[tinytim]

I didn't intend this to be about me but I guess about what is important in training.

Orangetxguy

It wasn't long before I made my first mistake, that's for sure. I haven't made any yet which could have been bad in the sense that someone would have been hurt or something would have been damaged but wasn't due to luck. There definitely were/are times I wished my training had been longer and that I had known to ask certain questions. I did a lot of reading on here and other sites as well as asking many questions of experienced drivers before getting out there but there are too many possible situations to cover it all. I am a cautious person but I know I will make mistakes, the same as anyone else. I remind myself everyday to not turn a small mistake into a big one. I am not full of myself in anyway and hope I don't come across that way. I'm always looking for ways to be better and am a believer that there is no one I can't learn something from. As for your training vs. self doubt it sounds more like caution and common sense to me.

YankeeTURBO

I would like very much for you to share your knowledge. I've learned a lot from this site and thank everyone who imparts their wisdom. You mentioned snow and it's falling outside as I speak. I've been been going over some threads on another site about winter driving to refresh my memory so to speak. Like you mentioned it's always worse when the temps are just below freezing which is how winter always starts.

Enough about me though

[TomB985]

I think there is no exact time that is a "good" amount of training. I believe every driver learns at a different pace. I've seen people who get done with 3-4 weeks of training who have NO clue what they are doing, and I've seen people with as little as one or two weeks that handle it just fine.

Training is very important, but this constant cry for regulation and standardization is, IMHO, counterproductive. I see far more accidents and incidents caused NOT by lack of training, but overconfidence and carelessness. NO amount of training can cure these things.

Unfortuantely, everyone is NOT cut out for this job, and whether that "driver" has two weeks of training, or two YEARS of training is irrelivent. I've seen people get fired for having many incidents within a small period, and there are people like Tim who have gone nearly a year with NO incidents at all. That's the difference between a CAREFUL driver and a careless driver...NOT necessarily a well-trained and poorly trained driver.

I support action by carriers and insurance companies to continue to "weed out" drivers who can't hack it due to inattention or carelessness, instead of insisting on a very lengthy, often unneccessary training program.

[Windwalker]

Originally Posted by INKTOXICATED

1 day with a few drops and picks in a 53 in brooklyn should get your skills dialed in

Do they have a Brooklyn in Canada???

The worse the weather gets, the more you want to drive like you have NO BRAKES. That's because the worse the weather gets, the less effective your brakes will be. Do not slow down "WHEN" you get to the corner. You had better be slowed down as you approach the corner.

With a wet road in summer, putting up a spray is just fine and dandy. But in winter, when the surface of the road if frozen, putting up a spray doesn't mean a dam thing. Look for "TIRE TREAD MARKS" in the water. If you have them, you're driving on ice that's freezing onto the road, and a layer of water on top that is trying to freeze. You can't stand up on it without sliding, and if you stop the truck on your side of the road, it will slide off. Not a hard and fast rule, because you can have wet ice without the tread marks. It depends on just how much water is on top of the ice. Take it easy, and when you're only going about 10 mph, try your trailer brake just slightly. If you feel the braking, you have traction. If you feel no braking, you're on ice. Do not try it at any higher speeds, because the trailer could slide off to the side far enough that you would lose control. Then, it becomes a fine line of keeping your momentum up while going up a hill so that you don't spin out, and not allowing it to get away from you while going downhill.

Do not "OVER-DRIVE" your own ability. And, no one else is qualified to tell you what is a safe speed for you to go.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by tinytim

I didn't intend this to be about me but I guess about what is important in training.

Orangetxguy

It wasn't long before I made my first mistake, that's for sure. I haven't made any yet which could have been bad in the sense that someone would have been hurt or something would have been damaged but wasn't due to luck. There definitely were/are times I wished my training had been longer and that I had known to ask certain questions. I did a lot of reading on here and other sites as well as asking many questions of experienced drivers before getting out there but there are too many possible situations to cover it all. I am a cautious person but I know I will make mistakes, the same as anyone else. I remind myself everyday to not turn a small mistake into a big one. I am not full of myself in anyway and hope I don't come across that way. I'm always looking for ways to be better and am a believer that there is no one I can't learn something from. As for your training vs. self doubt it sounds more like caution and common sense to me.

YankeeTURBO

I would like very much for you to share your knowledge. I've learned a lot from this site and thank everyone who imparts their wisdom. You mentioned snow and it's falling outside as I speak. I've been been going over some threads on another site about winter driving to refresh my memory so to speak. Like you mentioned it's always worse when the temps are just below freezing which is how winter always starts.

Enough about me though

Asking questions is always a great way to learn. You can't ever get an answer, if you don't ask the question.

YankeeTurbo / WindWalker is right....."ROCKYMOUNTAINPRODRIVER" was a good one for you to get current winter driving tips from. I live in Texas now...and have subscribed to the idea that if the truck needs snowshoes to operate...the truck can stay home and sleep. :bow::bow::bow::bow:

However.....Ladynorthstar and Wildkat are both "Northerners" and can give you some great winter tips. You will find both of them in the ladies forum......being hound-dogged by YT / WW. :lol2::lol2: :rofl::rofl:

[Windwalker]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

However.....Ladynorthstar and Wildkat are both "Northerners" and can give you some great winter tips. You will find both of them in the ladies forum......being hound-dogged by YT / WW. :lol2::lol2: :rofl::rofl:

Well, I have not been told that they have been offended by my presence...:lol::lol:

[tinytim]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

YankeeTurbo / WindWalker is right.....

Are they one in the same? Was reading over some winter driving threads and Windwalker is a wealth of excellent information. The two ladies from the north and Colt also have great info.

[tinytim]

TomB985 seems to be thinking along the same lines as me.

Something else I was reminded of reading some threads is that a lot of people seem run into problems after 6 months to a year as they get too comfortable behind the wheel, one of my biggest fears and part of the reason I come back here fairly often to read up. Do many companies have any type of ongoing refreshers? It never hurts to make sure drivers are reminded of what can go wrong out there.

[Windwalker]

Originally Posted by tinytim

Are they one in the same? Was reading over some winter driving threads and Windwalker is a wealth of excellent information. The two ladies from the north and Colt also have great info.

Yes, we are one and the same...

"WindWalker" said that.:smokin:

[Windwalker]

And, THANK YOU, tinytim. I figured that if just one driver stays out of trouble because of it, it was well worth posting. To find out that it's still being read two years after it was posted means a lot. Take it to heart. It's the same information that's kept me out of trouble for years.

Best of luck to you.

[tinytim]

http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/n...need-some.html
http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/n...r-driving.html

Those are a couple of great threads about winter driving. Good reads/reminders for anyone I would think. I didn't find the one Windwalker started, probably searching with the wrong term.

And thanks for that info YT/Ww, that kind of info makes this site a great resource.

Going off topic anyway so a little comment. We have a couple of very experienced drivers who love to talk at length. One has been driving for 48 years. Some of the guys avoid them like the plague because once they start talking you can't stop them. That and the fact some of 'em are still young enough to know it all I tell you though, it's amazing how much advice they give without realizing it.