Company Road Tests

My experience with Schneider's road test is they'll make sure you know everything they've taught you and that you're supposed to already know from the exam to get your license.

For us, it's usually 1-2 backing maneuvers as well as about 20-30 miles of driving. For a few of us, depending upon what was around, a few slow-maneuvers were also executed (Pulling between two trucks at a fuel island.). They'll also test you on the "soft skills" but that will depend upon if your company uses elogs and so on.

And they know you're going to be nervous, who isn't going to be nervous driving a truck around for their first time WITH SOMEONE GRADING YOU right nearby. For most companies, I'd imagine they'd test you on the basic/intermediate stuff you'll need in your couple weeks prior to turning you loose with equipment that costs as much as a small house.

 

My experience is that it's FAR less critical than the DMV road test. Mine was about 5 miles of 2 lane rural driving, a couple of in-town turns, and back it back into the parking space. Don't knock over any signs or hit anything, and keep it between the lines, and you'll be good.

 

I trained at Swift in Phoenix, their training program is fantastic. I was amazed at how much they cram into your head and get your CDL in just 17 days. The guys they hired to do the training are a great, relaxed bunch of guys, with great personalities for this position. While I wasn't crazy about driving for them, the training I felt was superior. THAT SAID, as other posts have stated; the road test is a lot easier than you will expect. As long as you've advanced through the classes and practice training well, you will do just fine on the road. I was very worried myself, but ended up talking with the guy grading me the whole time, while driving in the rain, and I ended up driving as though I'd been doing it for a long time. Best of luck

 

Are you going solo or out with a trainer?If going with a trainer the instructor won't ecspect you to be perfect.They wanna make sure you can handle a semi before going out with a trainer.They won't fail you on a bad shift,probably won't test you at backing till your training is completed.They'll be checking for lane control and how your turns are.Also do not coast to a stop sign or liite.I think if you coast more then a trailer length that's considered losing control.Do not shift on tracks,both are an automatic fail.Going solo they still won't fail you on a bad shift.But they will test you on your backing and all of what I already said.They will also ecspect you to be able to downshift.Like I said you don't have to be perfect but if every shift is bad you will fail.Main thing is try not to get nervous,pretend the instructor is your co driver.

 

So much has changed for the better. In the late 1950s, the road test for owner-operators at Direct Transit Lines (Grand Rapids, MI) was straight line backing for a quarter mile on the dead-end road in front of the office. At Parkhurst Manufacturing (1967) and South End Beverages (1985), the road test involved bobtailing around the block with the owner of the company. That was more a test of personality than driving ability.

 

My boyfriends test consisted of here's your keys,lol.For a small company here was my road test,,I said aren't you going to road test me,boss says you can drive can't you,yes there's your road test,lol.The more exp one has the less the road test it seems.

 

Most company driving tests are little more than driving around the block just to make sure you can shift and execute some basic maneuvers. Maybe an easy alley dock between two trailers on the yard.

Don't sweat it, dude.

 

I was a road test observer for FedEx Freight. Our road test was minimum 2 hours, pulling a set of 28 footers, including pre- and post-trip, and 25 miles city/highway driving, minimum 5 right turns, 5 left turns, curb park, railroad crossing (hazmat simulation: I was supposed to make drivers stop as if we were placarded, but since we actually weren't, I just asked them what the requirement was when placarded rather than block traffic for a simulation), and backing to dock with single trailer. If my candidate had no experience with sets other than school, or was a little rusty, I was allowed to show them the proper technique for hooking sets.

 

Oh, and we had a "3 strikes, you're out" rule. You demonstrate aggressive driving, or fail to correct an action I warn you about (bad shifting, lane integrity, failure to signal properly, etc.), and I could terminate the test: I would instruct you to pull over at the next safe area, and I would drive back the rest of the way.