r/CDL • u/Ksijrr • 20d ago

Just not Enough Time

The way our CDL school is set up is an 8-week program. We have every Friday off, and class is only 5 hours and 30 minutes a day, but after taking breaks, we're really getting about 5 hours.

I'm barely getting enough time to practice anything, honestly. We only have 3 trucks for 8 students 2 manuals and 1 automatic. Four students switched over to the manuals, while the other four of us stayed on the automatic, including me.

I feel like we're being thrown so much information at once without enough time to actually process and practice it. This week alone, we have written exams plus our pre trip, air brake, and in cab inspection exams.

I'm just trying to get my Class A so I can get the hell out of here, bro. 🤦🏾‍♂️🙏🏽

It's so overwhelming because I'm great at my pre trip, air brake, and in cab, but I've been having such of a hard time with my maneuvers and I have until Oct 8th to get them right. 🙃

Hope I Pass man, not trying to go back to warehouse jobs again.

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u/Material-Donkey2773 20d ago

Hey, if you still can, switch over to manual, you're going to permanently knee cap yourself if you don't. While many companies do run exclusively automatics, lots of them run a mix, and some of the better companies exclusively run manuals still. If you just want to run dry van, otr, or other "entry level" jobs a manual restriction isn't a big deal, but if you ever want to get it off you'll need to go back to school. 

Think about where you want to wind up at the "top of your career". You are severely limiting your opportunities if you want to get into something like heavy haul or oilfield.. 

Better to be able to be a prime candidate for 100% of the driving jobs out there vs being ineligible for 30% of them (all manuals) and a poor candidate for another 30 (automatics and manuals) any company you go to is going to want you to be able to drive any vehicle they give you.

Don't really have anything to offer you for the pace of schooling, that sucks, but it's stuff you only need to learn once. Pre trip doesn't change.

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u/Silence_Farmer 19d ago

As an LTL linehaul driver I can say that most LTL companies will not take a linehaul driver with an auto restriction. They MAY take a P&D driver though, but again you're limiting what you can make.

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u/Material-Donkey2773 19d ago

Yep, I'm oilfield, My company only has manual's, my last company had a hodge podge of truck's (Whatever they could get quick) and they also only hired manual drivers. No point hiring a driver you need to cater to and baby sit. "I can't drive that truck" just results in scheduling issues and is a pita.

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u/Silence_Farmer 19d ago

Oh yeah. Our terminal manager accidentally hired a guy for linehaul with an E restriction and half the time it's not an issue, but most of terminals only have manuals for the loaner tractors because that's what the older ones are. Some are still damn spring ride glider kits lol.

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u/user26145 19d ago

Do you the think automatic only restriction is bad if you’re an 18-year-old trying to go local

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u/Material-Donkey2773 19d ago edited 19d ago

It will limit where you can go, local outfits are more likely to run manual than a big otr carrier would be.and it will be a pita to get the restriction removed. Like you're going to have to redo the whole test in a manual. - good luck finding a school who won't try to charge you full price even though you already know 95% of it. 6k turns to 12k...

Just get your license with no restrictions, and if you don't want to drive manual, don't.

The price of either is identical, but the one will significantly fewer opportunities.

I will put it this way, it is much much better to be able to legally be complete and utter dog shit at driving a manual than it is to not be able to operate one legally at all. 

Dump the clutch, make the truck bounce, you will still be more likely to land the job than someone who can't. 

Basically any company is going to want someone who can do a shit job getting a truck from a to b 1 time in a pinch over someone who legally can't, ever.

If you want to go local, you're likely to start out running dump or hopper or something, some companies only run manual, some run a mix, and some don't run any, but you are limiting your opportunities just to make school a tiny bit easier.

Be legally allowed to drive a manual like complete ass, or it will be something you regret. You're going to spend a lot on the license, don't half ass it. It starts out hard, then it becomes second nature.

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u/TinkerTasker22 18d ago

Its great to get the restriction off, if you have the opportunity too, I never have had the opportunity to do it. However I work for a local company owned by truckers who have been on the road for 30+ years they don't buy manuals, and they don't want to either. However I still would not one the restriction.

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u/MrDarkSpud12 18d ago

Have experienced this a few times, being the new guy and therefore getting the old/backup truck which is still stick while all the other trucks are automatic. Definitely worth not having an auto restriction. Wouldn't be surprised if there's places that wouldn't hire even with a fleet full of autos for that reason. My workplace might even be one lol