Failed road test again (2nd time)

Road test for your CDL or for a company?

You need to downshift way in advance on the road test. And it is very easy to do. All you have to do is match three things. The speed of the truck (MPH), the speed of the engine (RPM), and the correct gear. Nothing to it. There are no more then 18 forward gears and 2 reverse gears. And reverse shouldn't require a lot of shifting.

If it is a road test for the CDL, you can skip gears. Keep it in gear and tell it rolls to a stop and then drop to the low side and put it in 4th. Downshift to the gears you feel comfortable but then just use your brake to slow it down.

If it is for the company, then you have to do it their way.

 

Simple, be confident that you know what you're doing. And just focus on what you are doing, not on the fact there's someone else there.

 

More important than downshifting is knowing the road speed that corresponds with which gear. New driver who misses a shift will notoriously try to downshift into WAY too low a gear for the speeds in which they are traveling. 90% of staying in the right gear is awareness of where you are and poor / nonexistent use of proper braking to give themselves enough SPACE to get the downshifts completed.

 

It is what it is, if you were going to slow, then the examiner could fail you right then and there for an "unsafe act". If you are still in the school that is training you.. you really need to lean on the instructors there to teach you how to more effectively use your brakes to get your road speen and your RPM's down to get into the correct gear to either come to a stop or to smoothly make the turn and accelerate out of the maneuver.

 

Drive it like u stole it. As 4 guy that thinks there's only one way to drive well he has limited experience &ill leave it at that.

 

According to most state tests and most transmission manufacturers user guides, double clutching is the only way to shift a big truck transmission.

As for the post that said most newbees miss a gear and then go to way to low a gear. My school tought a little cheat for finding the right gear on a 10 speed. It really only applies to the top half of the tranny, but it's really simple and is usually pretty accurate. If you miss a gear and your trying to decide what gear to try for ad your speed together. I.E. If your going 15mph put it in 6th(15mph is 1+5=6th gear) 25mph=7th 35=8th 45=9th 55=10th

Hope this helps you some

 

Perhaps ask your instructor for extra practice before testing again? I went to a really good school recommended by a member on this forum who I never see anymore. All of our students passed the first try except for one guy but he passed on the second try. We hard to drive through downtown traffic up and downshifting through railroad tracks and tight turns through a school but we were prepared. There was a time during the test when I almost missed a gear so I just revved it up hard and forced it in I was really nervous as well since it was like an all or nothing life changing event.

 

Fail. Never shift while crossing RXR tracks.