Hello all

Hello, great forum!
I just moved from Chicago to southern California so I thought It would be a good idea to come here and get involved with the topic of driving. Seems the laws are very strict here. I have much to learn as I've only driven a straight truck for the last 12 years on flat ground. A good size truck though (38 foot box dual tandem).

I was actually looking around the forums to find a good place to post some questions about the DMV out here regarding the accuracy of test questions in the hand book. I was curious if anyone from River Side county has noticed any mistakes in the 2012-2013 CDL hand book? For example. On page 29 of the hand book <-- it says:

But on page 62 in the Cargo endorsement section it says:

That's just one flaw (trick) I noticed. I mentioned it to two different DMV technicians and they said they know about it. Yet they hand these books out.
I was taking the test today and a few of the questions where expecting one answer for questions that had two correct answers. That kind of thing can get you a failed grade. One of the questions asked what emergency items should you never forget. The first answer was the fuses and the third was safety parking triangles. The second answer didn't belong. but 1st and 3rd were both safety items and should have both been correct answers. I ended up guessing right, but it's the principle of the matter. Also, many of the questions were off the wall, not even related to driving. One of the questions was: how many days you have to contact the DMV when you sell your car which is at the back of the book totally unrelated to driving and safty. I'm sorry but it's almost like the state is trying get people to fail so they can charge people to retake the test. California is broke so I wouldn't put it past them. CDL tests were NEVER this difficult in Illinois.

 

@CondoCruiser.
Thanks for providing that address CondoCruiser.
What you just pointed out is another example of the unnecessary confusion. Like why you have to read something, and the book tells you to refer to this document A for example, and then you get to document A and it's referring you to another document 8847C.. what ever..lol, it's overwhelming. If we were paid like doctors I could see having to chase down our answers but some of this stuff seems complicated by design. The less people know the more money the state can make in tickets. That's another topic (with regard to red light cameras and intersections that actuality need lights, but don't make as much money so they move the lights. I've seen it twice in Chicago).

Yes I passed it with: A, Combination, Doubles, Triples, Tankers.
I have to go back and take my hazmat but I wanted to study that section by itself. It looks like I'm in for a real treat. I'm glad I'm reading this stuff, it's good to know. Especially the mountain driving stuff. Would hate to have my breaks fade. And I agree, some of the online practice sites are very helpful. I think what made it more difficult for me was because I'm from out of state so I had to take the general C test also. Which was easy, but some of the none commercial (C) driving questions were the same questions as the CDL test but with different answers. And I was really amazed that C test ask about things that most people were telling me they would. like nothing came up about the child being put in a federal approved seat if they were 8y and under. 4' 9'' tall, and very little about bicyclists, signs, u Turns. The only ting I can guess is that the C test that day was tailored to a commercial driver - They maybe just assume you know that I guess.

As far as the cargo questions, they were pretty general. Securing loads, keeping things center, low to the ground.. , where to put flags, light markers, how many feet or inches effect what you use.. ect. What was surprising about the combination section of the book, was that they talked about parts on the fifth wheel but didn't show any diagrams of the fifth wheel. Just the king pin. I already know about it thankfully, but they should include a diagram of that for people who want to learn it. After all it's a study book and they did ask those questions.

 

@CondoCruiser.
By the way, I had accidentally typed the wrong user name in my 4th post. I actually was addressing you. I just fixed it / changed it to read: @CondoCruiser.
Also, thanks for clicking the thank you.

@Wolfyinc
Thank you for the congrats.

hmm, so when you say "you have to retake your test" in CA, I'm assuming you mean every 8 years like in Illinois right? I know you have to retake hazmat every three years in CA which is understandable. but I hope I don't have to re-test the general CDL every 4 years which by the way happens to be the renewal cycle in Illinois. In Illinois you renew every 4 years but you do Not have to re-test as long as you don't have any tickets they simply check your eyes and ears. Either way, I'm going to keep up on this stuff from now on.

By the way, the DMV in river side (Temecula CA,) on Diaz Rd is nuts. I use to go to one in the town of West Chicago in Illinois and there was like 4 people in there. The one out here in Temecula has like 100+ people no kidding. And it's suppose to be one of the better DMVs. Although the difference was, In Illinois they have separate DMVs for truck drivers. In CA, they seem to do both commercial and none. The testing room was a joke. I had to stand up as there were only two seats in a tinny room, and the window where people get graded is in the same little room you test. So kids were coming in, passing their test and then running out of the room jumping and screaming from their excitement. Which was kind of funny, I've never seen anything like it. But at the same time people were testing in that room so it was kind of strange.

What I'm still green on is. The terminology for None Excepted. If I drive out of state, I'm assuming that means I'm None Excepted Interstate? But what does None Excepted mean?

 

I see what you meant. Yes, I think any time you move to a new state it's common to have to re-test.
Though what kind of sucks is, you're only allowed to hold one license in CA, so I have to hand over my Illinois card. Not a big deal I guess.
But I think you can hold multiple licenses in some states.