Davey And CDL

Brett, thanks for the info and honesty. Hmmmmmm, it seems this is going to be pretty interesting and all. Life's a journey and also a stage isn't it? Fun to watch and hope to be an actor. Although, I am inclined to go with the "big" companies that have the electronic logs. On that if you are pulled over and are told to give them the last six days of log is there a printer with your truck? Can you just then print it out and hand it over or what? How does that work? Always wondered. Thanks!

Ya know, it's funny - law enforcement doesn't really mess with electronic logs at all. I constantly hear stories from drivers that the DOT or other law enforcement agency will ask for their logs and when they say they have electronic logs, the officer simply tells em, "Have a nice day." and lets em go. They don't bother.

But yes, there are screens you can show the officers and I've heard that some have a printing option. But generally speaking, if you get pulled over and you have electronic logs, you have nothing to worry about in that regard. They rarely even bother looking because they know they're going to be legal. They'll either let you go or do a quick inspection on the truck.

OK, I am at the end of our first day in class. This day was spent in going over paper work and reqs for the course work, etc. Then we began to prepare to obtain our CDL Permit. We are planning on taking the test on 6/11/13 in the afternoon. I took a practice test today they offer and scored real well. Because of the High Road Training on this web site I am way ahead of the curve here in the class. So it helps to give me confidence. Thank you Brett and your fine staff for the work in offering all these excellent helps.

I even solicited one of the other students to come onto this website and they started there at the class with the High Road Training. Fun, fun.

Midland College, Midland, TX. Looks like a great program if anyone is interested in where I am.

Dave, I recently got pulled over in Texas for a roadside level 2 inspection. When the officer asked to see my logs I told him I was on e-logs and he said "well I don't want to get into that just bring me your load paperwork, license and medical card."

When you have e-logs you'll also have with you a card that shows the officer how to operate your particular system. The problem for them is that they usually don't want to embarrass themselves in front of you by showing that they don't know how to check it properly, and they're usually not in the mood to spend a whole lot of time trying to figure it out. They may react a little differently at the scale houses, I can't answer for that because no one has tried to check on mine at the scales yet.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. In class today we are of course doing practice logs. AND I got hit with two "infractions" (mistakes) that would have cost me. So the importance of keeping the logs up is being taught. On that note, I did send an application to a very large well known company that uses electronic logs (thanks folks for the advice). They have "approved" me to come to orientation and all that based on that I finish the school here. So, off and running.

Today I obtained my permit and took the air brakes test. Passed it easily. This is surprising to me because before I became aware of the High Road program I had some doubts about getting this all in my ole head. That High Road Training Program is the ticket! Thanks Brett.

Hey, congrats on getting your permit and a pre-hire. That's awesome!

Thanks. The pre-hire is real encouraging. However, one has to understand the area I live in. It is right smack dab in the middle of a large area that is booming in oil and gas industry. Especially since "fracting" came on (not sure of the spelling there). The industry is needing drivers, so we are informed in school, so badly that they are gladly hiring on "student drivers" (drivers like us out of truck driving school) to haul "water' and etc., in the field. The pay is very, very good and suffice it to say there is no comparison to OTR and etc., it is just that good. So, I am as of this moment planning on giving that a try out for say 90 days and see how it goes. I do have some doubts and it is placed on the entire impression that the "oil field people" are a rough crowd and all and I am not sure I will fit in there. So, that's the "plan" right now and its fun, fun.

Today in class we go over "General Knowledge", go down to DMV and test for it and then start on PTI and Tankers, Triples, etc. This seems backward but it is working for me. Seems like when you come to class you would start with General Knowledge and THEN go to info/chapters on Permit, Air Brakes, etc. But because of the reqs for the permit one starts with the portion of the manual that covers that and then also Air Brakes. Pass that you have your Permit and then one goes on to the other stuff while also you able to get in the truck and start driving with a trainer.

When I went down to DMV and took the tests for a permit and also the air brakes test the person at the counter "pushed the wrong button" and so I took all the tests at once and passed them. Then they told me that did not count and I had to take the Air Brakes test again. The first time I missed maybe 3 questions. The second time I did not read the first question accurately, was in a hurry and missed it. That was the only question I missed. The High Road was such good prep that the test seemed very, very easy. Thanks again Brett!

Also on a side note the class is filled with very interesting people and I have made many new friends. The instructor is a very experienced former driver and is very knowledgeable and is a good teacher The class is made up of lecture, many visual aids, and self study on computers that have testing/study programs. It's actually pretty easy and part of this is the pace is real slow as we are here for four weeks. I am having a lot of fun in the class. One of the students invited me to go skeet shooting with him this weekend and so that is on the agenda. Some of the interesting folk are-Antonio from Spain, another fellow from Burma, and then the rest are Americans with different backgrounds. All very pleasant and nice people. Two women the rest men. The Midland College is nice and I am using their Cafeteria and Housing Unit. Once we start driving I will be able to walk over to the driving range as it is only a few blocks away. OK, adios!

That's a great update Dave, sounds like you're doing just fine. Keep it up!

Well, today, Friday we have no classes (Summer Schedule is Mon-Thr) and so I am free until Mon. Trouble is I kept thinking about that PTI (Pre Trip Inspection) coming up on Mon in class and other related stuff (Tankers and then Doubles Triples Endorsement). I kept studying late last night and then this morning and I got to the place where I knew I was ready. So, I made my way down to the DMV and sat for the PTI test and Tankers. Passed both so I am ahead again and that's all thanks to the High Road Training Program here on this web site. Thanks again Brett! I could not do the Doubles/Triples as i had not requested that when I started the process with the DMV. So I will wait until after the Driving Test.

I was real worried about the Pre Trip Inspection(PTI) as I am not a mechanical person and then they told me it was a written test when one took this at the DMV! Is it like this in every state? To celebrate I bought Stallone's "OverTheTop". I know its just a bunch of propaganda and not what real life is like. However, it'll be fun to watch tonight.

This just leaves me to take the Doubles/Triples and HazMat and the Driving Test. Here in Texas one cannot start the process for HazMat until you have completed the Driving Test. So on that day . . . .

Impressions: I felt that the Tankers test was child's play. This may be because I have spent so many hours going over all the material, and probably so. The PTI was harder and I missed two on it, Tankers-missed none.

One last note. Yesterday I left the DMV and was on the local Loop around town and came to a kind of back-up of traffic on the right lane. I moved to the left and bypassed it all and saw that lo and behold it was a Tanker "holding up" traffic. The truck must have been fully loaded because the they were going real slow down the exit ramp (down hill, curved). I felt like I was seeing a movie wherein application was being made of the info I was reviewing! One does tend to look at Semis a little different now I realize. Makes driving a little more interesting to do.

This afternoon I drove over to the stadium parking lot where the College's Semis are Parked. They look pretty neat and are all shiny and nice. Three of them and let's see, I think at least one was a Kenworth and the other had a cab and hood like a Freight liner. There were three though, and I can't remember what the other one was like.