Hey guys i'm going through school right now, I'm on my 2nd day in the truck, we have done the air brake test once, drove 1 lap an tryed to dock between cones. i'm wondering how you guys felt at about this sametime going through school. I never drove a truck before so I was getting nervous just trying to find where the gears an clutch were. I really don't know if its normal but they show us once have us get in the truck then we do it one time an move on to the next thing. I was really hoping to get alot of practice but they seem to really be rushing us. At this point i'm starting to get really nervous I think I might not be able to pick it up, I never drove a stick before an now i'm learning on a big rig an only gettin one chance at each exercise. What if any advice to you guys have? did anyone out there think they wouldn't get it an know they know it like the back of there hand, anyway thanks in advance if u can share some thoughts.

 

How many hours is your course? I had a 200 class and I had 25 hours of on road time, which was good but Id always like more. You paid for this schooling, speak up and tell them what you want. They should not move on if YOU dont feel comfortable.

 

Nobody starts out knowing what to do, and if they say they did, they're full of :dung: .

However, if you are truly only getting one shot at each exercise, that is unacceptable. Dont sweat it. Just come right out and tell them that you need more seat time to get the hang of things. Afterall, YOU ARE paying for this. It aint no salvation army course. They owe you!
Rushing into things that your not sure of will only result in accidents.

Just keep on it and try not to get frustrated. Just realize what your doing wrong and then work on fixing the problem. It's no cake walk. The guys that have been doing it for a little while make it look easy as chewing gum, which it is once you know what your doing, but remember there is a reason why you need a different license than all the 4wheelers to drive one of these trucks.

Good luck and hang in there. You'll pull though. Dont be scared to speak up.

 

When I was learning,I knew less than you,if that's possible....Nervous doesn't begin to describe how I felt.....I was scared to death when they had us back up straight,well straight as we could,for 50 yards or so....I just knew I was gonna jack-knife it...The 1st time on the driving course to run through the gears was terrifying....Every time I grinded a gear,which was almost every shift,I figured they'd tell me,That's it....Get out.....Go home...But they didn't....

One guy told me he'd been driving for several years and still grinds a gear pretty good now and then.....He also said try to calm down,it will all come together with time and practice.....Danged if he wasn't right....

 

If you are not a little scared or nervous then you are DANGEROUS and should not be behind the wheel. Confidence leads to mistakes.

You can think through some things outside the truck, like shifting you can practice moving your feet and arm in the right order so it will be easier behind the wheel. Watch closely how others do and what mistakes they make. It is easier to learn from others mistakes than your own.

Good luck and don't give up. If you need more practice that is not a bad thing, because it is easier to make mistakes and correct them as a student then to find out you have no idea when you are actually behind the wheel. One day at school I pulled out of the angle dock too short and ended up with a cone in front of a trailer tire. I could have moved the cone but I played with it and got out around it within the confines of the "dock" It was much easier to learn that way than if I took a corner too short on the road and had traffic honking at me. If you practice more than someone else that means you are learning more.

Suppose you start out backing it perfectly, then suppose one day it goes wrong and you have no idea how to fix it. If you can do it wrong and fix it you are a better driver than one who gets it right the first time.

 

ok you might laugh but when i went threw school i had been shifting gears in cars for 40 yrs but in school since they teach you to double clutch when your in your room try using a toilet plunger might look weird but it might help some.

 

Stressed!!! scared a bit. Theres a lot on the line and a lot of hurdles.

If you want it you'll make it.

You dont really learn to drive a truck til you're in training. Right now you're mostly learning to pass the test. Just get as much time behind the wheel as you can and learn to recognise and counter the stress

 

remember the practice trucks your driving are probably junk. Anyone would grind. Heck 6th in this old freightliner is worn out and hard to ingage so sometimes i have to grind it on purpose

 

Werd. We learned on Volvos that had 800K miles on them. One was an Eaton-Fuller which I definately prefered. I could shift that no problem all day. Then the Rockwell. Goddamn the Rockwell. That sucker took me awhile to get a hold of. You had to shift SO much quicker. I got the hang of it, but till prefered EF.

A couples weeks back I took my road test with Superior, went in the truck and saw Rockwell. Right off the bat, I knew this was going to be trouble. Been a month since I was on the road and then this bastard pops up. Well it definately wasnt a displayed Id like to relive, but that truck shifted SO much better. The gears were closer, and not nearly as sloppy.

Moral, the trucks will get better. Unfortunately I spent $6300 for training in JUNK equipment :?

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I think at some point soon I will ask for more seat time, I am paying 3000 so its only right. We just had our 3rd day in the yard, today we had to take the air brake test an pre trip inspection I passed both on my first try. I was really sweating the air brake test since I only actually practiced it two times before. There are 8 guys in our class, 4 failed those test on the first day an the other 4 me included passed, they get another shot to pass tomorrow.