Training On Gravel Vs. Paved Lot
Topic 31618 | Page 2
I did a little bit of my training on gravel. I don’t know what kind of gravel it was, so I just took it for granite.
Laugh ' a ' minute, BK~! (Now go re learn the photo posting!)
~ Anne ~
ps; That WAS a good one, tho!! :)
Anne, I’m making progress with the photo feature, but can’t pull up the photos I want to post. But I’ll eventually get it figured out.
Whatever route you take make sure it's an approved 160 hour course. If you're unable to stop working (or have vacation time to burn) you may need to look for a weekend or night class. Those will likely take twice as long to complete but I understand financially not being able to stop working. There are a couple companies that pay something like $500 a week if you go through their program. Those would be Knight and Roehl if I'm not mistaken.
Gravel or asphalt really doesn't make enough of a difference to base your decision on. Our practice yard was gravel and other than a few deep ruts it wasn't bad. Worst part was re applying spray paint for the lines if it rained, as well as the dust blowing around on windy days. I've seen plenty of schools that technically have an asphalt yard but it's so beat up and pothole ridden its not much better than gravel.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I do appreciate the replies thanks, they made me pause, I am probably going with the paved training yard at a training co. that's been around for decades, they are very flexible. Several CDL "schools" in my area use single axle trailers that seem 40ft (at best) or less, I presume that makes parking maneuvers easier for newbies, is this true or does DMV make adjustments on backing skills testing proportional to the trailer you bring to the test?
Also I've come across most places that are "certain" the FMCSA requires 160 hours now, but a couple who agree with me which is contrary, which works for me because I cannot find that much time even though I wish I could.
Thanks
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
"Several CDL "schools" in my area use single axle trailers that seem 40ft (at best) or less, I presume that makes parking maneuvers easier for newbies, is this true"
The shorter the trailer, the quicker it turns and gets away from you. I went from 53 footers to containers that were 40 ft and it was like backing my 16-ft stock trailer! Had to really slow down and make smaller movements with the steering wheel to not let it get away from me. After a year of containers I came back to 53 footers and they are so much easier to back.
Laura
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Here's where you find schools that are approved training providers: Training Provider Registry
FWIW, the school I attended is on this list, and I didn't get anything like 160 hours of supervised training. They had me watch videos and read material on my own until I felt comfortable with those aspects, and my 'on the clock' time consisted of showing the instructor I could do a pretrip, and then it was all 1-on-1 training in the truck on backing maneuvers and road driving. They were very flexible, working around my and the instructor's schedules. I don't know if they've made changes to the curriculum since the new ELDT regulations went into effect, though.
I think the most important thing is to find out if the training you receive will help you toward your goals. Ask the school where their graduates get hired. See if they'll put you in touch with these graduates, so you can ask them how well they feel the school prepared them for the next step in their career.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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I did a little bit of my training on gravel. I don’t know what kind of gravel it was, so I just took it for granite.