Anyone have experience with Texas CDL rental trucks?

I passed all five of my written tests today for a class A and now all I lack is the road test. I own a couple 26k Internationals (one auto one stick) and have tons experience driving them. One has air brakes and no hitch and the other has a hitch where I could put a trailer behind it and make it class A but it has hydraulic brakes so I can't use either for my road test as I don't want an air brake restriction. My plans are to buy a tandem or triaxle dump and put a pintle hook trailer behind it with my backhoe. I figured I better get my license before I buy a truck.

So for now I am looking for a truck to take my test in. There are three separate companies that are in the Dallas area that have auto shift trucks with pup trailers and for around $500 they will take you driving for a couple hours to practice and then you use their truck for the road test. All 3 report 90% or better pass rates on first tries. Does anyone have experience with any of these outfits and are any of them better than the others?

 

I talked to them. I don't think I could focus if she was the instructor. Well I could focus but not on the road. I think she is just the salesperson and her husband Billy is the one who does the driving.

The downside to them is they meet at 1am with 10 or so drivers and you practice from 1am to 7am with everyone crammed in one truck. You then take an hour break at at 8 you go to the DPS and take the test which means you may very well be there all day depending on where you fall in the group of ten.

I spoke to Billy today and he said he had 11 people today take the test in Waco and all 11 passed.

 

I don't think that is correct at least in Texas. I may not need a commercial driver license if not for hire but I would need a class a non commercial. I don't think any joe blow with a class c can go hop in a class a vehicle and take it down the road without some special type of license.

 

The straight truck with air brakes is under 26k and doesn't have a hitch or even a place to put one. It has some specialty oilfield equipment mounted on it. I don't think I can use it for any part of the test because it is a class c vehicle