Getting behind the wheel of a semi is tough for a reason. A truck is an extremely heavy and large vehicle to bring on the road, so driving one requires proper time and training that an ordinary car owner cannot simply learn overnight. To become a truck driver, you’ll need to learn the ropes of a huge responsibility. And that’s where truck driving school comes in.
Most truck driving schools last three weeks, and you’ll spend most of your time either in the classroom or on the road. But in this case, the classroom is out on a back-up pad. For the first 40 hours, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the pre-trip inspection procedure, logbook keeping, and federal motor carrier regulations. It may sound monotonous, but this coursework will teach you how to properly load your truck, as well as keep track of your progress. Usually, an audio-visual interactive course is offered in a pro-TREAD lab, too.
On the road, however, is where the real training begins. Whether it’s on a 22-foot conventional or a 48- and 53-foot trailer, you’ll be out on the highway within the first week, in order to get you quickly assimilated with being behind the wheel of a semi. And you’ll be learning everything: driving, shifting, up-shifting, down-shifting. You’ll even learn how to drive a tractor trailer. It’s like driving school: you’ll be taken on a few highways at first, and then progressively, you’ll be able to handle more complicated situations. So come test time, you’ll already have hours of driving under your seat belt.
As we said, this training is no easy task, and that’s what’s important. Not everyone can drive a truck, let alone learn how to, so it’s limited to those who remain dedicated and focused to the profession. But in the end, you’ll be thankful you went to school.