22 Kentucky Trucker FROM UNDER THE TRUCK to BEHIND THE WHEEL By Tristan Truesdell, Staff Assistant, Kentucky Trucking Association This is the first installment of what I hope will be a continuing feature in the magazine that takes my viewpoint through an enforcement lens to one of a driver. This edition describes my “journey” in obtaining my Class A CDL. And as I don’t particularly care for the tagline “journey,” I’ll instead use the term “adventure.” I want to begin by saying I have always respected truck drivers. Though I’m certain over my enforcement career, some of them probably didn’t think that was the case, but it truly was. And after getting a taste of actual driving, I assure you, I respect what these men and women do every day. So, with that, let me tell you my story. With the looming of the “ELDT,” Entry Level Driver Training requirement that went into effect Feb. 7, 2022, I obtained my Class A permit in December 2021. I did it the old-fashioned way: studying the CDL manual. I believe I had a leg up, as I enforced the CDL/FMCSR rules for 24 years, so this was not like trying to learn Latin in a couple of weeks. I studied, read the manual, and in late December 2021, obtained my Class A permit, not knowing where I would get a truck or how I would get through the actual skills/driving portion of the process. I figured I would wait until the weather warmed up before I tried to tackle the driving thing. As my permit time limit was approaching, I made a few phone calls. I spoke to Jason Staker with Truck America Training, a CDL training school in Shepherdsville, KY. I explained that I had already obtained the permit and was desperately seeking help with the skills/driving portion of the process and asked if he thought he would be able to work with me. After some discussion, Jason agreed they would help me by giving me some basic instruction. If I could come once or twice a week to their driving range, he thought I would get enough practice to enable me to pass the skills portion. This would not be the normal training process, and some of the training would take place on Saturdays due to scheduling conflicts. Truck America Training made some concessions for me, which I appreciated. The first instructor I trained with was Dale, aka “Big Daddy Dale.” Dale is a veteran driver with tons of 22 Kentucky Trucker
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