Fail trucking school. Funded by wioa program.

They aren't in the business of giving retests for life... The $350 is the BEST deal you're going to get

 

My thoughts exactly....

 

I'm with everyone saying pay the 350 and retest. The question is, will he get some more practice before he retests? Your husband has to settle down and clear his head. Don't look too far into the future, thinking about what company he's gonna work for. I don't know if that's his issue, I'm just putting it out there because I know people have a tendency to look too far ahead. When he backs, he must not turn the wheel too much. Use his mirrors and let the movement of the trailer dictate how much he turns the wheel. The less he turns the wheel, the better off he is. Backing is all about taking time. If he has to get out and look, that's OK too! That will be better because then he won't have to waste a pull up if he doesn't need to.

 

Its fact that the VAST majority of people can pass the skills tests, Those who cannot can either pay extra for the extra training that they require to acquire those skills, or take the class B test and gain some experience and try later

 

According too?

 

Different issues, the STATE will give you three attempts at the tests and then they will recharge for the testing fees

 

Right, that school is only doing 2. Wonder what the total bill for that "school" is?

 

No idea.. We also don't know how many attempts that their state includes in the fees

 

Your advice is great! This same situation is happening to me and quite a few students who were in my class or classes prior to mine and after mine.

In the program I went through at the school I attended, I was allowed to take the test twice for no cost and then need to pay for any subsequent test. I failed the fourth manuever (reverse, off-set backing) the first time because I didn't know what I was doing and went back to the school and got a refresher. I was also nervous as hell AND they were training a new examiner during my test so I had two people watching and critiquing me. But I still got the truck/trailer in the box but the last 1/4 section of my back bumper was over the line thus failing me. I could've pulled it up but I was nervous and blew my horn indicating I had completed the maneuver and was failed.. The second time, I got the truck out of an awful mess of a "bad set-up" and then encroached the line twice on the passenger side with the rear tires of the tractor. However I still had enough points left until I backed up and tried to straighten up again and encroached a third time by less than three inches, but I was all the way in the box but failed because of the encroachment.

The third time, I let the examiner convince me to switch to an automatic (Lord only knows why I was stupid enough to do that because I have no problem driving a manual truck and was more concerned about the backing manuevers, but I did switch) And ended up failing because, on the first manuever you have to drive your truck forward and put the nose of the tractor into a box. Well, I failed that and had never had an issue with it EVER, because I was now in a truck I wasn't used to with a different type of nose and I was also used to having more control over how far the truck rolled forward and backwards when driving a manual. I had never driven an automatic EVER except that third testing day. So I somehow didn't pull forward far enough into the box going forward and lost five out of nine possible points right there. But he never told me that until I used up my points during the fourth manuever when I thought I was passing because I slightly encroached the line twice and took a point for an extra get-out-and-look, and an extra pull-up and then when I went to get out and look again, he said I failed after using all my points. I don't even remember the total details, I just know that I failed. Oh, AND they had another examiner with them again during my third test AND they accused me of being late for my appointment when I was an hour early.

The chick at the front desk of the testing site was super mean (thinking I was late) so I showed them the text for my appoointment time and they still said I was late so I jumped in my car, ready to leave, and called the school and asked them if I missed an email or something with a change and they said no. Then the school called the testing site (Great Lakes) and told them I was on time and then they had to call their supervisor who confirmed I was correct and early. By that time my nerves were frazzled. The chick at the desk then became very apologetic because she knew she was wrong, but I just wanted to punch her in her face. It was after all this stress I got to test AGAIN with two examiners watching me and giving me attitude.

Each time I take the test it costs $338. I spent over two months with no job because we started school back in October. I had to go to class for a permit that I already had so I had to sit through a class for nothing because not everyone in my class had their permit. I took a drug test twice because the school said they wouldn't accept the one the "program" sent me to get a week earlier because although it was done by Quest (and I passed) "they don't accept drug tests from Quest" because it wasn't a "DOT regulated" test.

Interestingly enough, the school 160 Driving Academy & Great Lakes Testing have a shared monetary interest. They are either owned by the same people or feed into each other in some capacity.

Forgot to mention, after sitting through "permit class" with a permit already in my wallet, they (the driving school) took a break for the holidays.

Fast forward to actual driving school: My first day in a truck (which was also the first time I'd ever driven anything bigger than a mid-sized car), I was allowed to driving on the highway during a time of day when there was plenty of traffic.

You get 10 hours on the road and whatever hours you can grab in the yard to work on manuevers. There were a lot of students on the yard at once. Some people failed their pre-trips so many times, it wasn't funny. Especially since they have dumbed down the pre-trip to include just about 38 items (or something like that).

The three guys in my class, knew how to drive a Tractor-Trailer and were experienced so I was the "weakest link". When I say there were just 3 in my class, don't get confused because each "Class" is intermingled in the yard and on the road with other classes. The classes before and after me were over 10 deep. 50% or more of people were failing the more than twice.

The trainers, try their best to help so I would never blame them. A lot of their trucks are complete trash and were out of commission most the time We had two we called "Bucking Bronco's" because you would get thrown in the air or almost out the seat attempting to put them in reverse or first gear. That was was actually a little amusing. It felt like being in one of those rides at the amusement park where they throw you around to-and-fro - all that was missing was the music.

Long story already way too long (I'm also a writer, can't you tell?)

I need more practice in a truck and how the Heck does that happen when you went to a private CDL-A school through a grant and your practice time and test attempts are limited? Only God knows. I've had a couple of guys who own trucks tell me they would help me and let me practice in their trucks in exchange for a date. Isn't that nice? Well they didn't say date, but they did suggest feeding me first.

I had another guy say he would help, but kept putting it off and wouldn't accept payment. I think he's too busy with his own business and that's definitley understandable. Then I had the wise idea of starting all the way over and have found out that companies don't want to take you in their training program if you've already gone to a private training school and graduated. At least thats what a recruiter at Halvor told me (sounds weird, but that's what he told me with no rational reason as to why they handle things this way).

So I guess I'll either give up on driving a truck OR find a way to save up $338 and have a go at it again. But I'm not sure I want to do that. I mean, I taught myself how to change the O2sensors on my Mazda, how to code and build websites, and I've built all kinds of cool stuff as a welder and fabricator, but backing up a truck into a #### box has turned my whole world inside out.

Yet, I think its so cool when I see someone else do it.........