Failed in TN. Need to get CDL. What are my options?

Until you made this statement, I was thinking that it wasn't really your fault and there is a possibility that you got an idiot for an examiner but I think that you need to look at yourself first and forget the idea that they are out to get you. IF you screwed up, then you screwed up and took for granted that you passed one part of the exam so you can relax on it then got dinged for it later.

Not everyone is meant to be a truck driver.

 

Well that is a sad statement, of course you are meant to do this if it is what you want to do. (unless you are some kind of alcoholic druggie with medical problems or something.)

The brake test and the pre-trip at my school was nearly 100% passed -- in fact that had a script written -- all you really had to do was memorize it --- to me it was like getting a part in a high school play or something, and in the process of learning the "script" you would actually learn how and why you needed to do those things. The school also had a mean guy (more play acting, he really was not a mean guy but no one really knew it at the time) that you had to do the trial pretrip air-brake test. If you could pass that guy, the DMV guy seemed like a picnic. I would describe the driving part as kind of fun --- my school used a truck with a short trailer and a syncro transmission. So piece of cake the DMV -- maybe your school did not do the things needed to make you pass the test --- but I bet if you really want it you can do it so do not give up.

 

I did read the entire thing and when you said this, I stopped and read it all again. I don't get how you can consider this when people pass the exam or otherwise no one would get a CDL in that part of Tennessee.

Right there, you aced it before - SO WHAT. if you had this problem then I would have asked for his supervisor's name or contacted the state as soon as I was done with the test for something independent.

So, take note, tell him you are not here for long, just wanted to get through it.

Federally approved?

These are not approved by the feds, they are approved by the state.

AND I have to agree with him, many of these places don't teach the manual as it should be, my disagreement with many who take short cuts to getting a CDL and then can't function on the road.

Then take the test somewhere else. You have Mississippi south of you and Arkansas west of you.

Again it is you who needs to complain about this, bring it to the attention to the state and see where it leads.

OK if they are aware of the issue, then you have legal recourse to settle this in order to get tested. I don't know how anyone would negotiate with the state to get their students to pass an exam, that seems to be a bit unethical, more than the idiot examiner issue.

OK I see that, but ...

Again if you know they knew about the failure of their students, then you have legal recourse to get retested, they misrepresented the training. Another issue for the state by the way.

I don't know why you would need a few days practice, it takes a little time to sharpen those new skills enough to pass the test.

 

Dude. You failed. Blame Knight all you want but the two things you said, the temp for water or oil and the air pressure for the breaks are two of the most critical parts of any pretrip. If you didn't mention the numbers or got them wrong I'd of failed you too. Harsh??? Maybe but that is way it is.

Now my story. I went to company sponsored training. Despite shotymes disgust I failed all 5 times in Indiana. Went home to Ohio. Found a private school. Was considered low income. Got county to pay for it thru u/e office. Failed again in Ohio. Passed next time. That's right passed on the 7th time. Blamed myself all 6 times.

Stop blaming yourself. Contact unemployment office let them pay for it. Pick company u want. Good luck.

 

Test in a different state. In California if you pass pretrip and fail the rest you do not have to do the pretrip when you retest. Same with any of the other tests.

 

You can take testmat roadmaster in west memphis ar for a fee of $300 and use their trucks and they are 3 rd party testing site. Don't have to be a resident of Arkansas

 

Come to Texas, go take the test in Waxahachie, and pass with flying colors. I'm in school now, take my test on Wednesday, and it's not a difficult test. You won't even have to to a dock, just straight-line back, parallel-park, and the road test (simple), and yer done.

 

My wife and i went to covenants cdl school in chatanooga in 2002 which was really harold ives school since covenant had just bought them. The tennessee dmv in chattanooga wasnt passing any of their students then so they didnt even take us there. They took us all to arkansas and used the terminal address as a residence for all of us. We took the test in littlerock and passed first time. I waited a month and transfered it back to tennessee and all is history.

 

Tennessee was recently ranked as the state with the 3rd most corruption in the state compared with the rest of the states. This does not surprise me. Tennessee has a tendency to do things their way rather the way the federal law specifies. Most likely a federal DOT agent became involved in Chattanooga at some point.

It does no good to complain to the state about these sort of issues, you have to complain to the federal authorities to get anything changed.

But I like how your company went to Arkansas to get the job done....that is also a good alternative. I live about 12 miles from the Kentucky border, so if I have a problem in TN it is not too far to go Kentucky to get treated right.