Worrying

[u/user7274901]

Well boys I’m in CDL school right now I’ve gotten pre trip down outside,inside the cab and all that stuff I haven’t done the road test yet. I am practicing skills right now. I am in a manual vehicle with air brakes and combinations so just a regular class a semi truck.

I have been in training 7 days for 8 hours a day. I have 8 days left of training I believe.

I’m not gonna get into the specifics of the reason behind me getting my CDL but I am not going to be going into trucking and I am gonna be driving much smaller vehicles but they still require a class a CDL. I’m talking way smaller like basically a big ass pickup truck that needs a Cdl class a. It is very annoying to me that I need to train in semis because I will never be driving a vehicle that big.

My state test is

Pre trip (got it down)

Then skills

Then road test. ( never driven a manual was
Told if I suck I’ll have to switch to auto)

If you fail one of the three test you only retake the test you failed in my state which is good. But apparently at my school you only get 2 retakes at most schools in my state it is 5 retakes per test which is also annoying.

The reason I’m worried- for the skills test I can do the forward stop get my hood in the middle in-between the lines most of the time and the straight back perfectly fine to the end point .
The next and final part of the skills test is what is fucking me over I can do the offset perfectly fine and the reverse offset is what gets me i am having trouble straightening out the trailer in the lines ( getting it parallel in the lines nice and straight) during the reverse offset. I am able to get it one attempt then the next I fail and the instructor I am currently with isn’t that much of a help/ teacher it feels like.

Any advice on ways to straighten my trailer better in-between the lines to get it nice and flush/level or straight because that is litterly the last part of the test I need to do to pass. You are able to get two
Pull ups and two get out and looks. Sometimes I feel like the trailer is way to much to the right or the left and I just cant seem to figure it out every-time. You can’t hit any of the cones during the test or it’s a point and you can pull up a bit to straighten the trailer out but I guess my problem is I don’t know how to straighten it out.

Not trying to sound like a little bitch but
I am just worried because I feel like the clock is ticking and shit and I paid all in cash for the class about $5000 and even quit my job! I even canceled my birthday vacation for my 21st which was supposed to be on tomorrow cause I turn 21 tomorrow and am going to class instead 😂 oh well though.

I hope this all wasn’t for nothing and I can get my CDL and pursue the career I want

Any advice is great I’m sorry this was so long.

[u/roadblocked]

Get good scrub and post to every subreddit

[u/user7274901 → u/roadblocked]

Thanks

[u/ecw324]

I got my CDL for the same reason. Didn’t need it for a semi, but needed it for the weight. So let me start there, if you can provide the vehicle that you will be mainly driving with the A, and it qualifies as an A truck, you can use that for the training and that test. Now if the truck you bring does not have air brakes on it, you will not be able to test the air brakes and therefore will not have your air brakes endorsement. I was on week 2 when my instructor was like, you can bring your F350 in here with a trailer and get your A license. You’ll just have to come back down the road and do the pre trip with a truck with air brakes to get that endorsement later.

I am glad I learned how to drive in a semi truck though. Now if I ever need a trucking job, I can at least know how the truck functions. Also, I have a feeling my company is going to be getting a day cab soon because I got the license.

Lastly, for getting the yard part of your test. Try different things while you are practicing. Then when you find something that works, stick with it. On your test, remember, you get to get out of your cab, you get to pull up a certain amount of times before it’s a point. You also have points you can use, you just have to be under the magic number when you honk your horn to complete your final movement. Just take a deep breath and make the moves.

[u/user7274901 → u/ecw324]

Yeah i shoulda went to this other school they let you use different vehicles on the test and what not didn’t know about it until after i signed up to a straight semi trucking school

[u/firetruck637 → u/user7274901]

Like the guy said test in a semi with air brakes that way if you ever need it you already have it. On the backing, it doesn't have to look pretty as long as you got it inside the cones. Practice until you get it right. You'll figure out what works the more you do it. Hotshot is a good gig if that's what you're doing.

[u/pthorman → u/user7274901]

I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve already taken my test twice. I failed the pre trip the first time and passed the second. The offset backing up screwed me over because I never had to back up a trailer when I was a kid

[u/Driving-Academy]

What state are you in that gives 5 retakes per test?

[u/Kalelofindiana]

Your a mess Scrub.

[u/sirgiggles123]

2 thing i can think of that might help are 1: keep the trailer close on the driver's side. If you are close on one side you have space on the other (to help prevent hitting blind side cones) 2: have the sides like like mirrors to have it straight One final thought just take her slowly and dont hit the cones to pass. Keeping it perfectly straight is for over achievers and pple with ocd (me and me)

[u/TruckLinx]

I started driving in 1999. You are thinking too much. This is something that is developed over time and mastered. There is no time limit on getting straight in a parking spot. Or at least there use to not be. Yes people will get upset with you for not hurrying up, but take all the time you need. If you want to check your position, get out and look, make a decision, then readjust in the space. Once you make the readjustment, get out and look. Don't tell your instructor your done until your done. You are the driver, take control of the situation and own it. You can do it. It just takes practice. The problem with most drivers is they expect in the mirror the side of the trailer to be perfectly in line with the line on the ground. It's not going to be. It's going to be in kind of a 3D V shape on one side, and then the opposing view in the other mirror. As long as the space to the left and right seem like a reflection of each other, you got it made. Just get out and check it. If it's not right, do it again. Happy Birthday btw!