Starting TDI Tomorrow

Hi everyone!

My name is Rick. I'm starting school tomorrow with TDI in Richburg, SC.

My background is that I'm retired US Army and I have about ten years of law enforcement and I'm a certified fire fighter, volunteering here with the city FD.

The TDI recruiter has been pretty cool and gave me good advice about getting pre-hire letters. So far, I have a pre-hire letter from Covenant and I got an email from Melton. I spoke with the folks from Swift prior to signing on with TDI and I've been using their CDL prep, along with the TT material, to get ready.

I've made sure I had all my medical ducks in a row and have been cleared, there. In 2010 I rolled out to SLC to train with C.R. England but I didn't have the doctors medical release (DMR) beforehand, and one of my docs didn't give me top cover and I had to head back to the greyhound station far too soon.

The main reason I chose TDI is that I'll be able to use my VA benefits to pay for school. And I've been leaning towards TMC and Covenant because I'll be able to continue receiving my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits while training! My recruiter told me to expect to hear from a lot of recruiters while there at school, so I'm keeping an open mind.

A high school buddy of mine happens to be prepping for the TDI school in Milton, FL and May be a week behind me. So I already have a opportunity to have a team ready to roll once I get through school and training. First things, first.

Thanks, Brett, for creating this site. It's been a refreshing source of info while trying to decide when to bust a move in to the trucking world. My brothers have both been drivers, and my bro PJ drives a dedicated route now for CRST, after having driven for Schneider hauling HAZMAT tankers for several years. My younger bro, KC, didn't take to the ride...so I've had a balance of resources to work with.

Back to studying...and my honey-do-this list!

Have a great day, Rick

Hey Rick - how did school get started off?

Hi Brett,

On day 4 and all is well, so far, thank you.

The hurdle I was most concerned about was the DOT physical. Four years ago I took the dirty dog ride to Salt Lake City from SC. Found out the hard way that I should of talked to my doc before I left. He didn't give me the green light because it had been a while since I'd seen him. Makes sense, but I was hot and was PO'd all the way back to SC.

This time, thanks to Jeff from TDI, I got a "doctor's medical release" from my current MD which made the physical a snap!

My week one instructor has logged 1.5 million miles of OTR driving, and taught me enough to get my CDL on my first try. I also took and passed the written tests for hazmat and tankers. The CDL prep here, on trucking truth.com, and from my high speed instructor gave me all I needed.

An interesting, as in unexpected, part of our first school day was filling out applications for 18 trucking companies. That process is all about getting "pre-hire" letters. I got pre-hires from about half of them, some of which I'd never heard of before walking into the classroom.

After listening to a couple of recruiter presentations and contacting some companies myself, I believe more now than ever that There is great opportunity in the world of Professional Driving and I can be as successful as I want to be. Choosing a company has been foremost on my mind. There are companies guaranteeing weekend home time and some guaranteeing a chance to go OTR and log some miles. I would like to lease myself a truck and become a trainer. The company I'm leaning towards requires their trainers to have a year's experience before they can instruct. I can't help but think that having a more experienced initial trainer will be a good thing.

Now, I'm getting psyched for next week. We'll work on pre-inspections and maneuvering combination vehicles around TDI's back yard.

Be safe! Rick

TDI Week 2

Well, today was the big day as my class got out onto the road with our instructors. After driving for a couple of hours I can safely say both that I had a blast and that I suck when it comes to double-clutch shifting a ten speed transmission. The good new is that our instructor, Jeff, is the man! The other good news is that I know I will get better. I have a few miles of good shifting, and then brain cramp and stress because I can't find the gears. When I'm distracted by driving through a town, I shifted without thinking about it...and that's what I'm working towards...the shifting becoming second nature.

There's a great article here on TT by an instructor describing the first time he taught double clutching... I can't help but agree that the instructors here will have more to talk about tomorrow over coffee following my class's first day on the road.

Be saf...have a great day!

I would like to lease myself a truck and become a trainer.

Rick, I wouldn't recommend that you jump into a lease any time soon. Just try and get yourself established in your career for now. The trucking company yards are littered with abandoned lease trucks. There's just way too much risk and unanticipated pit-falls for a beginner to understand what it is that he's really committing to in a truck lease. In reality, most company drivers come out making way more than your average lease operator. And the primary reason the lease operators have turned to training is that they need the extra cash flow just to keep their heads above water.

Hi Old School!

I will definitely heed your, and Brett's advice! I plan to learn as much as I can over the next year or so before I jump into that world. My TDI instructor, Jeff, has described to me and my classmates what it was like for him as an owner-operator and the expenses that go along with it. While we were out today on our second day on the road, he took us by a couple of truck stops and showed us some of those magazines listing a bunch of the companies looking for experienced drivers and one that was full of tractors for sale. A few of the lots were full of trucks as you mentioned were most likely returned leased trucks. I'm sure there is a smart way to venture into that business world. If there is, I may try it. And I know that I can be a trainer as a company driver, too.

I had a much better day double-clutching this afternoon. I still tend to get into a rush, fight the truck, and lost that battle every time!

Love the daily log. Keeps my interest in the business...er...lifestyle. Hoping to start TDI within a week, no more than 2. Your experience is a breath of fresh air to all the negative forums out the. TT is so open book. Keep on moving!

Glad I could help, PC!

They had a pizza party Friday as the seniors, week 3 guys and gals, graduated and received their blue envelopes containing their diplomas and loan paperwork, if applicable. They all had passed their road test, their skills test, and Thursday morning passed their pre-trip inspection test; the whole class scored 94 or 95 out of a possible 95 points! They also received an appointment to come back and take the final exam, so to speak. South Carolina law mandates that CDL students have to wait 48 hours from graduating, at 5:30 pm Friday, to take their state road test, driving skills and PTI tests. The schools CDL examiner, Bobby, said it takes about three hours to give each student their tests.

Week 3 Tuesday

This is day four of our road training. Because of an impending snow storm on the way here to north central South Carolina, our instructor gave us the option of taking our road test today. I passed mine on the first try, thank the Lord.

My shifting in this old Freightliner owned me until yesterday. As we headed to lunch in Myrtle Beach, I started using a mantra that I used in Army basic training: click, click, boom. Getting that rhythm in my mind helped me get the double clutch beat, so to speak. It reminded me to stop flooring the clutch as if I were shifting a car five speed. It also reminded me to breathe and stop fighting the truck. I was rushing myself when taking off from a red light, trying to keep up with the pack as if I were in my old Maverick! Click click boom, and I crushed that test.

The snow is hitting most of SC right now. We have been in a slot between the snow fronts. It looks though like the back end of that atmospheric cul de sac is about to catch us. My partner and I plan to get our night driving in...and we should be able to get some of it in before we have to head back to the barn.

Y'all be safe!

Rick

Week 3. Thursday

Two more days! We are piled in the classroom waiting for class to start. The snow kept us off the highway yesterday so we, the six of us, are looking forward to again hittin the highway.

The snow and ice changed up our schedule. We tested on our PTI yesterday and we all passed. We then had time to practice alley docking. I finally got the hang of it with the help of J.B., another one of our driving instructors. I have been able to get the trailer in the box straight as an arrow...then I was stuck. I've been trying to do it the way our first instructor showed us...by putting it all the way to the dock without having to pull up. He made it look so easy I didn't consider any other way. JB introduced me to the idea of pulling up and straightening the the trailer and then straight line backing it in. I kinda felt stupid, but easy solutions are always welcome and I got over myself and put it right in there! What a great feeling...

I have to get my night driving hours in tonight. The guys and I are trying to figure where we can go, get something good to eat, and then work our way back. Rumor has it that we will be in three trucks today instead of two. I'm sure the schedule rearrangement has something to do with that rumor and the kernel of truth at its center. Three trucks would allow us to stay out for 8 hours instead of twelve. But we can cover a lot of turf in eight hours

Tomorrow, we take our final test for the school: the road skills test comprised of alley docking, serpentine, stop box, and straight line backing. They have it set up so that it's all one maneuver on the pad in front of the school, here on SC Hwy 9. Once we pass that, we get our blue envelope which we can't open until we hand it to the folks at the DMV , so they can open it. They'll then schedule us to come back next week to see Bobby, our on-site examiner who will administer the actual state of SC CDL test. I stand corrected...we don't get that blue envelope until Bobby gives us his blessing...better than last rites; that's how nervous I am about that final exam.

Y'all stay safe and stay warm, Rick