Looking for driving tips before truck driver training

Part of my new temporary career change before my permanent career change involves learning to drive a tractor trailer and get my license to help haul potatoes. I have my straight truck and air brakes already and have arrangements made to learn to safely drive a big truck. I know there?s at least a couple or more professional drivers on here so if anyone has any safe driving tips to offer up please respond. Thank you in advance.

Well I would say there are several ways a semi/trailer will handle differently than a straight truck.

1) You will be heavier but have more axles so braking distance will be about the same.
2) You will have to learn how wide to swing out during turns. The trailer will cut across.
3) Do everything EASY/SLOW. Changing lanes or turning do not jerk or move suddenly. The trailer can whip the truck/tractor around.
4) Be alert on the road ahead of you. Really watch other cars/trucks. You will need more time to react safely.
5) Try to relax and not stress yourself out. Stressing yourself will lead to more mistakes and fatigue.

Hey Phillip,
I got my class 1 about 8 years ago. Best thing I did was go through a driving school. Not only do they teach the safety, they teach how to pass the exam. There were many little things I would never have thought about when it came to the test.
Very seldom have I needed to drive a truck and trailer, but sure is handy to have the licence. I generally just drive our tandem flat beds / cranberry bulk box or dump trucks... but occasionally I've had to hop in a semi to get the fruit in.

Over here in Nanaimo there are a coupe companies that do the training. Go visit them, there may be federal or provincial funding avalible for jobs retraining.

Good luck. Grant

I got my CDL as soon as I was eligible at 18, about fhdfkriytdb years ago.
At that time, all you had to do was take a more detailed written test and "drive around the block"
in what ever vehicle you had..car, pickup, truck. It was called a Chauffeur's License then and I always kept it.
I didn't need it at the time, but it came in handy a few times over the years when company's I was working for
needed a truck driver, and no one else handy had a CDL. I got a couple jobs over the years because I
already had my CDL and none of the other applicants had their's yet.
I finally gave it up when I was 71 and they said I needed a Heart Dr. to give me a stress test to the tune of $750.
I can still drive for my farmer/rancher friends as long as it agriculture related.

Philip I am going to spare you the lecture as you will undoubtedly receive a lot of free driving advice and I will leave you with this...

Once you do get behind the wheel and you find yourself pounding the pavement and seeing the country which will inevitably take you to the odd truck stop diner.... Do NOT buy the first good looking waitress who serves you a house no matter HOW good she looks in a pair of tight black polyester pants..

On a serious note , take your time , rushing has caused more problems in this line of work than you can imagine, and know your limitations when you are tired and need rest. Try and eat well and get as much exercise as you can if you are going to do any long haul type work.

Good luck and shut the jake off when you?re still learning to shift smoothly.

if you encounter a deer in the road hit the brakes, and the horn , then the gas , do not try to avoid it by swerving 80,000 lbs out of the way of a 200 lb animal just run it over

drive the trailer and ride in the tractor; best advice i ever got!

Just watch out for the other nutty drivers. They think you can stop on a dime and they love to cut you off where they pass you and whip right back in front of you..

I would say, learn to USE the rear view mirrors...traveling Forward AND Backward..comes in handy if and when you must "Blind-side" into a dock...

Never think you will never make the Brakes HOT...you WILL know when they do.(fading and Smoke)..!

NEVER push the clutch pedal all the way down, except for Initially putting the trans in gear, before you start moving.. (There is a Clutch-Brake on it to stop rotation, so the gears dont grind.

After that, about 1/2 clutch pedal travel is usually more than plenty..the more you drive, the less you will use the clutch (I mean Years of driving)..!!

Watch the Bridges...!!!

G.O.A.L.

Get out and look. Everytime. Do not back up until you KNOW what is back there. Learn to back up before you go forward. My first day on the driving at school was spent backing up.

That is what I was told when I got into an 18 wheeler for the first time. You didn't have to take a driving test for them back then, only a written. Watch the trailer wheels and the truck will do the rest. I thought it was crazy, but it was the truth. If your trailers are on your side of the line then the rest is too.

Don't know what you had for a tranny, but OTR trannies only need the clutch for stopping at a red light. On the 15 speed I had with the 400 HP Big Cam Cummins, I had about a 300 rpm power band. At the upper end, when ready to shift, just put slight pressure on the stick in the direction of desired gear, let off the pedal, let the rpms fall and when in sync, the shifter will just fall into the next gear...smooth as silk. Pedal on the metal and ready for another 300 rpm and repeat the process.

A truck driving training company opened up a school in our town. When I was driving by one day it looked like the class was all Somalians that they brought in from somewhere and are teaching them to drive Semi's.
There has recently been a fatal 18 wheeler crash involving a Somalian truck driver nearby on Interstate 80.
I have been giving the trucks a WIDE berth on the roads these days. People better be twice as cautious.

We all know you are correct as to how everyone shifts them , BUT I have heard that if you do that during a CDL test it is an automatic fail or something like that ? The testers want you double clutching is what I've heard. But do not go by what I may of heard or not heard. Ask around at the testing place BEFORE you do the test.

I have trained a handful of guys to run the road. 1st thing to do is imagine you are hauling something explosive that isn't tied down. Start and stop smoothly and gradually. Always take exit ramps as if you are hauling water on a flat bed. Slow down ,,, smooth n easy. Don't worry who flips you off. Plan to stop before you have to, drive like you are on ice. Always take your time to slow down. Try to let the truck slow you down, don't gouge on the pedal. READ EVERY SIGN YOU SEE, It might be warning you of a low bridge or lane closer. This gives you time to slow down safely. Pay attention to details, this might save your life. Not many guys walk away from big truck Accidents. If you feel sleepy pull over. Every one has different limits. Learn yours and know when to rest. Al

Worst part for me was parallel parking a rig. I had to take a 2nd shot at it.

Ended up never driving for pay, but still have my CDL......for now.

Best advice I can give you is, .....don't run over anything! That especially comes true when at a light or stop sign and making a right turn. Good luck!

I have an idea though -- using your favorite search engine, do a search for [color=blue:afc0d328ea]how to pass cdl driving test[/color:afc0d328ea]. You'll get website and Youtube results. Check out both. Might even want to include your state in that search. I haven't clicked on any of the results so can't say if they're any good. Hell, I probably wouldn't know good info from bad anymore! *lol*

Very good advise.

yes. READ ALL the signs. typical testers will ask you how tall the bridge is AFTER you go under it. (being a smart a55 i say i don't know the bridge height without measuring it.. but the sign said 14'-0",) << i don't recommend that..

or ask what the speed limit sign is After you pass it. in Fort Wayne they have an odd stop sign they like to take you by that is about 20 ft behind the intersection to trick people. you have to stop behind the sign then you can move up to the intersection and look and then proceed.


practice the backing up tests. when i had mine they didn't do the offset (parallel) parking. it was just a 90 deg "dock" test.

even with a straight truck or bus it can be tricky. tyr to find a parking lot and measure it out and set up cones or hay bales ect to practice that with. and watch the right turns.

also, get as short a truck/trailer to take the test in that you can that still meets the Class A requirements. Longer tractor is harder to back up. no point in making it harder than it needs to be

(quoted from post at 19:52:33 11/07/18) Part of my new temporary career change before my permanent career change involves learning to drive a tractor trailer and get my license to help haul potatoes. I have my straight truck and air brakes already and have arrangements made to learn to safely drive a big truck. I know there?s at least a couple or more professional drivers on here so if anyone has any safe driving tips to offer up please respond. Thank you in advance.

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Learn the '5 seeing habits' and abide by them:Aim high in steering; get the big picture; keep your eyes moving; leave yourself an out and make sure they see you. AKA, All Good Kids Love Milk.

Go to DMV and pick up the Commercial Motor Vehicle manual for your state. There should be a separate one for CDL. You'll have to know what's in the manual to pass the test.

well , myself i never went to semi driver training but i did learn from the OLD GUYS . When i was in high School i worked for a vary large construction company , started out with mowing the grass , cleaning the office and the shop and as time went on i learned more skills . I was wokring on cleaning parts one day and the man that sort watched over me said come on i need you to go with me , back in them OLD days when we moved big stuff you did not call and get and escort what ya needed back then was a FLAGMAN to ride in the cab and when needed for traffic control you were to jump out an start waving your little red flag and control traffic. It was like OH WOW i get to ride in the BIG MACK and for over two years when i was not in school and at work i became the OFFICIAL FLAGMAN and rode everywhere . Then one day old John and i were on a jobsite fuel tank move , we had just winched this 10000 gallon tank on the trailer and got out of SOhio's stock yard where we would get the huge skid mounted tanks from and got up on the road when old John pulled off to the side and stopped , thinking that we had a chain or two come loose i jumped out grabbed the cheater pipe and went checking chains , after checking every chain i walked back up to the passenger side and went to get in and here is John setting in my seat , standing on the ground with probably the dumbest look on my face Old John says ya have done rode long enough it's now your turn to take us home . So with knees shaking hand trembling heart racing i got behind the wheel of that 1957 B61 Mack's steering wheel and became a truck driver only missed one shift but recovered from it with out stopping on a old five and four twin stick . Learned at and early age how to drive hauling loads up to 150000 lbs anything over that was Old Johns job with the mighty AUTOCAR the big truck . We learned on the OLD roads as we were just getting cranked up on building the new fourlanes . Working there was better then six years of collage as i learned far more and wore many different hats and even had my own company truck , i could push a broom with the best , i could run anything on tires or tracks i could drive any truck except the BIG Auto Car as that was John's i could weld with the best and twist a wrench and rebuild a dozer from the ground up. When driving a big truck i will tell you like i was told , always think of it as flyen a Plane and always keep and eye out for other planes around you ALL THE TIME and ALWAYS be looking for a good place to land . And OH BTW SEMIS can not stop on a dime and give back CHANGE.

The gas pedal is you friend....... :lol: :twisted:

Rick

That?s a wonderful life experience! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you all for the wonderful life lessons and advice!

(quoted from post at 04:58:49 11/08/18) That is what I was told when I got into an 18 wheeler for the first time. You didn't have to take a driving test for them back then, only a written. Watch the trailer wheels and the truck will do the rest. I thought it was crazy, but it was the truth. If your trailers are on your side of the line then the rest is too.

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Keith, well that is fine while backing up but sure won't help when going forward.

I wasn't part of the "We all know you are correct as to how everyone shifts them". I bought my truck with a 15 speed tranny and initially thought I'd have to clutch every gear. Was I happy when I was told how you shift it.


I don't remember on double clutching but I was aware that some non-synchronous trannys required it. I rented a "combination" to get my Class A and took the Haz Mat written test. The combination was a 10 wheel Ford tractor, city delivery type trailer (absloute minimum truck that would qualify for the Class A), minimum gears, single speed rear axle, that the owner used for just such a purpose, running ads in the local paper to get the business. Cost me around 150 bucks best I can remember. He knew the route and we took a test drive before the test and he showed me what to look out for.

The neat thing was that at the completion of my test the trooper told me to go to the side door. I gladly obliged as at the front door there was a long line and there was no line at the side door. At the time I thought I was getting special treatment but later realized that the line contained mainly applicants and road tests were a onesy twosy thing as they only had 2 troopers giviing tests.