Think I Need More Training

I apologize if I seemed whiny in my previous post. I was just trying to illustrate that you got plenty of training. Everybody feels they have never got enough training before starting the next step. The "starter" companies are well aware of your level of training. It comes down to putting faith in your instructors. When they say you are ready, then be confident that you are ready for the next step. Remember, your instructors do this for a living. They train dozens if not hundreds of people every year.

A lot of this job is tackling your fears and displaying confidence even when your insides feel like you are on a roller coaster. Kinda like the old saying: "Fake it until you make it." Just realize, you wouldn't be at the next step if you weren't ready. You may not realize that you are until you try!

Keep in mind - and we HAVE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE Kevin. The "private schools" SOLE PURPOSE is to get you your CDL. It in no measureable way, prepares you for the REAL LIFE CAREER of trucking.

So you will STILL GO ONTO A COMPANY, as a trainee - you will just be able to "skip" the part of their training, that gets new recruits their CDL's (assuming you are fresh out of a private school).

Some companies (Swift/Prime/etc.) do their "CDL acquisition training" in-house - where you get your permit go out with a trainer hauling REAL LIFE LOADS, and then come back into the terminal to do the CDL Skills Tests and get your Full CDL-A. At that point you go out for ANOTHER 30K miles (+/-) running as a team with a trainer for "finishing training" (learning how to run that companies loads, with their policies and equipment, while still having a veteran onboard to help when required).

Other companies only take "recent grads" from other "qualified schools" - and, after giving them a "road test" at orientation to make sure their skills are such that they CAN send them on the road - put with with a trainer to run as teams, similar to the companies that do in-house training. Many trainers will not run as a team (in this instance) until they observe the new driver for a period of time (most likely, to make sure they aren't going to get killed while they sleep).

We've heard about your "issues" with your school - and not getting enough actual "wheel time" to get proficient/confident with your skills. 9 months is a LONG TIME - how long was the ACTUAL SCHOOL TIME?

I did a 9 week course at a local County Vo-Tech, but that was 7AM-3PM (full time) 5 days a week, for 9 full weeks, 320 hours. And I logged over 1,000 miles of wheel time on the road outside of the school grounds during that time.

As others have said - KEEP TRYING TO GET YOUR CDL AT SCHOOL. If it just becomes IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO - consider signing on with a company as a new student and get trained IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS, by DOING THE JOB.

On-The-Job-Training is almost ALWAYS BETTER THAN A SCHOOL.

Rick

There were five people who completed training with me on October 27th. None of us have passed the test

Kevin's worried:

So I'm preparing for the possibility that I won't be able to pass the road final.

Patrick C. agrees:

We all feel that we didn't get enough training.

Gladhand speaks truth:

Don't you worry a bit. They don't expect you to be perfect. You just have to show the necessary basic skills to pass.

Kevin, on finishing each stage of your training, you'll feel barely ready for the next step. That's the plan! You (and many others) look backward, and realize they barely know anything. It's simply a matter of perspective: look forward, and be thankful that you are now prepared for that next step.

I even complained to my school road instructor (the pre-CDL skills test one) that we didn't get enough training. But the three in my group did the important thing: we all passed out CDL test!

Even when I got my first solo/OTR dispatch I was a bit nervous. You'll get there! You'll get past that hurdle, too!

If I sign up with a company for cdl training should I even mentioned I've gone through training at my school? I talked to one company and they said they didn't want to invest in someone who already had training.

Keep in mind - and we HAVE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE Kevin. The "private schools" SOLE PURPOSE is to get you your CDL. It in no measureable way, prepares you for the REAL LIFE CAREER of trucking.

So you will STILL GO ONTO A COMPANY, as a trainee - you will just be able to "skip" the part of their training, that gets new recruits their CDL's (assuming you are fresh out of a private school).

Some companies (Swift/Prime/etc.) do their "CDL acquisition training" in-house - where you get your permit go out with a trainer hauling REAL LIFE LOADS, and then come back into the terminal to do the CDL Skills Tests and get your Full CDL-A. At that point you go out for ANOTHER 30K miles (+/-) running as a team with a trainer for "finishing training" (learning how to run that companies loads, with their policies and equipment, while still having a veteran onboard to help when required).

Other companies only take "recent grads" from other "qualified schools" - and, after giving them a "road test" at orientation to make sure their skills are such that they CAN send them on the road - put with with a trainer to run as teams, similar to the companies that do in-house training. Many trainers will not run as a team (in this instance) until they observe the new driver for a period of time (most likely, to make sure they aren't going to get killed while they sleep).

We've heard about your "issues" with your school - and not getting enough actual "wheel time" to get proficient/confident with your skills. 9 months is a LONG TIME - how long was the ACTUAL SCHOOL TIME?

I did a 9 week course at a local County Vo-Tech, but that was 7AM-3PM (full time) 5 days a week, for 9 full weeks, 320 hours. And I logged over 1,000 miles of wheel time on the road outside of the school grounds during that time.

As others have said - KEEP TRYING TO GET YOUR CDL AT SCHOOL. If it just becomes IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO - consider signing on with a company as a new student and get trained IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS, by DOING THE JOB.

On-The-Job-Training is almost ALWAYS BETTER THAN A SCHOOL.

Rick

If I sign up with a company for cdl training should I even mentioned I've gone through training at my school? I talked to one company and they said they didn't want to invest in someone who already had training.

If you don't have your CDL already - you should have no problems signing on with a company that does training - as long as you are willing to TAKE ON THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION TO STAY ON and pay back your training costs.

Coming in WITH a CDL can be more problematic.

I've had mine since '09, but have no full time/long term experience. I had JPT tell me I would have to "downgrade" my full endorse CDL-A to a regular DL for them to take me into their training program. They later changed up to - having to take a road test when I got there. I have a Passenger endorsement, that I don't want to PAY to re-take (along with a current HazMat) - so "turning in" my CDL to get a hire, isn't something I really want to consider.

Rick

There were five people who completed training with me on October 27th. None of us have passed the test

Kevin's worried:

So I'm preparing for the possibility that I won't be able to pass the road final.

Patrick C. agrees:

We all feel that we didn't get enough training.

Gladhand speaks truth:

Don't you worry a bit. They don't expect you to be perfect. You just have to show the necessary basic skills to pass.

Kevin, on finishing each stage of your training, you'll feel barely ready for the next step. That's the plan! You (and many others) look backward, and realize they barely know anything. It's simply a matter of perspective: look forward, and be thankful that you are now prepared for that next step.

I even complained to my school road instructor (the pre-CDL skills test one) that we didn't get enough training. But the three in my group did the important thing: we all passed out CDL test!

Even when I got my first solo/OTR dispatch I was a bit nervous. You'll get there! You'll get past that hurdle, too!

Does your school allow the option for you to get some after-hours maneuvering time in?

How many re-tries does your state allow before you have to start paying extra for them?

If you have to, take the test, find out what you did wrong, and correct that. Then come back and do it again after more practice, or at least thinking about it a bit.

Another thing to consider is that, from what I have heard, almost every state CDL testing center has one or two routes that they use for their tests. After you take the test once, if you don't pass, take your personal vehicle out and run the test route a couple times and become more familiar with it before you take the test again.

If you are failing on the pre-trips, ask the tester if the state has a pre-trip document that you can study, since your school seems to be using a different guide. Be nice and don't talk down about the school, (the school instructors and DMV personnel may know each other.)