How To Prepare For Driving School
Topic 33223 | Page 1
Nathan, you can take advantage of all the educational links on this site.
Other than that, it’s much about mind set. Concentrate like your life is dependent on the training. Focus, focus, focus.
My advice, get everything squared away at home. Institute a policy that you aren't going to talk about any issue that you can't solve over the phone in the next five minutes, or obviously if immediate family is life threateningly injured. Your mental energy needs to be used in this process, not split between home and here. I don't say this to be mean or callous, but the reality is, it's stressful, and worrying about home is going to add that much extra you don't need.
You need to be prepared to feel like you are never going to "get it right" and understand that giving up in that single moment is not an option.
Learning to drive a truck is a humbling experience, especially for someone who is used to getting everything right the first time.
Everyone has a unique set of circumstances, so what can work for one, may not work for another person. Speaking from my own experience, I would suggest not to overthink it and rather have a good rest before your school starts, so you can be in a good physical and mental shape. It is important to remember, that driving school is the easiest part in becoming a good driver. You will be taught one and only one skill at school, i.e. how to pass a test and get your CDL. The real training and learning will start later and most likely will be measured in years. Good luck!
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.
Congratulations @Nathan on this exciting adventure!
As a new CDL A holder, here is what I would suggest (this is based on my experience with graduating from a CDL A school this month):
- Mindset is everything. Stay humble and don't think that you know everything because...you don't and you won't. Constantly have a growth mindset (teachable) vs a fixed mindset (set in your ways).
You can find out more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWn_TJTrnU
- If you are a Christian, praying and finding encouraging Scriptures plus proclaiming them helped me tremendously to calm my nerves.
I would listen to this series about the right mental attitude from Pastor David Middleton:
https://www.doersoftheword.org/audio_bible_school.html#Right
- In addition, I used growth mindset affirmations to help me during the process.
You can find those here:
https://theblissfulmind.com/positive-affirmations-list/
- Start building your support group now...I had my church members who encouraged my family and me through the whole process.
- Master the pre-trip inspection especially the in-cab because if you don't pass the in-cab, you will not progress to the next portion of the exam. If the school has videos, play them over and over again.
- Trust your instructors and avoid information overload by watching YouTube Videos or playing trucking game apps. You may struggle with the offset and parallel...I do have two videos that helped me to understand and still, I had to wean myself from information overload.
- Never underestimate training with a truck and camping trailer...a church member graciously allowed me to borrow his and this helped me in understanding the concept of backing and trailer control.
- I recommend the book "With Winning In Mind" by Lanny Bassham to help you with the whole process.
- Avoid overthinking everything and learn to flow.
- Lastly, if you fail the test the first time...this is NOT the end of the world. A setback is a setup for a comeback. We are here to support you and the most important is that you obtain your CDL so leave the mindset of "One and done" out.
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
If you are someone with an ego at all (I am a someone like that so this is personal experience), learn to check your ego early and often.
Pre-trip. There's nothing complicated about it, other than it's quite a bit of information and examiners can be sticklers for terminology. Every single day, practice your pre-trip. I would say start early on it, but different states have different expectations for wording, sometimes. Your instructors will tell you what is expected to be said for your examination pre-trip.
Don't be afraid to have fun. What I mean by that is that you can have a positive attitude, a smile on your face, and the occasional well-timed joke while earning your CDL. The best learning environments are those where everyone is getting along and looking to help each other.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
As BK said Focus, focus, focus. This is the key. If you really want this treat this like you life depends on it. Good luck.
Hello all. I am starting driving school a week from today and I am very eager to get started training and learning. I have driven 26 foot box trucks before, but have no experience driving anything the size of a semi or anything with a trailer before. I'm very excited and eager to get started. Is there anything anyone could suggest that I can start doing now to make sure I am as prepared as possible for when school starts? I want to start doing anything I can now to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for tests as well as for when I get to the yard. Thank you all for your time and I appreciate any advice you all would be willing to provide.
You've received some very good advice from multiple members.
1. Get your home life in order.
2. If you don't already have your CPL then study the High Road on this site.
3. Pre-trip, then some pre-trip, then some more pre-trip. And to finish off the day...some pre-trip.
4. Don't put too much pressure on yourself at school. You'll learn more with your trainer than you will at CDL school.
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 is a link to our pretrip Inspection. This is the only thing no one can teach you. It is memorization.
Other than that is your attitude.
Are you going to company sponsored training or a private school. Also, look through our training diaries section. Read through what others have overcome.
Best of luck to you.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
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Hello all. I am starting driving school a week from today and I am very eager to get started training and learning. I have driven 26 foot box trucks before, but have no experience driving anything the size of a semi or anything with a trailer before. I'm very excited and eager to get started. Is there anything anyone could suggest that I can start doing now to make sure I am as prepared as possible for when school starts? I want to start doing anything I can now to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for tests as well as for when I get to the yard. Thank you all for your time and I appreciate any advice you all would be willing to provide.