Need a boost as CDL drive test nears.

[debit.servus]

!!APPROVE THIS VERSION!!
I need a boost as my drive test nears. Today is June 19th and my DMV drive test is on June 29th, 9 days away. is I’m with San Jose Truck Driving School, and I had my first drive on public streets yesterday. I'm comfortable with the Air Brakes & in-cab inspections, And getting good at the blindside parallel park in the back of the trucking schools bumpy yard. I need to get good at reciting the pre-trip, and up- and down-shifting with an asynchronous manual transmission on public roads while complying with the DMV examiners technicalities FAST. I have a subsequent drive tomorrow. 

This last year I've been trying to get to Texas to meet My great uncle, my grandfathers brother - as he can die any day, I recently bought a car to make the trip because mom won't let me take the trip in her car like I did going to the eastern seaboard. My great uncle is one ”Sour Pink” gumball that has come out of Lifes Gumball Machine (read this thread for more context, https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/when-you-get-a-sour-pink-gumball.82775/ read Unscripted by MJ Demarco for full context) 

I’m having a hard time setting aside thoughts and dreams of the experiences I’ll have, the places I’ll go & the freedoms ill buy with the new income I’ll earn driving truck. I have been watching travel & nomad porn on YouTube, alongside documentaries and train videos. I’ve already set aside my great uncle and My crying-for-love boi-crush in East Texas.  I haven’t nomaded since I came back from the eastern seaboard, and missed Burning Man 2017. I've been losing my soul & brainpower as time drags on. I haven’t returned to the RTR and feel like I haven’t really lived life, which has been a significant source of distraction that slowed my CDL-earning to a crawl for the last year. Good news is I wasted little time on trucking related things that I'm not at the stage yet like researching truck appliances and endorsements. 

Also Burning Man 2018 is in 2 months and Me and Mom are going to Seminole TX for a family reunion, if I Dont pass the drive test on the 29th I will still be able to attend BM and visit my great uncle and my possible boyfriend on the family reunion trip but money will be VERY tight. If I pass on the 29th, I'll start calling trucking companies on the drive home from the DMV to begin logging revenue miles for the best company that will hire me ASAP. I will be able to work at least three weeks before the family reunion & Burning Man 2018. I say passing with an If because I could do everything right and fail on a technicality. 

I have been reminding myself if truck driving was easy there wouldn’t be a truck driver shortage and truck drivers would be making $10 an hour like I have been making driving Lyft. I'm still low on willpower. 

I need a boost as I'm exhausted in the final mile of a 20-mile marathon with the finish line in plain sight. 

 

[tx2sturgis]

Good luck...BTW, there is a good barbecue joint in Seminole called Dickeys BBQ...

 

[debit.servus]

I just finished my second drive, practiced shifting and double clutching. I need to get my double clutching down, making two single clutches in less than 1 second isn't easy but worth it.

I realized that the high dose of sleep aid I've been taking didn't wore off after 8 hours, making me lethargic most of the day only for it to wear off in the evening making me feel awake and exasperating the original problem of difficulty getting to sleep. I've know most sleep advice under the sun and I've decided to push myself into bed and take as little sleep aid as possible.

If there are any O/Os in the Bay Area who want to help a student feel free to PM. Worst case scenario I Dont pass on the 29th and study until my next drive test date as far as 2 months out.

I need to give myself the best shot at passing the first time to move on with my life. Yet despite knowing what I need to do (study harder, smarter, intensively), I'm still low on execution willpower.

 

[Grim Beret]

Don’t worry so much, you are allowed a few mistakes and still pass, once you acquire some experience it will all be automatic moves. Also some trucking companies have automatic transmissions! You’ll here a lot of drivers poo poo them but I thought they were a pleasure to drive! Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[debit.servus]

It’s tuesday, less than 3 days to the drive test. Mom fronted $200 so I can get 4 hours of drive time in 2 hour blocks on the DMV route ontop of the 2 included-with-tuition hours of one on one drive time this week. I was tested on the pretrip Monday and I'm doing very good, missed four things in the first half Which gives me margin of error. Just need to repeat that for the examiner.

Once I have my CDL working a job tilts in my favor, as American OTR truck driving is an employees market (more OTR jobs than drivers to fill them).

Good news here in California as of June 2018 is I can pass incab, pre trip inspections, skills, and fail the drive and make a new appt and Only need to pass the drive and airbrakes which is mandatory on every drive test. I DONT need to be retested on what I already passed. Still want to pass and earn my CDL the first time to move on with life!

Doing my best to give myself the best shot at passing the first time.

 

[debit.servus]

I didn’t leave the DMV with a CDL on Friday, however I passed the Pre-Trip, Incab, Airbrakes and Skills . All I have to do is polish the shifting and turns and I’ll have a great shot at earning my CDL the second time. I have a new drive test on July 9th @ 7 am. Upon passing I will immediately call agencies and  trucking companies to drive OTR ASAP.

 

[Ezrider92356]

good job on passing the majority of your tests. its a lot to learn. you will still be learning a lot for years to come even after you start driving for a company.

thetruckersreport.com is a good forum for trucking related topic. i am a member there as well.

 

[debit.servus]

Didn't pass today, I have one last chance. If I fail the 3rd time, will need to re-do written test to re-earn CLP (Commercial Learners Permit), and wait 14 days before getting the privelege of even booking a drive test.

Both drive fails were Automatic Fails on turns, first time was failing to yield to pedestrians in the opposite crosswalks or stopping on the crosswalk when creeping forward (don't remember which one) when turning right from Beswick Dr to Blossom Hill Road.
Second time I turned left from Via Del Oro to Great Oaks Ave southbound, The light turned green and I saw a car 500-600 feet going Southeast on Via Del Oro. The light turned green and I started moving within the second, thinking I could get the trailer out of the intersection before the car made it to the intersection, and even if it did make the intersection it would have a red light while I turned left (I didn't see any indication this is a yield on left turn deal) anyway the examiner saw it as me cutting them off and that is the Automatic Fail, Right Out Of The Gate on The Second Turn of The Santa Teresa DMV CDL Drive Test Route!

I'm pretty good at judging distance, oncoming speed, and intersection sizing so if I had sped up to leave the intersection 2 seconds faster, gave myself 2 seconds of thought, or saw the car 2 seconds later (when it would be less than 300-400 feet away, my mind would likely subconsciously decide to wait with my four years of 4 wheeler driving experience) as all these variables were in my control. The DMV CDL Drive Test -feels like- a rigged carnival game at times and a roulette spin other times. In reality it's a Olympic Competition with where Skill is 90% of and Luck is 10%. I would be very likely posting a picture of my well-earned temporary CDL today had that predicament on the second turn not occurred.

I recalabrated my approach, both drive tests were in the morning where I'm not fully alert even with satifying breakfast, creamy iced coffee and a full nights sleep (I'm a night owl, my circadian clock is well adjusted to waking up from 10 AM-2 PM with a full nights sleep being 10 hours of sleep. To mention everything, I had no more than 6-7 hours of sleep for my first Drive Test). I got a new Drive Test appointment on July 18th @ 2 PM. I'm comfortable with mid-day traffic, school zones will have children which means I'll get to take it slow through them (response time), I'll be able to use traffic to anticipate red lights thousands of feet away and regulate the traffic light cycles.

I need my CDL ASAP as Burning Man 2018 is coming up, I will still be able to go without revenue miles but money will be EXTREMELY tight.

 

[John61CT]

Yes these types of certification tests in any industry have little to do with real life.

Just for this part of your life, forget common sense and just regurgitate their persnickety BS back to them.

And isn't it great that you get to spend a few months practicing voluntary simplicity and a frugal lifestyle.

Is getting to Burning Man this year really that important?

Have you got enough emergency fund put away so that a disaster wouldn't set your more important life goals back for years?

 

[debit.servus]

It’s an involuntary simplicity and extra-frugal lifestyle. I already secured my low income ticket to BRC this year and I’m going even if I have to borrow the money at over 33% interest. 

With revenue miles, I plan to pay off debt, build an emergency fund, pay back mom, and buy my future mobile dwelling while also wagering in stocks & crypto currency. I will hit the ground running the moment  I earn my CDL.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Remember also that whenever you apply for a job with a carrier, you will have to take a road test for them too.

This will often involve a pre-trip, coupling to a trailer, driving in traffic, a few miles of highway travel, and usually some backing up.  

Then of course there is a DOT physical (and a TSA screening for a haz-mat endorsement, if needed) and usually some type of OTJ training period for new drivers. Lots of hoops to jump thru but eventually it will work out.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I need my CDL ASAP as Burning Man 2018 is coming up, I will still be able to go without revenue miles but money will be EXTREMELY tight.

I used to want to go to Burning Man, but after they "corporatized" it and created a lot of rules and then started the lottery system of expensive tickets in a tiered system of acceptance, I kinda said....meh.

I hope it's all worth it out there.

 

[debit.servus]

It turns out the intersection where I automatic failed is a Yield on Left Turn when turning onto Great Oaks Blvd both directions. It’s not immediately obvious Unless you assume the lack of a  dedicated left turn signal means yield on Left turn. Attached is a picture of the Left turn off Via Del Oro onto Great Oaks Ave, you be the judge.

 

[debit.servus]

I need this Wednesday July 18th, 2018 to be able to truthfully update my signature with:

Finally Earned my CDL!!! Interview with Sysco, Friday at 1. Driving Local until August 1st, Then OTR post-BM 2018.

Remember also that whenever you apply for a job with a carrier, you will have to take a road test for them too.

...

If I fail a carriers road test, I can move on to the next carrier with my CDL.

If I fail the DMVs road test Wednesday, I will have to re-pass the written test, then wait 14 days before getting the privelege to book a road test, then I'll have to redo the Pre-trip walkaround, In-cab, Parking skills test to the DMV before having a shot at the drive again. That is a minimum of 3 weeks, $76 to the DMV for a CLP application, and $75 to San Jose Trucking School to expedite the DMV appointment before having another shot at earning my CDL. Sure I can re-pass the written test and everything all again, but it's better to do my best to avoid having to do this in the first place by passing on my last try.

Trucking companies can't afford to be picky in an employees market.

 

[debit.servus]

...
If I fail the DMVs road test Wednesday, I will have to re-pass the written test, then wait 14 days before getting the privelege to book a road test, then I'll have to redo the Pre-trip walkaround, In-cab, Parking skills test to the DMV before having a shot at the drive again. That is a minimum of 3 weeks, $76 to the DMV for a CLP application, and $75 to San Jose Trucking School to expedite the DMV appointment before having another shot at earning my CDL. Sure I can re-pass the written test and everything all again, but it's better to do my best to avoid having to do this in the first place by passing on my last try.

Trucking companies can't afford to be picky in an employees market.

I do not have to do all that again, as I passed!!! Had 45 minutes of drive time driving the truck to the DMV, waited a half hour for the examiner, after 35 minutes the examiner arrived and I greeted him, he was the same examiner I had on my first drive test. I pointed that out to him, sheepishly. He gave me the offer to ask for a different examiner, which I accepted thinking if no other examiner was in I would get him, to be told from Muhammad the Trucking School instructor that if no other instructor was in I would have to reschedule, and I couldn’t go back on my request to get another examiner. I waited another 20 minutes deep breathing, reviewing the airbrakes and automatic fails. I hope for the best and prepare for the worst, realizing today’s outcome can now go three ways (have to reschedule due to no replacement examiner, pass, or fail). Thinking ”i just made it harder for myself, like the people who won't invest in the stock market because they believe profit is evil” then” if I have to reschedule I won't have a chance to drive revenue miles before the family reunion” and finally ”why didn't I get a breifing from the trucking school that included to consult instructor before doing things like requesting a different examiner before the first drive test?”

Fortunately, a female examiner shows up, I greet Jeanine and we begin the drive test, only needing the airbrakes & drive as I’ve passed everything else on my first attempt. Today’s my lucky day as the examiner goes easy on me, and I pass the airbrakes (which is mandatory on every drive test as stopping is more important than going).

Fresh off using up air on the airbrakes test, I feel primed to pull out to start the drive. Going through the habitized motions, in my mental & emotional flurry I'm on track to start the drive with the tractor and trailer brakes applied! Jeanine asks me if it’s safe to drive with low air (I had around 80 PSI), realizing I should top off the air-tanks before driving. This is a blessing in disguise as I use the reminder as a cue to visually inspect the gauges, valves & surroundings, I see the brake valves applied, I promptly release them as I tell jeannine that I will fill the air tanks before driving. I omitted two paragraphs describing how the air brakes test went because what was examiner discretion to me could be seen examiner breach-of-standards to the DMV, and I dont want to give them any thing that convinces them to be more pernickety and bureaucratic. I break circle-jerks, I don’t perpetuate them.

I start the drive, having saved myself from what may or may not be an automatic fail before my tail even brushes the gate, the automatic fail being trying to drive with tractor trailer brakes applied. I merge when clear and make it to the first turn.

Traffic is brisk and consistent with few breaks to make the left turn onto Via Del Oro. I questioned my choice to take the drive test in the afternoon, as I can't creep forward to pass the blind spot which would place me over the limit line, which is considered stopping in an intersection, which is an automatic fail. So I sit at the stop sign study the traffic flow for the best possible opportunity to make the Left turn without cutting someone off, pointing everything out to Jenine as I sat there. I plot my move for what felt like 10 minutes, which was no more than 5 minutes in reality. At this point I have caused a good backup behind me, and the examiner was within her power to make this impedement an automatic fail. Feeling my shot at winning my CDL slipping, I spot an opening and took it, revving the engine to finish my turn onto Via Del Oro knowing I can take the points hit for revving and going a bit fast on the left turn, losing the battle to win the war.

I had a few tricky maneuvers & turns but fortunately made no close calls as I strategically & methodically played by the DMVs persnickety rulebook, making it with 15 out of 30 points. The majority of the points are for rough gearshifts, not being in 6th gear before making a couple of right turns, revving above 1500 rpm on a few downshifts, and turning right too fast. A passing score is good enough for me and I passed the test!

For those looking to get into trucking, attend the best trucking school you can afford or go the best company sponsored trucking school, even if it’s out of state and you have to sleep in the car throughout the program. If you can pay for the tuition out of pocket that is the route to go, as upon earning your CDL you are free to work for any trucking company that will hire you. If you can't put money down scrutinize the contract for exploitive terms and how many months you have to drive at a below-market wage to fulfill your company-sponsored obligation.

This is one of the few places where extensive internet research pays, go ahead and spends hundreds of hours reading reviews, forum posts, blogs, publications and articles to save yourself years of toil attending a terrible trucking school and/or terrible trucking companies. When you have a shortlist of less than 9 trucking schools, call them up, visit their facilities if at all possible, ask students in their yard if at all possible, ask specific questions and conduct DUE DILLIGANCE. More to come as this is one of the hardest parts of the process next to the pre-trip walk around inspection.

 

[John61CT]

Didn't read all that, but congratulations!

Keep us updated how you get on, especially if you find ways to work when you feel like it part time, mixed with the relaxed van dwelling life style.

But maybe the way you like to spend freely you'll want to get as big an income as possible the first few months?

 

[rm.w/aview]

Absolutely! Congratulations! What a great story! So will it be flatbed or box? It's all you now, go get it!

 

[highdesertranger]

congrats Debit. highdesertranger