Passed CDL

Just passed the CDL test. Start with the OTR trainer on August 7th. So happy. And very relieved. I know there probably many threads on what being on trainers truck. But any advice would be great.

Congratulations!

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Brian, congratulations!

When you go out with a trainer, bring your a-grade attitude and hustle.

Often a student will complain that they had a lousy trainer. But I think it’s far more common for a trainer to have a lousy student. Your goal should be to learn as much as possible and to make your trainer call you the best trainee he has ever had.

Awesome job earning your CDL. Unfortunately good trainers are hard to come by. Many drivers get into training strictly for the extra money. Just keep in mind that you're a guest in their truck (home) and do the best you can to get through training. Training is a short time in the grand scheme. If you feel you're not getting enough time driving or backing you need to be your own advocate to get the time necessary. You're not going to feel ready to go solo and that's normal. Your real learning will happen when you're on your own. As long as you don't hit anything everything else will work out.

To be a good trainee my advice is listen to what your trainer tells you and do it, within reason. Often times there's a good reason for what they're saying. Don't take it personal.

BK mentioned lousy students. He's spot on. I trained briefly at my current gig and couldn't do it anymore. Of the 3 different drivers I trained only 1 showed up on time. 2 of them were constantly falling asleep behind the wheel, 1 refused to read signs and blindly followed GPS. I agreed to train because there definitely is a shortage of GOOD trainers out there in general. My employer pays an extra $3/hr for training. Most days turned into a 13 or 14 hour day so for $40 extra I worked 3 hours longer than if I'd ran it solo, which is understandable. If I'm training I'm going to train them the correct way which to me is them doing all the work but I'm always ready to jump in if absolutely needed. I go to work to support my family, I want to get home as soon as possible while still making an excellent paycheck. In the end the lousy trainees made me stop training. Most experienced drivers make far more when they're not training because their productivity is higher.

Long story short : be open to your trainers criticism, be on time, try to be well rested so you can drive to make your appointments but communicate if you're too fatiqued and read your road signs.

Number one, it will suck. That's the reality of it.

Check your ego and attitude at the door. You know just enough to be a menace on the road.

Speak up. Understand that this individual won't necessarily blow sunshine up your tukus and tell you how awesome you are. This is normal. If there is a true problem between you and your trainer, speak up to your dispatch/fleet manager in the manner that they have lined out. You should be having conversations with them about your progress anyway.

Listen. Listen again. Ask if you don't understand. A lot of times, an experienced driver will spot a problem way before a brand new driver does. Sometimes they don't have time to explain first, command second.

If you make a mistake, own it. If you tap a trailer, speak up. Do not try and hide mistakes, they will be found, and they will send you home. Not for the mistake, but the hiding of it. It's always best to take accountability. "I ripped off the trailer door. I was not paying attention to my right side while sliding my tandems. This is a good reminder to always watch, even sides with obstacles that shouldn't be moving."

Also, it is extremely mentally exhausting learning to safely drive. Talk to people "back home" about how you don't have the mental space to split between home and on the road. I had to ban some people from talking to me altogether, and set a schedule of what day I would speak to someone. If someone wasn't dying or already dead, and I couldn't fix the issue with 5-10 mins on the phone, they weren't to tell me about it.

Most importantly, WATCH YOUR TRAILER!

Thank you everybody for your replies. I am going to try my best. That was one thing my Dad always said "do your best". Thanks for the tip about alway looking at the trailer because that was one of the comments from the instructor was look out your right side more. You look out your left but need to look out the right more because someone always tries to get around you. I will work on that. I got a little bit of my Mom in there too and she would say "you may need that"! So I need to watch that when packing. Thank y'all for your help. Enjoying some time with family before I head out.

Here is an update to training. I really feel it was a little lucky because there were only two students in the class with two trucks to train on the whole time. So it was hands on the whole time. We start out with some instructions in the classroom and outside with the pre trip and then driving in the range. Instructor was patient with us and told us how to do the maneuvers and we had the rest of the day to practice. This doesn’t happen ever because they usually have 6-8 students per class. So that was great. Even with all the practice I was so nervous about the backing. Come test time in the parallel to the left side I thought I failed the test with instructor because I couldn’t see the line in my mirror. But the instructor said you made it by one inch. So I passed on the first try in the driving test. Just got nervous. Going out with my trainer was good also. Had to complete 15000 miles, and after you complete that if you are ready you could get your truck to go solo. My trainer allowed me to drive right from the start which scared me half to death. I’m sure it scared him too. He said you passed your test right so you can do this so let’s go. I was a wreck. I remember my shoulders and arms being so tight and sore the first week because of not wanting to mess up. The first back was a difficult one so he did park it for me. Or I may have quit right there! He did say you’re doing the rest. And I did except one other time. But all the rest I was able to do. My trainer was a nice guy and again was patient with me. Would ask why I did what I did and I would answer and then would tell me what I should have done. Didn’t get mad or yell and that was very good for me because that would have made things worse for me. The problem I noticed was my trainer would bail me out for example. I needed to trip plan better and would blindly follow truck gps. Which was not good and he would help me get to where I needed to be. That was the first thing I learned when I went solo. Truck stops was another thing he would tell me where to go and when your on your own some of the gas stations look like they could be truck stops but are not for trucks. That is not a fun situation. Ok I will add more later. Hope this helps someone.

Great report, Brian! It’s very obvious that you are going to be just fine. Now get that pesky first year out of the way, lol.

With your trainer you don’t always get what you want! Cue The Rolling Stones. I asked for a non smoker but that would have set me back on getting a trainer. So I went with it. He wasn’t a smoker but a vapor. Which wasn’t that bad. At least it was flavored. But you have to do what you have to do to get done. So here are some things that kept coming up with me. 1. Backing. Still with me backing. And backing some more. I would get nervous and want to rush, because I didn’t want to hold other drivers up and in the process of hurrying I would not get lined up right and it would take more time. So I would tell others to take your time (GOAL) and don’t worry about others. Remember you’re responsible for your truck. Not what others think. 2. Watch your mirrors. Always be scanning so you make a lane change if you have to or avoid speeding 4 wheelers. That includes your blind side on the right. 4 or 5 times I have seen people drive on the shoulder to pass so you need to scan your mirrors often. 6-8 seconds need to scan mirrors. 3. Remember you have a trailer. Especially in truck stops and going around corners. Wide turns! One left turn I tried to beat an on coming car and rushed the turn and almost drive the trailer right through the car waiting at the light. Needed to wait for my left turn light and not rush.

I think those were my main points. I’ll post more later. Drive safe!