Newbies - Tips From the Trainer
The Skills for a CDL
Welcome! This is your personal online trainer. I will strive to provide insightful and 100% accurate information regarding questions you have about the first few months in the life of a new driver--from driving tips to industry policies. Get in on the action. Email your questions to me.
| Q | I am set to begin my CDL training. I am extremely nervous about doing well. Is there any one thing that I should focus on the most? I used to do retail and I decided that this is what I want to do. I just don't want to fail at it. Basically what I am asking is if it is too difficult to learn or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
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I have described the tasks of learning to drive a tractor- trailer like trying to tie your shoes. How much real concentrated effort does it take for most adults to tie their shoelaces? For the vast majority, it takes little to no effort mentally or physically to tie their shoelaces. When you were learning to tie your shoelaces when you were a child though, it was a huge problem that you just could not comprehend at all. This is the same thing. Driving a tractor-trailer is not hard. It is just new to you and you will have to come from a basic skill set, to driving in major cities all over the country. You will not have to do this overnight and you will be one heck of a frustrated mess when you start to learn. The vast majority of people trying to learn to drive trucks make it through training and into employment as a driver. There is a very small percentage of the people who will just not be able to do this no matter how much they want to. The number who can’t do it is very small, but they are out there. Usually it is a case of just not being able to get used to the size of the vehicle and all of the stress involved while they are trying to get comfortable in the trucks. The biggest problem for people is learning how to “re-learn” how to drive the correct, legal, and safe way. The last time that most people had any type of driver training they were in high school. Since then, they have done what most drivers do, they just get sloppy. What they do is not really unsafe, but it is far from the safe and legal way of driving when they got their original permit and driver’s license—and a far cry from properly driving a truck. Learning to drive all over again and adding the confusion of a new type of transmission, a trailer that is longer than three or four cars, and people watching is tough! But it is something that most people can adjust to. There is a steep learning curve, but chances are that you can do it. |
| Q | While searching for a drivers position I have come across many companies who state that a driver can have as many as three to five accidents within a certain time frame, but as I apply to some of these same companies, I find myself being disqualified even if I meet their guidelines. Can someone out there please explain? |
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This normally depends on the type of accident that we are talking about. There are some accidents that can be overlooked and some that cannot. Just one type of accident can get you disqualified from a lot of companies. Rollovers are a huge black mark for trucking companies. Just one rollover will blackball a driver for life from most companies because they are almost 100 percent a case where the driver is at fault. Rearend collision and having an accident while being under the influence of drugs or alcohol are others that some companies will not overlook regardless of timeframe. Some drivers are disqualified for accidents that do not involve other drivers or even those that don’t happen on the road. Drivers who tend to run into inanimate objects can find themselves on the outside looking in. The potential costs to these companies for these types of accidents and the ample supply of drivers out there make it so the companies can be picky and not take chances on drivers with previous or potential problems.
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