Cape Fear Community College Truck Driver Training Log
Topic 31771 | Page 2
Day 3
Today after roll call we did pre trips all AM. I had a group of 3 to 1 instructor so we each did a full pre trip and in cab once before 1130.
After returning from lunch we started moving the tractors and shifting. We each spent maybe 15-20 moving around the practice area then the instructor showed us the route around campus. After a break we each did a route around the campus and back to the practice area.
Shifting is definitely something that will take ingraining as a motor pattern, especially downshifting. Tomorrow we'll be on US-421 outside of Wilmington over in Pender County so it'll be more challenging. I'm quite excited about it.
Both of my classmates in the afternoon with me and I did about the "same" as far as I could tell up shifting and down shifting. The groups rotate daily so I'll see how others are doing tomorrow.
Book work this week consists of Chapters 1-6 of the book listed in the first post.
Day 4
Once we got started we did pre trips amongst ourselves and then an instructor drove us out to US 421 and parked at Johnson Corner Grill.
We'd each drive out of their parking lot and head back towards I-140 practicing shifting up to 9th(Eaton 10) and then downshifting back to 4th. Each student drove about 15 minutes "out" and then we'd U- turn in 4th and come back. Up and down shifting the same and then turn back into the grill.
I felt like I started to get the very basics of where speedwise and tacho-wise I needed to be to shift up and down. The downshifting is quite a bit different as none of us are used to needing to double clutch. Definitely something I'll work on as we move forward.
Tomorrow depending on individual skill level some of us may work on skip shifting during our turns driving. I'm not sure if tomorrow (Wednesday) the students who are doing better will take 2 lane side roads or not. I think some of it will depend on group size. Some people don't have urinalysis results back yet or don't show up so that gives the remainder in that group more drive time.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
DWI:
Driving While Intoxicated
Day 5
As we rotated trucks and trainers and the trainers didn't know us we all did the same thing in the AM as we did yesterday.
After lunch 3/4 of us in the truck I was in did back roads to get use to 2 lanes, stop signs, driveways and side streets etc. I'm gonna include an image of the route. We started where my GPS pin is, followed the red route then turned back onto the same street as red and followed the blue route. We then came back to Johnson Corner and parked and swapped drivers.
The next to last guy did the highway upshift/downshift only that we did yesterday and seemed to start getting a feel for it towards the end. The final guy just drove back to the school which is lanes as well, just a different route and actually a bit longer. Hopefully either via notes they take or once all the instructors know us we can start driving out to the site soon as well to get more behind the wheel time.
The rest of the week for me will just be a bit of adjustment for each tractor's different clutch and transmission "feel" and then just practicing everything together. I'm not sure if they have other varied or longer routes we'll do this week or not. If they do they haven't said where
Thanks for chronically your cdl school journey! I will be starting cdl school at a local community college in Florida this summer. I'm excited to follow your diary as you will complete your journey before I even begin. Hopefully I will pick up some valuable information from your journey as I'm preparing for mine.
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.
Day 6
The AM was a new instructor,Chad. Again as not all of us had been with him he wanted to cover the basics for the week first so we did the basic US 421 route.
Everyone is improving but of course everyone has a "sticking point" or two. Mine is if I miss a gear a couple times and traffic is waiting on me I get flustered. I've also forgotten to drop the selector when downshifting if I've been in the upper gears for a while(driving a long stretch in 9th or 10th)
Everyone with Chad today worked on skip shifting while slowing and stopping. That makes it a lot less work to slow down and stop for sure.
Our DEF gauge went from 2 green bars to 1 and we still needed to do pre trip practice so I drove from 421 back to the school and we got topped off on DEF and everyone got to do the LAB portion and brake check of their pre trip twice.
Chad said if the instructor today reads his notes they may let me drive into the city by continuing down 421 towards Wilmington and crossing the Isabel Stella Holmes bridge and then some city driving.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I actually just saw your first post about your situation. You've figured out scheduling classes and finding a local job then?
Your post said you basically had to go local whereas I'm the exact opposite. I pretty much need to be OTR. I'll make sure to create a new post once I start seriously communicating with companies and recruiters to chronicle it as well as get feedback on each employer and potential questions to ask them.
Thanks for chronically your cdl school journey! I will be starting cdl school at a local community college in Florida this summer. I'm excited to follow your diary as you will complete your journey before I even begin. Hopefully I will pick up some valuable information from your journey as I'm preparing for mine.
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.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Day 7
Today we just went over basics doing the same loop on 421. The instructor got me more comfortable slowing down quicker and using skip shifting to do so. I think this will help a lot once in the city as between lights, less far away visibility of stop signs as opposed to lights and vehicles and pedestrians it will be more important to stay in control and be able to brake and stop quicker and with little warning.
I won't get to practice it tomorrow(Monday) due to doing backing but I can hopefully pick back up where I left off.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Day 8
On day 8 we split the class into halves. My half did straight line backing on the pad all AM and a mix of backing and some figure 8 maneuvers to learn how to watch for off tracking with different types and lengths of trailers. The other half continued last weeks driving, upshift and downshift exercises
My half did fairly well. We all had a tougher time with a shorter trailer and the tanker but no one jack knifed their trailer or anything. A few hit the beginning cones driving the course their first one or two times but otherwise everyone seemed to do ok.
My half of the class will do 90s on Wednesday and I'm guessing that's when I'll see how well backing comes back to me after about 16 years since I last backed anything other than a 20' boat on a trailer 😂
Day 9
We had a group of 3 and after the instructor did a quick "basic" upshift and downshift check he had us each do about 45m-1 hour drive around NC 53-NC11, up through Burgaw, back up US 421, up I140 to US 74/76 to US 421 again. Felt like some good experience actually having to shift as needed and less on command.
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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.