Any Advice?

[kahlana]

Okay for all the "ahem" old timers out there...
I've passed 4 practice tests for General Knowledge, Air Brakes and Combination with an 88% or higher (up to a 97%) and after Christmas I am giong out on the road with my brother who drives for Swift, for a few weeks. I am currently waiting for a clearnace letter from the State of Nebraska on my license (no proof of insurance ticket back in October but should be cleared up shortly). While I'm with my brother he is giong to help me memorize the pre-trip so I can pass it when I finally get to go to school.
My question is: Is there ANYTHING else I can do to prep for the CDL tests? I cant actually drive his truck so anything short of that that I can do to get ready and/or help me when I finally get to school would really be helpful.
Thanks

[headborg]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

[gmh]

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Probably not at this time of year.

[kahlana]

well its Swift's truck... and until stupid ole Nebraska gets that clearance letter to me I cant even get my permit.. so i have my regular DL (which is perfectly clean in all other 49 States by the way) but I also dont want to get my brother in trouble with his company... so Ill work on the pretrip until i can do it in my sleep and keep reading and studying the manual while im dinking around waiting....

[marylandkw]

Talk about a great opportunity. You actually get to test out the truckers life before you jump in. My advice would to be go in with an open mind, don't settle on Swift. Make sure you make your own choice. That could be Swift or someone else.

Work that pre-trip until your mind is numb. Until all you can think is pre-trip. When it comes time to test out on it, it will be second nature. Make sure you have a manual there that tells you step by step what it is. It is possible your brother might have forgotten a thing or two.

Do a log book. This is another area that can confuse new drivers. Maybe do your own, maybe do His (not sure if doing his is technically legal or not)

Take some time and watch him and others bump docks and park at truck stops. Get an idea in your head how to wiggle these things around to get em in the hole.

Take a few naps while bouncing down the road. Depending on your eventual trainer it might benefit you if you can sleep in a moving truck.

You have already said it but I will say it again. DO NOT DRIVE HIS TRUCK. Don't even pull it up a few feet for any reason at all. A little mistake could ruin your career before it even started. You are absolutely nothing other than a passenger. But that can alot of fun also.

[Drew10]

I am giong out on the road with my brother who drives for Swift, for a few weeks.

Good for you, will get to experience "life on the road" for a time. Much to learn, observe all that you can from your brother, and observations of other drivers. Look for postives and negatives of the drivers, you can learn just as much from the negatives as the postives.

I want to echo what most have said about driving the truck. Under no circumstances drive his truck. Like marylandkw said not even a few feet. Remember that truck is not your brothers, it is Swifts assigned to your brother. Now I drive for a company and consider my assigned truck as mine. But keep in mind things can go wrong even in a few feet of movement. You do not need that responsiblity and your brother cannot absorb that responsibilty either if something sould go wrong. Even if you brother offers for you to drive in an empty parking lot bobtail. Dont. You will have plenty to observe and have a good time being on the road for a few weeks. Enjoy it.
Look forward to reading your post of the experience when you return.

[kahlana]

Well i had originally thought Schneider would be my employer of choice but the BF wants me to look seriously at Roehl so I applied to both and am waiting to see what happens from there.. and I'll more than likely be posting from the road since im making my bro get a wireless internet card for his laptop... me without internet???? thats like Abbott without Costello.. it just aint right! :shock: anyway... im extremely stoked about the whole thing... im pretty sure i'm part gypsy anyway so i should feel right at home... and thanks for the terrific advice Im takin notes

[dsldriver]

All good suggestions, especially the pre-trip. That's the one thing that takes out the most new drivers. My son grew up around trucks, drove trucks on the farm, good as anybody out there, but it took him three tries to get past the pre-trip. His fault, I told him to read the book and do what THEY wanted, not inpect it the way he normally would.

As far as the log book, I've known several drivers whose wives did the log book. I think it's okay as long as the driver signs on the line. Maybe to be safe, it'd be better if you just spent 50 cents and bought a log book. Fill it out like you're doing the driving, it'll give you some hands on experience. You'll have one less thing to learn when you're training.

[devildice]

I am giong out on the road with my brother who drives for Swift, for a few weeks.

Good for you, will get to experience "life on the road" for a time. Much to learn, observe all that you can from your brother, and observations of other drivers. Look for postives and negatives of the drivers, you can learn just as much from the negatives as the postives.

I want to echo what most have said about driving the truck. Under no circumstances drive his truck. Like marylandkw said not even a few feet. Remember that truck is not your brothers, it is Swifts assigned to your brother. Now I drive for a company and consider my assigned truck as mine. But keep in mind things can go wrong even in a few feet of movement. You do not need that responsiblity and your brother cannot absorb that responsibilty either if something sould go wrong. Even if you brother offers for you to drive in an empty parking lot bobtail. Dont. You will have plenty to observe and have a good time being on the road for a few weeks. Enjoy it.
Look forward to reading your post of the experience when you return.

Ditto!!!!

[Karnajj]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Real bright. I love the "just don't get caught" part. Great way to sabotage his driving career before it even gets started. Heck, if you are going to go that far, why bother with a learner's permit at all? You'd better hope that nobody from Lincoln reads this post and realizes who you are. Your life could get real complicated real quick!


To the OP. Does he have permission from Swift to let you ride with him?

[Creek Jackson]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Just being on "private property" don't mean diddly anymore. You can ticketed on private property for any moving violation in a motor vehicle that you can be ticketed on the road for.
Plus you might get busted for trespassing!!

Creek

[headborg]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Real bright. I love the "just don't get caught" part. Great way to sabotage his driving career before it even gets started. Heck, if you are going to go that far, why bother with a learner's permit at all? You'd better hope that nobody from Lincoln reads this post and realizes who you are. Your life could get real complicated real quick!


To the OP. Does he have permission from Swift to let you ride with him?

I don't really give a crap if Lincoln reads this or not---
He started off asking for advice from "aham" old timers---
how the hell you think old timers learned in the first place, before "cdl mills" came out. And yes, at one time out of 65drivers- I was the only one My company realized "qualified" to train my own Wife to get her CDL.
What a candy ass......

[headborg]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Just being on "private property" don't mean diddly anymore. You can ticketed on private property for any moving violation in a motor vehicle that you can be ticketed on the road for.
Plus you might get busted for trespassing!!

Creek

you can't get ticketed on private property unless the owner of the property
allows the officers to come onto said property and do it......

just how many times have your finders been run over in parking lots--and called the police out to writet up a report--and have them say---
"sorry, private property----nothing we can do"

a guy could drive a 18-wheeler through a truckstop parking lot and demolish a dozen other trucks---and it's all up to a civil court to settle.

EDIT: since 911 there are new laws prohibiting commercial vehicles from approaching Mall parking lots & such as "anti- terrorism" measures-----so yeah Creek does have a good point there.
In the "old days" companies would routinely suggest to their trainers to take their trainees to Mall parking lots, set up Cones and practice. It was a good idea then, as the Truckstop lot isn't a training range. It would still be a good idea now, if you can find one that doesn't ban trucks from parking there.

[Karnajj]

my first question would be? why can't you drive your brother's truck?

all you legally need is a learner's permit. He has a CDL right?

just don't get caught by Swift, or Screw-up.

Stick to bob-tail driving at first ---Mall parking lots are empty on Sunday Afternoons.( and you don't need a licence to operate a bob-tail on Private Property Only)

Real bright. I love the "just don't get caught" part. Great way to sabotage his driving career before it even gets started. Heck, if you are going to go that far, why bother with a learner's permit at all? You'd better hope that nobody from Lincoln reads this post and realizes who you are. Your life could get real complicated real quick!


To the OP. Does he have permission from Swift to let you ride with him?

I don't really give a crap if Lincoln reads this or not---
He started off asking for advice from "aham" old timers---
how the hell you think old timers learned in the first place, before "cdl mills" came out. And yes, at one time out of 65drivers- I was the only one My company realized "qualified" to train my own Wife to get her CDL.
What a candy ass......

You sound to me like one of those "old timers" (although I hardly think 15 years qualifies someone as an old timer) who refuses (or is unable) to change with the times. Handing out advice that can get a bunch of people in a lot of trouble, if not put them in jail, is not a sign of a professional driver.

[headborg]

that's why I said---all you need is a learner's permit and a licensed driver - and no one goes to jail/no laws violated----his brother just gets fired if caught.

or just practice on private property- again no laws violated--just company
policy.

if it were illegal to operate a bob-tail without a license on private property--
almost every mechanic at every trucking terminal/shop would be getting ticketed daily--donut shops would be going in next to each one, and a cop would be staking the places out 24-7.

well- reguardless of how many years it takes to qualify as 'old timer'--it
only seems to take 1 day to be a 'real company man'.

[Karnajj]

You are truly a classic. "His brother just gets fired. That's all." That is a quote for the ages. Somebody needs to make that their sig line.

[marylandkw]

that's why I said---all you need is a learner's permit and a licensed driver - and no one goes to jail/no laws violated----his brother just gets fired if caught.

or just practice on private property- again no laws violated--just company
policy.

:shock: :shock:

[headborg]

We're talking about Swift right?

How about a more realistic prediction.

He trains his brother to drive/ they save $4000.00 on schooling.
His brother gets his CDL in half the time it would take going the other route.

Then he leaves Swift( since he probably wasn't going to stay with them more than 6months anyway)

and then they get a job running team with another company.

How many Husband/Wife Teams you figure are out there--that did it--the exact same way.

[kahlana]

okay let me just clarify one or two things for the record.. lol... 1.) I'm female... 2.) Its my baby brother who drives for swift so no way in H-E- Double Hockey Sticks am I going to do one thing that would jeapordize his job (whether he's happy there or not) 3.) By "old timers I meant folks that have been driving for longer than 2 weeks (it was supposed to be facetious... not intended to offend anyone... 4.) yeppers permission has been granted for me to ride-along and the bro is paying $30 a month for insurance on me to be there. Sooooo... I will be abiding by the rules and playing nice and all that. I will not under any circumstance drive that truck anywhere. I'm pretty certain i can learn the pretrip without having to actually drive the vehicle. (at least i hope so) lol 8)

Okay any other questions? :wink:

Oh and thanks to everyone for the good advice I really appreciate it

[golfhobo]

Dang, Kahlana! You "stole my thunder!" I wanted to point out the OBVIOUS that you were definitely NOT a "HE."

Anyway..... just ONE little "thought" about the pre-trip:

It sounds like you will have lots of time to go over this with your brother. I would suggest that you concentrate on learning and UNDERSTANDING just what it is you are checking.... and WHY. This way, regardless of whether you are tested by a "third party" or the DMV, you will have a better chance of covering ALL the points.

What I mean is..... if you MEMORIZE a "certain" pretrip, and then the 'tester' has another criteria..... you may easily MISS some points.... and NOT KNOW WHY!

I suggest that you STUDY the one in the CDL manual published by the STATE you will be tested in. NOT one by a certain company.

I KNOW it looks "daunting," but it is not really something that needs to be MEMORIZED. It is something that needs to be INTERNALIZED!

If you UNDERSTAND what you are checking AND WHY.... you are more likely to pass ANY pretrip examination, and if you miss something, you will get more lenience "IF" you demonstrate that you KNOW what you are checking, as opposed to having MEMORIZED it. (especially.... hate to say it.... as a WOMAN!)

Besides, as a driver, what you are checking can mean YOUR LIFE! It is better to understand it, than to just REMEMBER the "points" you have to cover. Ask WildKat if she could get by just KNOWING what she needs to check, as opposed to knowing WHY she needs to check it!

Also, it seems that MOST drivers get "nervous" during this part of the test. If this happens, MEMORY will fail you! But, KNOWING the material, will calm you down, and you will KNOW what you might have forgotten to mention!

I "memorized" the pre-trip on my first attempt in CDL school. I did it flawlessly for weeks. [I could "recite" it in less than 7 minutes.]

Soon, I started to UNDERSTAND what, and WHY, I was checking. When I tested out (third party by an instructor AT OUR SCHOOL as opposed to the DMV,) I got a little cocky, and forgot one or two items. The tester said she KNEW that I KNEW the pretrip, and WHAT I was checking, and she passed me.

Here's a small example. I'm not even SURE anymore if it was on the list, but I think it was:

WHY do you check the hub oil levels on your tandem axles?

As you are studying the POINTS of the pre-trip.... ask the question of WHY you are checking it. KNOW the answer, and you will KNOW your truck!

Good luck! I think it will be GREAT for you to get some REAL experience before you go to school. BTW.... DON'T do his logbook for him. It is supposed to ALL be in his handwriting. Do a separate one of your own (as mentioned.) That way, you can make lots of mistakes and just tear out the pages!

You MIGHT also use it to "practice" split logging, and see if you find any advantages to what you COULD have done differently than the way your brother did it.

Oh.... and while you're OUT there, take EVERY chance to talk to the women drivers!! [Just don't tell your brother what they REALLY think of him/us!!]

And take down EVERY company name and phone number you get! You might find a better option, right out of the gate! :wink: