I failed...

The majority of my driving is out in the western part of the country where steep mountain grades are common. In the western states I routinely see CMV's using their 4-ways on grades like [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wifwg6xWVAU"]Donner Pass[/ame], CA; [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrcsnuiPad0"]Parley's Canyon[/ame], UT; I-15 So of Flagstaff, AZ; US 89 So of Page, AZ; I-70 east of Denver and the Eisenhower Tunnel ( highest vechicular tunnel in the world and the highest elevation on the Interstate Highway System ); and I-5, CA where descending the Grapevine CMV's are required to slow to a crawl at 35 mph, to name a few. While I don't doubt that using four-ways when climbing or descending hills may be illegal in some states, I think what is pertinent here is what is legal or recommended in the OP's home state of South Carolina (assuming that is where the test was taken). The South Carolina Commercial Driver License Manual has this to say on the subject of what they require when driving a CMV slowly:

"Drivers often do not realize how fast they are
catching up to a slow vehicle until they are very close. If you must
drive slowly, alert following drivers by turning on your emergency
flashers if it is legal. (Laws regarding the use of flashers differ from one state to another....)" ( p.38 )​

All of us have probably come upon road hazards such as tire treads, furniture, dead animals, flatbed dunnage, etc., that is more visable to us than it is likely to be to a four wheeler following closely behind us. In those kinds of situations I frequently use my 4-ways to try and give a 'heads-up' to those behind me. The South Carolina CMV manual says this regarding unexpected hazards: ​

"There may be narrower lanes, sharp turns, or uneven surfaces. Other
drivers are often distracted and drive unsafely. Workers and
construction vehicles may get in the way. Drive slowly and carefully
near work zones. Use your four-way flashers or brake lights to warn
drivers behind you." (p.57 )​

The SC CMV manual describes many variables (proper gear selection; knowing where the next escape ramp is; etc.) that the examiner may have been trying to prompt the OP to reply with. The only way we can know for certain is to ask her what kind of response she wanted to hear! So, REDSKIN, did you think to ask her or can you do that when you retest? Inquiring minds want to know!!

The question of whether to descend a hill in the same gear or one gear lower than is necessary to climb the same hill, is one that comes up often. South Carolina has this to say:

"With older trucks, a rule for choosing gears is to use the same gear
going down a hill that you would need to climb the hill. However, new
trucks have low friction parts and streamlined shapes for fuel
economy. They may also have more powerful engines. This means
they can go up hills in higher gears and have less friction and air drag
to hold them back going down hills. For that reason, drivers of modern
trucks may have to use lower gears going down a hill than would be
required to go up the hill. You should know what is right for your
vehicle." ( p.56 )​

FWIW the second company I drove for was located in Montana. Part of the road test included being proficient in up and down shifting on a 6% to 7% grade with 40Klbs plus in the box. Like most drivers I was taught to never take the truck out of gear while descending a steep hill. All of us in orientation thought these guys were 'nuts' to force us to do such a thing. But they made us memorize the appropriate rpm/road speed matches for each gear and then took us out and showed us. I was really blown away at just how smoothly it could be done. We each had a practice run at it before the road test. When it came my turn I had the company safety director in the passenger seat and as I trepiditly started down the hill, he barked at me to "...step on it, let's get this #@*# thing moving!" So up to 65+mph we charged down that hill while I began to wonder if I would ever be able to the pull the seat bolts out of my ###! He barked again, "Now, grab 9th". I braked to bring the rpm's down to proper number, and sure enough the stick slid into 9th. Short sigh of relief until he barked again, "Now, drop to 8th, what are ya waiting on!". Braked aggressively again to quickly bring down the rpm's and again the stick captured the gear without a peep. By now I'm beginning to feel a glimmer of hope that I may yet live to see my wife and grandkids someday. "Grab another!",..... "Again!", until we got down to about 4th or 5th and were going so slow that we had to upshift to keep up with the traffic. Hopefully, its obvious that this is not the best way to go down every hill, or any hill for that matter. BUT, it was helpful to know if the driver missed a gear or otherwise got into an 'outta' gear situation, that with a cool head and the right technique the truck can still be brought safely under control. Obviously, if the brakes have reached a point where they are overheated and have already begun to fade before attempting to downshift, it may be too late try it. All the more reason to simply avoid getting into that situation in the first place.

 

wooow she sound like a strick agent... Next time remember when your going up hill with a load you use the same the gear you used going to come down,, but you need to know your weight so you can be in the proper gear comming down/ up,,,,, but as you said you had untill you hit that curb... So when you test again you should have it in the bag.......

 

On my road test I pulled out from the parking lot, well started to. The examiner told me to pull the trailer brake. So I clutched and did... and he made me do it two more times! All in a ten foot distance between the stop line and the traveled lane!

The instructor from my class had no idea what was going on. he thought I was totally screwing up my shifting or something... hahaha

then once on the road the first turn was a left. I downshifted to about third and a truck coming out from where I had to turn started coming out! Leaving me very little room for the trailer to offtrack. I went way wide before turning in and had to cut back some to miss the curb on the right. Well the examiner jumps up in his seat to check if I touched the curb, and the truck bounced some. Turns out it was a dip in the pavement near a catch basin, I was pretty sure it was not the curb.

But every turn after he leaned forward to watch those tandem wheels. Halfway through he reached up to grab his score sheet off the dash and write something. Not sure if he was trying to spook me or what.

I'm sure you will do better now that you have done it once.

Mikeeee

 

couldn't have said it better

 

I failed the first time also, bumped the curb also. Nerves and cutting back in too soon because a guy wanted to share the turn lane with me. Just remember if turning right, set yourself up properly by hogging your left side of your lane before making the turn and don't cut back in before you see your tandems half way around the corner.

 

What He said.

took Edison over 10000 attempts to make the modern lightbulb.

Moral of the story, NEVER GIVE UP!

 

Sorry to hear that. Don't give up.

 

Just keep trying until you have your CDL in hand. It will make it even sweeter!