Reminiscing, the one year on active duty was a piece of cake. As the army expression went, "could do it standing on my hands." The same could be said about the six years serving in the active reserve. I thought about it as two weeks JD Truck Training Centre at a beach resort without maid service. What was stark in my mind, that while in the reserves during the Korean War I did not get called back to active duty. I did not suffer the irreversible consequences of going to war.
Many of the better private schools will have a wide range of training including several weeks of practice at backing up the truck, classroom coverage of everything from log books to maps and routing to air brakes and vehicle inspection. They will also have several weeks of training out on the local roadways. Make sure they will give you the necessary training to get ALL of your endorsements including hazmat, tankers, doubles and triples, and people (buses). Make sure you get ALL of these. It only requires a very short written test and can also severely limit your job opportunities if you leave them out.
I remember when the Truck driving school was teaching me how to meet all the CDL requirements. They taught me how to back up, shift and do lane changes and everything. But the real deal of getting loaded, to driving through the mountains is another thing.
People parks (not dog parks) are an excellent place for socialization. As long as dogs are allowed on leash, take puppy and let him see the walkers, joggers, bikers and wild life that abounds. Another benefit to parks is the exposure to multiple flooring surfaces. A typical park offers grass, concrete, gravel, wood and pine straw. Parks such as Shelley Lake in Raleigh offer all of this plus wood-plank bridges, a playground where puppy can meet some kids and of course, the lake. This is a socialization extravaganza!
First step is Truck licence before changing lanes in a HR Truck Licence plan ahead. You do this by knowing whats around you. You are using your mirrors and checking blind spots. If there was a car right behind you and he is not there take a second look at your blind spot because he just might be sitting there next to you.
Now second and lastly I like to talk about your experience. Some of you may have already been in a truck and know what it is like. Others have not a clue what to expect and are eager to know. So breaking the ice of the unknown will greatly increases your chances of survival of going through the school of hard knocks.
These are just a few of the things you should consider when choosing a truck drivers job. The driver pay comparison and the carriers customer base will help you make more money over the long haul while the type of equipment you will be driving can sometimes come down to a life and death situation.