Key Things Truck Drivers Cannot Learn in CDL School

Key Things Truck Drivers Cannot Learn in CDL School

Just about every industry in America values real world, on-the-job experience over book learning. There are just some things that cannot be learned in the classroom. The trucking industry certainly falls under this banner. As good as CDL training is, most of the training that transforms an adequate driver into an exceptional one can only be gained by getting out there and working.

Your typical CDL school teaches the basic mechanics of operating large commercial vehicles in order to prepare students to take the CDL test. They also teach the basics of federal regulations as well. Students have the opportunity to engage in the classroom and behind the wheel of a truck prior to taking the licensing test.

What needs to be understood is that CDL training occurs in a controlled environment under the watchful eye of instructors who know what to look for. It is not a real-world setting. This is evidenced by a number of key things truck drivers can’t possibly learn in CDL school. Some of those things are listed below.

Solid Cargo Control Techniques

Truck drivers who run flatbed loads have the added responsibility of controlling their cargo. They must secure cargo to the bed of the trailer, make sure that cargo remains secure for the entire journey and, where applicable, cover it with tarps to protect it against the weather and airborne debris.

You might think that CDL schools can teach drivers to do this. They cannot, and they do not. There are far too many variables in cargo control to attempt to teach it in the classroom. Ohio-based Mytee Products says cargo control is best taught on the job.

Scheduling and Route Planning

CDL schools are also unable to teach drivers how to schedule and plan their routes. Again, there are too many variables. The best teacher of scheduling and route planning is experience, as any career truck driver can testify. Time is also necessary. It takes time for truckers to learn the best routes during different times of the year. It takes time to figure out a scheduling routine that guarantees loads are picked up and delivered on time.

Managing Life on the Road

Long-haul truckers are a unique breed of drivers who spend weeks and months on the road. They live a somewhat isolated life except for the contact they make with other drivers at rest stops and shipping yards. As such, they have to learn how to manage life on the road. It is not always easy.

Truck drivers need to learn ways of taking care of themselves physically and emotionally. They need to learn how to cook, how to exercise, and how to keep those family ties strong. They even have to learn how to live life while confined to a very small amount of living space, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds.

Federal and State Regulations

Last are the myriad federal and state regulations that control nearly every aspect of the trucking industry. CDL schools can and do teach new drivers some of the basics of regulation, but they cannot possibly teach drivers everything they need to know. There are far too many regulations for starters, and those regulations continually change on the whims of regulators.

CDL schools are both necessary and of great benefit to new drivers looking to make a career in trucking. Yet they are limited in what they can teach. There are just some things about the trucking job that can only be learned in the cab of a truck, with a driver trainer at your side.

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