Wait Is Over Finally At Prime PSD Training

Part 11 Since the truck is in the shop my trainer says I am going to get you scheduled for test out. We had some time before our truck appt , so we hit the pad. About 4 hours of all the backs and I felt really good about backing. I had a little skip in my step. Ha Ha We practiced the in cab and air brake pretrip. All went good. Turned the truck in. The next day my trainer said you want some more pad time, I can get a pad truck. I said no I think I got it. He said you’re sure. I said I am good. So I spent the rest of the day relaxing and studying pretrip. Received a message from dispatch, report to test out Friday 1330. A couple hours later new message, report at 1100.Next morning, breakfast, We catch the shuttle at 10. Arrive and hang out and I continue to get pretrip arranged in my mind. We check in at 1045. Pretty painless, go to front desk for keys to pad truck for testing. My trainer helps me and we hook to one of the 3 trailers shown for testing that day. Take the truck and trailer to lucky pad 4 that I will be testing on. Put out the wheel chokes and my trainer says let’s just make sure this combo will pass the air brake test. What a life saver he was. Let air build, engine off key on. Release brakes, apply and hold brakes, wait for stabilize.?Air pressure goes down , down , down. Does not stop. We suspect the trailer, we mention that and another trainer said, ya I had trouble with that trailer. So we search out another trailer, go through the process, same result. Take to office crew. They hook up to known good trailer, same issue it’s the truck. So now it’s 1245 on my 1100 test out time. I am starting to get a little wigged out. Then I hear we can borrow Tim’s truck, (another trainer). Tim rolls up with a trailer attached says it’s ready and says, my students haven’t tore it up you should be ok in it, and laughs. So my tester comes along and says great this is the trifecta machine. I look at Tim and he says, let’s see how you do, good luck and I will tell you the story later. So my tester Brett which is really cool, says are you ready to do a pretrip, boy am I. We start with pretrip, I had to do coupling, lights and trailer then finish with in cab and air brake. I went through it all, thought I missed something in the in cab but Brett didn’t say a word. He said ok let’s do some backing. First up straight back no sweat. Offset back passenger side. I set up, Got my angle, back up straighten out not enough, go some more. Ass end between the cones, but had too much bend, start to back up, whistle blows, pull up straighten and go back, still ****ed in the box , pull up again, then was able to back it in. No real happy but it’s in the darn box. Next up my and many driver achles heel. Alley Dock.OK to the line, set my arch, back up, too much and touched the cone with the driver side trailer axle, heard my trainer in my head, pull up 15 feet, change your gap and back in. I close the gap, back up and center between the cones, stop and goal. Looked ok. Start back while straightening the truck, whistle, damn it. Pull up, this is my 2nd pull up so still legal. Adjust the truck and back it in the whole. I am not straight in the box and almost backed out the back of the box. Goal, with no skip in my step. Disappointed at this point. Get to the back and the passenger side bumper is on the back of the box line and maybe just a hair over. I had not pulled the completion horn so I look at the tester, and ask is it outside the box? He looks at me and says I think the tie goes to the runner, your good. Ok I go up toot the horn. He comes up and says you did good you ready to slide the tandems and go drive? Yes sir I am. So we drive, everything pretty cool, took one corner and I used every bit of real estate to make it past the curb. It came so close but thank god it did not hop up on the curb. Brett chuckled and said great job most don’t clear that. Did an emergency stop and then back to the yard. I pull up stop set the brakes and shut it off. Brett goes over everything, pretrip, missed a couple little things but air brake was spot on, backing docked a few points for extra pull ups on offset back. Driving missed 7 points on little things he said we’re not worth mentioning. He said you are a good driver and you did a nice job. I said I was not real happy with my backing and could usually do better. He laughed and said well considering you trained in one truck, got in a pad truck and then finally test out in some other testers truck I would say you turned a crazy day into a great result. Congratulations. So Mr Tim who was gracious enough to loan me his truck told me congrats, the last 3 students I trained did a trifecta, now with you, you are number 3 of students I didn’t train but tested out in my truck to trifecta. Thanks for not breaking the string. Yee haw I am happy to have it behind me.

TRIFECTA BABY!!!!!!!!

Wow, P'Buck!!!

I always follow; don't always comment ... like many, I'm sure.

I've got nothing to add . . . just love living 'vicariously' through the adventures . . . especially y'all 'newish' peeps!

Hershey's . . . Effingham. . . I could carry on about the 'jokes' in that . . alone, haha!!! (Don't worry, I won't! ;*) )

Glad you are still 'holding it together,' good sir.

Luck in Battle. Wish you WELL~!!!

~ Anne ~

ps: DID YOU GET TO SEE THE DUNGEON?!?!? Is that why you were 'radio silenced' for 2 weeks?!??! Kearsey / Rainy ... again ?!?!?

Actually Anne you are the trucking truth cheerleader. I for one really appreciate your sweetness and caring. I was trying to just be factual in my accounts but if you want some humor, my trainer and I laugh every time we go past Uranas Fudge. Per there commercials they can pack fudge like no one else. Cracks me up.

Congratulations "driver."

That title will have more meaning to you as you go through TNT and also as you become a solo driver.

Thank you sir

Congratulations "driver."

That title will have more meaning to you as you go through TNT and also as you become a solo driver.

Great job!

Thanks Pack Rat. Not up with the big dogs but one step above the ankle biters! Lol

Great job!

Awesome job! What you experienced with your backing is an added benefit of getting your CDL through Prime. By being out there delivering loads while learning to handle that vehicle you're picking up on much more you don't get in private school. At a private school we were given written instruction how to perform each back. If you missed a step or were off a tad it wouldn't work right. By delivering loads you were docking at all sorts of angles and knew exactly what to do to fix the problem if your setup was off.

Awesome job. Is your PSD trainer going to also be your TNT?

Yes sir same trainer which I am very thankful for. After reading some horror stories I am very happy with mine. You need bathroom or food break just let him know and it happens. Showers every other day pretty much. Now I know Rainy has a sweeter voice but she is a busy girl!! Lol The way my trainer taught backing it immediately made sense to me. My biggest thing is slow down and think it through. His theory is I want to teach you how to fix being in a backing position and know how to make it work cause no backing is the same in the real world. I know you seam to get in some pretty tight spots. I Just need to build on my backing from here out. Thanks Mr Rob

Awesome job! What you experienced with your backing is an added benefit of getting your CDL through Prime. By being out there delivering loads while learning to handle that vehicle you're picking up on much more you don't get in private school. At a private school we were given written instruction how to perform each back. If you missed a step or were off a tad it wouldn't work right. By delivering loads you were docking at all sorts of angles and knew exactly what to do to fix the problem if your setup was off.

Awesome job. Is your PSD trainer going to also be your TNT?

Whoopi whoooo!!!!

Congrats