KyTrucking.net 23 experience in commercial driving. He was very curious why I wanted to get my CDL, and my answer was easy. I explained I worked for the KTA, was retired from enforcement and just basically wanted to go through the process. Chances were very slim I would drive a truck as a profession, but I just wanted to get those credentials, so I would have an idea of what a driver experiences day to day. Without further question, Dale made it his mission to teach me how to drive a big truck. I can’t thank him enough for his time and effort in the cause. At the beginning of my first lesson, I tried very much to be humble but not completely green. They explained the in-cab and pre-trip were the two things where students usually had difficulty. I explained my background and started to show some of my expertise with naming the components, and they seemed a “little” impressed. Well, I know the difference between a brake chamber and a mud flap, and I was also aware the fifth wheel was not the spare! So began the instruction with straight line backing, offset backing, and parallel parking. I must say this: Truck America Training has its instruction down to a science, especially for those who have never been around a truck before. They were teaching people from all backgrounds to drive a truck, and most people did not have backgrounds within the trucking industry. I began the driving instruction in March. I would just work out a day of that week best for all involved and make the trip to Shepherdsville to practice. When Dale was not available, Eddie would give me pointers and help me get the truck where it needed to be. Again, I never dreamed I would be trying to parallel park a 48’ foot trailer. In fact, I would have put good money on the distinct possibility of never being able to parallel park a big truck, but sure enough, I put it in the space several times after some practice, and several trial runs. Did I mention that was after a lot of practice? On my second trip, we did some practice runs of the skills test, backing, parking, in-cab, and pre-trip inspections. I didn’t do too bad. The instructor said I needed to study as my knowledge was there, but my verbiage wasn’t in line with their curriculum. I mean, this is what they do, day in and day out, so I would learn their way. I practiced according to their procedures, and things began to click. On my second Saturday, Dale said, “Well, we’ll have to take a ride,” meaning we were going to go out on the road with live traffic. To clarify, I usually do not get nervous, but this was a new experience I was not exactly sure about. It was clear that this would not be the same as pulling a car trailer behind my F-150. We did all our in-cab/pre-trip stuff, and out to the road we went. I figured we would stay close to Shepherdsville, which would be a short 20 to 30-minute trip. As we neared the ramp for I-65, I was instructed to take the ramp and head south on the Interstate. My response? “We’re going onto arguably the busiest interstate in Kentucky?” Instructor Dale responded, “Trial by fire, brother, trial by fire.” Up until that point, I had never driven a truck of this size. Over my career, I might have moved a truck from the inspection barn continued on page 24
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