My Training School In NC

I wanted to express what I have experienced through my CDL training school so far. I am only through week 5. Usually the training time for this school is 6 to 8 weeks, Monday through Thursday. I chose to go with Crosscountry Truck Driving School in Thomasville, NC. I did research on them and the other ones in my area, visited them and 1 other school and decided that this would be my better option. The owners are nice and have been awesome to work with over the last few weeks. They are willing to help you out in anyway possible. There have been some glitches but when you are trying to teach about 20-25 people per week, all with different needs, wants, expectations, learning speeds and other factors, it is hard to have everything go smooth. I have met 4 of the instructors and they are all awesome in their own ways and areas in which they teach.

Week 1: Day 1 for most people had them doing paperwork and then going out for drug tests and physicals. I actually was able to do my stuff the week before so I was allowed to skip the first day. The rest of the week was classroom training. I forget what all we went over exactly the first week but there was lots of reading in out state CDL manuals, lots of videos, lots of reading in the regulations and safety book(green book as we called it) and tests on each topic that we covered.

Week 2: More classroom learning. More reading, more studying, more tests on the topics that we covered.

Week 3: Half the week was spent in the classroom going over logs. The other part of the week we spent looking over a tractor to learn how to the pre-trip inspection. I didn't do too terrible but I forgot to mention about having the key in my pocket both times. When you go through it, make sure you mention you have the keys to the truck in your pocket before you begin.

Week 4: This week we spent 3 out of the 4 days on the yard doing pre-trip inspections, coupling and uncoupling and backing with the tractor. The 4th day we spent in the classroom going over maps and trip planning to get ready for our log complex. Normally the log complex has to be done first before you are allowed to go out to the yard, kinda like a graduation from the classroom type thing, but they had to swap week 4 and week 5 because of the school being inspected by the state and feds. (Nothing wrong, just the normal inspection that they have to go through just like other trucking companies.)

Week 5: This week we worked on our log complex. It is basically our final exam. You have to map out a trip, get the total miles traveled, list all routes that you have taken, list every mile traveled per state, fuel stops, tire checks, unloading, 34hr re-set, 30 minute breaks and then put it all on paper logs perfectly. We had a few other stipulations we had to account for, just to make it more interesting and harder. I was worried about the log complex before I even started school but it went well for me. I forgot to fill out my routes that I took in each state and still made a pretty good grade on it. I realized that I had forgotten to do the routes, and the instructor had already graded the paper but let me finish the routes. I do not know if that changed my grade or if I stayed at what I had first received.

As I left for the weekend, my instructor told me that when we come back on Monday, to start week 6, I will be out in the yard so I need to be hydrated and ready to go. I will try to update at the end of every week.

I was in Ohio last week and if you have the kind of weather I had, you'll be good. But then again I'm from Florida and it's like hydrate or die down here about now. It was so nice to be able to drive with the window down last week.

Week 6: I am typing this one a little early but I will be doing the same stuff tomorrow so it is rather easy to tell you what is going on. This week started with straight line backing. After we got pretty good at that, we moved to 45 degree backing and then 90 degree backing. I was not a fan of 90 degree backing. It took me about a day and a half to finally get it, but I got it. Also threw some off set backing in on us as well, yesterday afternoon and today i was nailing everything almost perfectly. Not getting, ****y but I am getting more confident each time. Tomorrow one other guy and myself will be doing the same things while the others in the group need extra practice on the 45, 90 and straight line backing.

Week 7: School is closed all week for the 4th of July, so I will update in two weeks about week 8.