IN THE DRIVERS SEAT

Gripping the steering wheel, my stomach churns in anticipation. Instructor Jim Larson, 59, tells me to drive forward between cones in the training lot, then back the tractor-trailer up. Through expert coaching and encouragement, Jim?s ten years of over-the-road experience pay off. Next we try the more challenging parallel and forty-five degree parking. Students hit cones like crazy. By breaking each step down, then stopping and setting up for the next step, we start to resemble the pros soaring gracefully around shopping center loading docks every day.

There's more to driving a tractor-trailer than rolling in a rig down the highway:"When the gear doesn't engage, let the clutch out a little until it starts to engage, then push the clutch back in," Larson offers. Gear shifting technique is an entire course section. "When backing up, steer toward the trailer (as seen in the mirror) if it gets out of line."
When we practiced turning, backing up or driving, Marino barks in his thick Philly accent over the growl of the turbo-charged diesel: "The trailer is your money maker. The truck is just something to hold onto when you drive. Watch your trailer!" Marino goes onto advise the students how to prevent theft from or of the trailer with tales about contents being stolen from truck stops or while in New York City traffic. Students are impressed with the responsibility of their duty transporting freight.




















There are strict federal regulations governing how many hours of service and driving a driver may perform before mandatory breaks. The driver gets paid for the miles he drives, not his breaks.

Learning about the operation of a big rig enabled me to better appreciate the skill, sacrifice and dedication of tractor-trailer drivers. Without interstate truckers, our country would grind to a halt. To understand, inspect and safely operate an 80,000 pound combination vehicle greatly bolstered my confidence as a motor vehicle operator.
Should a siren's song from some scenic highway strike, call a PTDI member school to learn more. See you on the road, good buddy!

For more information:
www.BigRigPhotos.com
http://www.PTDI.org
Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com
Truck Driving Schools
   There are literally hundreds of truck driving schools across the country, each with different programs.  As with any business, there are good ones and there are bad ones.  But you have to know what to look for in a trucking school.
  There are essentially three different types of truck driver training programs.  The first is a private school, the second is a public institution and the third is a training program run by a motor carrier.
 

Truck Driving School Enrollment
 
An Office with a View: Learn to Drive a Big Rig
By: Bruce Peters
Automobile brakes are inspected on the state-mandated annual inspection, or maybe just when the vehicle is titled. Conversely, a truck's brakes are inspected before every trip. Brake lines, the compressor, slack adjusters, the low pressure warning system and the air governor cut-out are all tested by the driver. Being able to test (and demonstrate for state police weight-station and road side inspections) are just a small part of a driver's routine duties.
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