Advanced Driving School
I'm a nebie and finally understand why exp'd drivers dont have faith on us. I got my class A 7/31/09 and was supposed to have an orientation with Watkins Shepard. I was supposed to start 8/12 but my app wasnt completed so they pushed me to 8/24. App still wasnt completed so got pushed to 9/2. Again app wasnt completed so was pushed to 9/12. In the meantime a friend hooked up with CRST and talked me into going with them. I know, you dont have to say it. Anyway I'm down here in Fontana CA. CRST said I need to take a one week refresher course so they sent me to Advanced Driving School. I just completed my refresher and what an eye opener. They offer a two week course for people who want to get a class a. First week all they do is paperwork, physical, and permit tests. Second week they start driving and that Friday they take the DMV test. All the instructors at the school are certified DMV testers so testing is done at their facility. I went through a 4 week course where we had to have our permit, and med card before we started class. The first three days we spent watching video's and learning about the tractors, trailers, break system, heights, weights, inspection stickers, and how to fill out a log book. Fourth day we started driving and doing our skills. Along with that we learned how to couple/decouple a tractor and trailer and adjust the breaks with the slack adjuster. With Falcon in that month I probably drove around 500 miles or so. In my refresher probably around 150 miles. I had a guy taking the refresher course with me that didnt know how high the trucks were, how to couple/decouple, and how to fill out a log book. I'm sorry but four days to learn how to drive a clutch, operate a tractor trailer, downshifting is not enough time. We had a couple of other people taking the refresher that couldnt shift and they also had their class a. This school does nothing with log books, no general info, no break adjustments, no coupling. Its driving, baking, pretrip, and break test. Dont get me wrong the instructors were great, very knowledgable and good driving teachers, I learned several things, but four days, thats not enough time to let somebody out on the road with no general knowledge about anything.
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