*Hey there Big Strapper.* Good to see you. So glad you dropped by to check out today's video. We'd like to hear about your training experience. Do you feel you were adequately trained and prepared to be on the road solo? *_Or were you scared skinny when they turned you loose_* as a new truck driver? Love to hear from you.

@jamesberryman751

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Dave, for the time you take making all your awesome videos...I'm not a trucker, yet, but I do spend a LOT of time moving tanker trailers around our repair facility yard, and in/out of shop. I spend half my time backing up, including lots of B-trains, and the occasional, challenging, tri-quad setup ( I actually can back those up, finally...took awhile, makes a B-train seem like child's play lol). When I get sick of fixing them, may eventually decide to go haul with them instead.

I was taught the most important lesson I have ever had in 26yrs of trucking by my dad in the 80s and it’s so simple (slow is smooth and smooth is fast) get in a hurry and accidents happen. Nothing in that trailer worth killing for. A little story. When I first started I had a hot load got to go world would come to an end without it and came across my dad in Amarillo and he said let’s get some coffee I told him hot load got to go don’t have time he said to stop I will show a trick he went bought a bag of ice put it on my load of pipe and said (there that will cool it off for an hour) haha

I wish more people would call out. The driver shortage is fake. If I can't find a parking spot every night there's no shortage of drivers

I couldn't believe my training experience was as horrible as it was. I felt unsafe and so fearful. No valuable knowledge or information was given to me unless I asked questions. My trainer who was female was knitting while on the phone throughout my training. When I brought it to her attention and mentioned how worried I was, she became defensive and completely shut down on me. I was so worried about going out on my own and imagined the danger I would've put myself and others in. The company put me with another trainer that had more experience and actually prepared me for otr. If you're ever concerned about your training please speak up. Care about your training because it's what separates the professionals from the rest. Professionalism is valuable 🙏 P. S. CANADIANS ROCK! 🎸🌸

@SmartTrucking

2 жыл бұрын

Good for you to stand your ground. In the long run, it's you that suffers and stresses over piloting that truck down the road on your own. In training is the time to learn. And yes WE DO ROCK! 😎🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

@randallraszick6001

2 жыл бұрын

My trainer taught me jack and shit and Jack left town. He is not a trainer any more and is a solo flatbedder.

I've only had one trainer that's ever tought me how to be a professional driver. You Dave.

@SmartTrucking

2 жыл бұрын

You made my day.

@jamesberryman751

2 жыл бұрын

I've been taught the mechanical and physics fundamentals by some really good old-timers, but Dave is the best one I've ever seen for teaching/coaching the correct mindset for the job- thanks Dave for all you do!

Some of these guys need to be taught you don't run the speed limit when it's inclement weather. Had some yesterday passing me running who knows how fast up I-71 north headed towards Akron, OH. I-71 was a mess with all the sleet and snow on it. Then some of the knuckleheads want to ride my butt, I can't stop on a dime at 77000lbs, and it's even worse in snow and ice. Some people's children!!

I always stay to the left going through Gary for just the reason you mentioned

I quit training at a school.because the push to get students through ,despite language barriers, inability to read signs etc.

Guy who trained me back in the 70's told me to do a walkaround starting at the drivers door. When finish turn around and do a walk around in the opposite direction. Amazing the things you see looking the other way. Saved my Ass a lot of times. And - Dont Rush - doing anything.

Carpenter's lore...measure twice cut once.

In the winter I’ve found out that tug test one time isn’t always good haha, I almost dropped a trailer once and that scared me so much. I’ve learned that if you take it slow at everything you will be just fine. You don’t have to drive 70 mph you can run 63 like prime 😂 but you can stop easier and handle your truck and you can assess the road or situation ahead of you better. Don’t speed up cause everyone else is passing you, slow down, relax and pay attention you can still enjoy your day doing these things

I got my Cdl in December of 2021. I signed with a small company and they paired me with an older driver that’s 50 years in the game. Been driving with him for 4 weeks…going to cut me loose on my own this week I think…Mannnnn sitting in the cab with him over these past few weeks I not only got lessons on trucking but life in general.

Recruiting:You got a pulse and can move your foot? Well we are hiring

Amen to all that info once again for the new drivers. Fact,,,CDL driver SPENDS 95% time driving forward and 5% of their drive time backing up and stats show that 95% of accidents are during backing up. I always say if you can’t back up properly, you have no business driving forward, stay safe boys n girls

The five lessons you talked about most new drivers would have to learn the hard way

This video is right on the mark, and now the idiots in charge want to turn 18 to 20 year old's loose on the roads that's a recipe for disaster, not that there aren't good drivers at this age but as most of us know at that age you're more reckless and likely to get distracted.

Thats why i love these new trucks, speeding? The truck beeps at you, too close to a car (Beep beep) distance warning ,blind spot monitoring, and dont get me started on Adaptive cruise control, it keeps that distance for you, car cuts you off, and itll downshift faster than you can react. If these new guys werent in brand nee cascadias and volvos thered be alot more accidents

I was scared stiff at first on my own which lead to me getting out of the game. But after a couple years I went back into it with Schnieder National. They put me with a trainer named Pete Lutrell that lived in Marietta Ohio. That was the best thing that happened to me at the time. He taught me so much and I still remember things he taught me. I now am a 23 year owner operator and 35 year driver in general. I to this day try and use the lessons of those times to help new guys when I run into one that is willing to learn. Thanks for the content and the channel Dave.

Hey Dave. I think there might be something much more sinister going on here. There's the big push to get autonomous trucks on the road and the lousier the drivers are, it gives the government more ammo to pull the drivers out of the trucks. Maybe I'm paranoid, then again, maybe I'm not. What do you think?

@wanghaf_Gl0yper

2 жыл бұрын

I doubt autonomous trucks will be viable any time soon. If so then someone will likely still have to be in the truck just in case

@scottliegel855

2 жыл бұрын

That's an idea, but I can't get a f****** pothole filled on my main streets, without pulling teeth and then it takes the county two months to fill it in, and eight employees, I doubt we're going to see autonomous trucks on the road anytime in the next hundred years, Maybe 🤔

Excellent video! I drove a semi for 29 accident free years. I wasn't an OTR driver, I was a local milk hauler doing farm pickup and my duties were about 95% backing up. As I was pulling up to a farm, I would always check to see if my path to the milk house was clear of kids, animals, farm equipment and anything else that might be in my path. Many times I was assigned a truck with a bunk and at first when I attempted to back blind side, I would end up pulling up numerous times. One day I was talking with a veteran driver and he explained to me in just a few words how to back blind side with a bunk. God bless him, because after a week or so of practice, I could back to my blind side with no problem, no matter the style of driveway. Thanks again for the good advice!

I learned how to drive In the mountains thanks to Dave. I had good training but only on flat states texas Oklahoma Kansas ect

I was actually trained by a veteran truck driver who had over 25+ years experience. He was an easy going guy but yet still quite thorough. Looking back, I think he was a GREAT teacher who prepared me for what was to come. When I first went out on my own, however, I was STILL terrified, particularly because I had to “get my feet wet” in Los Angeles! What a place to get experience! Literally a jungle and NO MERCY for rookies. But, it did prepare me for big city driving and the experience I gained from that was invaluable. Fast forward to this week: I drove through TWO BRUTAL snow storms on Wednesday & Thursday on my dedicated route. Today, after the roads had been plowed, I was ASTOUNDED by the number of wrecked tractor trailers either being pulled out (many of them were laying on their side!) of ditches/medians by wreckers or still had yellow tape on them to be pulled out later. I’m talking WELL OVER 30+! I thought to myself, “this is my 17th winter driving season as an owner operator with this same truck and I have NEVER come close to being in situations like that. Hmm.” Guess good training pays off after all…

Dave, if there's anything I've learned in life is that your best friend is a competent mentor. Someone with experience who can guide you over the steep part of the learning curve. You do that through this channel. Too bad there isn't a bunch of experienced truckers who could work as trainers on a consultancy basis and pass on their knowledge.

Absolutely! I completely agree with you! I've got 38 years and no accidents! I've had a lot of training in the last 38 years and constantly learning. I've had good trainers and bad ones. But I took the best of both and I constantly remind myself that respect for the road, respect for the weather, respect for traffic around me and respect for my truck, my load and most importantly my life and the lives of others.

All of this applies to people driving regular cars too. Its not just a trucking problem its a driver problem all around...and the more electronic nannies they put in cars the more and more complacent drivers have become.

you are spot on on the fake driver shortage. My wife is a nurse and they actually have a shortage of them. She has gotten $20 an hour in raises the last two years. If there were really a trucker shortage, they would be offering more money.

With many if not all drivers I come across only running 65 anymore, it's like when they get in to a zone where they can speed all the sudden they turn into Speedy Gonzalez... but out on the super Slab they'll cut you off even if they see you approaching going 10+ their max speed almost causing accidents on the daily. This is dangerous out in the western US when the limit is 80. They don't even care, they'll tear your hood off too just to gain a few inches and only to get passed by you 2 miles down the road. The biggest danger in my opinion is governed trucks...

I went to a cdl school back in the 90s and they rushed me through a two week class. A big name company paid my training bill but I was contracted to drive a year for them. The company put me with a trainer for six weeks and then I was on my own but I still didn't understand backing up and I had a lot of problems for several months but I finally got it and finished my year with them and then I took off to a better driving job.

Amen, double check when backing in, i think a lot of new drivers are to embarrass to get out and look, they think everyone is watching and they get nervous, also put them trailer brakes on and give her a lil tug, that always is something new guys forget. Great advise.

but hiring good drivers with safe records to train other drivers is more expensive in the short term and it's all about that quarterly!

I want to thank Lester Self for giving me the care and attention I needed while I was driving. He made sure I had food. He taught me how to be safe and how to deal with dispatchers. He even sold me a road ranger cb set up for $50 because he knew it was all I could afford. A good man and a great trainer. Thanks Lester

All of US 4WHEELERS ought to listen to this!!! VERY INSTRUCTIV!!!!

@wilburvandyke3301

2 жыл бұрын

Also enjoy the stories.

Also take the time to get under the trailer and check that the locking bar is completely across the funnel and not high pinned. This I do every time I go out of sight of the trailer. It saves a lot of grief.

Thank you for the great content, Dave. We sure lack seasoned and mannered drivers like you on the road.

At werner they teach new drivers that trucks don't have any blind spots. Me as an experienced driver that was a bs lie to tell someone

When hooking or unhooking I always did a 4-point mental checklist: 1 - wheel chock 2 - landing gear 3 - air lines 4 - fifth wheel Do these in any order you wish, but always do all four. Check these four any time you leave the cab. After being stopped at a store or rest stop, check the security of your truck and your wheels and the path they will take. Something could have moved under your vehicle while you were away from it. Debris which could puncture a tire, for example. At my company a driver hopped straight into his cab after making a store delivery. A child on a tricycle was playing under his trailer and was killed by the trailer rolling over him. My father, a driver for the same company, told me this, so I always made a practice of looking under my vehicle after each time away from it, as well as checking my pin. Paranoia can pay off.

When I got my CDL I remember training really hard for it. I would go to the school when they were closed and open the hood and study for the test. When I took the test they were six guys there and four of them were there for the third try LOL. I passed on my first try mainly because I studied really hard. Those other guys I talked to said they really didn’t study. I don’t understand why they keep paying money and thinking they’re going to pass if they don’t study

I appreciate all of your professional points. Very valuable information and reminders here. Grateful for your time and efforts. I drive double trailers OTR and have been following you for almost 3 years now.

The CDL school i went to was a 6 month ordeal, but only on the weekends. TDDS taught me everything, and i mean EVERYTHING, i needed to know about trucking. From the safety of the truck and pretrip, to backing up and maneuvers, and everything about GOAL and ELDs. The school was amazing, and it was FULL of veteran drivers with 15-30 years behind the wheel. My man Rick was a blast to be around. He'd tell you to eat shit if you didnt want to get out and look, and then pull the brakes on you. There is a reason only myself and my 1 other classmate were the only ones left in class after 6 months. The training was far too hard for most, and we both graduated, with me being Top Gun. When i got to TMC, their cdl school was a big fat joke compared to TDDS. That, and the people training you had maybe 3-5 years behind the wheel if they were lucky. A good CDL school will teach you the basics. A fantastic CDL school will set you up for success far past your initial job training. Im going to miss that place a lot. And might I add, that i got my class B cdl on my own. I studied the bus myself, and only used an OBI for the 50 hours requirement. I passed BOTH my class B cdl and my class A cdl with flying colors at the same school/license yard. It feels good knowing that im one of the last great drivers to come out of a school that was operational since 1973.

Lots of great advice for the driver of ANY vehicle, especially "FOCUS."

Great information for a newbi Driver, here out of Tampa FL.im reviewing all of you archives. Thank you so much for what you have done . And the service you now provide, w all your miles of experience.

In law enforcement you cannot teach a new officer unless you are qualified and certified to train. The same should be if you are teaching someone to drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle. The trainers would have to first demonstrate that they are qualified and certified to train a new driver by passing both written and driving tests. Also you must have a clean record without multiple tickets and accidents.

Thanks for another excellent video, Dave! I couldn't agree more! I began with a small bus company about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh approximately 12 years ago. I was hired without a license with the intent to become a motor coach driver. I had to start out in a school bus first. I went through classroom training and substantial behind the wheel training on my permit. Although a bus is a straight job and much easier to back than a trailer, we still spent significant time backing and maneuvering the vehicle. I was taught, like you said, it is better to get out and look as many times as necessary than to back blind and cause damage to the bus or someone else's property. (But yet, many newer drivers do not do this and end up with preventable damage). After two years of experience in a school bus driving mainly field trips and sports teams, I was again trained on the motor coach buses. I was not released until the owner, who trained me, believed that I had sufficiently demonstrated everything you mentioned above! I have now been driving motor coach buses for 10 years. Also, to your point about checking everything, I can't tell you how many times this has saved me! Taking 10 minutes to look at the route before hand, or to get out and walk through a small parking lot to make sure I have adequate clearance all around is so important. I completely agree with you that proper training is paramount. I have nothing against young drivers, we all started out at some point...but putting an improperly trained individual behind the wheel of a large commercial vehicle is putting that driver, any passengers, and other motorists in a very dangerous (and avoidable) situation. Thanks for all you do for the professional driving community!

Just received my CDL permit and I appreciate all of your knowledge! Cannot wait to get on the road!

As A student driver I watch all your videos. I firmly believe in learning from the experienced and learning from other ppl mistakes. Thanks for posting these informative videos!

I REALLY wish there was more training as a new driver I love your videos and appreciate you, need more backing training and so many topics were just never told to me I learned them right here from you! I’m very thankful

Triple check everything but you gotta know what your checking is just too important. Have an idiot list… Check the shipper/receiver address matches between the dispatched document (ratecon) and the BOL. Check the quantity matches the BOL. Did you write SLC on the BOL when they ask you to sign your name on the BOL. Check the seal number matches what’s on the BOL. If the consignee hand write the BOL instead of stamping it, make him to sign, print his name and date it, ask him to write time in and out. If he refuse to write in and out times, then you write it in if you want to be paid detention. Circle check to walk around your truck to ensure you don’t have any burnt out lights, and you don’t have flat tire. Make sure nobody pulled your fifth wheel pin and the landing gear is up, all the air hoses are connected. Adjust your tandem, and make sure to visually check the tandem pin is in locked position. Check to make sure the trailer doors are closed properly, and make sure your hood is latched on before you start driving. After fueling, make sure the fuel caps/def caps are closed properly. Best advice is to build your own idiot list and keep it in your door pocket. I am commenting from home laying in bed, so… forgot to add one more thing. Make sure to do thorough trip planning before you start driving. Plug in the address of the shipper/receiver in your truck gps, find out if you might run into a low clearance bridges or if the bridge you intend to cross might have weight restriction. Eyeball the address on the Google map from satellite view, and see where you might actually be pulling into. If you can’t find the address on the Google map, call the shipper/receiver and ask them where you are pulling into. There are a lot of new warehouses that’s not on the map. Ask for the direction.

Great advice as always.

Loved the content and wisdom sir. keep em comin!

Always appreciate your input. I respect your experience. Thanks. 🙂👍

Good points Dave. On your story about the team leaving with the empty trailer, you’ve got to admit that they mustn’t be very smart. It’s not hard to realize if your pulling a trailer full of air.

Drive her like your grandma, slow and easy, treat her well, respect her space, and know her reflexes aren’t what yours are.

Your so right , I been driving for 18 years , but now almost all trucks have cameras inside , JB hunt have beeping noise In there trucks if you get to near any car or truck , they need to study the 5 keys Smith system , 1-Get the big picture, 2- Leave yourself in & out, 3- Aim high in steering, 4- Keep your eyes moving, 5- Make sure they see you

I really enjoy your channel, sir. You ABSOLUTELY know what you are talking about. I always thought OTR drivers were the best on the road( and still do)!

My trucking school only took us around Vegas driving 4 times. Two of the times my instructor was sleeping! Thank god my husband has trained me. He been driving almost 30 years. Zero accidents or infractions.

Most trainers aren't in it for safety anymore...most of your big companies will give the trainer the trainees mileage rate on top of your mileage and give the trainee a flat pay like 300 bucks a week while on a trainer truck....plus they use it like team driving also to keep the wheels turning

@Lrules364

2 жыл бұрын

Yup. Tmc did this to me. I'll never understand this crap. Pay your future drivers jack shit, and then fuck them over once they get out on their own.

You 100 percent correct on everything. Thank you tripple check

Amen, it takes more time to learn things, people think it's easy until they try, I know it takes alot of practice learning how to back them up to things

I agree with you in a big way. Keep up with the great videos and information. Thxy again.

I was lucky to both have a good teacher. My dad's uncle has over 35 years of experience as a truck driver. My instructor, however, from high school "only" had 9 years of experience. Ironically, me and my instructor both had the same driving inspector (the guy who rides along for the final test). The inspector gave me a huge confidence boost as well. I've never really been too confident in my abilities but when I managed to reverse in the trailer on the first try (3-axle trailer, 1 turning axle in front with drawbar attached and 2 axles in the back) he told me that we could go back to the depot to end the test because he saw that I "knew what I was doing".

Prime asked me to train 6 months in. I thought my dispatcher was joking and laughed, but he was serious. I explained that I had only gotten my CDL 6 months ago at the time. He said, "but you haven't had any incidents!" Yeah well, still I don't have enough experience. Call me in 2 years.

Man I wish I could of got trained by you. Your right thanks for opening my eyes, these trucking crash courses should be banned.

Very valuable information. All the thing you said is 100% happening in the current world. Especially staying in the middle lane, totally I agree with you but lot of people think that we have to stay in the right most lane coz we are truckers. They don’t care about our situation that 4 wheeler squeezing us from the exit lane. Thanks for your videos. Always appreciate it and keeping the rubber side down😊😊

This class were awesome teacher God bless you

Great video. Those things you mentioned would make everyone involved in trucking have a lot less problems.

I had a trainer for 5 weeks when I first started, he knew alot he been driving for 30 years, after the second week he looked at me and said "Boy...looks like you really studied and paid attention during your classes!" After the third week he just sat back and observed and only said something IF or WHEN he thought I might mess up. He said all his other trainees quit because they said he was too harsh. He wasn't harsh to me at all, he had a way of teaching and if you didn't pay attention he got aggressive because he didn't want to teach someone who wasn't going to listen.

Just got my class a permit first attempt and I'm been doing my research thank you for the knowledge just subscribed

Great video and advice. Well said

When i was working as a trainer at a school there was one student that passed and was offered a job as a trainer in Toronto just because he could speak Arabic and he knew the MELT program. The only driving experience he has was what he did at the school

Great advice, Dave! My biggest problem is understanding my dispatcher. Rudy speaks with a very heavy Mexican accent, so I am constantly repeating what I think he said to make absolutely sure that I run exactly what he wants me to run. There’s been too many times when I have thought that I understood what he’s saying, but unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly the case

This guy is a magnificent teacher…everything he says sticks.

I did 320hrs of training at national tractor trailer school then, I did 267hrs at a company with a trainer until I was a solo driver. It’s been 15yrs since I went solo, still trucking…

Great video Dave!

I learned real quick about always scanning around your truck on the highway. First week out on my own I passed someone and when I was ready to move back to the right lane I flipped the signal on, and lucky I was watching the mirror like a hawk because as soon as I started changing lanes some ass hat on a motorcycle passed on my right side.

You’re absolutely right. It’s only going to get worse now down here in the states because they made it so new drivers have to go through a school most of which the trainers only have 2 or 3 years experience. The majority of good drivers I know learned from guys with 10 plus years experience. Schools are nothing really more than a driver mill anymore

Preach Dave, Preach!!!!

Excellent video everything you said 100 percent

The training I received was a joke. I attended a trucking school here in Illinois and was only taught the bare minimum to pass the Illinois cdl driving test (which is also a joke). They never taught us to slide tandems, 45 backs or backing up to docks. Heck we only did one drop and hook. The only backs we were taught were straight backs, offset backs and parallel parking. I've only been driving a truck for about 7 months but I never had to do a parallel park yet. I back up to docks almost daily. The school just wanted to get as many students through the doors as possible and take their money. Because I wasn't trained properly I took a local trucking job driving roads I knew, now I'm thinking seriously about going to TMC.

You ARE SO RIGHT IN THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too many companies want you to be a trainer at 6 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! total BS!!

The reason the schools only let you get out and look twice is because, at least in PA, you're only allowed to get out and look twice during the backing portion of your CDL test.

Im Always watching this channel very important information people need to watch also hope you guys drop a driver simulation video one day keep up the great content I enjoy Wednesday live stream

@SmartTrucking

2 жыл бұрын

We are working on it. Trying to come with a plan that you folks find interesting!

Thank you for the video and the information... It's well Needed .I would hope it's well heard..Some of these driver forget they have a trailer ..In and out of traffic like they have a POV...I have seen more trucks on its side in the last 8 mo.. it's crazy.. 2weeks training ( How to move a big truck forward ) You should always STAY ALART ..Stay ALIVE

Personally I vote for trucks in left 2 lanes in cited to avoid getting cut off from traffic entering

great information sir thanks

I was intimidated around BIG trks, until I was rdy to graduade cdl school. 11 yrs ago. Stay safe.

I completely agree! Great video

That's some solid advice. Since I got my CDL in 08 I've done some stupid things that would've been avoided just by double or triple checking. The biggest one was during my Swift flatbed career I drove from Chula Vista California to Yuma AZ with the correct paperwork but with the wrong trailer. Didn't realize the mistake till about 8 hrs short of the end of my 34 reset. By then it was too late to drive back and swap them out. Load planner in Phoenix was hot about that one. But in my defense the paperwork did not have a trailer number or plate number on it. I took the word of a 3rd party security guard when I should have looked at the paperwork and matched it up with the number of pieces on the trailer since it was a multi stop load.

When I went to truck driving school. It was a drivers job to know how to adjust brakes in1994. Most drivers are not being properly trained to adjust tandems and scale out loads.

i94 in Gary yeah he's not lying. Makes sense why they take their time. GOOD TO KNOW

Another point for general driving is the aggression of input. With exception to emergency, if you are trying to force an input, there's a problem. Either shit has gone wrong, the driver is impatient or scared or inexperienced or all of the above. If you aren't familiar enough with the truck to ease in the gears, levers and steering, take the truck round the yard until you know the wagen and aren't going to stall at the gate.

I always kept a complete inspection sheet on a clipboard with contact paper over it and use a grease pencil and check ✔️ it off.

Great video

After 45 years, I couldn't agree more!

I was driving through 94 Gary while listening to this video.

Driving in the center lane moving ing through urban areas. Amen, amen, amen!!

Funny you mention the landing gear not being down when unhooking. My mistake, twice in 9 years moving trailers at our tank repair facility, has been hooking up to move a trailer, forgetting to crank the legs up, then realize it when it scraped or hung up...lol...we also repair lots of front headers and piping, from tanker drivers forgetting to unhook their load hose between the tractor and tanker...$$$$....

Good one video!

I’ve enrolled in a CDL school, now I’m not so sure if this is a good idea. Thanks for opening my eyes up to this!

Great video. I always check check check. Sometimes it doesn't help. I got " Springfield". Paper work said Ohio when it should have said Illinois. I drive a streetcar in Toronto now. One of class mates could not comprehend that you can't drive a streetcar like your Honda civic. He did not last long. Funny thing was he came from driving a heavey armored car and should have known better.

Good stuff! I’m hiring on as a company driver at Hirschbach and they asked if I would be a trainer. I said not at the moment