CDL Week: Day 3… WooHoo!

Wednesday:

Day 3 was a short one.  We were bussed to the hill at 7am and testing for the NC group* began almost immediately.  The only one I had remaining was my road test, and I was second in line and waiting.

*For training on ‘the hill’ we’re divided into groups by state.  Students then practice on the specific skills that must be demonstrated to meet their particular state’s requirements.  At the end of the week they return to their home state with appointments for testing at their respective DMV offices.  North Carolina accepts examinations from third party certified examiners, which some of our instructors are, and that allows us to test on site at the time of training.

Around 9am my turn came.  Paul was my examiner (again) and took the first few minutes to explain exactly what we’d be doing and what he’d be looking for.  After I did a quick Enroute Check on the truck and trailer we were off.

The truck I was driving had 715,000 + miles on the odometer and was a little rough around the edges, but it shifted as smooth as silk (I guess the hundreds of students before me had the gears nicely rounded off).  Our route was one I had driven a few times before and didn’t really involve any particularly tough challenges.  There was one bit of road construction that held up traffic a little, and a disabled truck on a narrow industrial road that caused us to take an unexpected detour, but otherwise the ride went smoothly.

At one point well into the drive Paul asked if I had any previous experience driving a truck, and I told him that I’d driven a few different RV’s and a couple of BellSouth trucks, but nothing like a tractor trailer rig.  As we took the final turn back into the practice yard he congratulated me, saying it was the best test ride he had taken in some time.  He went on to say that I had done quite well on all three exams (he was there for each) and predicted that I’d do well on the road.  I sure appreciated his comments; a week ago I certainly didn’t expect to hear them.

My fellow students were quick to signal across the yard for a thumbs up as soon as I climbed out of the truck, and I was happy to give them one.  We have all been very supportive of each other, especially once the actual testing began, and it was a great feeling when it was my turn to give the ‘report’.  Once I walked back to the group there was the usual round of handshakes and verbal slaps on the back.  Another examiner started testing soon after, and by lunch time there were five of us NC guys who had taken (and passed) all three of our exams.

Soon it was time for the now familiar lunch routine.  When we again climbed in the bus for roll call and another afternoon ride to the hill,  Bill (the lead instructor for CDL week) called for us five to get back off the bus and sent it on it’s way. He then handed each of us a sealed envelope that was to be taken to the DMV.  The paperwork inside was proof of our successful completion of the required exams, and authorized us to be issued our Class A CDL.

And that finished our day.  We were released and told to be back at the OC at 1pm tomorrow for a class meeting, and if possible to obtain our license by then so they could get a photocopy for our records.  Knowing how backed up the DMV office usually is during the day, I decided I’d be in line first thing in the morning to get mine.

So it seems I’ve finished the first big step to becoming a driver.  From what I gather I’ll get a driver’s number along with any other ‘new guy’ paperwork and instructions tomorrow.  After that I’ll just be waiting to be assigned a Training Engineer (TE) .  Once I get his/her call I’ll be on the road for a couple of weeks to put what I’ve learned into practice, and for the next stage of instruction.

Hope it’s not a long wait; I’m on a roll…