A lot of people wonder about this one... The reason why is (likely) this: The D.O.T. demands that you double clutch when you test for a CDL. You must "be in gear and in control of the vehicle at all times." To shift without the clutch, in the eyes of the DOT, is not being under control. (I am paraphrasing a bit.) The only time you're allowed to be in neutral is when you are in the process of shifting. I don't pledge to BE the DOT, I am just familiar with their rules. Further, I don't claim to fully understand them. Therefore, it would be pretty pointless for the school to teach you to "float" when they know during testing, you'll be required to double-clutch. Additionally, and as pure opinion on my part, I believe a person should be able to double clutch at least reasonably well before proceeding to learn to "float". The trainer most likely doesn't want you to use the clutch because (make sure you read all of this because I don't particularly agree with this line of thinking) "if you don't use it, you won't break it." Let's suffice it to say that clutches are expensive and when first learning to drive especially, most peoples' clutch-work is pretty rough. Also, the clutch brake (the last inch or so at the bottom of the clutch pedal, just shy of the floorboard) can be worn out pretty easily. The clutch brake has one purpose: to get the truck into gear from a dead stop. That is it's only job. During normal shifting, you do NOT push the clutch all the way to the floor -- usually about 1/2 way down is sufficient. Many people, when learning to drive a truck, are used to the manual transmission in their car. They often push the clutch to the floor during every shift and quickly wear the clutch brake down to nothing. It then becomes very difficult to get the truck in gear from a dead stop. (A way around this: JUST BEFORE you come to a stop - and I mean the second before you come to a stop - move the shifter into the gear you want. (typically 2nd) If you're clutch brake is worn or nonexistent, and you allow the truck to fully stop, you'll have to grind it into gear. Yuk, talk about fingernails on a blackboard.) So, where the trainer is coming from is that he/she likely does not want you to wear out their clutch/clutch brake. It is true that shifting without a clutch can be smoother, but it's not very smart for a trainer to expect nice, smooth and accurate-RPM shifting from a trainee. It takes awhile to get the feel for this. If you miss a gear when not using a clutch, OUCH goes the transmission. You might try telling the trainer that you feel much more comfortable using the clutch because you were trained that way. If he/she balks, you now know why you were trained that way (and he/she likely doesn't) and you can explain that to them.

Category: Getting Started & School

Just a few important things to find out. 1. How long is your program? (Hours, days of week, etc) 2. How much time (in hours) is spent behind the wheel? 3. About how many miles will I have driven upon completion? 4. Where is driving done? (city, highway, interstate) 5. How many backing maneuvers will I learn? 6. How much time (in hours) is spent driving forward versus backing? 7. Do you hook and unhook the tractor/trailers every day? 8. How much time is spent in the classroom? 9. What subjects are covered in the classroom? 10. Do you offer a PTDI certified course? 11. Do I have a full class A CDL upon completion? 12. How many students per truck? 13. Do you have non-modified sleeper berths? 14. How much experience is required to be an instructor at this school? 15. What is the student to instructor ratio? 16. Is financing available? What type? 17. What are the requirements? What is the APR, details of repayment, etc? 18. What is the cost of this program? 19. What if I don't pass the CDL the first try? 20. What type of equipment? (cabover versus conventional, length and type of trailer(s)) 21. Do recruiters come in to your school? Which ones? 22. How many power units do you have? 23. Are your trailers loaded? How much weight? 24. Which transmission(s)s will I learn? 25. Is there any Night Driving? 26. Do you teach Map Reading and Trip Planning and will I get the chance to use these skills? Driver's ABC's has explanations as to why these questions matter (as in Questions to Ask of a Potential Carrier)

Category: Getting Started & School

First, any driver/trainer that gets into training because he/she thinks they'll make a lot of extra money is not going to stay in for long. On the other hand, the one that does it because they enjoy helping others will turn out to be the best. The "bad" trainers are the ones who get into it for money and money only. They generally leave the training field pretty soon but if you get them between the time they're thinking of money but haven't gotten out yet, you may get one of the "bad" ones. If a driver/trainer tells you to "forget all you've learned in school", be careful. A driver/trainer IS going to teach you new ways to do things - that's their job - to make you more efficient and professional - but to forget the entire foundation of what you've learned is not a good idea. Just try to get through the ordeal unless you have a genuine safety concern. If that's the case, contact your safety department and discuss it with them. Training is a relatively short period of time... try to make it the most productive time you can by doing your best to have a good Trainer/Trainee relationship.

Category: Getting Started & School

There is no official regulation of truck driving schools at this time. Because of this, there are many schools in business that shouldn't be. The goal of many of these schools is to get your CDL and that is all - typically done in a very short time period. Many very, very critical things are not even taught because there is one goal and only one goal. Experienced drivers take much pride in their skills. When someone operates their truck in a very unskilled manner it embarrasses the drivers around them. Many drivers instantly blame a bad driving school for producing such a "bad" driver. Until driving schools have better regulation as to what is taught, there will be bad schools teaching very little of what a person really needs to know.

Category: Getting Started & School

Hello, Juan, I guess I'd have to have a little more information first.... Question: Did you attend any kind of driving school? If NO, you will have a bit harder of a time getting a job. To tell you the truth, I would strongly recommend that you go to school. If you learned to drive from a family member or friend, very few good companies will count this. They will insist that you go to school. (Actually it's their insurance carriers mostly who demand this.) I guess the bottom line is, do you want to work for a medium to large company with a pretty good reputation, pay & benefits? (Not some local mom and pop trucking company) ? If you do, it's off to school you'll have to go. By going to driving school, if your Motor Vehicle Record is decent, you'll have more jobs open to you than you could believe possible. I wouldn't necessarily try to go locally -- for one, it's harder work and for two, it's harder to find a good, local job. If you'd like some job related sites, there are links on the "Favorite Links" page to check out.... if you'd like more information about schools, see the "PTDI" site. We're in the process now of putting together a page devoted to carriers that accept brand new drivers... It should be up over this coming weekend. You may want to check back and see if that is of any help, too. If I haven't answered your question(s), please feel free to email back!! We'll see if we can't get you truckin' yet!

Category: Getting Started & School

Chances are you will have to go to driving school. Carriers often won't recognize military experience as a substitute for driving school, although there are certainly exceptions. Military people, however, are pretty highly sought-out individuals. You shouldn't find any problem at all finding a carrier, but it may take a bit more time trying to find a carrier that will honor your military training.

Category: Getting Started & School

I'm sorry but all I can say is start saving. Some carriers pay for training as well as room & board during training and some schools "build in" the cost, but no one I know of takes care of you while you're on the road. If you depend on your trainer for cash, it will definitely make for a poor relationship, so that's out. Ask the carrier what they will allow you for advances during training. It will likely be a small amount - $50-75 per week - but I know I've been where you are, and during that time I made that piddly advance last a week. It isn't easy, but it can be done.

Category: Getting Started & School

Make time for school. Trainers may "train" but they often do NOT teach (They aren't taught how to teach) and if you don't know how to drive an 18 wheeler, you need TAUGHT!!!! You CAN learn a huge amount from school, but only IF YOU WANT TO. Don't let anyone tell you that you do not need school. It's not true. You need all the preparation you can get. ANOTHER RESPONSE FROM ASK THE DRIVERS: IF YOU CANT TAKE TWO TO THREE WEEKS OUT OF YOUR LIFE TO GET DECENT TRAINING, I DOUBT YOU ARE RIGHT FOR THE JOB. THE BASICS WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, AND YES YOU COULD BE TRAINED BY ANOTHER DRIVER BUT THERE IS LITTLE GUARANTEE YOUR GETTING ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. 80,000 LBS ROLLING AT 70 MPH OR ON ICE AND SNOW IS NOT A PLACE FOR A PARTIALLY TRAINED PERSON.

Category: Getting Started & School

The tests aren't nearly as hard as you might think. They aren't tests that most would pass without studying, though. Yes, you will be expected to know the proper names of the parts for the Pre Trip as well as for the written tests. Really, though, for safety's sake, if you don't know what the parts are, how can you possibly identify a problem? If you don't know how they are supposed to look, how would you know if they were broken? It may seem overwhelming now, but it is necessary. If you have only studied from a manual, this will seem very difficult -- it is easier when you are actually looking at and touching the truck itself. Are you going to school? If so, they are going to cover all of this stuff with you. If not, do you have a truck that you can use to practice the PreTrip? Is there anyone you know with a truck who can explain the parts of an Air Brake System? If you have access to these things I've mentioned, this won't be as hard as you probably think it will be right now. Here's a link to a page that might help you. It was developed to teach people how to do a PreTrip. It is in order (mostly) from the front of the tractor and all the way around the vehicle. Doing everything in order makes it easier to memorize. You can also memorize what to say about each component, as the DOT person wants to hear certain things. You can even practice this on a toy truck -- it is a matter of memorization. Of course, you will have to learn the parts on a real truck, but practicing will make you more sure of yourself when the day comes. The students who used this passed the PreTrip about 98% of the time -- it works. You can find it and a sample of a DOT Testing Form at: http://www.newbiedriver.com/Pre_Trip/ As far as written tests, take some online sample tests. You can find them at: www.driverstest.net and www.cristcdl.com Hint: Be especially careful on test questions that say something like, "Which of the following is NOT...." The "NOT" screws many people up. Also, when one of your options is "All of the Above", many times that is the correct answer. That is not foolproof and again, you'll have to study, but you can do it...!

Category: Getting Started & School

This really depends on several factors, such as: * --The state you are licensed in and whether they assign "points" for violations, as well as when those points get wiped out. If your speeding ticket(s)was/were high pointer(s), it may be worse because some/all of those points may still be on your record. * --How many years the company's insurance carrier goes back when they check your record. Many go back 2-3 years but some will go back as far as five years. * --How many years must pass before your particular state allows tickets to "fall off". States are not the same about this. Contact your DOT office to find out what the rule is where you live. * So, really, it isn't possible to say for sure because your state will vary from others. The suspension hurts a bit, but the further back in time it was, the better. Your best bet is to call a few companies and explain exactly what is on your record. First, though, go to the DOT and get a copy of your MVR. Best of luck to you...

Category: Getting Started & School

You are treading on dangerous ground. My experience has been that recruiters promise things that they have little to no ability to deliver. This is especially true when it comes to home time. The recruiter will often tell you how it is supposed to work -- but dispatch will show you otherwise. Recruiters have no impact on the dispatch department. As to pay and sign-on bonuses, the chances are probably better that they have some control, but when you said you feel it is like shopping for a used car, you hit the nail on the head. There are about as many carriers as used car lots (okay, so that could be a stretch) and it definitely pays to shop....

Category: Getting Started & School

It is my understanding that if an accident results after you have "flashed" someone over, it is possible that you could be held liable/responsible. In essence, by "flashing", you are accepting liability for directing someone's actions. (In the eyes of the law) Most drivers do so anyway because it is a long standing courtesy among them. Many new drivers are not taught to do so in school because of the possible liability issue. It seems ridiculous to me -- I mean if I told someone to drive their car off a cliff and they did it, am I liable??? Go figure... :) Flash at your own risk.....

Category: Getting Started & School

I'm not positively sure I fully understand the question, but I'll give it my best shot. Most of the time a person will likely have to drive over the road at first. You might say they have to "serve their time" OTR before the city/local jobs open up for them. This is not always true, though, and is dependent on several things, such as the area and how bad local drivers are needed. In large metropolitan areas there are more local/city jobs available. When freight is heavy, more drivers are in demand and a company that normally wouldn't hire a new driver to run local just might do it. It is usually true that most trucking companies will readily take a city driver and put him/her over the road, but they won't be as fast to take an over the road driver and put him in the city. City driving is harder - much harder. As for finding info about companies, get the newspaper out and take a look at the ads. Look in the yellow pages under "Trucking." Talk to more instructors at the school - you should be able to find at least one that drove locally. Pay attention to the names on the trucks that you see running around town. Get on the phone, ask questions and dial the phone again. It may be time consuming, but there aren't too many other ways to go about it.

Category: Getting Started & School

I'm sorry, but most every trucking job requires a high school diploma or GED. The exception might be a very small private carrier or owner operator.

Category: Getting Started & School

A driving course is PTDI certified if it meets the criteria developed by the PTDI, The Professional Truck Driver Institute. (http://www.ptdi.org) Please note that COURSES get certified -- not SCHOOLS. You can find more info about what PTDI's standards are at: http://www.ptdi.org/standards/certification/certif01.htm. A PTDI certification doesn't guarantee a course, but it is better assurance that the course teaches at least minimal standards in many areas. There are good courses that do not become PTDI certified, too.

Category: Getting Started & School

Nightmares come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes, so what would be a nightmare for one might not be for another! What might be considered bad about flatbedding, though is probably: -You are much more responsible and conscious of your load. If you load shifts, you can cause incredible damage. You msut be willing to stop when needed to re-tighten chains, straps, etc, no matter how cold or hot it is outside. -Tarping - Tarps are heavy and if you must throw them yourself, it can be difficult. Add blowing wind and/or snow and rain and you may have a really bad hair day. The forklift may put the tarp on the load for you, though. You may also have freight that doesn't require tarping at all. -Chaining - Not terribly difficult (except maybe in winter) but time consuming and sometimes dirty work. (Dirt, snow, ice, etc can build up in the chains) Strapping isn't difficult to do, but again, can be time consuming. You must also stop periodically to re-tighten. -Weight of flatbed in winter = practically nothing. Hence, the slang term for a flatbed is a skateboard. -Places you deliver may be muddy, difficult to maneuver, such as job sites, construction sites, etc. On the positive side: -You will usually have a forklift unload you. Say bye-bye to lumpers. -Flatbedders don't usually deal with the ridiculous wait time that dry vans and reefers do. -You often escape having to back into docks that were built for much smaller units - many times you just pull up and unload.

Category: Getting Started & School

Squelch just "squelches out," or "blocks out" background noise. If you have your squelch turned all the way down, you will get transmissions from farther away, but you will also pick up a lot of background chatter and noise. If you squelch it all the way up, you will only hear those people closest to you. The happy medium is generally somewhere in the middle. You can also turn your RF Gain down and leave your squelch lower.

Category: Getting Started & School

Those numbers seem high to me but it can also depend on what part of the country you are in as well as which carrier it is. It is also going to depend on how many days/weeks/months you spend on the road. Obviously, the more time on the road, away from home, the more money there is to be made. Again, though, those numbers do seem inflated to me. Keep in mind as well that road expenses will run a minimum of $400-$500 per month. Myself, I'd sure like to see this graph chart. :) Sounds like a recruiter tool if I ever saw one. :)

Category: Getting Started & School

I've found this to be a reasonable and normal requirement. The school doesn't want to waste time studying for the permit - they have a great many more things they want to teach you - so this time really is spent better having you study in advance and on your own time.

Category: Getting Started & School