| Author | Message | ||
| Craig Campbell (Craig_4104012)
Registered Member Username: Craig_4104012 Post Number: 27 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 174.147.138.129 Rating: N/A |
Please do not bannish me for the following post. I started my bus today, first time by myself. I had brought an old coworker over to take a look and show off the old girl. we get there and i tell him what i know about the buses history and i pop open the back and show him the engine and what not back there. after all this he of course ask does it start? Yes i say and i open up the battery bay and hook up the battery. go into the drivers seat and turn it over. three cranks and rumble shes running. i really don't know what to do at this point so i bring up the rps a little to get it smoothed out and i lock the throttle with the fancy device that i was told does just what it did, locked the throttle. i got out of the drivers seat and walked around back to tell my buddy that the smoking will go away when it gets up to temp and then i head back to the drivers seat. i walked away to keep me from touching anything ANYTHING, until i had air pressure. Wont shut down with out air right? That is what went through my mind. here is where i begin to take a walk down a slippery slope. I wanted to get an understanding of the brake knob. how it worked and what it did when i did things to it. so i release the brakes and now i am able to do the brake thing with the pedal. this is a good feeling up to this point a little nervous but still within my abilities to reassure myself. here is where it all went over the edge to uncomfortable. many of you are familiar with the existence of the reverse switch that engages the solenoid to put it in reverse, i hit that and i heard it working so what do i do next? i step on the clutch, i put it into first hit the switch and put the stick into second let up on the clutch a little and stuff starts happening. events which i was not adequately equipped to handle the reality of what was occurring. I brought 24000 pounds of irreverent aluminum and glass to life. without proper instruction from me this machine was capable of tremendous destruction to the surrounding property. un-checked it would slowly roll around gathering inertia until an opportunity to provide an interactive demonstration of sir Issac newton's simple laws for my passenger and myself. after this thought formed in my head another came to play with me. I was not alone. there was an irreplaceable asset standing next to me. My friend Jim was a passenger. my actions from this point forward would affect many people, was i prepared for any of this? I asked myself this simple question a couple of times and the answer is NO. I don't know how to do anything that i am required to do in the normal process of safely operating this machine. an old feeling returned to me. I am seven years old in my dads 69 chevy pickup. we are on a slight hill my sisters are next to me. i step on the clutch and the truck is rolling backwards into oncoming traffic. luckily a lady saw what was happening and jumped into the truck and hit the break. Now like then, I started a series of events that i was not ready to handle. what do i do? i decide to stop immediately, take the bus out of gear and let my foot off the clutch. when this happens and i think i am in neutral i let off the clutch and the bus lunges forward. Not what i planed on. now i am in semi panic crisis mode what do i do? i repeat my previous series of events foot on clutch, wiggle stick it feels free let of clutch. It still rolls, the bus throttle shoots up without me. slam on brakes and clutch ask again what is happening. i asked aloud and my buddy says what do you mean you dont know? I am getting off! no your not i say. sit down and buckle up. he wants off and i tell him he aint going knowwhere. while he is in the bus i know where he is. out of the bus only the tires will know where he is. i think through all of the events that are occuring and i am trying to regian my composure. Why is the bus still ready to roll, my foot is off of the throttle. OH YEAH, I locked the throttle ten minutes ago. I undo that and now my next process can i get it out of gear. NO. What to do, well i am not rolling, the engine is not racing, my friend is not in danger, i have not hit anything, what to do. well i have air pressure i can reapply my brakes using the red knob so if i let go of the pedals because i have a stroke there is something working to protect my friend. i do that. the bus locks up and it feels anchored to the earth now. my next step is to figure out what to do next. Dump the clutch and hope it stops NO says the right side of my brain to much damage could result. I save that thought for a last ditch effort. i added it to my list of last ditch efforts. they were as follows A. hit the sack of refer units laying on the ground to collect some friction. B. steer towards that connex box over there in front of the tree. c. bring the bus to a stop against the collective of scrap now piled in front of it that is secured by a tree. go arround back and spray a co2 fire extinguisher into the intake. d. rethink plan c, i dont have a co2 fire extinguisher. why would i get out of the bus and risk my life any further? yeah i need a plan e. plan E. turn it off yells Jim. oh yeah i think, i got air, it should turn off. turn the key and as quickly as the crisis started it is over. that was the worst 10 seconds of my life so far. I am now looking into getting a CDL. please review and discuss. i will check back periodicly | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 976 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 206.53.147.253  Rating: N/A |
Not to sound rude or disrespectful but have you thought that maybe you might have gotten just a little over your head without at least learning your bus or ANY bus for that matter! You know, now that I think about it, the motorcycle laws down here have changed due to morons on bikes, out on the road, in traffic, with innocent people near by! Has it occured that your bus is far more of a vehicle than a motorcycle and can do far worse damage to human life? I think it's times like this that will eventually hurt and possibly change the laws that we NOW have regarding buses! Hey you asked! One thing I would HIGHLY recommend BEFORE you hurt yourself or someone else or possibly even get killed or kill and that is to take a driving course and I don't mean a CDL license! I mean a REAL course in heavy equipment because from the sounds of it, you get razzled pretty easy! My opinion and I'm sticking to it! Ace | ||
| Clint Hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 164 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.235.190  Rating: N/A |
so your asking for opinion or suggestions here, what are you after ? IF you look up from the drivers seat towards the exit, there should be a no-smoking sign, consider it a good rule or suggestion before you attempt to creative wright about your bus again, or not depending on what parts, if any parts of ones brain one listen ever too ... hum must of forgot to read that sign myself | ||
| Peter E (Sdibaja)
Registered Member Username: Sdibaja Post Number: 285 Registered: 5-2002 Posted From: 201.171.212.10  Rating: N/A |
Clint: that was the first thing to come to my mind also... but "listen to brain"... you talking about the little voices? | ||
| Chuck Newman (Chuck_newman)
Registered Member Username: Chuck_newman Post Number: 338 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 99.0.41.3  Rating: N/A |
Craig, did you drive the bus home when you got it? If so, did you have any problems shifting and/or finding neutral at that time? Did the previous owner(s) add any particular "do dads" that will affect the engine or transmission? As Ace said, you need to know all the nuances of your bus. You don't want to panic from lack of knowledge when you get a light or buzzer going off at 60+ MPH on the interstate. An issued CDL will give you some additional driving and parking skills plus greater air brake knowledge than you probably have now. But it will not eliminate the need to really know your buss's systems and their proper operation. FWIW | ||
| Clint Hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 165 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.235.190 Rating: N/A |
uhm peter, not sure as I was left a wee bit confused after reading , I was trying to suggest "common sense judgment" would have us stop & consider what we are about to do for the first time before we blindly zoom off and do it. These are toys , yes, but big toys with lots of responsibility attached. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 812 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 64.55.111.6 Rating: N/A |
Craig, Your bus would have been delivered with a lever operated parking/emergency brake, which is not affected by air pressure. From your description of the "Red Brake Knob," it sounds like your bus has been upgraded to either DD3 or Spring type parking/emergency brakes. Neither of these type of brakes will release without sufficient air pressure for another stop, The other thing your bus came with is an emergency shutdown switch, which is electrically operated, and will shut off the combustion air supply to the engine, and PROBABLY stop it. This switch will then require a manual reset of the flapper lever latch on the air intake to the blower. Personally, I would get an operators manual, and get really familiar with it, before you even think of starting the engine again. Next requirement, is the maintenance manual. A couple of hours instruction from a local truck/bus driving school would be invaluable, and a requirement for passing the CDL exam. IMNSHO, the instruction would be more valuable than the license, then you will inderstand the operation of your type of brakes, etc. The air engine stop may be before the instructor was born, but. DO NOT GO UNDER AN AIRED UP AIR RIDE BUS, OR BETWEEN THE TIRES AND THE WHEEL WELLS, WITHOUT BLOCKING IT PROPERLY AT THE JACKING POINTS!! Then go under the rear, and look at the brake cans. If they have two hoses, they are spring type, 3 hoses mean DD3s. Chuck and Ace have given out invaluable advice, in my opinion, just ignore the definition of intelligence, and you will be fine. HTH, George | ||
| macgyver (91flyer)
Registered Member Username: 91flyer Post Number: 378 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 74.193.225.134  Rating: N/A |
Craig... Rule #1 with buses (at least in my rule book).... Whatever you do... DON'T PANIC. Panic is something you have to fight when things start going wrong. Keep a cool head, keep your brain THINKING instead of locking up with "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" Second rule? Learn the machine and how to drive it responsibly. I drove a bus for the first time a few years ago... It was a 35ft Bookmobile on a Bluebird chassis. The next bus I drove? A 60 foot monster. Completely different experiences... I hit a couple of moment in each where if I hadn't kept my cool, REALLY bad things would have happened. The worst I had to deal with was some nutjob pulling out in front of me and slamming on his brakes... That was the 60 footer. When my bus finally stopped, I was only an inch (literally) from the dumbasses bumper. Now, from your post, I surmise two things... 1) You aren't confident with yourself. 2) You panic easily. These two things will be deadly if you don't get them under control... As was said before, get training, but forget the CDL... Just get the training. The easiest way to do this is to find out where your local Greyhound gets their drivers trained. A decent alternative would be to call up to the local motorhome places and see who they use. The next thing you need is someone who CAN handle the bus, and who can get it from your house to the place of training... Or, even better... Someone with experience that is willing to teach you. Now, I know you're excited about your newfound toy... But as was also said... They come with a great deal of responsibility. People around you TRUST that you can operate it without killing them. I would not recommend you climb back into the driver's seat without someone to instruct you.... -Mac | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 669 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 75.210.56.108 Rating: N/A |
Some breaks (paragraphs) in your dissertation would certainly help. (us to get the drift of what the problem(s) are (were)_....  Tough to read all the "stuff" in one loooong paragraph. I know you must have been distraught, and can't blame you, but.....relax...take a long breath and "listen" to what others might have to say about the experience(s).... Best wishes....whewww. FWIW RCB | ||
| David Lower (Dave_l)
Registered Member Username: Dave_l Post Number: 141 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 67.58.201.132  Rating: N/A |
Aside from the posible refrences to your intelect and to repeate what R.C said Listen, Listen to what these men say they have a wealth of knowledge, It is good that you know you messed up big time, you could have been in a R.V. park or at a rally. My only advise to add will be only jack up the bus if you know where to jack it and place blocking because you could badly damage parts on the bus. Get all the manuals operators, mantinance, and parts books.Take a course either air brake or defencsive driving. You Got Lucky! Dave L | ||
| Craig Campbell (Craig_4104012)
Registered Member Username: Craig_4104012 Post Number: 28 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 173.114.172.28 Rating: N/A |
thank you everyone for the advice. it is not falling on deaf ears. I will look up the nearest training place on Monday morning. I hope that i did not let on that the bus actually went any further than 6 inches ( this does not change the fact that a series of poor choices were made in those 6 inches) but in a re reading of my post i don't believe i gave that information out. Panic did set in for just a minute but i have been trained to overcome that initial panic and get my act together. However, today i certainly was over whelmed with a stream of "what ifs" today and i was not trained with the answers. The person i bought the bus from drove it from where i first saw it to where it is today and had already told me not to try to go anywhere with the bus until we had spent a couple of days going through everything. he stressed that today when i called him. I was distraught when i typed the message this afternoon. again thank you and i am not feeling any disrespect or rudeness in any of your reply's. i have a full copy of all the original manuals which i will have my printing shop print and bind for me also Monday so i can have a hard copy in my hands. digital just does not do it for me. did i say thank you to all of you yet? i will devote the rest of my energy on cleaning out the stinky interior during the time i am spending getting familiar with the bus. Thank you again | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1535 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 98.192.173.82  Rating: N/A |
Craig - Sounds to me like you need to take the previous owner up on his offer, and do it quickly, before he changes his mind. Oh, and this retired bus driver trainer (over 250 trained to date) is available for help, also. PM me for details. . . | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 885 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 74.235.211.84  Rating: N/A |
Craig - As a well seasoned has-been - ex bus driver - please allow me to say that no CDL training will ever make you a bus driver. It may get you a license, but that's about it. Let the former owner show you whatever tricks he knows. Reading manuals is fine, but you have to get some hands-on experience. Go for a ride with the former owner driving, then, when you do drive the bus for the first time, do it with that former owner standing next to you, feeding you information. After that, do your driving by yourself until you feel as comfortable driving a bus, as you do a car. Practice in big parking lots after hours. You should learn how to back up, and into tight places, before you drive forward on a roadway. We had to parallel park, tires within 6" from the curb front and rear, between parked cars, in city traffic, just to pass the test. And do not take along friends for a ride during your learning period. There is nothing worse than worrying about screwing up in front of friends. Spend as much time driving this new vehicle as you possibly can. It will become second nature to you, in time. You can't rush experience, so don't bother trying, or apologizing for it; it takes time. If you have the time, take a few rides on a commercial bus. Talk to the driver and ask questions during stops. Try to appreciate the amount of importance; the amount of responsibility there is, to drive a vehicle that large, and carrying that many human lives. It may be just a hobby, but its the same big vehicle; it can carry life, or cause death. | ||
| Patrick levenson (Zubzub)
Registered Member Username: Zubzub Post Number: 87 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 70.53.180.221  Rating: N/A |
Hi, sounds like you had a tough start. I find driving a 4104 pretty easy except for the gearbox. In fact there is a young fellow (8 yrs) who had the misfortune of being with me recently when things were difficult. I was in a bus yard parking the bus and he was along for the ride, I had a little trouble staring thebus and so had the engine hatch etc...open. once I had it started seems during checking that it was neutral before start I had slipped into first. So now I'm stuck in the driver's seat, can't drive the bus (hatches and still chocked) don't want to shut er down (low batts cold day) but I can't find neutral. After 5 mins or so of fussing I finally get it in neutral and we proceed to drive around and park it etc... Anyhow the funny bit in this is a month later I'm talking to my buddy (father of the 8 yr old) and he tells me that the boy's favorite expression these days is "I can't get this F***ing thing into neutral!" All of which is to say these big beast can't take a little concentration. On an up note when I first got my bus the engine shut down didn't work, reverse didn't work, and a bunch of other stuff. Seems like you bus is in decent condition, and the air parking brake is a nice mod. The suggestion of driving around a big lot etc.. seem good as well as with the previous owner etc...Really the 4104 is small for a bus and pretty easy to drive once you are used to it. Sounds like you have panic issues "but i have been trained to overcome that initial panic and get my act together". Since you are working on this and when all is said and done nothing was damaged and a little adrenaline was pumped which is part of the fun of buses. BTW other than gettting in over your head sounds like you did everything right. | ||
| macgyver (91flyer)
Registered Member Username: 91flyer Post Number: 380 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 74.193.225.134 Rating: N/A |
Oh, Craig... We would never "banish" a fellow nut. ^.^ Now, we might pick at you a bit.. We may even have some fun at your expense... But, just think... A couple of years from now, you'll read someone elses story on here, just like yours, and you'll think back to when you did the same thing... You'll look back and think "good grief, *I* did that too!??" You'll be able to laugh at that point... But it's certainly not a laughing matter for you _now_... But one day, it will be. Just keep a cool head. Think things through. Go through in your head the various scenarios that can happen _before_ you do something. Remember... You aren't "driving" the bus, so much as just directing it... Compared to the other cars and light trucks out there... You're really driving a TANK. Not much out there can stop that much mass other than something of equal size and weight... Once you build up inertia... It'll keep going. Just go to YouTube and look at the bus accident videos sometime... It really is quite sobering. I don't think there's a single person here that hasn't had one of those "oh shit" moments that they can look back at and say "damn, that was dumb"... Anyone that says that hasn't been driving one long enough, or is _really_ lucky. A little exercise I do every time I get into the driver's seat is visualize some of the videos I've seen of bus accidents... ESPECIALLY the ones that were caused by the driver of the BUS... The other idiots on the road don't matter when you're driving that thing... They can hit you and it's like an ant trying to push an elephant out of the way... I think about the damage _I_ could do to someone _ELSE_ if _I_ am careless or wreckless. It may be weird, but I visualize running into someone I _KNOW_. That helps me to realize just what kind of power I have with only a couple of inches of movement of my right foot... Then, I visualize BEING the person hit by my own bus. It helps keep me humble, as gruesome as the thoughts and images in my head are... Take it slow. Don't rush. Do your pre-trips... Do them every day, even if you don't take the bus out that day... Check it, get into the routine. Find some way to remind yourself when you get into that seat just what you're driving and what kind of damage you can do... Keep yourself humble and respect the machine. Although I'm sure you bought it as a "toy" and for your own personal pleasure, amusement and joy... It's _NOT_ really a "toy" in the childhood sense... Remember the old saying? "The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys"? This is a perfect example... A bus isn't a car. It's not a pickup truck. If you lose control and hit a tree... Chances are, the TREE will be the one to lose the fight... I still consider myself a "noobie" to this arena... I have over 6 thousand miles under my belt with various buses I've owned... I have some experience, I have a couple of good stories... But I've also vowed to never underestimate the power under my foot, and to NEVER get "comfortable" with myself and my skills. Keep on your toes, keep sharp. It's been said once, it's been said a thousand and one times... You have a HUGE windshield to look through. USE IT. Look ahead... As far as you can see. Anticipate everyone around you. Don't allow yourself any distractions. If you see a little Mazda Miata two intersections ahead in the left lane, bet on the fact he's going to get into your lane and try to make a right-hand turn at the last second just as you're approaching. People in small vehicles don't respect the larger ones. Just look at all the collisions with trains! It's a guarantee the idiot in the small car is going to pick a fight with something 20x or 1000x bigger, and they KNOW they're going to lose the fight, but they pick it anyway! People, in general, are idiots. Only people like us, who have made the jump from puddle jumper to starship can even fathom the idea of respecting these beasts, much less the skills learned while driving them that we take to our little puddle jumpers with us. I drive cars and trucks like I do my bus now... It's habit forming once you start driving these things... You just can't help it. It "grows" on ya! ^.^ Alright, I've rambled enough... "Welcome to the madness!" If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to BS... Feel free to call me, I'll gladly talk to ya. I'm sure everyone else here will say the same... Cheers! -Mac | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 670 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 70.212.128.224 Rating: N/A |
Amen to all the comments...and I would urge you to consider RJ's remark re the previous owner...Emphasis on QUICKLY.... FWIW and...hang in there. RCB | ||
| Arthur N. Gaudet (Runcutter)
Registered Member Username: Runcutter Post Number: 16 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 76.185.242.7 Rating: N/A |
Craig, there's a lot of good information here. Another thing - think about what you're about to do, before you do it. Make a list of "do this first" items. I have things I automatically do with our 4107. For example, with decades in the bus business, I don't do anything until I have air pressure. I don't start the engine to build air pressure until I have checked all the fluids (and, of course, turned on the battery switch). I don't start the engine unless I'm in the driver's seat, stick in what should be neutral, but with the clutch disengaged - just in case. Once the engine is started, I don't do anything else (except engage fast idle) - until I have at keast 90 pounds of air. Brakes are paramount. For some reason, I occasionally dream about a runaway vehicle - car, bus. I remember instructing one of my drivers to back up a couple of feet, and turn into our lot after he had just lost a brake diaphragm. He didn't follow my instructions, and backed into the car behind him. I used to bring dead buses in, so I could have done it - but I overestimated his abilities. Call around to local charter operators, see if they have any drivers (or, preferably, instructors) who are also bus fans - and know how to handle a stick shift. It's one thing to get lessons from the previous owner, but it could be much better to get lessons from a professional driver. One of your best alternatives is to go to the Museum of Bus Transportation's Spring Fling in Hershey, PA - the first weekend of June. Get to know folks there, and you're quite likely to find someone in your area, that's forgotten more about 4104's than many will ever know. Arthur | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1567 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.68.133.185  Rating: N/A |
I hope that none of our insurance companies read this thread... I'll caution that the previous owner might be your worst enemy, because you have no idea whether what he is telling you is right, or the work around of a dangerous condition. My cynical money is on work around... politely listen to what he has to say and then treat it all with suspicion until you do some fact checking elsewhere. And then you move on and never mind the PO again, unless everything checks out as correct. You need to read the manufacturer's materials to know how it is supposed to work, you need to spend many nights reading the archives to follow up on the contradictions between your OEM reading and the condition you find your coach in. And then post some questions on here. Best you don't go for a drive until an INDEPENDANT mechanic, one that has nothing to do with your previous owner, has checked the brakes and steering of that coach. This should include a wheel-end tear down and fresh seals for the brake inspection. You have no idea what has been done or not to that coach prior to your ownership. You need to plan to spend some number of days working through the coach systems to confirm their reliability and proper functioning. There is a lot more to the safe and reliable operation of that coach than to an old used car. Or, carry a Visa card and get an ERS towing contract. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Clint Hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 172 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.235.190 Rating: N/A |
"hear all and believe none but that which you come to know as fact" does work best for me, regardless of the matter up for understanding. ...about that banishment thing, if they had not banished me since my first post 5 or so years back (under a different handle unitl recent) then you should garner a wee bit of affirmation from this fact. The trend seems to be to offer help & understanding in this community, go figure, kind of nutty hey, bus nutty, but we all "do it our own way" and it works out swell. | ||
| Craig Campbell (Craig_4104012)
Registered Member Username: Craig_4104012 Post Number: 33 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 173.114.39.114 Rating: |
i keep reading and learning and feeling so thankful for all of your suggestions. I had a bit of dumb luck today, my current customer happens to be the driving instructor for a local police department. I asked him if he knew how to drive busses and he said he did and offered to teach me how to drive it like i need to know how to drive it. then he asked if i had somewhere to drive it where i could not break anything and that was a nice thought but the answer is sort of no. (plenty of open parking lots but always traffic in them) So he offered me the tactical training runway that the city uses for training everyone to drive. 1 mile long and 500 yards wide!!!! i am going to keep on him this week to make certain he is serious and then i am going to buy there truck mechanic lunch so he will go over the bus. i hope this works out. i will keep you all posted. | ||
| macgyver (91flyer)
Registered Member Username: 91flyer Post Number: 381 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 74.193.225.134 Rating: N/A |
Hey, free places to learn to drive, and a mechanic's time for lunch? Man, you've got it made... ;) I had to learn hard and fast how to drive the big beasts on my own with no help from anyone... At least the 60 footer wasn't a STICK! I'd have been totally screwed then... lol -Mac | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1539 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 98.192.173.82 Rating: N/A |
Craig - " i am going to keep on him this week to make certain he is serious and then i am going to buy there truck mechanic lunch so he will go over the bus. i hope this works out. i will keep you all posted." Having a "truck mechanic" go over your bus is NOT the same as having a "bus mechanic" do so. A lot of folk have found that simple fact out the hard way - with their wallet!! Far better to find a bus mechanic, even if it's somebody who works on the city's transit fleet, to go over your coach with you. Even if the bus mechanic isn't familiar with your particular coach, he'll still know what to look for in all the safety-related areas. As for your customer/police driver trainer. . . well, ask him if he knows the driver trainer for Nofolk's transit system. If he does, see if he'll introduce you. It's one thing to teach PD how to handle their patrol car on a skid pad, it's a whole different ballgame teaching a bus driver how to avoid wiping out that same patrol car - or Grandma's toes on the curb when you go around a corner downtown. When I was our local transit property's Training Supervisor, I had to train the City PD's driver trainers on how to drive their command post bus (which was one of our older fleet models) - they didn't have a clue. (They wondered why the bus wouldn't move after releasing the parking brake, for example. DD3s, that's why!) Do your homework! FWIW & HTH. . . PS: They're going over there to pick up their bus. Understand the difference? | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 678 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 75.210.217.158 Rating: N/A |
GREAT Post, RJ... FWIW RCB | ||
| Wayne Ellenburg (Wlnburg)
Registered Member Username: Wlnburg Post Number: 47 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 128.158.1.163  Rating: N/A |
Here is the CDL manual for the State of Alabama, if you can read southern . It is full of useful information and defines skills that will be very useful when practicing with your bus. I agree that getting a license is only a formality and verifies you have learned what is required. It contains a lot of good information. Good luck and don't give up. http://dps.alabama.gov/DriverLicense/manuals/cdlmanual.pdf |
