who is a felon and had to wait for it to be ten years old to get into school, who has a really bad attitude, already knows everything, and is always ****ed at the instructors for telling him stupid, incompetent stuff. I'm sure you know how that goes. He said he almost walked out yesterday and my first thought was, "I wish you had and you don't just how much I wished that!" I just try to stay away from him, but he's on my road truck and one of the worst drivers. But...he already knows everything so it just doesn't matter! Sorry to be complaining so much, but he was in rare form today! AAGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Getting a little anxious now too, as we only have five more instructional days before test day and still a good bit of stuff to cover and get proficient at!!!! I feel good about what I know, but you could always use a little more practice. Our instructors are state certified testers, but they have told us that occasionally the state guys will come in on test day and say, "We've got it from here. We'll test them." I guess it's just to keep tabs on everything as the instructors don't seem to mind at all. Chances are that the instructors will test us, but you never know. Just a little more anxiety to sweeten the deal, huh?

Oh well. We're up for more tight turns as well as on and off ramps tomorrow morning, and then alley-dock, straight-line backing combo in the afternoon. On this exercise, the dock and the straight-line box are at right angles to each other with touching corners. You start in the straight-line box and pull out, snap right and then left within seventy feet to set up for the alley-dock. (The truck is seventy-three feet long!!!) Then you do a driver's side back into the dock. After that, you pull away from the dock and turn HARD left, basically just pivoting the trailer tandems to set up to back back into the straight-line box! Gotta be a pretty awesome feeling when you stick it successfully!!! Hope I find out tomorrow!!! Oh well, that's all for now.

Still having a blast, but getting nervous!!!

DSTURBD

DSTURBD, two things to keep in mind: truck driving is a very solitary profession. You are with your classmates only for training, and then you'll all split up. I actually met one classmate one time at a terminal , but I count that as "meteor landing in my back yard" kind of odds. So close your eyes (figuratively), hold your breath, and shoot for the last day if school.

Another thing: the stuff your instructor had you do are hard for two reasons. Your skills are not developed, so "everything" is hard. Right now, for many people, straight backing is a major accomplishment. But later you'll be doing that without thinking.

The other reason has to do with training: the school makes things tougher on you now so later it will seem easy. I kept thinking of a story I heard looking ago. A football coach made his players practice with a wet football (back in the day when footballs were leather). And the field was soaked with water and was slippery and muddy. So in Game Day, everything was dry, and playing for real was a piece of cake.

It won't be long now. Patience, Grasshopper. Patience.

DSTURBD, I am enjoying reading your journal. School is fast paced and intense so I appreciate the effort in keeping up with this. Props to you and everyone else contributing journal material. It's work to keep these things current.

Try to focus on yourself and what you are doing. Any energy directed at the Hooligans disrupting the class is wasted and cause for distraction. In a couple of weeks they will be on the sidelines watching as you progress to the next level. If possible ignore them. If it gets to be too much, say something to the instructors, let them deal with it.

Good luck!

DISTURBD, I've got to tell you that it has been great reading your posts. I am 59 myself and I love your excitement about being back in the saddle and your positive attitude. I'm also really happy for you that it's coming back to you and you are loving it!

I agree with G-Town on his advise about the hooligan's in class. I would also offer this, regardless of how he (the hooligan) or anyone else may be talking and acting out, they are watching you and your behavior and learning from you as well. It may be slow and you may never see the result, but when you model proper behavior in front of them they are taking it in and someday this too will click with them and will start to show up in their lives.

Happy trucking and I hope you continue to post in the years to come.

Stewart replied:

DISTURBD, I've got to tell you that it has been great reading your posts. I am 59 myself and I love your excitement about being back in the saddle and your positive attitude. I'm also really happy for you that it's coming back to you and you are loving it!

I agree with G-Town on his advise about the hooligan's in class. I would also offer this, regardless of how he (the hooligan) or anyone else may be talking and acting out, they are watching you and your behavior and learning from you as well. It may be slow and you may never see the result, but when you model proper behavior in front of them they are taking it in and someday this too will click with them and will start to show up in their lives.

Happy trucking and I hope you continue to post in the years to come.

Great point Stewart. Lead by example...great point.

Day 12 of Official Training

First of all, thanks so much for all of the replies guys! They really do mean a lot to me. I promise to take all advice and try to put it to good practice as I am here for me and my future career and I'm not going to let some idiot screw that up for me! Please keep replying when you read something that sparks an idea or comment as it also helps to keep me even more motivated (if that's possible LOL)!

Okay, now for today. We are officially the senior class now as the last two students from the previous class passed today. Their class ended with only four students, so two tested yesterday and two today. Our instructor told us this morning that it would be an easy one as all we were going to do was on and off ramps. It was easy, but we did all kinds of ramps. We did long sweeping ones with lots of time to get down to speed and set up for the stop or turn, We did short ones that took concentration to get down-shifted and slowed down in time and appropriately, we did uphill ones and downhill ones. We did all kinds of stuff! It was a lot of fun and I never missed a shift or anything. On one of the tough ones, he never said a word until we got to the stop sign, and then he said, "Wow, now see? That's exactly what I'm talking about. Great job!" You can imagine how proud I was and how much more encouraged I feel now. It was great! All of the little successes keep adding up to really bolster my confidence and I feel great about it.

This afternoon we were in the yard doing the alley-dock, straight-line combo. As I said earlier, I have the offset and straight backing absolutely nailed, but the alley-dock is a challenge for a couple of reasons. First off, I have a level in my neck that is fused from a blown disc so I can't turn my head as far around as I could in my younger days so that makes it hard to see the trailer at a certain point to gauge its trajectory. It's not in my mirrors yet and beyond where I can turn, so I have to turn in my seat a bit and that makes the pedals a bit trickier. Luckily, we are required to do all maneuvers in the yard with no throttle (and backing should always be done that way anyway) so that makes it a little easier. I have been working on my neck rotation to try to get all of the flexibility back that I can so I'm hopeful there. Secondly, these trailers are quite a bit longer than the 40's I was used to before, but that is just an example of "that's just how it is now so suck it up and get it done!" Kind of like trying to learn a smart phone at my age LOL!! I did okay and stuck it a couple of times, but it was touch and go a few times too. I will get better. A couple of times, the instructor I told you about yesterday gave me some hints and on a couple of tries, he said that I had finished in a scorable spot, so when I see a little more space on one side, don't try to fix it. Just leave it there as it was a passing grade attempt. I already was beginning to see the same trajectory things I used to look for so I think I'll be fine as long as I can get enough practice between now and test day, which is NEXT THURSDAY!! OMG, OMG!!

Tomorrow we will just be in the yard doing maneuvers and practicing pre-trips (I still have to get a few check-sheets filled out for that to turn in), so I'm hoping to get much better with the dock. Then they feed us really good with the cookout, burgers and dogs and all the fixin's for lunch. It was awesome last week, so I know I won't go hungry in the afternoon!! We get done at 3:00pm on Saturdays. I know that I will be spending Sunday studying, so I won't realize that it is supposed to be 95 degrees outside.

Sorry this got so long, but I am still havin' a blast and am just a little anxious about next week as is probably appropriate.

DSTURBD

Day 13 of Official Training (Saturday)

Today was all yard maneuvers and pre-trips as I mentioned yesterday. I was only able to get one turn in the truck today for alley-dock, but it was a decent attempt. We get three rounds back and forth from the straight-line box out to set up for the dock, pull out from the dock and snap full left to set up for the straight line back into the box. Then you do it over two more times. I will have more chances the first three days of next week and should be able to get it nailed by then.

I was a little worried about doing full pre-trips, but I did two today and found out that I do have it down perfect. I thought that I should be able to as I know all of the stuff and I do have an extensive mechanical background, but until you actually do it and see that you are not forgetting anything, it's a little bit in doubt. I got two full sheets checked off and got them perfect. I will try to get a couple more done next week to be able to turn in at least four. You have to turn in at least two. The cool thing is that we have all different suspension set-ups on the various trucks. Most of our trucks are Kenworths, from Stevens, but we have some others as well. So, we have standard leaf spring set-ups, C-spring with airbags, and full air ride set-ups. The Stevens trucks are the typical black ones (T2000's) with their logo, which is kinda cool to me (I'm kind of a nerd about such things) as their equipment was the first thing that made me start researching them. I really like the idea of having a full air ride system that you can just lower the suspension if you run into a trailer that was dropped particularly low. I used to hate that as they are always fully loaded and it takes you forever in low gear to raise the landing gear enough to get under it and hook up. Ughh.

Today was really cool though. Got a lot accomplished, and had a really good lunch on the school. Also, big point here, it was our second, and should be last, Saturday here if all goes according to plan. I should graduate and get my CDL next Thursday, and head out for Dallas that evening. I will be driving my own vehicle, so there will not be any horrendous 18 or 20 (or more) hour bus ride involved. Have heard all of those horror stories!!! I'll swing by home on the way, check my mail and pick up a few things, and then head south!

Feeling very good about this, and am still having a blast. Getting even more excited as the prize comes into view!!!

DSTURBD

Still Saturday about 9:00pm.

Was just reading back through this diary, refreshing in my mind just what I have posted, and realized that there is one other update I am happy to provide. I wrote that the doctor had issued me a one year DOT card which I am happy to have and that he told me to lose 20 pounds or be ready to take a sleep apnea test in about 6 months when it becomes mandatory. Well, since training started, and we have been walking a LOT in the hot sun and getting a great deal of physical activity, I have had to tighten up my belt three full notches to keep my pants from falling down. LOL I don't have access to a scales right now, but that's three full inches plus off of my waistline and my belt is still not tight by any means so that's gotta be a good thing. Also, we still have another four or five days of this, depending on whether I test on Thursday or Friday. I have been drinking a lot of water and when I realized what is going on with my belt, I immediately started eating a lot of salad instead of other things I might be likely to eat any other time, ha ha. I don't expect to lose the whole 20 pounds here at school, but I'm sure there will still be plenty of physical activity when we hit Dallas as well! Just another thing that I am really encouraged about! Hell, I might even have to buy some smaller clothes. Wouldn't that be a hoot!?!?!?

Okay, I promise I'll shut up now. Talk to you again Monday night.

DSTURBD

DSTURBD, I just read your entire diary. Thanks so much for staying on top of it. I graduated from the Swift Academy on FRIDAY THE 13th of May! Just finished week three of Road Training with my Mentor yesterday, 50 more hours to out and go Solo! I am 56 years old and also dealt with several D#&$%# Bags in my school class. I passed all of my evaluations on the first attempt as well as the State CDL exam. A couple of those A holes didn't and one failed three times and didn't get his CDL. I wish I could feel sorry for him but I can't. I have taken this whole thing VERY seriously. It has been a huge investment of my money, time and sanity to get this far. this business needs more "Seasoned Citizens" like us with a level of maturity that seems to be lacking in our society today. Keep up the good work.

Tractor Man