CDL/Truck Question

Hello All,
My name is Josh and am new to the forum. I have a few questions which have probably been asked before but bare with me. I've been wanting for sometime now to get my CDL and have just recently found a school within a reasonable distance from my house. My questions are....

How hard is it to learn to drive a truck? I mean I'm determined and will give it my all but I'm just curious as to what I'm going to be in for. I don't plan on going across country just a local day driver for one of the excavating companies around here.

I barely know how to drive stick :duh Will a school help me with learning all of that that?

And last but not least although I have found the school I'll probably be going to if there is anyone from around northern Virginia that could recommend a school I'm all ears.

Thanks guys.


-Josh

I was the same as you last yr this time. I was 18 and went to this trade school that has a CDL program. Now before going i drove a stick shift truck one other time for only about 5 minutes till my dad yelled at me enough and drove the rest lol. But learing to drive the trucks for me was easy. Yeah the first week or so out driving was a little interesting trying to find the gears but i got it. So the school really helped my learn to drive. I can drive a truck with a 10 speed or whatever it may have but put me in a pick up or car with a stick and for somereason i still cant get the hang of it. Id say go for it.

Thanks a lot Natev thats really reassuring. The only problem I have now is if they will accept me I've had a few tickets and other schools wouldn't take me but I'll be excited if I get in. Do you drive a truck on the regular like as a full time job?


-Josh

You may want to find a car or truck that is manual, so you can get the feel for shifting first, because once you get in the big rig, you will struggle trying to keep it on the road, and try to shift at the same time.

Deere9670 said:

You may want to find a car or truck that is manual, so you can get the feel for shifting first, because once you get in the big rig, you will struggle trying to keep it on the road, and try to shift at the same time.

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That's not a bad idea, but do remember trucks drive totally different then pickups and cars do, I've been driving commercially for 12 years now and I still shudder when I get in a manual car. I can barely get one rolling.ointhead

95zIV said:

That's not a bad idea, but do remember trucks drive totally different then pickups and cars do, I've been driving commercially for 12 years now and I still shudder when I get in a manual car. I can barely get one rolling.ointhead

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Thats exactly how i am too.

I drive dump truck for my dad. Since im only 19 i cant drive out of state with a commercial vehicle and theres hardly anyone that can put a 19 yr old on their insurance for a commercail vehicle. Im able to get on my dads because im family otherwise insurance company said i would have to be 21.

Most schools will help with your "shifting", but if you can't get the truck rollling without stalling that's a whole nother story. Granted a big truck will usually take off without much any throttle anyway, so it's basically easier then a car to drive. Just alot more going on and alot bigger.

Can't see why a school would care if you have tickets...usually it's an employer that will tend to steer clear of you since you have past issues with the law. Of course maybe the school has insurance issues and with your points accumulated they won't allow you on the the road? Once you do get your CDL, you're head to a higher standard then a std license, and keeping your license clean will definitely keep you employed longer as a driver.

i don't have any experience with schools...but learning to drive a truck is fairly simple if you get it...it WILL be frustrating at first because you will grind gears, you will miss gears, and in a loaded truck you most likely will stall a time or two. The trick is to not dwell on it...don't get all worked up if there is a line of 20 cars behind you and you miss a gear, just throw on the 4 ways and come to a stop if you have to and restart...i've done it, its not fun and a little embarrassing but those drivers can kiss my @$$ if u know what i mean...

something you might want to consider more is possibly getting your class A at a school, but if you want to get in to the construction world you might want to start in a dump truck...construction jobs most times, (especially for small companies that do a lot of residentual work) are very tight...they can be very hard if not impossible to back a trailer into...i have seen guys that have driven milk trucks (some of the best drivers out there in my opinion) throw their hands up and say he can't back a trailer into a job

just don't get worked up...and theres a video floating around on YouTube about how to shift a truck and what to do when you miss gears...watch it, very helpful

oh and i am 21 and Nate is 19...you figure if us young guys can get a CDL anyone can HAHA

-Bryan

dirt digger said:

oh and i am 21 and Nate is 19...you figure if us young guys can get a CDL anyone can HAHA

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haha yeah anyone can do it then...i sure wouldnt want to go through the test agian though. i can only remember about half of what i had memorized for the pretrip in my head right now. im sure it would all come back to me once i started going over the truck.

pre-trip is really the toughest part because its things that you should always do but *cough* don't....the driving and cones part of the test are just like driving down any road that you drive all the time

probably a repeat but, hope this helps

http://thecdltest.com/

I'm 18 and i just got my CDL permit where i can drive with any CDL driver riding with me, when i get a little time behind the wheel i will go back and take my actual driving test. the written part was pretty simple really i just spent a little time and read the CDL booklet they hand out.

Im 22 and recently got my class A. I looked into schools and im glad i didnt waste my money. i had a friend that took me out a 3 times to practice and then my new boss took me out three times. this was a period of eight months. i know it was a long time but my last boss was too busy to let me use his truck. When i practice i would run it up through the gears and back down hitting every gear. id make it into a game timing lights and putting it in the right gear so i wasnt hitting the brake. those low gears shift fast so just back out of the throttle a little.
I was talking to the owner of a trucking company at the warehouse we were working at and he says 90% of the drivers that apply to him went to a driving school cant drive. you would most likely have an automatic which would be great for the test but useless when you start working for someone and they think you can drive.
i hope this helps
Frank

hammerdwn20 said:

Im 22 and recently got my class A. I looked into schools and im glad i didnt waste my money. i had a friend that took me out a 3 times to practice and then my new boss took me out three times. this was a period of eight months. i know it was a long time but my last boss was too busy to let me use his truck. When i practice i would run it up through the gears and back down hitting every gear. id make it into a game timing lights and putting it in the right gear so i wasnt hitting the brake. those low gears shift fast so just back out of the throttle a little.
I was talking to the owner of a trucking company at the warehouse we were working at and he says 90% of the drivers that apply to him went to a driving school cant drive. you would most likely have an automatic which would be great for the test but useless when you start working for someone and they think you can drive.
i hope this helps
Frank

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Hey, Frank:

It sounds like you made a good decision, saved a lot of money, and turned out to be a real good driver. What kind of trucks are you driving in Jersey, man?

hammerdwn20 said:

Im 22 and recently got my class A. I looked into schools and im glad i didnt waste my money.

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It all depends on what you want to do...while it's true that there are probably lots of people who come out of driving schools and are not good drivers, they have the piece of paper that says they went. If you are looking at an OTR driving career, many, many, many (dare I say "most") companies, will not hire you unless you have been through a driving school. Many of them will also want to see that you've done it "recently" (like, in the last 6 months), or they will want you to go for a "refresher" course.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but you may find it much more difficult to get hired-on to an OTR company without that little piece of paper. Like a lot of guys around here, I got my CDL "on my own", but I never really planned on getting a full-time driving job.

Think about what you want to do and why before deciding which option is best for you. Good luck.


Joe

Right now the company im working for only has a ford l8000 single axle dump thats mostly used for moving our equipment. truck runs and sounds great (straight piped) but im looking forward to its replacement.
when i was learning i started out on a perterbilt tractor with a 10 speed and then a mack tandem with an 8ll.

Electra glide

I think most large OTR companies offer a training program. i think i saw a SWIFT video on youtube about training haha

im 19 and have been driving (whenever im needed) since i was 18 i usually haul rock and other demo debris in a dumper at first it took me a minute to get used to shifting only i learned how to shift without the clutch and did better without it, but you gotta use it to get your licsense, backing isnt too hard either once you get the feel for it, with a 53' trailer it takes 12 feet for the trailer to go exactly where you want it just my 2 cents Good Luck!

j.d.m.grading said:

im 19 and have been driving (whenever im needed) since i was 18 i usually haul rock and other demo debris in a dumper at first it took me a minute to get used to shifting only i learned how to shift without the clutch and did better without it, but you gotta use it to get your licsense, backing isnt too hard either once you get the feel for it, with a 53' trailer it takes 12 feet for the trailer to go exactly where you want it just my 2 cents Good Luck!

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i only shift my pickup with the clutch 3/4 of the time. in the dump i only use it to take off. for my road test i floated also and nothing was said so maybe ask your examiner. Dont worry if your fail once either. i failed my first time for excessive speed and i forgot the range flip at a light. tried to take off in 7th instead of 2nd. haha :Banghead

Use the "3 second rule" when you shift,letting your rpm's fall. Decel on the accelerator and pull the shifter out of gear is 1,count to 2,and when you count to 3 is when you put the shifter in the next gear selection. Or try double clutching the same way.
Downshifting once you get the "feel" of the transmission you can barely hold the shifter where you are slightly applying pressure and feel the gears mesh as you increase your rpm's to align the gears to downshift.
I know it's easier said then done.