Shout out to Idho CDL for letting him film, it's both cool to see and a nice window into what the CDL drivers have to go through for anyone who is curious or potentially interested in going through it.
The problem is that normal car drivers don't watch so when they're out on the streets and seeing artics around them they don't know how to react....therefore accidents happen......those films should be shown to ANYBODY taken a car/motorbike licence !!! Im surprized you didn't pull forward to make sure the trailor was connected !!! So in the states you can go from a car/pickup to an artic OH GOD
@@stum8374 WILLIS!... what you talkin' 'bout? Arctic The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway, northernmost Sweden, northern Finland, Russia, the United States, Canada, Danish Realm, and northern Iceland, along with the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. Wikipedia 😉😐 FURTHERMORE... there's no such a thing as a 'normal car driver'! LOL!
Former Seabee Mechanic here. I was one of the first people in the Navy to get licenced on the MTVR Tractor when it first came to the fleet. I also was involved in the testing of the trucks before they were sent out for service. I am local to north Idaho, eastern WA if you have problems. They are complicated vehicles with lots of weird systems and proprietary parts. Happy to help if you run into issues!
I was the Navy's PM for the MTVR tractor. Thanks for helping do the testing. It was a great program to manage and I was fortunate to have a great team to develop and field the truck.
Hi Rilley from a retired truck driver. The two abbreviations i used to use were PAL and LAP for connecting and disconnecting trailers. PAL Pin Air lines Landing gear (up) LAP Landing gear (down) Air lines (disconnected) Pull Pin. You NEVER want to disconnect a trailer before putting the landing gear down AND you NEVER want to move a trailer before having raised the landing gear. Have a nice day. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
Got my Class A CDL back in '93 and one of the first things I remember from CDL school was it's not an airplane so it's not landing gear. Trucking over the road isn't for everyone and I found out it wasn't what I wanted to do after the first year. Grocery whare houses and a few other places made life miserable. Many hauls were enjoyable and some sort of dedicated run would have been the way to go. Driving the truck was almost fun, but not the weeks away from home.
I used to work for one of the big freight shipping companies. Never got a CDL but definitely moved a lot of trailers around the yard and it is nerve wracking when you first start out. It gave me so much more respect for what those drivers do and what they have to go through just to get a trailer from A to B.
I went to trucking school after I lost my job after 35 years with the company when it moved to a different state . I went to trucking school because I knew there were trucking jobs around. Some still couldn't drive after 6 weeks, I made 100 on my pre trip and passed my driving test which was a big relief. I found a job with the local county and worked 11 years until I retired. I loved that job because I drove almost anything you could imagine which I was all for.
Ass a CDL holder, driving trks for almost 20 years, hauling fuel to Prudoe Bay Ak. on what is probably one of the most dangerous roads in North America. I still remember going to trk school and getting my first interation of my license as one of the most traumatic times of my life. 😂 Congratulations!
Congratulations! Welcome to the CDL A club. Taking the course and test in "less than perfect weather" was a great call. Expect the un expected , and be safe.
It's awesome to see you documenting your progress! I get to teach the class B, passenger, and school bus endorsements in Colorado for a local school district.
Bravo man. I remember that feeling the first time I hit the open road in a semi... Scared the pants off me.. You did well. Congrats on a new life skill.
Wow Riley you never fail to amaze me all the things you can already do and then taking on more things to learn. Congratulations for passing that was a large commitment x
BRAVO! Well done. I suspect it is like any other "crash course" (sorry, bad adjective ...) you now begin to really hone your skills. You brought back memories of my ROP School Bus Driver's Course shifting without synchromesh, matching RPM's to speed, and accounting for the huge rear end behind the rear axle. Congratulations!
this might be helpful to you with clutch brake operation the clutch brake only contacts when the pedal is one inch from the floor so as long as you only toe the clutch pedal enough to disengage the clutch brake does not work
We now you have learned what all truck drives had to learn. I remember my training for my class A CDL. But back then even though it was not a easy thing to do it was not as tough as it is today for new drives. Many of the laws has changed and more Federal and State laws are more stricter. Back when I did my test I had to do all the pre-trip inspections and that even included the service lines to the trailer. Then I had to do the straight line backing, right side doc backing, and then left side doc back, then serpentine backing, and then the parallel parking. I don't know if you had to do the serpentine backing or the parallel parking. But the one thing is leaning the responsibilities of being a truck driver. I'm retired from truck driving and I miss it I miss the open roads. But after 43 years I knew it was time to turn it over to the younger generation truckers. Good luck with your new toy.
That's the fastest class A CDL course I've ever seen. Not even remotely enough time. When I went to CDL school, it was a 6 week course. 6 weeks of drive time and classroom study. And after 20 years of driving, I know even that didn't touch all the situations I'd experienced. It's scary to know they are only training people for 7 days before turning them loose. Happy for you that you passed, dude. Please be careful out there and take your time. Your mirrors are your very best friend. Always be scanning them, even if no one is around. Little cars come out of nowhere. Never get complacent.
CDL school has never been about teaching really anything about real trucking, It's about passing tests and they fully anticipate you will go on to some big company that will put you through weeks of ride along training... Shit logic but that's their thinking.
It's awesome to see a popular you tuber take a CDL course, thank you so much for showing how much of a mental strain driving a semi truck can be, and what is all involved with driving a semi truck, so many people out there figure we just drive and that driving is so easy, No it is not, it truly is a tough job with alot more involved than so many believe! Thank you Riley! Congratulations on getting your CDL!!🎉 best of luck in your future endeavors!
I remember getting my CDL. My two hardest things to learn was the pre-trip ( my instructor was a stickler for precise wording) and backing up. I had literally 15 minutes of training. That led to big issues. I ended up training myself in the yard of my first employer.
Once your done with school and those tests you be able to float the gears as long as you still hit the right RPM's. Definitely easier on your clutch life and simplies driving as well.
The longer that a trailer is ,the easier it is to back up because it responds slower to steering imputs . And one other piece of advice is to NEVER forget that you have a trailer on when you are making a turn. To do so will have you taking out a light pole or a stop sign. Have a nice day. Tom in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
We had 1 driver totally straddle a fire hydrant without harming it. Then he left the truck, quit on the spot and went home. An older much more experienced driver was sent to safely move the rig and drive it back. (it happens)
I drove right over top of a half ton pickup with an empty 53 foot dry van in an intersection. I had been driving for years but that morning for some reason I completely forgot I was pulling a trailer. That was a not very good morning. No one hurt fortunately.
Oh that brought back memories for me over here in the UK doing my HGV. I knew exactly how you felt with the nerves. Awesome upload guys. Wishing you all the best😎
It's funny watching this video because when I drove truck I had an Oregon class A license and I gave it up just before they came out with a CDL. So the truck I drove was a 1988 Peterbilt 4 axle tractor with a 53 foot 3 axle trailer with a gross weight of 98,000 lbs.. The tractor had a 3406B Cat motor with a 13 speed trans and your right you only use the clutch in first gear then in order to shift gear's you just match rpm's!
I'm currently in the process of obtaining my cdl. You have made this whole process feel so worthwhile, I want to thank you for taking the time to make this video. It has helped me build the confidence I needed to keep pressing on. Congrats!! Keep it between the ditches .
Its great to see you on your learning how to drive a truck...just shows what youve all got to go through....Glad you passed...Stay safe and god bless you all
One of the most important things to check which I haven't heard you mention is the wheel nuts - one of those come off and it kinda messes up your day and someone else's life if it bounces unfortunately....We in the UK have dayglo markers which face each other on either nut - you can tell then if they have moved...THEY DO over time. Tapping them with a bar also gives off a different sound. Its a great addition to your licence, opens your mind to the hard work truck drivers carry out, often at crazy times and distances. well done.
Good job Riley! I Love how both you & Courtney consistently are learning new things! Oliver is still the star of the show! Love that your subscribers are growing since I have been subscribed while you had sleeper in truck🙏🙏🙏
Congratulations Rilley. That is no easy task; a good friend of mine got his heavy truck license in New Zealand a year ago, and those things are much harder to drive than it looks from the outside. Did you consider doing the course in the better weather? Ice and snow must not have helped?
Retired truck driver here, everyone has trouble backing at first and getting the gears right. If you do it long enough you'll get it and you won't even have to think about it. I always found backing the longer trailers was easier than the shorter one's.
Congratulations Riley! I just celebrated the 20th anniversary of getting my CDL-A license. Since then I added the double/triple, tanker and HZAMAT endorsements to it.
Congratulations on getting your semi licence. Viewing from Australia. I got my semi licence 50 years ago, when all you had to do was answer a few questions, drive around town, back a Strait line, and do a hill sart. All done in an hour.
I got my CDL back in 1998 at Central Technology Center in Drumright OK. What a great college. It was a month long training where we had a lot of classroom training on air brakes and so on. Back then there was a lot to learn. But it wasn't until I became an airline pilot back in 2004 that I learned what the word "Mentally hard" was. Looking back now, getting my CDL was a piece of cake.
What worked for me was to pull on the shifter tap clutch count 1 2 tap and push for next gear. You're 100% right I struggled at first with only tapping the clutch instead of pushing it in all the way
I got my first vehicle, a 1950 chevy pickup, back in 1972 and had to learn how to "double clutch" to drive it, because there were no synchronizers between gears on it. That is what you are doing when you have to bring the engine up to rpm between gears.
When I went through truck driving school in Ohio we had to drive tractors with sleepers and 53-ft trailers. So from day one we were in 75-ft trucks. Get your double triple and tanker endorsement. You may not need it but it's always good to have.
Great job on the roundabout. I’ve seen a few trucks up and over the center curb and one with a car stuck underneath the trailer. Most semis at my roundabout take both lanes to prevent an under aware driver from getting run over. Always wanted to get my CDL.
In the UK we had "grandfathers rights" ( if you passed the driving test long enough ago, 1967 in my case) to drive rigid trucks, up to 7.5 tons. I was involved in a project about vehicle delivery/collection and they said "the best way to find outis to do it" and sent me to collect a 7.5 ton truck. It was the biggest thing I'd driven since (High) School!
Good on ya for trying to get your truck license, I’ve had mine for 47 years here in Australia. We pull multiple trailers starting with a B double then you get into road trains? It can pull up to 3 or 4 trailers that’s when you need to be able to change gears without using your clutch, happy days
I'm doing my CDL training in Montreal, and it's a 5 month long training full time. I see huge difference between in both trainings. Like not using the clutch ? Did they explain you double clutching ? The pre trip inspection last 20 minutes here too ! Stay safe on the roads !
18:20 for future reference when you're cranking the landing gear if you find The Sinner of the pain and shove in slightly you won't have that problem of walking back and and forth with the handle makes it a lot easier
CDL BIG High 🖐 Now need Flat and box trailer Pick up newer Bulldozer No more Shipping cost. Army 10 wheel truck I know you do not want move But Big truck and trailer you can move your self. well done
Welcome to the club , I have my UK CDL for articulated trucks ( 13.6 metre trailers ) and big buses ( 14 metre double dekker with trailer ) , It really is great fun driving huge vehicles , I've been driving trucks n buses in the music touring industry in Europe for 40 years
Congrats! Got my class 1 with Air back in the early 90s. I think my course was several months long at the college PD (professional driving) school. Having never driven a standard in my life, nor farm machinery prior to taking the course, it was quite the learning curve! But I won a scholarship upon successful completion.
Nice work! I got my class A a year ago so I could legally pull a tag trailer with an excavator on it behind a 1 ton dump truck. Toughest parts of it were the pre trip and getting used to shifting the 13 speed Eaton. Looking forward to see what you do with yours.
I took the 8-week CDL class and tests two times. I let my college laps at one point and went through getting my college back. I have driven our over 5 million miles. We ended up buying our own rig, a KW L 900 with a 600 horse cat, and 18 forward with three in reverse. We lived in our truck as owner ops.
Congratulations on your class A! I’m curious why you needed it, where we live in Idaho you can register semis for personal use up to 56,000 lbs with air brakes and trailer. No cdl, cdl only needed if the use is intended for business or how DOT puts it “making money”. Just depends how you register and insure it! Technically you’re supposed to have not for hire on the side when registered personnel use but in our county that’s rarely checked.
I drove for years in and around Denver Co. it's a challenge every day. I've logged over a million miles. It's not a Funtime very often. Full time job all the time. Good luck and eyes and ears open all the time.
Congrats riley on getting your CDL. Something you'll never regret. Driving OTR 48 states was my career until I was struck with diabetes and no longer eligible. Worse day of my life. Two things I'd like to metion. You said the one instructor told you about reading the signs. That means EVERY sign. The one you miss may be the one that tells you the bridge is out. Teach yourself to read EVERY sign. Its your saftey and life that this might affect. Secondly, use all the space you can when pulling forward to line up for a back up. Most drivers car or truck fail to pull far enough forward to line up properly and wind up making several attempts. Saw you do that in the video. I've pulled tankers, flatbeds, box, oversized and superloads. My best suggestion to you would be to go to your local truckstop sit at the counter and talk to your fellow drivers. At least when i was driving they were friendly and willing to help you learn. I learned more there than anywhere else except actually driving. Theyll tell you things about driving in bad weather, bad habits etc. I'd say they focus on saftey because those trucks are dangerous. Good luck, stay safe and be smart. Never do drugs of any type. There are drivers who do and may offer it. Dont accept ever. No load is ever worth it. I always despised the unprofessional driver who placed so many at risk with that crap. Im a bit older so this is old but I used to use this line all the time, drive right. I dont want to run into some mom driving a station wagon with four kids in the back on her way to drop the kids off at school. Mechanical failure happens (as you are familiar) so stay up on maintenance.
Yup, accidents happen the minute you get cocky and relaxed. Always need to be on your A game and extra careful in new conditions. And do not miss a gear on a steep downgrade. You do not have enough brakes without engine braking. I know a few who learned that dropping out of Flagstaff, AZ and were lucky to survive.
@@markpashia7067 Reminds me of a time going into lake Tahoe from Reno and my tp valve malfunctioned and I lost my brakes going down the grade on 431. Before I made it to the truck runaway ramp rear brakes were on fire and my co driver wanted to jump out. There was the mountain on the passenger side and I told him he was safer in the truck. Didn't want to see him getting crushed against the mountain and the side of the truck. We made it but talk about fear. I was so happy to see that runaway ramp. (The tp valve manufacturer had to pay for everything).
Hi Riley congrats on the class 1. As another post had mentioned the SMITH SYSTEM is good advice for any driver. The van girls from NS have finally got rid of their propane toilet. Watch their last video, quite a storey. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
If we floated the gears like that it was automatic failure. The clutch brake is pedal all the way to the floor to stop parts from moving when putting in gear from a stop. That should not affect shifting, you just need to push pedal far enough to disengage the clutch.
Sounds like I passed you on Thursday night late. Headed out Thursday morning from Phoenix to Portland, was through Boise around 11pm, then again yesterday at lunch time on the way back. Long, not so fun trip for me, and I was actually thinking about you guys while I was in Idaho. Congrats on your CDL Casey!
so looking forward to seeing you do your first blind side reverse that's when you learn adrenalin is brown this is from a UK pro HGV as we call it medically retired driver you always remember your first blind side
I just recently did my MR (Medium Rigid - single rear axle) so I could drive a bus I am converting to a motorhome. During the test my heartrate skyrocketed and my smart watch sent me an alert lol I relate to how you were feeling! I didn't do my HR (Heavy Rigid - dual rear axle) because I 1000% don't want to drive vehicles that big lol Well done on achieving your CDL!!!
Welcome to a bigger brotherhood of drivers. I have had my Class A CDL since 2003. I did some over the road driving. Even though I got health issues now I still have my class A but don't use it. I drive a 1997 F-350 Crew Cab XLT long bed pickup for a daily driver. I feel learning to drive a large vehicle puts me in a higher percentile than most drivers who as you pointed out make a lot of driving mistakes without realizing it. Our school never allowed us to speed shift (shifting without the Clutch). If we did that on our road test we failed. I attended the Northern Maine Commercial Driving Academy.
As a school you would think they would block the rear window with something. Use the window and anything else that helps in the real world but teaching is different. Nice to access when blind siding in. Probably would have started with a long trailer than short but preference I guess for the school. Usually easier to shift up when loaded since the weight pulls the rpms down naturally, a lot drivers skip gears when empty since it works better.
Hauling milk in a tanker into down town Dallas, Tx. will get you over any nervousness of driving in traffic. As a former maintenance dispatcher, most breakdowns that occur within the first 100 miles is because the pretrip was not preformed. Good job.
Best thing i can recommend now is to go and drive agency for some supermarkets. The routes are never technical or too tight for time and it will get you plenty of seat time to drive home what youve learnt. Passing your test is only the first step to becoming a driver.
Congratulations on yoour Class A CDL. I retired in 2006 after 39 years in a truck, 48 states. The last 10 years I was an instructor for a vary large trucking company in Arizona. We didn't have to worry about snow very much. When a driver passed the school he was sent out on the road with a trainer for 6 weeks to learn how to delal with customers making making appointments on time. Again... Congratulations, well done...
535K, not bad. I gave up my CDL when I retired, to much hassle now. When I took my test I had to push the female tester up into the truck by her rear (cabover). Nice job!
Back in the day when I received my CDL, it was so much easier. That was in 1969 in Illinois. No training course, only on-the-job learning. That CDL allowed me the adventure of a lifetime. I drove semi-tractor trailer rigs for the next 20 years and got to see all 48 states and all major and minor cities throughout all 4 seasons and all weather types. I hauled mostly household goods with Mayflower but also hauled groceries, farm equipment, general commodities, and steel.
You're welcome. I've watched every second of every video you've produced. I've watched you for three years now. I'm probably one of your most loyal fans. I learn so much from both of you; and you are living the lives I always wanted but couldn't have lol
Thanks to KiwiCo for sponsoring this video. Use code AMBITION for 20% off your first Panda Crate subscription: kiwico.com/ambitionstrikes
WoW, Congratz to that one. glad you make man!! ☕
Shout out to Idho CDL for letting him film, it's both cool to see and a nice window into what the CDL drivers have to go through for anyone who is curious or potentially interested in going through it.
The problem is that normal car drivers don't watch so when they're out on the streets and seeing artics around them they don't know how to react....therefore accidents happen......those films should be shown to ANYBODY taken a car/motorbike licence !!! Im surprized you didn't pull forward to make sure the trailor was connected !!! So in the states you can go from a car/pickup
to an artic OH GOD
Ain't happening in 2 weeks.
@@stum8374 WILLIS!... what you talkin' 'bout?
Arctic
The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway, northernmost Sweden, northern Finland, Russia, the United States, Canada, Danish Realm, and northern Iceland, along with the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. Wikipedia
😉😐
FURTHERMORE... there's no such a thing as a 'normal car driver'! LOL!
Former Seabee Mechanic here. I was one of the first people in the Navy to get licenced on the MTVR Tractor when it first came to the fleet. I also was involved in the testing of the trucks before they were sent out for service. I am local to north Idaho, eastern WA if you have problems. They are complicated vehicles with lots of weird systems and proprietary parts. Happy to help if you run into issues!
That is so awesome! Would you mind sending us an email? contact@ambitionstrikes.com
@@AmbitionStrikes Will do!
I was the Navy's PM for the MTVR tractor. Thanks for helping do the testing. It was a great program to manage and I was fortunate to have a great team to develop and field the truck.
@@PatsTravels they are great trucks. Only a few complaints. "Military grade" trucks. Lol
Wow, that was a generous offer! Don't you love the community you're creating?
Hi Rilley from a retired truck driver. The two abbreviations i used to use were PAL and LAP for connecting and disconnecting trailers. PAL Pin Air lines Landing gear (up)
LAP Landing gear (down) Air lines (disconnected) Pull Pin. You NEVER want to disconnect a trailer before putting the landing gear down AND you NEVER want to move a trailer before having raised the landing gear. Have a nice day. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
Awesome ❤
Shout out to Tom from Dave in NS Canada. Got my lic. in down town Toronto. Now that was fun.
Got my Class A CDL back in '93 and one of the first things I remember from CDL school was it's not an airplane so it's not landing gear. Trucking over the road isn't for everyone and I found out it wasn't what I wanted to do after the first year. Grocery whare houses and a few other places made life miserable. Many hauls were enjoyable and some sort of dedicated run would have been the way to go. Driving the truck was almost fun, but not the weeks away from home.
That's all fine unless you're pulling triples.
@@lloydprunier4415 So did I. I also became an instructor. It was always landing gear. Still is. No idea why anyone wasted time teaching you that.
I used to work for one of the big freight shipping companies. Never got a CDL but definitely moved a lot of trailers around the yard and it is nerve wracking when you first start out. It gave me so much more respect for what those drivers do and what they have to go through just to get a trailer from A to B.
It's intimidating, but over time it's like why was I afraid to drive something so big.
I went to trucking school after I lost my job after 35 years with the company when it moved to a different state . I went to trucking school because I knew there were trucking jobs around. Some still couldn't drive after 6 weeks, I made 100 on my pre trip and passed my driving test which was a big relief. I found a job with the local county and worked 11 years until I retired. I loved that job because I drove almost anything you could imagine which I was all for.
)@@spencers4121
Ass a CDL holder, driving trks for almost 20 years, hauling fuel to Prudoe Bay Ak. on what is probably one of the most dangerous roads in North America. I still remember going to trk school and getting my first interation of my license as one of the most traumatic times of my life. 😂 Congratulations!
Congratulations! Welcome to the CDL A club. Taking the course and test in "less than perfect weather" was a great call. Expect the un expected , and be safe.
It's awesome to see you documenting your progress! I get to teach the class B, passenger, and school bus endorsements in Colorado for a local school district.
Bravo man. I remember that feeling the first time I hit the open road in a semi... Scared the pants off me.. You did well. Congrats on a new life skill.
Wow Riley you never fail to amaze me all the things you can already do and then taking on more things to learn. Congratulations for passing that was a large commitment x
BRAVO! Well done. I suspect it is like any other "crash course" (sorry, bad adjective ...) you now begin to really hone your skills. You brought back memories of my ROP School Bus Driver's Course shifting without synchromesh, matching RPM's to speed, and accounting for the huge rear end behind the rear axle. Congratulations!
I got my cdl it took 2.5 months in Wisconsin but that final test is very nerve wracking
this might be helpful to you with clutch brake operation the clutch brake only contacts when the pedal is one inch from the floor so as long as you only toe the clutch pedal enough to disengage the clutch brake does not work
We now you have learned what all truck drives had to learn. I remember my training for my class A CDL. But back then even though it was not a easy thing to do it was not as tough as it is today for new drives. Many of the laws has changed and more Federal and State laws are more stricter. Back when I did my test I had to do all the pre-trip inspections and that even included the service lines to the trailer. Then I had to do the straight line backing, right side doc backing, and then left side doc back, then serpentine backing, and then the parallel parking. I don't know if you had to do the serpentine backing or the parallel parking. But the one thing is leaning the responsibilities of being a truck driver. I'm retired from truck driving and I miss it I miss the open roads. But after 43 years I knew it was time to turn it over to the younger generation truckers. Good luck with your new toy.
That's the fastest class A CDL course I've ever seen. Not even remotely enough time. When I went to CDL school, it was a 6 week course. 6 weeks of drive time and classroom study. And after 20 years of driving, I know even that didn't touch all the situations I'd experienced. It's scary to know they are only training people for 7 days before turning them loose. Happy for you that you passed, dude. Please be careful out there and take your time. Your mirrors are your very best friend. Always be scanning them, even if no one is around. Little cars come out of nowhere. Never get complacent.
CDL school has never been about teaching really anything about real trucking, It's about passing tests and they fully anticipate you will go on to some big company that will put you through weeks of ride along training... Shit logic but that's their thinking.
It's awesome to see a popular you tuber take a CDL course, thank you so much for showing how much of a mental strain driving a semi truck can be, and what is all involved with driving a semi truck, so many people out there figure we just drive and that driving is so easy, No it is not, it truly is a tough job with alot more involved than so many believe! Thank you Riley! Congratulations on getting your CDL!!🎉 best of luck in your future endeavors!
I remember getting my CDL. My two hardest things to learn was the pre-trip ( my instructor was a stickler for precise wording) and backing up. I had literally 15 minutes of training. That led to big issues. I ended up training myself in the yard of my first employer.
Once your done with school and those tests you be able to float the gears as long as you still hit the right RPM's. Definitely easier on your clutch life and simplies driving as well.
The longer that a trailer is ,the easier it is to back up because it responds slower to steering imputs . And one other piece of advice is to NEVER forget that you have a trailer on when you are making a turn. To do so will have you taking out a light pole or a stop sign. Have a nice day. Tom in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
We had 1 driver totally straddle a fire hydrant without harming it. Then he left the truck, quit on the spot and went home. An older much more experienced driver was sent to safely move the rig and drive it back. (it happens)
I drove right over top of a half ton pickup with an empty 53 foot dry van in an intersection. I had been driving for years but that morning for some reason I completely forgot I was pulling a trailer. That was a not very good morning. No one hurt fortunately.
Oh that brought back memories for me over here in the UK doing my HGV. I knew exactly how you felt with the nerves.
Awesome upload guys. Wishing you all the best😎
It's funny watching this video because when I drove truck I had an Oregon class A license and I gave it up just before they came out with a CDL. So the truck I drove was a 1988 Peterbilt 4 axle tractor with a 53 foot 3 axle trailer with a gross weight of 98,000 lbs.. The tractor had a 3406B Cat motor with a 13 speed trans and your right you only use the clutch in first gear then in order to shift gear's you just match rpm's!
I'm currently in the process of obtaining my cdl. You have made this whole process feel so worthwhile, I want to thank you for taking the time to make this video. It has helped me build the confidence I needed to keep pressing on. Congrats!! Keep it between the ditches .
You got this! 👊
Its great to see you on your learning how to drive a truck...just shows what youve all got to go through....Glad you passed...Stay safe and god bless you all
One of the most important things to check which I haven't heard you mention is the wheel nuts - one of those come off and it kinda messes up your day and someone else's life if it bounces unfortunately....We in the UK have dayglo markers which face each other on either nut - you can tell then if they have moved...THEY DO over time. Tapping them with a bar also gives off a different sound. Its a great addition to your licence, opens your mind to the hard work truck drivers carry out, often at crazy times and distances. well done.
Good job Riley! I Love how both you & Courtney consistently are learning new things! Oliver is still the star of the show! Love that your subscribers are growing since I have been subscribed while you had sleeper in truck🙏🙏🙏
Awesome. So excited about whatever this must mean you’re cooking up for the future!
Congratulations Rilley. That is no easy task; a good friend of mine got his heavy truck license in New Zealand a year ago, and those things are much harder to drive than it looks from the outside. Did you consider doing the course in the better weather? Ice and snow must not have helped?
Great work Riley. Not easy. Definitely go easy in the big rigs with the mountains!
Congratulations on your license!! I almost got got mine awhile back...but now it is to much work. Way to goo!😊
Retired truck driver here, everyone has trouble backing at first and getting the gears right. If you do it long enough you'll get it and you won't even have to think about it. I always found backing the longer trailers was easier than the shorter one's.
Congratulations Riley! I just celebrated the 20th anniversary of getting my CDL-A license. Since then I added the double/triple, tanker and HZAMAT endorsements to it.
Congratulations Riley, I have been a truck driver for over 25 years and have been a blast.
Congratulations on getting your semi licence. Viewing from Australia. I got my semi licence 50 years ago, when all you had to do was answer a few questions, drive around town, back a Strait line, and do a hill sart. All done in an hour.
Congratulations! Now the hard part comes next lots.and lots. And lots of practice over and over again
Congratulations will be curious to see the new pickup.
Oliver is getting so big, that’s one happy baby
Great video looks like you had fun but nervous.
Congrats Riley,,,been there,done that,,,extremely nerve-racking,on to better things....👍👍👍👍
That was really fun to watch, congratulations, Riley! 🎉
Welcome to CDL! I Got mine without any school. But I grow up around heavy equipment so had a life of experience already. Love you guys!!!!
This was an awesome video! I always appreciated truck drivers, (all sizes), but now my appreciation reaches a new level. Thanks
Bravo Zulu you truck driving dude! Looks like you're getting a newish Army bobtail?!?!
Congratulations on passing! Excited to see the adventures you take
Congratulations Riley
Welcome to Boise. Hope you enjoyed your stay. Loved seeing you drive around. I knew most every location and you really were all over the place.
This is a great video. Really took me back to my CDL training days. Good luck looking for good videos of truck driving ahead
I got my CDL back in 1998 at Central Technology Center in Drumright OK. What a great college. It was a month long training where we had a lot of classroom training on air brakes and so on. Back then there was a lot to learn. But it wasn't until I became an airline pilot back in 2004 that I learned what the word "Mentally hard" was. Looking back now, getting my CDL was a piece of cake.
Congratulations Riley👏👏🎉🎉
Congratulations on your cdl. I remember when I past the driving test a little over a year ago. I was so excited when I passed.
What worked for me was to pull on the shifter tap clutch count 1 2 tap and push for next gear. You're 100% right I struggled at first with only tapping the clutch instead of pushing it in all the way
I got my first vehicle, a 1950 chevy pickup, back in 1972 and had to learn how to "double clutch" to drive it, because there were no synchronizers between gears on it. That is what you are doing when you have to bring the engine up to rpm between gears.
When I went through truck driving school in Ohio we had to drive tractors with sleepers and 53-ft trailers. So from day one we were in 75-ft trucks. Get your double triple and tanker endorsement. You may not need it but it's always good to have.
Great job on the roundabout. I’ve seen a few trucks up and over the center curb and one with a car stuck underneath the trailer. Most semis at my roundabout take both lanes to prevent an under aware driver from getting run over.
Always wanted to get my CDL.
Re roundabouts... That's how I did it. If you take at least 2 lanes they can't try to pass under you. But they will try.
In the UK we had "grandfathers rights" ( if you passed the driving test long enough ago, 1967 in my case) to drive rigid trucks, up to 7.5 tons. I was involved in a project about vehicle delivery/collection and they said "the best way to find outis to do it" and sent me to collect a 7.5 ton truck. It was the biggest thing I'd driven since (High) School!
Good on ya for trying to get your truck license, I’ve had mine for 47 years here in Australia. We pull multiple trailers starting with a B double then you get into road trains? It can pull up to 3 or 4 trailers that’s when you need to be able to change gears without using your clutch, happy days
I'm doing my CDL training in Montreal, and it's a 5 month long training full time.
I see huge difference between in both trainings. Like not using the clutch ? Did they explain you double clutching ?
The pre trip inspection last 20 minutes here too !
Stay safe on the roads !
You go Girl!🙏
18:20 for future reference when you're cranking the landing gear if you find The Sinner of the pain and shove in slightly you won't have that problem of walking back and and forth with the handle makes it a lot easier
Been there and done that. It was great learning experience. I got my CDL in 7 days after training. Aced the test in one try!
Well done, Riley! Congrats!! Great to see Tyler again. Hope there are more projects the two of you tackle in the future.
Congratulations Riley 👏
CDL BIG High 🖐 Now need Flat and box trailer Pick up newer Bulldozer No more Shipping cost. Army 10 wheel truck I know you do not want move But Big truck and trailer you can move your self. well done
Great job and am grateful that you took us along for the ride!!!
Congratulations! What a fun video!
Awesome video! I'm going to that exact school next week! Wish me luck.
Welcome to the club , I have my UK CDL for articulated trucks ( 13.6 metre trailers ) and big buses ( 14 metre double dekker with trailer ) , It really is great fun driving huge vehicles , I've been driving trucks n buses in the music touring industry in Europe for 40 years
Congrats!
Got my class 1 with Air back in the early 90s. I think my course was several months long at the college PD (professional driving) school. Having never driven a standard in my life, nor farm machinery prior to taking the course, it was quite the learning curve! But I won a scholarship upon successful completion.
Congratulations Riley! Add another notch onto your skillset belt!
Really man! Thank you for putting good, useful information out there in a clear concise way!
congrats! wow!!! that was amazing. i have always respected truckers and even more now. thanks for sharing. continued travel mercies and blessings.🕊
Nice job! The driving test was the most stressful thing by far. Brings back memories 😂 I'm glad you had great instructors.
Nice work! Congratulations 🎉
Thank you!!
Nice work! I got my class A a year ago so I could legally pull a tag trailer with an excavator on it behind a 1 ton dump truck. Toughest parts of it were the pre trip and getting used to shifting the 13 speed Eaton. Looking forward to see what you do with yours.
Congratulations! You have added one more thing to your skill set. I am looking forward to how you use your new license.
I took the 8-week CDL class and tests two times.
I let my college laps at one point and went through getting my college back.
I have driven our over 5 million miles.
We ended up buying our own rig, a KW L 900 with a 600 horse cat, and 18 forward with three in reverse. We lived in our truck as owner ops.
Congratulations on your class A! I’m curious why you needed it, where we live in Idaho you can register semis for personal use up to 56,000 lbs with air brakes and trailer. No cdl, cdl only needed if the use is intended for business or how DOT puts it “making money”. Just depends how you register and insure it! Technically you’re supposed to have not for hire on the side when registered personnel use but in our county that’s rarely checked.
I drove for years in and around Denver Co. it's a challenge every day. I've logged over a million miles. It's not a Funtime very often. Full time job all the time. Good luck and eyes and ears open all the time.
Congrats riley on getting your CDL. Something you'll never regret. Driving OTR 48 states was my career until I was struck with diabetes and no longer eligible. Worse day of my life. Two things I'd like to metion. You said the one instructor told you about reading the signs. That means EVERY sign. The one you miss may be the one that tells you the bridge is out. Teach yourself to read EVERY sign. Its your saftey and life that this might affect. Secondly, use all the space you can when pulling forward to line up for a back up. Most drivers car or truck fail to pull far enough forward to line up properly and wind up making several attempts. Saw you do that in the video. I've pulled tankers, flatbeds, box, oversized and superloads. My best suggestion to you would be to go to your local truckstop sit at the counter and talk to your fellow drivers. At least when i was driving they were friendly and willing to help you learn. I learned more there than anywhere else except actually driving. Theyll tell you things about driving in bad weather, bad habits etc. I'd say they focus on saftey because those trucks are dangerous. Good luck, stay safe and be smart. Never do drugs of any type. There are drivers who do and may offer it. Dont accept ever. No load is ever worth it. I always despised the unprofessional driver who placed so many at risk with that crap. Im a bit older so this is old but I used to use this line all the time, drive right. I dont want to run into some mom driving a station wagon with four kids in the back on her way to drop the kids off at school. Mechanical failure happens (as you are familiar) so stay up on maintenance.
Yup, accidents happen the minute you get cocky and relaxed. Always need to be on your A game and extra careful in new conditions. And do not miss a gear on a steep downgrade. You do not have enough brakes without engine braking. I know a few who learned that dropping out of Flagstaff, AZ and were lucky to survive.
@@markpashia7067 Reminds me of a time going into lake Tahoe from Reno and my tp valve malfunctioned and I lost my brakes going down the grade on 431. Before I made it to the truck runaway ramp rear brakes were on fire and my co driver wanted to jump out. There was the mountain on the passenger side and I told him he was safer in the truck. Didn't want to see him getting crushed against the mountain and the side of the truck. We made it but talk about fear. I was so happy to see that runaway ramp. (The tp valve manufacturer had to pay for everything).
Hi Riley congrats on the class 1. As another post had mentioned the SMITH SYSTEM is good advice for any driver. The van girls from NS have finally got rid of their propane toilet. Watch their last video, quite a storey. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border
If we floated the gears like that it was automatic failure. The clutch brake is pedal all the way to the floor to stop parts from moving when putting in gear from a stop. That should not affect shifting, you just need to push pedal far enough to disengage the clutch.
Good use of spring melt, I hope home will be dry and warm when back.
Had mine for 20 years now. Only used it for the first four, but will never let it expire! You just never know.
Sounds like I passed you on Thursday night late. Headed out Thursday morning from Phoenix to Portland, was through Boise around 11pm, then again yesterday at lunch time on the way back. Long, not so fun trip for me, and I was actually thinking about you guys while I was in Idaho. Congrats on your CDL Casey!
Congratulations! I just got my cdl class A license! 🥳🥳
I have my CDL because my business truck is used in commerce and pleasure. I learned many things that I apply when driving my diesel pusher.
Whoa, that was tense. I have a whole new appreciation and respect for truckers!
so looking forward to seeing you do your first blind side reverse that's when you learn adrenalin is brown this is from a UK pro HGV as we call it medically retired driver you always remember your first blind side
I just recently did my MR (Medium Rigid - single rear axle) so I could drive a bus I am converting to a motorhome.
During the test my heartrate skyrocketed and my smart watch sent me an alert lol I relate to how you were feeling!
I didn't do my HR (Heavy Rigid - dual rear axle) because I 1000% don't want to drive vehicles that big lol
Well done on achieving your CDL!!!
Welcome to a bigger brotherhood of drivers. I have had my Class A CDL since 2003. I did some over the road driving. Even though I got health issues now I still have my class A but don't use it. I drive a 1997 F-350 Crew Cab XLT long bed pickup for a daily driver. I feel learning to drive a large vehicle puts me in a higher percentile than most drivers who as you pointed out make a lot of driving mistakes without realizing it. Our school never allowed us to speed shift (shifting without the Clutch). If we did that on our road test we failed. I attended the Northern Maine Commercial Driving Academy.
As a school you would think they would block the rear window with something. Use the window and anything else that helps in the real world but teaching is different. Nice to access when blind siding in. Probably would have started with a long trailer than short but preference I guess for the school. Usually easier to shift up when loaded since the weight pulls the rpms down naturally, a lot drivers skip gears when empty since it works better.
Hauling milk in a tanker into down town Dallas, Tx. will get you over any nervousness of driving in traffic. As a former maintenance dispatcher, most breakdowns that occur within the first 100 miles is because the pretrip was not preformed. Good job.
Impressive, great job, can't wait to see more of what you are driving next week!
Best thing i can recommend now is to go and drive agency for some supermarkets. The routes are never technical or too tight for time and it will get you plenty of seat time to drive home what youve learnt. Passing your test is only the first step to becoming a driver.
Congratulations on yoour Class A CDL. I retired in 2006 after 39 years in a truck, 48 states. The last 10 years I was an instructor for a vary large trucking company in Arizona. We didn't have to worry about snow very much. When a driver passed the school he was sent out on the road with a trainer for 6 weeks to learn how to delal with customers making making appointments on time. Again... Congratulations, well done...
Congratulations Riley. Lots to learn and you nailed it!
Scott was a cute instructor.
535K, not bad. I gave up my CDL when I retired, to much hassle now. When I took my test I had to push the female tester up into the truck by her rear (cabover). Nice job!
Congratulations, Riley! That is so exciting! It is really cool that they let you video this experience. Can't wait to see the new pickup! Lol
Riley, you crack me up! One never knows what you are going to be trying to get done from one episode to the other!
Back in the day when I received my CDL, it was so much easier. That was in 1969 in Illinois. No training course, only on-the-job learning. That CDL allowed me the adventure of a lifetime. I drove semi-tractor trailer rigs for the next 20 years and got to see all 48 states and all major and minor cities throughout all 4 seasons and all weather types. I hauled mostly household goods with Mayflower but also hauled groceries, farm equipment, general commodities, and steel.
I admire your determination!
Very few vehicles with manual shift in Scandinavia. The gear boxes are still "manual", but are operated by the onboard computer.
You're welcome. I've watched every second of every video you've produced. I've watched you for three years now. I'm probably one of your most loyal fans. I learn so much from both of you; and you are living the lives I always wanted but couldn't have lol
It's easy two day you only have gear shift . When I learned to drive had two transmission's . Learned to drive in the ore fields of southern Colorado.