Starting School On July 8.

Hey y'all! I have been reading the posts here and amazed by the cool and anger free posts! I just found out today that I will be training with the Truck Driving Institute in Murfreesboro, TN beginning July 8th. I am actually excited to get rolling. I have driven and piloted just about everything that uses a motor for propulsion, except a big rig. I spent the last twenty something years working here and there to raise the kids and keep the wife (wives) happy. Well, My older two kids are on their own now, my two younger kids are moving to Colorado with their mother, (Army PCS) which just leaves me and the wife. I think it is about time I do something I enjoy and make some money to boost up our retirement plans. She is all for it and there will no longer be any reason for me to be anchored in one spot working my a** off for low pay. My wife is medically retired from the Army and I spent the majority of my life around the Army moving constantly. Separation anxiety doesn't even get a second thought in our world.

Anyway, I just wanted to say howdy and thank you all for the info on this site. It is proving to be very helpful.

Hey welcome aboard Rolling Thunder! We're glad to have ya!

I have been reading the posts here and amazed by the cool and anger free posts

Yeah, we're not TheTruckersReport. Everyone here is treated with respect and consideration and we're always happy to help out any way we can.

From your introduction it sounds like you'll be a fine candidate for trucking. But of course preparation is key - and that's where TruckingTruth has ya covered.

First thing to do if you haven't already is read through our entire Trucker's Career Guide and follow all the links. There's a ton of information there that's critical to know about all different aspects of getting your trucking career underway.

The second thing you should do is get started on our High Road CDL Training Program. It's a CDL test preparation course that has the actual CDL Manual built right in. It covers the CDL permit, all of your endorsements, and even two sections we've built ourselves on Weight & Balance and Logbook Rules. It's absolutely fantastic and it will put you miles ahead of the rest of your class.

Getting started in trucking is information overload. They're going to cram as much in your head as quickly as possible and it sends most people reeling. So get started on the CDL Training Program and the Trucker's Career Guide so you have the proper knowledge and expectations to get your career started off right.

Glad to have ya! We'll certainly do all we can to help out and we look forward to following along with ya!

Thanks Brett. I'm on it. I started the High Road a little rocky, but, now I'm rolling through. I plan on putting in a couple hours a day up to the day I report. Hopefully I will begin training with an edge. This is a great program for a rookie like myself! I appreciate the help.

Rolling Thunder: Good luck in school. Tell your wife we said thanks for her brave service to our country. She had the guts to so something I couldn't do, so it is much appreicated. I am a student right now in week two in Cincinnati. Like Brett recommended, start studying the High Road Series now. I did and I was so much further in my understanding than most people in the class. Good luck in class. God bless.

The wife says thank you BuckeyeCowboy (She picked the smiley, not me dude).

I took a few days off to hang with the little ones before they left, but I am back at it now with extreme motivation. I am close to halfway on the High Road CDL Training Program and plan on busting through it before I leave for school. This tool is awesome! I am as green as can be with trucking, (rules, terminology, etc.), and I do not see how anyone can absorb all of this info in a few weeks along with everything else being thrown into the mix. Wow. There is a lot to know. At this point, the only things I have going for me are this program and I've been driving vehicles with manual transmissions for over twenty years. That should help with the hand, foot and eye coordination. Oh well. I am almost there and can't wait to get started for real I will try to keep this thread updated as I go.

Rolling Thunder: Congrats on going to truck driving school. I am done and waiting for "graduation" this Mon, July 8, 2013. When I was going to come down here to the school I picked up the State of TX Manual and looked at it and thought, "Man, I'll never get all this down." I have never been involved in this type of thing etc. But I did it. I started the High Road training on this site and as you already know it took me right through it all. The other students were asking me how I knew all this and all and I pointed them to TTT and they all started using it too! Advice: when you get discouraged cuz you can't parallel park or something hang in there, it'll come!

-Traffic Jam (you can imagine how I got THAT name)

Arrrggggghhhh... Just got halted again dang nab it. The answers are there, but the wording is tricky. I cry foul.

FOUL. FOUL. F O U L !!!!! ***SIGH*** Maybe I'm just tired. It IS 1:30a and I have been at this for several hours now.

Ok. Now that I got that out my system. Back at it. LOL. I am about 25% through he High Road Trucking Program, how 'bout you RT?

The answers are there, but the wording is tricky. I cry foul.

Interestingly enough, we did that on purpose because that's exactly what the real CDL exams are like. They try hard to trip you up with confusing wording or answers that are very close to being correct, but not quite. So we made our questions and answers the same way so that people would get used to reading every question and answer carefully before choosing.

Keep at it!

Yep. A sentence laid out as nicely as you please. You are in a hurry to get the test done and you don't read the question ALL the way through. ONE word towards the end makes if false or something. Happened to me. Read the entire question and all and have fun.

-Traffic Jam

Yea, crying foul was all in good fun. I get that its worded that way, and actually appreciate it, as I am SURE the tests will be worded in a likewise manner. On several questions though, I DID go back and look, and STILL got it wrong, just through the tricking wording. For instance, tires go off the shoulder, sharp turn to get back on the road, or after both tires on wait half second to counter steer. It SEEMS both answers are correct, when in actuality only one is, where the other has that one extra word or phrase added. So ok, maybe a little of a rush, and a need for more attention to detail.

But hey, if it was easy, everyone would pass with flying colors. I will say this, I haven't missed it again, it is ingrained in my mind, and it has compelled me to read the passages verbatim. All good things in getting ready for my permit and eventual CDL-A.

I will say it again, the High Road CDL Training Program is an EXCELLENT way to prepare, and TT did an AWESOME job in creating it.

Thanks again.

Peace