CDL testing in CA

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Commuter69, Oct 31, 2014.

  1. Commuter69

    Commuter69 Road Train Member

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    I will be going for CDL testing here in California in a few weeks and want to know if there are any pre-trip inspection checklists that are downloadable anywhere?

    I also want to know if it is acceptable to have a checklist in hand in front of an examiner, or if we are expected to do it from memory? In practical reality, we are more likely to use a checklist when on the job anyway.

    How is the scoring on the skills/pre trip/air brakes/road test?
     
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  3. HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

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    Cheat sheets are not allowed. Don't really need one though. Look over everything and tell the examiner you're checking it to make sure it's not cracked, bent or broken and here are no missing parts. You will need to know the legal tread depths for steer and drive tires. Recaps are not allowed on steers but are allowed on the drives and trailer. You'll also have to know your air test. When the low air warning light and/or buzzer should go on, when your governor kicks in and out, clutch pedal free play, steering free play. The list goes on. If you're going to a school they should teach you all of that. The CA DMV manual has a pretrip check list in it, I believe.

    When I get home I'll see if I can find my cheat sheet. If I can find it I'll send it to you. It covers everything in depth.
     
  4. Stew209

    Stew209 Medium Load Member

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    Are you going to truck driving school? If so they would be the ones to ask.

    You have to go off memory. Most important is the COLA test because you cannot miss anything on that. Drive test is simple a long as you know how to shift and double clutch. Have to do a few maneuver skills. As for the pretrip part you're best bet is to do it over amd over until you memorize it, and always do it the same way.
     
  5. damutt

    damutt Road Train Member

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    yep start from the front of the truck and go all the way areound. duplicate everything from the DS to the PS or from the PS to the DS(depending on were you want to start from) they will tell you that your covered on that part. if your not sure name it. you wont get dinged for it
     
  6. Commuter69

    Commuter69 Road Train Member

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    Correct me if I am wrong and settle some confusion:

    My instinct tells me that the examiner does not really care about the ORDER of the inspection, as long as the content is there. Nor does he care about vocabulary on the pre trip or the air brakes test.

    An example would be:

    The school script for the air brakes test would be:

    L: Low air warning device "I am going to check my low air warning device. It should come on between 55 and 75 psi"
    pump brakes until the low air warning comes on.
    "I see a light and hear a buzzer at xx psi. This is a good test."

    O: Governor cut out test "Now I am going to test my governor cut out. The governor should cut out no higher than 130 psi."
    raise the revs to 1000 until needles stop
    "My needles stopped rising showing my governor has cut out at XX psi. This is a good test."

    C: Governor cut in test (Tanks at pressure) "now I am going to test my governor cut in. The governor should cut in no lower than 85 psi.
    Press and release the service brake. Wait for needles to settle, rev engine for 5 seconds, wait 20 seconds and repeat until needles start to rise
    "My needles are rising, showing my governor has cut in at xx psi. This is a good test."

    A: Applied brake test (Tanks at pressure) Put truck in first gear, cut off engine and release the clutch (very important to cut off engine only and ensure power to gauges). Release both tractor and trailer brake. Wait for needles to settle. Apply service brake and wait for needles to settle "I am going to apply the service brake for 1 minute. During that minute I can lose no more than 4 psi for this combination vehicle. My starting pressure is xx psi and my minute starts now."
    After 1 minute "1 minute has passed, my psi is xx and I lost xx psi. This is a good test."
    S: Spring brake test "Now I am going to make sure my spring brakes automatically come on between 20 and 45psi."
    Pump the service brake until the knobs pop out and the brakes engage.
    "My air supply knobs popped out and my spring brakes engaged at xx psi. This is a good test."

    Parking brake test: Take the truck out of gear and start the engine. (make sure there is at least 100psi in the tank)
    "Now I am going to do the parking brake test."
    Put the truck in the lowest forward gear and gently tug on the trailer brakes. Reapply the parking brake, release the trailer brakes and gently tug on the tractor spring brakes. Reapply the trailer brakes and take the truck out of gear.
    "My brakes are holding."

    Service Brake test:"I am now going to test my service brakes". Put the truck in the lowest forward gear. Gently put foot on the service brake pedal and release the trailer and tractor spring brakes. Drive forward abt 5 ft and press the service brakes until you stop."My service brakes are working properly."

    How I would do the same thing:

    L: Low air warning device "I am going to check my low air warning device. It should come on between 55 and 75 psi"
    pump brakes until the low air warning comes on.
    "I see a light and hear a buzzer at xx psi. This is a good test."

    O: Air compressor cut out test "Now I am going to test my Air compressor cut out. The Air compressor should not allow pressure to exceed 130 psi."
    raise the revs to 1000 until needles stop
    "My needles stopped rising showing my Air compressor has cut out at XX psi. This is a good test."

    C: Air compressor cut in test (Tanks at pressure) "now I am going to test my Air compressor cut in. The air compressor should not allow pressure to fall below 85 psi."
    Press and release the service brake. Wait for needles to settle, rev engine for 5 seconds, wait 20 seconds and repeat until needles start to rise
    "My needles are rising, showing my air compressor has cut in at xx psi. This is a good test."

    A: Applied brake test (Tanks at pressure) Put truck in first gear, cut off engine and release the clutch (very important to cut off engine only and ensure power to gauges). Release both tractor and trailer brake. Wait for needles to settle. Apply service brake and wait for needles to settle "I am going to apply the service brake for 1 minute. During that minute I can lose no more than 4 psi for this combination vehicle. My starting pressure is xx psi and my minute starts now."
    After 1 minute "1 minute has passed, my psi is xx and I lost xx psi. This is a good test."
    S: Spring brake test "Now I am going to make sure my spring brakes automatically come on between 20 and 45psi."
    Pump the service brake until the knobs pop out and the brakes engage.
    "My air supply knobs popped out and my spring brakes engaged at xx psi. This is a good test."

    Parking brake test: Take the truck out of gear and start the engine. (make sure there is at least 100psi in the tank)
    "Now I am going to do the 3 way brake test, beginning with the spring brakes."
    Put the truck in the lowest forward gear and gently tug on the trailer brakes. Reapply the parking brake, release the trailer brakes and gently tug on the tractor spring brakes. Reapply the trailer brakes and take the truck out of gear.
    "My brakes are holding".

    "I can now either explain or complete the service brake portion of the test. Which would you prefer?"

    "I am now going to test my service brakes". Put the truck in the lowest forward gear. Gently put foot on the service brake pedal and release the trailer and tractor spring brakes. Drive forward abt 5 ft and press the service brakes until you stop.
    "Since all brakes held in place, my brakes are working properly."

    From this point, I would go into the in cab and exterior pretrip, after turning the wheel all the way to the left so I can see behind the steer wheels. Is there a good, all inclusive video of this on youtube? A link would be great.

    Again, if I get the content, does the order really matter unless I conclude the inspection before I get all the contents? I know that I cannot speak softly and must speak slowly to make sure the examiner hears and understands me.

    I can't see the air brakes test taking more than 10-15 minutes and the pre-trip 20-25?


    The instructors at the school are indicating that if I do the test as I indicated in the second scenario, the examiner would fail me. WTF? I hit all the points and did not do it wrong.
     
    Sparky753 Thanks this.
  7. Surfer Joe

    Surfer Joe Heavy Load Member

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    Find yourself any old truck with a 53' trailer. Use the one at your school if you can, but, preferably with no one around. Off hours, if possible. Hold your student manual and rehearse and recite the words and movements over and over, exactly as written. Do NOT do any thinking! Start at the front, work your way around, finally to the passenger side of the trailer; finish. Now, back to the front of the truck and start all over again, over and over. Speak out loud ALWAYS. Hear your voice. Do it an hour or two every day. Every day.
    Congratulations!
    You nailed that test!
     
  8. Commuter69

    Commuter69 Road Train Member

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    So the SCRIPT doesn't matter so long as I hit the content on the test /inspection?

    Links to videos?
     
  9. HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

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    Some examiners are picky. That's all they have. My examiner was relaxed. During pretrip I was rounding the back of the trailer to start my inspection of the right side. He stopped me and asked, "would you say that you're going to inspect this side the same as the other side"? I said yes and he replied, "good enough for me". I've heard some examiners are picky about the order in which you do your in cab air check.
     
  10. Commuter69

    Commuter69 Road Train Member

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    I was able to get my hands on a copy of the DMV score sheet for the CDL test. I added in the section to write in the actual values of the results of the air brakes test. I figured this would be valuable as a study tool and as a way to document the daily pre and post trip inspections in the absence of anything else. Should I add anything else?
     

    Attached Files:

  11. HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

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    That's actually a great tool.
     
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