I am becoming a Master Certified Diesel, and Truck Technician. Along with being a technician, i may need a cdl to move the trucks out of the garage, test drive, or anything like that. Baker college has a 30 week program. They cover extra info. What does a regular program consist of, and how long? What is the cost? I have drove and opperated 1 ton stick shift trucks, large farm equipment, logging equipment, and big pay loaders. I have been able to back up large trailers on big 4wd tractors. Will all this knowledge help me? I know general things about air brakes such as (correct me if I am wrong), they operate 100 to 120 psi, dot allows no more than a 3psi per minute loss, at 60 psi a low air pressure light comes on; and at 45 psi the brakes lock up for low pressure safety reasons. So, could you guys please help me??
Thanks

 

You are on the right track with the air brakes but there is a bit more to know and all of the driving you mentioned will help but you need to remember that the driving can be the easy part of getting your CDL and the pre trip inspection can be the killer. Lots of stuff to go over before you even start the road test. I forgot to let the pressure on the air brakes go up to the minimum of I think 90 psi but got past that. But any way If you are not going to be driving every day you might want to see if you can find a truck and take the road test after some practice driving and studying the book well about the pre trip inspection. It might work for you. It worked for me whe I got my class B after driving a truck only 3 times.

 

The school I went to was around $2500 back in '07, but that was a carrier owned school that was heavily subsidized.

Experience operating and backing large trucks and trailers is definitely helpful in my opinion. A 53' or 48' trailer is probably a bit of a different animal from what you're used to, but the same principles apply. The problem you're going to have is that at first you're gonna expect the trailer to react much faster than it will because of the long wheelbase.

Your knowledge about the brake system is accurate, but there are two different types of air leak tests. 3 PSI is allowed on a combination vehicle with the parking brakes released, 4 PSI is allowed with the brakes applied. Subtract 1 PSI from each for a non-combination vehicle.

A program through a local college would probably be the best way for you to go. A 30 week program sounds like a weekend only type of class which would probably be necessary with you being in school. From what I remember such programs normally cost between $2-4,000 or so.

 

I posted your question on another forum. Out of my curiosity, because 30 weeks for what you want a cdl for seems a little long. Have you talked with local shops to see what they require of the techs?

Here is the forum I posted on. You ask a good question. I've wondered if the mechanics that work on my Freightliner have CDLs.

CDL needed to be mechanic - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Largest CDL Truck Driver Message Board

 

Looks like you just might want to try it my way. Some of the local driving schools around here will give you a few lessons and the truck for the road test. From what I heard its about 500. If you cant find a loaner from a friend that might be the way to go. Of if you want to do it right and you have the time and money and you want a skill to fall back on go for the best you can find.

Good luck

 

I was grandfathered over to CDL, all I had to do was take the written test and you wouldn't believe the guys that failed. Answer the questions as per instructed, not as what would normally be considered right. The test left me wondering if the people that failed even opened the book to study.

 

How did you pull that off???

 

Us old foggies got to be "Grandfathered" into the system. Did have to take written tests for the air brakes though. Also for doubles.

As for mechanics, I have learned that some shops teach their own.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tru...-mechanic.html

 

We distinguished gentlemen..... use to have what was once called a Chauffeur's license and were grandfathered over to the new CDL but still had to take the required written tests.

 

The school you're going to doesnt offer a CDL program?

The school i went to had one. The regular CDL program they had was either part time for like 15 weeks, or full time for 6 weeks.

The program they had for the diesel tech students was 5 days.

Most of the CDL courses are just learning the parts of the trucks, the specs for the air system, and pre-trip stuff. Pre-trip can get pretty involved if you're not really mechanically inclined, or never seen this stuff before. But if you're a diesel tech student, you should have learned all this stuff anyways, the actual driving and maneuvering by themselves arent very hard to learn.

Personally i let my CDL expire, because i never really used it, and the penalties for tickets and all that stuff are way higher for those with CDLs (even if they're not using them) than just a regular license.

 

Thats funny, i almost failed my maneuverability test because i let the air build up too long. The minimum is 90, but i had been driving trucks around the lot at my job all the time, and i always let the air build up until the purge valve popped off (120-130 psi), because on some junkier trucks with a lot of air leaks and stuff they wont even move at 90 even though technically they're supposed to.

Anyways, i let it air up until it popped off, and the testing guy said that was too long. I didnt do all that great on the test, and that would of failed me if he took points off for that. I had to argue with the guy, saying "well what in the heck would the harm be in letting it air up all the way?" he said he felt sorry for me so he wouldnt take those points off and let me pass.

Pre-trip is where most people have problems. I didnt have a lot of trouble with it, because by the time i took my test i was working at a shop, and pretty much all i did was pre-trips all day. The hardest part is not remembering what to look for, but exactly what to say. Like if you point to the tires and say "Check for excessive wear", you may loose points because the correct answer is "check for unusual or excessive wear". They're kinda dicks about the details sometimes, it's even like that on permit tests. You have to memorize exactly what they want to hear, most of the time they dont give credit for being 90% right.

The guy who instructed me kept saying the biggest problems with techs who take the test is they start thinking too much, because they usually do know more than the book or the testers know. That book the government hands out is pretty out-dated, and not exactly right a lot of the time. The hardest thing is just trying to remember exactly what they want to hear, and tell them that, and forget all about what you know is the real right answer.

 

Yea he cut me a little slack by saying "what about the brakes"? That reminded me to look at the gauge that was exactly at 90 and I said we are good, we are at the minimum pressure. Then he said I don't know if you know this you have to tell me thi stuff.

 

thanks for all your help. Helps me tremendously. I will in fact be learning quite a bit more about 18 wheeler technology at Lincoln tech. Suprizingly they don't have cdl classes. But, I will in fact need them some day. I like this a lot. I like air brakes. I need to learn this stuff being it is my passion. I like long wheel based trailers (combined with trucks) as opposed to shorted trailers. For instance, a 20 foot trailer is awesome to back up and drive with as opposed to a 8 foot. Thats what it seems like to me. The longer trailers are more predicable. I enjoy learning this stuff being a grease money, a redneck equipment driver, and just a tech head in general. I have been driving john deere hand clutch tractors since I was four, so I'm thinking thats where part of it comes from and all as far as these things being my passion. Thanks for all your help.

 

any more advice while we are on this topic?

 

I believe the regular driving schools are a 6-8 week course and run around $4,000. My son in law checked into driving schools a couple years ago. The school would get you just enough experience and information to get the CDL.

You will not need it but after you get the cdl a trucking company will put you with a trainer for as long as necessary before letting you out on your own.

Another way to get the CDL is to hire on with a trucking company that will sponsor your training. They pay for the school and you commit a period of time after getting the CDL to that company. I believe it's a one year commitment.

Years ago about the only way to break into trucking was to know someone who could take you with them and get you some experience. My dad, a couple of uncle's and some older friends took me with them off and on for years before I turned 21. Then it was a class D chauffeur's license. I had been driving truck for around 20 yrs when the uniform CDL came about and grandfathered into the CDL.

One good thing about a CDL is if you have a good driving and work record, you will never be without a job. There are trade offs with driving truck that many don't find appealing or willing to accept but job security is not one of them.