Good luck on your testing...hardest part is the pretrip....i was driving schoolbus when they intro'd CDL's. Moved on up into 45' motorcoach and was driving a casino schedule. I miss my bus...

Thank you

Yes the pre-trip *pulls hair out*

I drove a semi in the early 80's before CDL's came into play.
Back then all you needed was a chauffeur's license.
They said they normally give up to three weeks for training but they are already rushing me on day 3

good whisky

Dont let them rush you. The liabilities are sky high now. If they said 3 wks and u need it...take it.

My thoughts exactly.
They are pumping my head full of so much stuff right now.
The info needs to sink in and I am telling you I can't wave a wand and poof it has stuck.
I told her she needed to slow down on the pre-trip today.
I had just come back from a 2 1/2 hour training drive.
The other trainer filled my head with so much info on that trip I was overloaded.
I felt like she almost expected me to already have it but it's only day 3 for crying out loud.

Well, apparently they think you're already very capable...but yeah...I agree with bentkat...take your time & don't let em push you.

He did tell me that today actually.

I suppose he is assuming my past experience was enough.
The problem with that is that it was a semi and this is a bus.
The rules for both are like day and night actually.
Well the same and not the same, it's hard to explain without actually writing an essay

I will make sure they understand that if they try to rush me I will only fail the state skills test.
Rushing me makes me forget things, always has.
If you fail the state skills test you still have to pay the $ and then will have to pay it again the next time.

Can I have some of this instead?

But of course Dodo, I would expect you wouldn't want anything else

Some people are quick studies. Others take a little longer....you have 80-100 things on the pretrip. I had problems verbalising...what i was checking and why....written tests were a breeze. Obstacle (skills) was easy...road test was more info coming at you so a little harder.. i missed a clearance sign and weight limit sign.....and i had been driving a couple of years then.
Anyway...that was 25 yrs ago...roughly? Damnnnnn....im old.....lol. you will do fine.

Im assuming your bus is automatic....mine wasnt...had a welded stick break off while i was driving....left about 18 " to work with but awkward...

I am actually a very quick learner but not 3 days quick
They have grouped the areas of the bus for the pre-trip to make it easier. Which I know it will help but I have to have some time to absorb it all. I am a hands on kinda person and need to work it out that way. I have a book here at home from them to read that helps but good grief, some moments of absorbing are needed. Shoving it down my throat won't work and today that is how it felt when she wanted me to do the pre-trip after all the info on the drive.

oh and plus I have to remember how much my bus weighs and how tall it is. The one I drove today was 13 ton and 10' 6" tall. He also said not all of the buses are the same. Some are 15 ton and some are taller. Something that is a real need to know around here as some bridges we have won't handle the bus unloaded let alone loaded.

Hi.u

Well Hello U

Yeah just like trucks and autos different makes and models. One brand we drive is almost 12' tall.

There are 140 different bus routs here.
There are probably 200 buses, maybe more.
Ranging in years from 2001 all the way to 2014.
Each year is different and then there are the buses with no nose and the buses with a nose. Don't forget the shorter buses as well.
Right now I also have to realize what I am currently training for is a sub driver position. I may or I may not get a route of my own.
So after the initial training I will also have the possibility of driving any one of the 140 different routes as well as any one of the 200 different buses.