BIG MUVA TRUCK DRIVER ABOUT TO BE BRAGGING THROUGH THE STREETS
To Getting My CDL
Big Muva Truck Driver
So i’m riding in my car in pure silent out of frustration. Concerning the area of my finances I wasn’t happy. So I am thinking of all the things that I am good at and could make me some decent money. Im really not good at a lot so the list was very small. Ive always been into driving. I started driving on my grandpa Milton lap at the age of 2. I’ve always been in love with driving. I would try and drive anything that was in site that was able to be driven such as Lawn mowers, golf carts, go carts and even my uncles truck. So I came to the conclusion that I was go and get my cdl. CDL drivers make decent money and it didn’t take forever to get in that field of work. So I went and did some research to see what all it took to get my cdl and how much the courses would cost. So going through a school to get your cdl is about $5K and its takes about a minimum a month to complete the course. I also did further research to see if they were any programs here in Oklahoma City that would assist in paying for this particular course. Wala Magic! I found a program that would assist 100% for me getting my cdl. I was so relieved after finding this program especially since I wouldn’t have to come out of pocket.
So the program I went through was the Workforce Center. I went to the one on the Eastside of Oklahoma. I will explain the process as much as I can remember. You will have to attend and orientation about the program it will always be on a Tuesday at 9am-10ish. The class is limited so if the class has reached the maximum amount of people that week they will reschedule you for the following weeks that are available. The overview of the orientation will tell you the in and out of the program. What they will expect from you, what qualifies you, what doesn’t, gives you a list of the programs that they will pay for and you have to fill out a couple papers and a survey. The lady over the classes she is so sweet and she is very knowledgable about the program to its entirety. So the next step will be a Thursday class from 9am-11ish I believe. If the time isn’t right I apologize I know its about 2hours. This class prepares you for interviews, a few papers and some videos. Then to proceed to the next thing you will have to do a few things on the computer. Such as a placement test, uploading your resume if you already have one, making a resume if you don’t have one and a few more paperwork. Then they will assign you to a career advisor. Your career advisor will contact you as soon as all the proper steps are complete. It can take up to a couple weeks it just depends how many people are enrolling, if all the paperwork is correct and if you completed all the steps. So don’t rush them they will really reach out to you. You cant rush this process. So once you get a career advisor they will go over everything with you. If you are a picking a certain course or trade you have to have a match on the placement test. You can not just go in there and say I want to get my CDL and on your placement test you don’t have a match for CDL. This is the most important information I can give you. Please reread the last 3 sentences so you wont go there and be disappointed. Also the school has to be affiliated with the Workforce program. Another important thing you have to be mindful of that the Workforce has a budget. So once that budget has been reached you will have to wait until the funds are available. You will work with your career advisor the remainder of the program. So if you have any more further questions about this particular program I will add their link and telephone number at the bottom of the page.
So I got the match for CDL. AYYYYEE I HIT THE MOLLY ROCK!!!!!
I had to go take a physical & drug test. You have to past this particular drug test. Once you get your CDL a lot of companies have their own policy concerning their drug screen process. While you’re with the Workforce and whatever school you decide to go to, you will need a clean UA. You have to pass your physical also or you wont be able to get you medical card. To have a CDL you are required to have a medical card or you will get fined.
The School I decided to go to was American Truck Training. The will be about my experience, my opinions and all the things I experienced while in this program. I didn’t have any previous experience driving truck nor shift stick. So all the classes start on Mondays the times are 7am-4pm Breaks at 9-9:15 am, Lunch 11-12pm & 2-2:15pm. This is your break and lunch times everyday. The class that I took was the Monday through Friday but they also have a weekend program. It is just longer that the regular week class.
So the first week of the program you will be in the classroom. The classroom curriculum is to prepare you to get your CDL permit and complete modules on the whole trucking business. I felt like I was so overwhelmed because all of this was brand new to me. The trucking business is a lot of information to learn. It isn’t just driving the trucks you have to learn about the trucks, the laws, safety and so much more. I was so shocked that these trucks are 80,000 pounds and how dangerous they can be. You have to be really alert when you are behind the wheel of these trucks. They teach you the ends and outs of how to be a professional driver. I also feel like it has made me a better driver in my car too. So those modules that a lot of your time. Make sure you start on them that Monday night. I didn’t start on them that night and I was behind I had to really catch up. It took me a long time to catch up on all those modules. So for my permit I used the app to study the most. It helped me a lot. A lot of the questions that are on the actual permit test are on the app too. I passed my test the first time S/O to the App. I used the CDL Prep App with the blue steering wheel, that’s the app that I recommend. A lot of the people in my class went on that Friday. I wasn’t ready to test because those modules took up a lot of my time. I used that weekend to study and that Monday I was ready. I went to the testing center in Edmond. I got there around 8/9ish. I still had to wait a very long time. I waited until 2 and left because it was taking so long. The man gave me the paperwork so the next morning I wouldn’t have to fill it out the next morning. So I went the next morning and I still had to wait a few hours. I passed my first time on all three test. So now that I have that part completed here comes the real test. So I don’t know why I didn’t think this thing through all the way. I skipped a few thoughts. Y’all when I tell y’all I hate being cold I mean that with everything in me. So its October and to me after Halloween it gets freezing here in Oklahoma. My first day out on the yard was a catastrophe to my body. I was so cold I couldn’t feel my body. I felt like all the feeling in my body was gone. I was so cold I wanted to cry and I was very angry. The temperature was so disrespectful throughout this whole program. It was in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and maybe a few 60s. I was so shocked that I was out in these freezing temperatures, rain, strong winds, sleet and whatever else weather Oklahoma brought us. Some days we were in the truck with the heat but a lot of days we were in the cold. There are no outside heaters, sheds or anything to prevent you from this crazy weather. The sheds that are out there are for when its raining hard and it basically the truck workshop. So when you get on the yard you will start with maneuvers. Straight Back, Off Set, Parallel both sides and the 90. My first time in the truck I was like yayyyyy!!! Lets get it Popping. I kept trying to drive the truck like it was a car and that method will never work. You have to really train your mind that this is something new and you can never drive it like a car. It took me a few days to get that in my mind. I was so eager to get it down I was stressed. I probably gained about 10 pounds out on the yard trying learn how to driver and operate those truck. The hardest thing for me was learning how to shift. Shifting has a rhythm to it and that is an area where I lack. It takes me longer than most. You get in a lot of practice though you are scheduled a drive daily expect Wednesday. So while you are on the yard you will start out with your pretrial and in cab inspection every day. Pre Trip is where you will examine everything on the truck to make sure it is working properly for the drive. While the Incab deals with making sure you are aware of everything inside the truck that you will utilize and also that you know how to work your air breaks. Then from there you will do maneuvers through the day. My advice on is to stay focus if you have other things going on outside of the program maybe it isn’t the time for you. I was busy for most part of the program and I believe thats why it took me a little longer because I had a lot going on. So these maneuvers are set up in 3/4 stations. You will take turns learning these different techniques. I suggest that while it isn’t your turn that you are out of the truck and listening to the instructor you can learn that way also. The biggest tip when it comes to getting good at these maneuvers is watching your cones and which mirror to pay attention to. You will learn all that though. Just be aware in the winter you will be cold and in the summer you will be out your outside. One of the things I hated the most about being on the yard was that there was no smoking section. So many people would be smoking just wherever and whenever. Example:There are benches out there and we are all sitting at a bench and a few people will lit them up like its nothing. While I’m sitting there and the smoke is validating my senses. I hate smoke and it gives me a headache. So if you hate smoke be prepared.
So the trucking business is a dominate male field. So I seen 4/5 women while I was there and a million men. Some of the men on the yard was a total mess and disrespectful. It was a lot of times I felt very uncomfortable, I had to check a few males. Then you have the men that were very respectful and fun. I met a lot of fun people. It was few group of guys that were so fun we had a ball while they were there. We would be joking around and just having a good time. Its always good to have positive vibes and goo energy. So if you’re a lady and you will take this program here are a few tips for you. Dress comfortable, if you wear spandex wear something around your waist, I wouldn’t get to dressed up and just stand you guard some men will test you. If you have long nails they might get in the way and you will get dirty. One day the wind was blowing so much I had dirt all in my hair. Wear some shoes that you don’t want to get dirty. Also keep some extra shoes in your car that white dirt will be all over your car, it will be muddy if rainy and your house if you have tile floors.
My first couple of drives in the semi was so interesting and funny. I had no idea what I was doing beside the drive part. The shifting had me over there sweating bullets. The instructor will help you out a lot thought the drive and you will have a paper there to guide you on where the gears are located. Its horrible the first few drives. Reminder you are driving and then 2/3 other new drivers too. We all be breaking real hard unless you have previous experience. I have a video of me driving and it was so funny I slammed on them breaks so fast. This guy that was in my class said he was going to have whip flash. It is literally a journey. As the days go by you learn more and you get better and better. The highway is the easiest because you don’t have to shift like on the streets unless its traffic. The streets help you get more practice in because overtime you come to a stop you have to start shifting all over again.
So lets get to the testing where it gets real. You have to be there extra early I believe before 7:30am. Make sure that you eat because you could be there until 1/2pm depends on where you are in line. The school will schedule you an appointment but it depends on how many of people will be testing that day. I didn’t see any vending machines, the area that you are in will be cold until it warms up and the restroom is a nightmare. I was so nervous to go take this test I felt I wasn’t ready but I went anyway. I was more worried about the pretrip and InCab more than anything. It was like 4/5 of us there from the school. I was the last one. I was watching a pretrip/incab video on my phone that I had made when we were on the yard. I recommend that you do that also. Get you an instructor to do it, record it and study from that video until you get it down. Finally it came to my turn and I had to do par C of the Pretrip which is the side of trailer. I passed that and my incas. So then I went on to the straight back maneuver. I cleared that easily. The straight back is the easiest one of them all. Then next is the OffSet these two are automatic then the computer randomly picks the parallel or the 90 for you. I timed out on my offset so I had to reschedule for another test date. I was really discouraged when I left for a while. One reason was because I had to go back on that yard and be in the cold and the last reason was because I had failing something I am very competitive. So I received a are test date It was like two weeks away. Im telling myself yeah I’m about to be on it these next two weeks until my test date. The girl at the school tells me I cant come back until its closer to my test date. At first I was like okay, didn’t think nothing of it. So has I was in my car I was thinking of all the people that did not pass their test and how they came right back on the yard. I sent her a test asking her what was the reason I had to wait until closer to my date. She responded because her boss said and that was for everyone. They both lied. It was people out there that had been there for months. This one lady been out there 5/6 months. So that was one thing that bothered me because it took longer. My class was already paid for by the workforce and some people out there on the yard will go through companies and they will help pay off their tuition. So it was rumored that they want to get them out of there quicker so they can start collecting their coins.
So I went to test again and did good on all my maneuvers and I failed my drive. I was flustered the instructor had me like that on the first maneuver. On my drive the truck shut off because I forgot to put the splitter down. Remind you this truck had never shut off on me since I been driving. I had a rough start on my drive but once I was going I was good. Guess what this isn’t one of those times that you say it don’t matter how you start but how you finished. Yeah you have to get this right from start to finish. I was so disappointment I didn’t pass. Honestly I really wanted to give up. I am very competitive and I hate failing. I told myself id go back to the yard and drive everyday I could until I got it. So I have to reschedule another test date but just for my drive. I will be ready this time.
So Like ya girl said I would be ready. I was!!!!!! I PASSED MY TEST TODAY!!!! S/o to God!!!! I am so excited. Now that part is over its time to get a job. I have a plan. Never let anyone discourage you from anything not even your self!!!!!!
ITS A GREENLIGHT FROM HERE
BIG MUVA TRUCKER ABOUT TO BE BRAGGING THROUGH THE STREETS!!
Seriously WHO HIRING NEW DRIVERS???
