Hi Yall, | TheaterFire

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Monicatt-1971@reddit

WRITE IT DOWN PERIOD..as many times as it takes til you can recite it. Do the same for your brake test. You can also record yourself saying it and listen to it while you drive or work. Good luck!

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Oh I hear ya lol..when I went through school I was 53 years old. It had been a long long time since I had been to school or had to memorize anything but a grocery list and that was only bc I forgot the dayum thing everytime I went to the store! Many days I got up at 2 am to study and many nights I wouldn't even let myself eat dinner bc I knew it would make me sleepy so I could study. It was a very trying time for me and sometimes thoughts that I just couldn't do it crept in. I am an ex service member who also suffers from PTSD bouts and I hate talking in front of people..but giving up was not an option. I am glad I didn't. I learned so much about myself during that time and ironically enough after I graduated school the owners offered me a position at the school teaching the pretrip and incab break test! I was able to help many people with language barriers and learning disabilities and it changed me deep inside helping others succeed. I have no doubt that you can accomplish your goal of being a professional truck driver and you WILL look back and laugh and be so grateful you hung in there. Remember 2 things..comparison is the thief of joy and don't worry about the outcome right now-just put in a little effort everyday towards your goal and the outcome will take care of itself! See you out on the road soon driver!

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Monicatt-1971@reddit

Forgot to tell you index cards are very helpful. You can use them to write down all the sections and use then while you walk down the whole truck and trailer..it will get your speed up as it is a timed test. I use to practice with them while walking as well..something about learning in motion. Also I hung them on my wall when I was home in the order of inspection. Write the section and part on the front and put the number on the front as well of the number of things you have to talk about..and of course the answers on the back..no sneaking a peek!

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

Thank you

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ExpedientDemise@reddit

Write out a "script" of all the things you want to say. Learn and repeat it word for word until you can do it automatically. Practice it until you can do it without thinking.

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Odd_Studio2870@reddit

The routine you develop for yourself is extremely important. Remember this is your safety, the general motoring public's safety and your machines safety. Don't just develop the program to recite and pass, develop it to be safe, efficient and professional operator at all times. Yes, recite the program and pass but also learn what each part and mechanism does to inspect and certify it is roadworthy. This will help you what words to communicate the condition. If you don't know what a fith wheel locking pin looks like disengaged and engaged, you wouldn't know if it's safe. Truckin' is not just going down the road. Cheers to your new opportunity, drive and be safe!

P.S. (In Missouri, that I'm aware of) the DOT let's you use a checklist, it is not word for word but I developed my routine on the checklist and do so everyday. P.S.S. Check your oil!

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

Thank you, I'm in NC and you are right I need to know what I naming off and memorize it for my safety and others too. Amen

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Odd_Studio2870@reddit

I start at the front of the truck, lights, undercarriage, cab, under the hood, driver side tires, lights, mirrors, fuel caps. Work down the combo in some kind of order you're comfortable with. Check that oil. Opportunity is for preparation, luck happens by chance.

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Theworkingman2-0@reddit

Go through it using your phone to record the process and listen to it like you listen to music. That’s what I did. I listened to my recording in my car lol

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One_Recover_673@reddit

See my post below. The app I am making does exactly this. Records you do it but then gives you feedback to tell you if you missed anything, how accurate you are and if you were clear. Fun to make this thing

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Theworkingman2-0@reddit

That’s dope

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xDoomKitty@reddit

Agreed

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bassin_matt_112@reddit

This was in Arkansas, so it may vary state to state. Also, when you talk about indicators (in Arkansas) make sure to say “right” or “left” for the indicator you’re talking about. That’s how I got -5 on pre trip.

Hoses and lines: no cracks, no frays, no leaks Electrical: no cuts, no splices, no burn marks Metal stuff: no cracks, no damage, no illegal welds Lights: burns X (clear, amber, red) in color, no cracks, no damage, no moisture, working properly

There was a guy who was in a few classes before me and my instructor said that he would say “splashes” when he meant to say “splices” lol

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stevenmacarthur@reddit

If someone could refresh my memory, since I took my test in 1989: can you still do the pretrip with notes in your hand? That was allowed back then.

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

Not the school I'm at

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Seanw59@reddit

I have a real hard time reading and memorizing. I learned by teaming with someone and guiding them as they went over there Pretrip on the practice truck we had. I learned better by following along, watching and listening. Helped me a lot.

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

I have the same.

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One_Recover_673@reddit

Wish it was ready for you but in July I’m launching an app to teach this. Exactly what to review, what to say with a gold standard script and let you record and practice with feedback. Should cover both modern and traditional

Using Aug reality so you can practice without a physical truck or an instructor by your side.

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

In july I may still be trying.

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Sufficient_Tooth_949@reddit

The tires, rims, lugnuts, mud flap, splash guard, brake chamber, hoses and all its components, suspension, make up a huge portion of the test

Lights are pretty obvious, air hoses, glad hands are obvious, headlights mirrors, fluids, windshield

Just get that part down and you'll have the majority of the points you need

Break it down to areas and components of the truck

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

How many points do I need to pass pre trip

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DrummingNozzle@reddit

Video record your instructor doing it. Watch / listen to the video over and over while you walk through your pretrip

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tfwInForChop@reddit

Memorize these two phrases and apply liberally.

If it's metal: "not cracked, bent, or broken. No loose or missing bolts."

If it's rubber or a hose/belt: "not cut or worn, no leaks (for hoses only)"

That's like 70% of the test right there. Now you just need to learn the other 30%, stuff that is unique to a part. For instance "no after-market welds" for the frame. There's a decent number of these so there's still some good old memorization you have to do, but thpse two phrases should kbock out a vast portion of what they want to hear.

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Mindes13@reddit

Also nail that in cab air test correctly. That was an immediate fail of you got one step wrong in testing

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MegaDuck71@reddit

I remember it by BBC and ABC, like the news organizations. Same for metal just backwards and for rubber “abrasions, bulges or cuts.” I remember the airline to the fifth wheel and airbags would be both. Rims/lug nuts and tire will need to memorize. I am a bit rusty and currently memorizing the FAA FAR/AIM for flying.

You just need to memorize the air breaks test. Essentially you are testing if it holds air well enough, the alarms will activate if it gets low and a practical demonstration in a safe area that they are.

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

Thank you!

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ExampleLost130@reddit

What I did is wrote down everything on flash cards, word for word with phrases & statements on parts correlated with what should be said.

For example: clearance lights (on front of flash card)- working, turn on/off, not cracked, bolted tight & secured, amber in color (the back of flash card)

I would memorize the flash cards 5 at a time. The only way I'd "graduate" to the next 5 would be by memorization of the prior 5 flash cards. Repeat, repeat, repeat & drill into the brain.

Anytime I'd move on to the next 5 flash cards, I'd recite the pre-trip from beginning all over again because I'm not perfect & I'd know I'd mess it up.

Now, there are I think 7-8 different tests you could be tested on. You'll be tested at most, on 3 or 4. So memorizing it all doesn't guarantee you will use it all, but at least you know it. It's a lot of flash cards & as you write them down, you'll probably realize after all is done that some of the cards written and memorized were meaningless in the fact that you didn't get tested in them. But that's how I memorized all the pre-trip tests.

It took, in total, about 1 week to drill into my head and remember it all by this method. 2 days writing flash cards & about 5 days going to school to practice it over & over again for 2-3 hours at a time, but it worked for me. I passed. Good luck!

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Towodi_7@reddit (OP)

So they don't test you on everything they just pick what they will test you on?

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ExampleLost130@reddit

Yes

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Dmane745@reddit

I did too. But if you practice it everyday in person and watch videos of people doing it you'll be fine when test comes

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SolaSnarkura@reddit

Find a solid pretrip on YouTube where they walk through every detail, and then watch it a bazillion times till you want to throw up, and then watch it some more up until test time. Even if you are watching it all the time and listening to it, you will get it down. That’s what I did. I woke up in the morning and had it running till I had to leave for school. I would have it running the entire time while driving anywhere. I would have it running while at home. I would have it running while falling asleep. I suck at memorizing stuff and I did the best on my pretrip out of everything. Plus, you then plant the seeds and will be good always looking at your truck when actually doing it.

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JankyMark@reddit

You can use flash cards or when you can Google pre trip books they have the name of every park of the truck and it will say either not cracked or broken or no leaks and stuff

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Eimar586@reddit

You literally need to do it a million times until you can recite it without looking at the tractor.

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phunkarino@reddit

Write it over and over on a notepad, or even on your computer. Say it out loud, over and over. If you mess up, go back to the beginning.

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gitprizes@reddit

it's basically waffle house hash browns but longer. broke, bulging, doubled, covered, smothered

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EnthusiasmOpposite71@reddit

You'll be right. It's just a big car. Get into it and wing it. In the first couple of years you are bound to break a couple of things. Take it on the chin and learn. 5 years in, you should be a good truck driver.

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Gonzotrucker1@reddit

I just pointed out everything on the truck and trailer. Yea I picked out stuff you don’t check but so what it doesn’t count against it.

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bigpierider@reddit

Something that was suggested to me in school was to sit and Google each item to learn a bit about what it does and why its there. This is a good memorization technique for anything. Just staring at that long ass list of things did not help me memorize it. But actually typing each item in and reading about its function. Made the test easier. Cause looking at the part reminded me of when I searched it. I still failed my 1st time for forgetting to test wipers and squirters.

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mdhewitt1978@reddit

Get into a routine with it and do it the same way each time. I always started by opening my cab door and starting the engine, turning lights on etc. then unfastened the driver's side of the hood. After that I would work from there towards the back of the rig. Once I'd gotten to the passenger door area I'd unfasten the other side of the hood and then lift it for the engine bay. I could probably go into way more detail if you want. It's been a little while but I still remember most of it.