It had to happen sooner or later and during the assignment sessions about two weeks later I was told to grab my log book and report for road training. As I approached I was in awe. These are full sized sleeper cabs with trailers and are the mirror images of what you see on the highways and byways, although the sleeper compartment of the training rigs has been modified so there are three seats in back for the students not driving. The trucks are 10 speed White Freightliners. We do a pre-trip inspection under the watchful eye of the road instructor and then enter the rig.

There are three students with her and the student who will graduate soon is assigned to pull us out into traffic. The cab has an air ride suspension, but you still feel it rock back and forth as he lurches out of the driveway and into traffic. It is a thrill to be in the road truck and to watch the traffic pass us. The instructor smiles and informs us that our destination is the dreaded circle; that doesn't sound good at all.

After about an hour we pull into an industrial complex, with about a dozen factories, lots of truck traffic and laid out in a circle. We have arrived at the dreaded circle. It is the first basic road instruction we will endure. The student curbs the truck and slides out of the passenger seat and I am told to take his place. This will ensure that I can up and down shift without grinding gears and that we are able to double clutch. I am reminded how complex the transmission on a big rig is and how expensive they are to repair or replace.

Thankfully I had driven big straight trucks before so using a manual transmission is not much of a challenge, I just added five more gears. It's the down shifting that is the challenge — you have to be at the right speed and rpm to do it and not grind gears. Now I can up shift with the best of them, but my down shifting needs practice. After about half an hour I step aside and another student takes my place. I am given permission to step out and have a smoke and wait for them. Another half-hour goes by and I am picked up and the new student takes us out of the circle and into traffic.

The new student gets about a half an hour of twisting, turning narrow roads before he is directed to pull into a truck stop and I am put behind the wheel again, and the sweat begins to flow. Operating a straight truck or motor coach is easy compared to this. Every several seconds you must scan both your mirror in ensure the trailer is still behind you, as it will drift into on coming traffic or off the shoulder if you don't pay attention and adjust. The trailer tugs at you like a living thing on every stop and take off, and this trailer has only minimal weight. I could only imagine how a fully loaded one would respond.

My first right turn onto a road with oncoming traffic was scarier than I could have imagined. You have to watch so many things, especially the idiots who ignore the white painted stop bar on the road and pull up as close to the traffic signal as possible. Now they have to back up so you avoid clipping their car, and you have to ensure your trailer tires don't run over the curb as there are always pedestrians too close to the curb edge texting or talking on their cell phones and in general not paying attention.

Finally after about an hour of tight right and left hand turns I slid out of the seat and the senior student took us back to school for lunch, but I was too excited to eat and was dreading the afternoon session.

After lunch I am assigned to the same truck and instructor, who informs me that there will be only minimal turning. She then has me take the truck out of the school lot and head to the highway. Once up on the highway she directs my turns and we wind up entering a construction area where trucks have to use the left lane. So here I am doing 50 mph and now there is more to worry about.

The lanes are narrow and there is no soft shoulder, there is a temporary wall on my left less than two feet away on the left side and cars are passing me on the right. Now you have to really pay attention to where your trailer tires are and ensure you do not drift and strike the wall or cross into the right lane of passing traffic. I am soaked with sweat and my hand is cramped from holding the wheel too tight. Finally after an hour I am directed to exit and pull into a truck stop. I exit the cab and smoke about a dozen cigarettes in order to calm down.

I do not say much for the rest of the afternoon session. Soon it's four thirty and we are back at base for the end of shift. I turn in my paperwork and leave. Less than halfway home the only thought that enters my head is that I cannot wait to drive again.