CFI Training Through Trainco Trucking School

Woohoo Hoooooo!!!

Congrats!

Hahahaha Anne, I LOVE the dancing dog even more than the bananas!!!! I can breathe and I'm so excited and can't thank you enough for standing by me through the last few weeks. The real training begins next week.

AWESOME !!!

AMAZING !!!!!! CONGRATS !!!!!

KUDOS !!!!

(Only drivers can give out bananas, sadly . . . but Scott will be along shortly; here's mine : )

Good for you, man!

~ Anne ~

ps: NOW, "breathe!" LoL....

Woohoo Hoooooo!!!

Congrats!

Thanks BigScott and John. I'm very excited to get going and start my new adventure.

Test Day

So it's no surprise that how this post is going to end LOL but I thought that I would post today's experience for anyone that is reading this that is about to take the plunge into trucking.

My test was set up with the other two automatic drivers that were in my class with me. I had the middle test at 10:00 am. I arrived around 8:30 am so I could make sure I wasn't late and got into the proper mindset. I decided after much hand wringing that I wasn't going to practice before testing. They do give you the option of doing that but I went with the logic that if I was struggling, it would get in my head. Also, with all the practice on the range, I have had over the last 2 weeks, if I haven't figured it out by now, it ain't happening. LOL

The pre-trip went off without a hitch. I went through the whole in-cab, brake insp, and exterior insp with light check without taking a single point! I'm so happy about this because I put in so much effort to make sure the pre-trip was spot on. In fact, I think having this down perfectly helped me down the road. We then moved into the basic skills maneuvers. I got (life everyone) the straight line back, offset back to the left lane, then sight side parallel back. I went through the straight line with no points, went through the offset with no points but used both my pull-ups and one get out and look. I just couldn't get away from the right side cones and I was afraid I was going to hit them. Come to find out I was lined up perfectly and just had to straight line back through the cones. Lastly, my nemesis the parallel back. Now I have gotten much more comfortable with the parallel over the last week. However, something about this maneuver just gets in my head. I did my approach and after my first maneuver and I'm chasing down the trailer to an "in-line" tractor and trailer approach. The key is to look out your mirror and look for the two outermost cones in the back of the box. All three cones, bad. Less than two cones, bad. I looked and I had NONE!! I completely missed my approach maneuver. So I adjusted twice as I backed slowly to get myself almost two cones. But by this point, I was pretty deep in the box so I quickly moved to bring my tractor into the box. I didn't get my trailer deep enough and I spent 5 pull-ups inching the trailer back and forth into the box. What I should have done was just pull up and reset my approach the first time. Anyway, only took 3 points on the basic skills which is way less than the 12 allowed points.

Off to the road test portion of the test.

Now you would think that getting through the part of the test that I was most scared about would have set my mind at ease. It didn't...I haven't driven in the rain even once in a truck so of course, it starts pouring as we head out to the road. I can't figure out how to increase the speed of the wipers on the Volvo I'm driving. It's approaching lunchtime and our first turn off of the country road the school is on, is to a state highway, with NO TRAFFIC LIGHT!! Car and truck after car and truck. All the inspector keeps telling me is "don't impede traffic". So I'm trying to find a gap. I get one that is "close" but should work. I hit the gas and the truck lurches badly and jumps forward. I pull off the gas and gently retry to accelerate the truck lurches and jumps again. I'm realizing that the truck doesn't have proper traction on the slight incline and significantly wet roadway. She's freaking out thinking I'm slamming on the gas pedal. I apologized profusely and she calmed down some. We chalked it up to poor traction and first time in the rain and she let me continue. The rest of the drive went perfectly. She actually complimented me and informed me that I need to have more confidence because I'm a "good driver"

Overall I took 6 points on the road, 3 in the basic skills test, nothing on pre-trip. So that is a successful CDL test.

It's been a whirlwind and honestly, I met so many great people along the way. The next update will come next week when I start orientation at CFI. Have a great weekend everybody, stay safe, and Happy Memorial Day!!!

Congratulations on your milestone day!

Once again, great job on a trifecta the first shot. Now comes the real fun.

Congratulations sir!

Now, buckle up - the ride is just beginning!

START OF ORIENTATION DIARY

Orientation Eve.... Welcome back everybody to the next segment of my training diary. Hard to believe that I'm already through trucking school. My day started at 1:00 am as I knew full drive time would be over 12 hours if I didn't stop and everything went perfectly. LOL Since that was NEVER going to happen, I allowed myself a few extra hours on the clock to be here between 3-4 pm. Roughly 850 miles later and waaaaay too many potty breaks I have arrived in Joplin, MO roughly around 3:15 PM.

The hotel is pretty nice, it's a LaQuinta (massive place). The CFI shuttle is due to arrive tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM.

Tonight I plan on just relaxing and sleeping. I'm doing my best to calm my thoughts down. As per usual, I'm a bucket of nerves. Seems like whenever I have to do something new, in a new place, meeting people I don't know, everything gets me a bit rattled. I always warm up quickly to people and make friends pretty easily but it's the initial unknown that gives me anxiety?!

Orientation is set to last Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm assuming at this point that the finisher trainer will pick me up on Thursday but I have no confirmation of this (just an assumption)

I'll make sure to post a full update tomorrow evening.

Have a great night and stay safe everyone.

I will be there on 6-2-21. Hope I get to meet you.