Real CDL Journeys — Part One

This episode of Real CDL Journeys is brought to you by Road Pro and the CNS Driver Training Center.

Alejandra Bishop:
Hi, I’m Alejandra Bishop. I’m not really a camera person, just letting you know, but I’ll do my best. I’m the program supervisor here at CNS Driver Training Center, and this is my CDL journey.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Instructor:
I think there’s a level of excitement because not only does she get to earn her CDL through this process, but it’s going to help her give better, clearer communication to students about the process.

That was her main goal in doing this: to be able to speak to students with confidence and say, “Hey, I got my CDL. I went through the same process you’re about to go through. This is what you can expect.”

Alejandra Bishop:
I’m going to be very honest: the permit prep class is a lot. It’s a lot of information, and it’s three hours a day, two days back to back. It’s just a lot to take in.

I failed three times, and at that point I was like, “You know what? I don’t want to do this. What’s the point? Why am I even doing this?”

That’s when I decided to start using my study guide and focusing more. I started doing practice tests and study guides, but I needed to do it by segment. I needed to stop, focus on one thing, and then continue with the next thing.

For students who have been struggling to get their permit, I understand them now. It’s a lot of mindset, focus, and getting it right.

Instructor:
We had four sessions. Two of them were short simulator sessions, and she did really great with the simulator. We got her shifting up, shifting down, and shifting through the gears.

Like every other student who has never shifted a non-synchronized transmission but has driven a normal manual vehicle, there was a little bit of struggle with downshifting, rev matching, boosting the throttle, and managing the RPMs. But when it came to technique, she was spot on. She learned really fast, which was great, and I think that boosted her confidence.

Going out into the truck and starting the pre-trip, one of the things she was really working on was getting the wording right and communicating the information she needed during the pre-trip inspection.

Pre-trip is where most students tend to struggle. It’s verbalizing something that is typically visual—something you don’t usually have to think through out loud.

The last two sessions were focused on beginning pre-trip, going over the trucks, and learning the basics. She asked a lot of questions, and she asked a lot of great questions. All of those questions helped her understand what she was doing, why she was doing it, and helped boost her confidence for the final test.

We didn’t get too far beyond pre-trip, but based on the questions she asked, she’s setting herself up to understand the pre-trip at a whole different level. She’s learning how to check the oil, how to do a thorough engine pre-trip, and how to inspect the fluids.

She’s going to do fine if she can switch herself over into trucker mode.

Alejandra Bishop:
I feel like I still need to study more for the pre-trip. Jolene says that I’m getting there and that I’m not missing a lot, but I don’t feel confident enough yet to just go out and do a pre-trip.

It has been difficult for me with English as a second language and as a woman. There are certain parts of the engine I don’t know even in Spanish, and now I have to learn them in English. On top of that, a truck engine is way different than a normal car engine. So it has been a lot for me in that sense.

Instructor:
Even doing a pre-trip was a little nerve-wracking for her. She said, “I don’t know anything about engines. I don’t know anything about all the parts of a truck.”

That’s a typical fear I hear from most students. They can do basic things in their everyday car, but they don’t know anything about a truck.

Being able to reassure her and say, “Everything is going to be fine. There’s nothing I’m going to allow you to do that is dangerous. We’re going to take things slow and make sure you’re comfortable with everything you’re required to do every step of the way,” was important.

Alejandra Bishop:
After doing a pre-trip, we went out on the road so I could get used to shifting again. In the simulator, I was getting frustrated because of the upshifting and downshifting. But when I actually got into the truck, I realized it wasn’t that difficult.

With Jolene, I feel like it’s, “Okay, let’s do this. You can do this. Now we’re going to challenge you.”

I like challenges, but not when I’m on the road with actual traffic.

I’m driving, she’s giving me new information, and I’m processing it while also focusing on the road and traffic. It’s just a lot in my mind.

I didn’t want to give up, but I told Jolene, “I need to stop. I need to rest. I’m sweating, I’m nervous, and I’m getting inside my head. I need to stop and breathe for a little bit.”

I don’t want to get into an accident. I don’t want to do things wrong. So I needed to reset, and then I could keep going. It’s not like I was going to leave the truck and Uber home. I know I have to do this, and I know I want to do this. That’s the most important thing. It’s just a matter of taking my time.

It has been nonstop because I come to work, and I can barely reset my mind. It’s not like I’m driving to CNS to do my training. I’m already here. I can barely take a five-minute break before jumping in the truck and trying to focus on the road while not thinking about everything else I need to do at work.

Instructor:
I think that’s something everyone goes through during training. It’s always good when your instructor is there to help you get through those moments of frustration.

The first few sessions are always exhausting and overwhelming for anybody starting this. Sometimes, with the driving, students struggle to read all the signs and catch the signs that apply to trucks.

The advice I give is to play it as if you were in the truck. Pretend you’re shifting. Practice the foot movement with the clutch: clutch, neutral, clutch, gear. Those are the tips I give to help students prepare, move forward, and practice.

She just needs to focus on switching her mindset from, “I’m in a car,” to, “I’m in a truck.”

Alejandra Bishop:
It’s a lot of information, a lot of new things I don’t really know, and a lot of new things I have to keep in mind while I’m driving and staying focused on the road.

Some instructors give you points of reference. For example, when you turn right, they’ll tell you that when you see a certain part of your trailer, then you need to turn left.

But if you’re in an actual lane, you need to know the math. How much space do you have? If you don’t understand that, it’s not going to work.

Trying to keep everything in mind and put it all together makes more sense, and I’m getting better.

Remembering the theory, the practice, and the points of reference makes me feel good. When I can say, “Hey, I didn’t miss a gear,” or “Hey, I didn’t grind,” or “I haven’t stalled the truck at all,” it makes me feel like I’m actually doing things right.

For students who are struggling to get their permit, I understand them now. In the past two weeks, I’ve helped two or three students feel more confident about getting their permit because I told them about my experience.

Whenever people don’t feel confident, I can tell them, “Hey, I did it. I did it this way, and it worked.”

It’s just a matter of keeping an open mind and not becoming closed-minded about trying new things.

I’m capable of doing more things than I thought I was. Just because I’m in a different country and trying to get settled here, that doesn’t mean I should be afraid to try new things.

I don’t think there’s anything that can stop you from doing it if you really want to pursue this journey.