Trucking News: 4 people are dead in the Colorado pileup. A truck driver faces vehicular homicide charges

Never said it wasn't. The military sent me to a school that taught how to write those kind of tests. CDL written tests are about as simple and non-difficult as they come.
I just find it shocking how easy it is to get a CDL in some places.

I got mine through a community college in 2004 and although it's been a long time, I don't recall them ever mentioning anything about mountain driving. The only thing they told us about the jake brake was "don't mess with it". We obviously had no need for it, running an empty trailer around in the flatlands, but he didn't even explain what it was for. I already knew what it was for, having been in them before, but they didn't know that.

I wasn't told jack squat about it until orientation at Covenant. Covenant provided additional training but it was not legally required. I could have gone & bought my own truck, or worked for a small outfit that provides no training, and it would have been perfectly legal.

But in practice, during my 3 weeks teaming with a trainer, the only time we ever saw mountain grades with a loaded trailer, he was driving.

The first time I descended a mountain grade with a heavy load, I was by myself and coincidentally it was I-70 eastbound through Colorado. I had no difficulty keeping it under control but I could definitely see how easily it could get out of control.

I'd really like to know how this guy we're talking about was trained and I'd REALLY like to know how he made it past all the other grades on that highway. Did they say where his load originated from, so we can figure out how many other grades he made it down before this crash?
 
No details on any of that yet.

SAGE had some trailers for road work that had a light load in them - 16k I think. Everybody got a chance to take My Vernon Canyon from Evergreen back down to town with an instructor. I ran I80, I5 and I90 on the west coast with a trainer at Prime too. And yeah, he was awake and in the right seat too.
 
Maybe passing the written test is "extremely simple," unless you're one of those unfortunates who can't manage to take a test. The practical seems to be a little more difficult for many.

Are we really having this discussion yet again?

CDL school is just enough to get you past the state practical driving exam, and it doesn't really matter what variety you spend your money on - or if it's company sponsored. What is important is having that apprenticeship with an experienced driver to make sure the newb has a clue about how to safely drive a CMV. Including a shot of winter driving, and how to come down a mountain grade.
No kidding, we all know it is important to know how to drive is all climates and terrains.

Doesn’t change the fact that you can pay $500 to rent a tiny single axle truck and short trailer to take the test. It basically dumbs the driving test down to having the ability to pull a boat behind a pickup.

We allow people to obtain a CDL like this, then get upset when they can’t handle a real truck.
 
No kidding, we all know it is important to know how to drive is all climates and terrains.

Doesn’t change the fact that you can pay $500 to rent a tiny single axle truck and short trailer to take the test. It basically dumbs the driving test down to having the ability to pull a boat behind a pickup.

We allow people to obtain a CDL like this, then get upset when they can’t handle a real truck.
Depends on which state you're talking about @Mike - as loose as Texas is on many things, I wouldn't doubt it with them.

OTOH, I doubt this kid had the ability to rent a semi on his own.
 
Maybe passing the written test is "extremely simple," unless you're one of those unfortunates who can't manage to take a test. The practical seems to be a little more difficult for many.

Are we really having this discussion yet again?

CDL school is just enough to get you past the state practical driving exam, and it doesn't really matter what variety you spend your money on - or if it's company sponsored. What is important is having that apprenticeship with an experienced driver to make sure the newb has a clue about how to safely drive a CMV. Including a shot of winter driving, and how to come down a mountain grade.
Shifting was the hardest part for me initially due to the double clutch lack of coordination.

Driving a truck for me was never particularly difficult to learn. Backing took a little until I found my own methods of judging my setup but had to get out on my own and away from the judgmental instructors who each had their own "right way" to do that.
 
You related to th' dudes wife?
Is that the best you could think of to say? Why don’t you say something about my mother while your at it?

For like the last 30 messages it’s been you saying how getting a CDL should be and how perfect Prime is, and @Mike saying rent a single axle day cab and a 27 foot trailer.

POINT MADE! We all get it! There are sooooooooo many different aspects of this massive tragedy to discuss that playing the same shit on repeat is going to make everyone except you, @Mike and the trolls ignore this thread.

And to answer the lame ass question you ask, no I’m not related to anyone involved in this disaster. And you should have a little more respect for the victims in implying that I should be related to the alleged’s wife. Simply because I point out that the ping pong match of almost the same message going back and fourth upsets your fragile and delicate sensibilities.
 
Is that the best you could think of to say? Why don’t you say something about my mother while your at it?

For like the last 30 messages it’s been you saying how getting a CDL should be and how perfect Prime is, and @Mike saying rent a single axle day cab and a 27 foot trailer.

POINT MADE! We all get it! There are sooooooooo many different aspects of this massive tragedy to discuss that playing the same **** on repeat is going to make everyone except you, @Mike and the trolls ignore this thread.
I think we should discuss how easy it is to obtain a CDL some more. 🤔
 
Depends on which state you're talking about @Mike - as loose as Texas is on many things, I wouldn't doubt it with them.

OTOH, I doubt this kid had the ability to rent a semi on his own.
That's exactly how the place I retested in Colorado is set up to test.(you can bring your own truck.) It's much quicker to pretrip, for sure, and that's probably why they use it. But if someone was trained in a normal truck, that little short trailer is hell on the backing section. And after not having driven in 7 speed in 20 years, that was a PITA, too.

And if anyone thinks a SA daycab and pup is like driving a pickup and boat, they're in for a big surprise! It's more like a big pickup pulling one of them little 12 foot utility trailers.
 
That's exactly how the place I retested in Colorado is set up to test.(you can bring your own truck.) It's much quicker to pretrip, for sure, and that's probably why they use it. But if someone was trained in a normal truck, that little short trailer is hell on the backing section. And after not having driven in 7 speed in 20 years, that was a PITA, too.

And if anyone thinks a SA daycab and pup is like driving a pickup and boat, they're in for a big surprise! It's more like a big pickup pulling one of them little tow dollies.
FTFY. 😀
 
That 7 ft trailer behind the Jeep is a helluva awkward make-you-look-and-feel-stupid little setup.

Great for running to the dump. Not great for backing up at the dump. 🙄😂
 
That's exactly how the place I retested in Colorado is set up to test.(you can bring your own truck.) It's much quicker to pretrip, for sure, and that's probably why they use it. But if someone was trained in a normal truck, that little short trailer is hell on the backing section. And after not having driven in 7 speed in 20 years, that was a PITA, too.

And if anyone thinks a SA daycab and pup is like driving a pickup and boat, they're in for a big surprise! It's more like a big pickup pulling one of them little 12 foot utility trailers.
That's exactly what I was thinking. That short wheelbase trailer magnifies slight changes in steering wheel positioning more than one might think.
 
Depends on which state you're talking about @Mike - as loose as Texas is on many things, I wouldn't doubt it with them.

OTOH, I doubt this kid had the ability to rent a semi on his own.

This has nothing to do with regulations. To get a CDL, you need to pass written tests, and provide a vehicle for taking the test. People do this all over the country and have for a long time.
 
That's exactly how the place I retested in Colorado is set up to test.(you can bring your own truck.) It's much quicker to pretrip, for sure, and that's probably why they use it. But if someone was trained in a normal truck, that little short trailer is hell on the backing section. And after not having driven in 7 speed in 20 years, that was a PITA, too.

And if anyone thinks a SA daycab and pup is like driving a pickup and boat, they're in for a big surprise! It's more like a big pickup pulling one of them little 12 foot utility trailers.

You would be surprised. Friend of mine just got his license this way. For him, though, he had never driven a large truck. A pickup, pulling some sort of boat or 16 foot utility trailer, and his camper is all he ever pulled.

He decided to get the license because he is concerned about his current job going away, and wanted a backup plan. He was surprised at how easy it was.

It’s so much easier to back a trailer when you can look out he back window.
 
This has nothing to do with regulations. To get a CDL, you need to pass written tests, and provide a vehicle for taking the test. People do this all over the country and have for a long time.
Specific requirements and test conditions vary from state to state.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Top