The Halfway Point!!

Been doing this one week now, and one more week until graduation. I can't believe how tired I was last night. I went to bed with a splitting headache about 2000 and stayed asleep until just past 0400. I was miserable. Woke up feeling much refreshed, though.

Today was productive behind the wheel. My instructor had me practice identifying and making buttonhook turns and I'm getting the hang of it. I'm also getting a handle on 45-degree backing. For some weird reason, the State of Colorado demands that I perform an offset backing maneuver in order to get a CDL. Dunno why. It's the same as a straight-line back except that you're shooting for the next parking space over, not the one directly behind you. I really can't see where I would set myself up for such a maneuver in that fashion, but I have to learn it anyway. Actually, I aced it on both tries. If only I could perform the 45-degree as well. Now I just have to learn to parallel park (both blind [passenger] side and sight [driver] side). Since it's basically the same as an offset back, it shouldn't be any problem.

The simulator was fun today. We got to learn us some skid control. Drive fast over the simulated skid pad and try to keep control. If you're not turning, it's actually pretty easy to regain control. If you're turning, then you've got a big problem. I didn't do so well recovering from the turning skid at 20mph. Jacknifed it, actually.

Next, we got to drive down snowy, foggy, and icy roads. The problem is that when we're doing too well at recovering from the stuff, the instructors start throwing some messed up stuff at you. Just to amuse themselves. Like the steer tire that blew out on me after I started hydroplaning. Either one is easy to recover from alone, but both of them slid me off the road. Brandon, you're a bastard for doing that to me!! And for the black ice that magically appeared when I was trying to maneuver around the wrecked truck at 40mph. And for making me drive through that fog at 40mph so that I had to make such a quick decision and slide on that magic ice. You suck, dude.

We also got to learn about scaling the trucks and sliding the tandems and fifth wheel.

Now it's time to try to do some homework.