January 2001

Jon's School Journal

Male, 25 years young

Introduction

I am a 25 year old male from Illinois who is changing careers.  I have wanted to be a truck driver since I was a kid.  I am looking forward to the challenges of becoming the BEST driver I can be!!

January 3, 2001
Day 1

First day of CDL school!!  I have been waiting for this for 2 months with a lot of excitement. School started at 8:AM sharp.  Our instructor has been an instructor for 13 years and is a helluva nice guy. He has over a million and a half miles so he knows his stuff! We went for our physicals, which was no big deal --  just lots of paper work. After our physicals, CJ, our trainer, introduced us to a log book. He demonstrated how to fill it out and what to do and what not to do. I picked it up pretty quick thankfully. Then we moved on after about an hour of basic logbook training to keeping tracking of our hours. That's where I hit my 1st speed bump! I just couldn't get it at first but after a few tries it clicked for me and we really got rolling. So much so that we filled out 2 months worth of practice hours. After he threw some curve balls to us we really got it down pat. That pretty much ended the day with that! We did our logbooks for the day handed in the sheet and he dismissed us.

January 4, 2001
Day 2

We start our CDL training book today: Core Knowledge and Airbrakes are the topics we worked on. CJ has all the parts of the air brakes system labeled on a board.  We got a good idea what the book was talking about from the spring brake and service brake to the brake drum and shoes, as well as the slack adjusters and S-cam and shaft. After lunch CJ sent us down to the lot to meet the Driving trainer.  His name is Fluffy :-)  That's his nickname but it is also what he goes by. Fluffy shows us up close on a 94 Mack under the hood. It was also my first time in a semi. Lots of room!!!! Fluffy explains all the controls in the cab.  We spent a lot of time on the Trailer air supply and Parking air supply buttons. He showed us a fan-down or pump down so we could see how things worked. Back to the class we go and we are feeling really good about what we have learned so far.  Going down to the lot helped tie in things we read to real life, so to speak. We finish our logs, hand them in and the day is done.. Can't wait for tomorrow!!

January 5, 2001
Today we worked on Combination and Double and Triple Trailer sections of the study guide. I feel like I am picking up the knowledge I will need to pass my Core Tests as well as the others. It's a small class so I get a lot of questions answered. We also hear stories from CJ about events on the road.

January 8, 2001
After the weekend off I head down to school. Its becoming a normal routine now.   I was kinda bored not being in school over the weekend.  Boy wouldn't some of my High School Teachers string me up for that comment. Today we got into Tankers as well as the Hazmat part of the study guide. Went through those parts in a pretty swift manner. Learned a few ways to remember things on the Hazmat part. Then we started taking practice tests, we are testing for all our endorsements on Wed. Take those the rest of the day and we discussed what questions we missed and why. Its a really good way to learn what's right and wrong. CJ is excellent in describing scenarios for us and explaining to us what is right and wrong. Finished up and called it a day.

January 9, 2001
Well today is nothing but Practice test day. We take every practice test CJ has on file till we get a 100% on all of them. Boy talk about hand cramps!! I do pretty good on the practice tests, I normally miss maybe 1 or 2 per test till I get it right. I am kinda nervous about tomorrow. I want to do well on the state test. I know I can -- I just have to do it! Well off til tomorrow for the tests!

January 10, 2001
TEST Day

I got up early so I could make it to school early and start getting ready for the tests today. CJ had us take every practice test one more time. Out of 254 questions I miss 3, 9 tests in all. Well we head over to the state testing building. We got started pretty quickly and boy, I had the nerves going in there :-) LOL Once I started the tests all of my worry was gone. I blew through the tests because CJ prepared me well.  I passed all 6 tests. I aced 3 of them, including Hazmat, and only missed 3 on all 6 tests combined. I was feeling pretty good when I left there. We get back to CJ's and he copied my learner's permit and gave us the rest of the day off.

January 11, 2001
Today we went down to the lot to start learning to drive. But first we have to learn to back. Man did I ever feel I was in over my head when I tried to back for the very first time.... IT was only a straight back but man I was screwing up. I had never backed anything with a trailer, let alone a tractor and a 53 foot trailer. I was on sensory overload after my first try backing. Fluffy told us Driving a Semi is like SEX:  you're not too good at it the first few times you do it, but you learn and get better. I thought it was a good way of putting it. We spend time going over Pre Trip Inspections as well. We call it a day at 4PM.

January 12, 2001
Today we worked on our straight back and Pre-Trip. I backed up I don't know how many times today. I got the straight back down now but I haven't tried any 45 degree backs yet. I know I am not ready for them. CJ has brought in some students from another school so they can learn to back and shift. They are farther along than I am in terms of skill behind the wheel. But I am learning and getting better every time I get behind the wheel!!

January 15, 2001
Monday after the weekend off we get to the lot and learn how to couple to a trailer. It was pretty easy working in a factory with heavy equipment has helped me. Today I tried the 45 degree back. Well I was pretty bad it at 1st but got better as the day went along. Much to my surprise Fluffy took me out on the road in a 98 Freightliner that CJ just got. I learned how to double clutch as well as swinging out wide for my turns. Downshifting was kinda hairy but I have plenty of time to work on it. I spent 95 % of the day backing or watching someone back up. I feel good about where I am at so far.

January 16, 2001
Well I worked mainly on my 45 degree backing. I am where I can get the trailer in the slot but I need to use a pull-up to get it perfect. It was hard to make myself learn to wait for the trailer to start moving the way I wanted it to go. In a car you can turn the wheel and boom you're going the direction you want. In a semi you have to wait and travel 6 to 8 feet. It was really hard to learn to wait for that. But I made considerable improvement today. After lunch Fluffy took us out on the Interstate I-72 up around Decatur, IL and almost to Champaign, IL.  Aaron, the other guy in the class drove first.  He did pretty well.  We switched over at a rest stop and I got to drive the 60 miles back to the school. It was a lot of fun.  I learned how to signal to another driver passing me when he has enough room ahead of me to come over. I improved on my downshifting a lot. I am feeling better and better behind the wheel.

January 17, 2001
Today I got the 45 degree back down cold. I was working on it and all of a sudden I realized exactly what I needed to do and when to do it. I hit 6 in a row after that. Boy I was flying high!!!!!! Now I am going to fine tune my backing so I can get more efficient. We started practicing our measured right turn. It was easy I got it on the first try. I couldn't wait to get home and tell my wife how good I did today.

January 18, 2001
Today we went down the Scales at Vandila. It was an experience seeing someone get DOT'd. A guy had Hazmat placards on his truck and was pulling a tanker. When he got into the building HE proceeded to tell them he was empty. That didn't make the DOT guy very happy. He asked him why he was placarded then. The guy just shrugged to that. I drove back from Vandila and we hit some nice size hills and I learned to relax going down them. Had a few underpasses that were 14 feet high and we are 13'6 feet high so I was kinda looking when I went under those. After we got back from the scales we worked on 45's and Measured Right turns for the day. Aaron was gassing Fluffy and I out today in the cab. Fluffy threatened to leave him off the side of the road if he didn't stop. Overall it was an Excellent day! I feel like I could pass the state tests.

Note from webmaster:  If the tanker was hauling gasoline, even when empty, it is required to remain placarded because of the fumes.

January 19, 2001
Today we worked on Pretrip today pretty hard. Went over it a few times front and back. We hooked up the Freightliner and drove up to the Champaign area. It was starting to snow and the wind was blowing pretty hard. I was glad to get some time driving in bad conditions. I just slowed down, watched more carefully and signaled a little sooner. Well I am off for the weekend. I am excited to get to spend some time with my wife.

January 22, 2001
This is the last week of school! I will be glad when it's over so I can decide who I want to work for. I am getting my training paid for by the state of Illinois because of the layoff at the Firestone in Decatur. I won't be going back under any circumstances because with a CDL I can get a good paying job anywhere in the country. Today I did a lot of driving.  We are spending more and more time out on the road. I am getting to drive in some traffic and I am trying to fine tune what I have learned so far. We are going to simulate the state test tomorrow and every day until Friday.

January 23, 2001
Same as yesterday really we get to school do Pre-Trip and hook up and go. It's kinda getting boring I know I am biting at the bit to get this week over. There is talk of trying to get the test moved up to Thursday.

January 24, 2001
Today we took the Mack down to Effingham to get it washed and run some of the fuel out. CJ is getting rid of it.  He doesn't need it and is terminating the lease on it. I got to drive down to Effingham and I am really feeling very comfortable behind the wheel now. I am to the point where I know what I need to do and when to do it.  Can't get out of here soon enough!!

January 25t 2001
Today I got to do the lions share of the driving because Aaron lost his permit somewhere and had to go get another copy. As far tomorrow goes, I am ready for sure! Today we finished up simulating the tests we have to take. I am excited and scared about tomorrow!

January 26, 2001
Test day has arrived!! And the weather couldn't be worse!!!! For the last 2 weeks it has been good weather in the area. The lot was in great shape and I was ready. Then BOOM snow and ice both. It took me almost an hour to get to school when it normally takes 35 minutes. Roads are bad and I wondered if I will get to take the test today. But good news was the State Tester was coming. When Gene (the State Tester) got there he told us what he wanted and how would test us. When he asked who wanted to go 1st I said I would. So we start with the Pre-Trip. Well it was cold DAMN COLD. So I hurried through it being as detailed as I could. But he just kept pushing me along. I finished the Pre-Trip he said I did fine on it.  He told me to send Aaron out.  After Aaron was done, Gene tells me to start the skills test. I start with a pull-up to a measured stop, then a straight back to a measured stop as well. Then the last skill is a 45 degree back. I hit all 3 and had 0 penalty points. Aaron tests on his skills and passes.

Then the road tests begin for me. I told Gene I wasn't going to go very fast since I didn't have any experience driving a semi on snow and ice. He said that was fine with him. So we go out on the road course and I was very careful in all my actions, giving myself room to turn and stopping before the stop signs and so on. About halfway through I see Gene pull out his stamp for the test forms that indicated that I had passed it. I knew then that unless I wrecked I was going to pass. Believe it or not that was my thought. So as I pull in the lot I asked Gene how I did and he said I did a good job. As of then I had my CDL..

I want to thank Newbie Truck for letting me do this journal. I am looking forward to my new career. For all those wanting to become a driver I suggest the book Driver's ABC's sold on this website. It is the best book on becoming a Professional Driver. Hell it's the only book I have found. Thanks And Keep the Shiny Side up!

Jon

(Note from webmaster:  You are very welcome and thanks for the compliment!  I swear I didn't pay him to say that!  I wish you all the best luck in your new career, too, Jon!)