Company road test tips

Never done that myself. Maybe I'll ask for one.

 

mirrors, always keep the head moving, watch them mirrors, do not run over curbs, always have proper following distance and try to keep it as smooth as possible.

 

Most testers I've seen dopn't really care. Do a pretrip and mention anything obvious like an almost bald tire, or light out even if it's not required. Other than that usually it's as simply as not hitting anything.

 

Read the thread about Werner pooping himself, do not be that guy.

 

Adding to this post:

Seatbelt. Mirrors. Air pressure gauge. Transmission. Read EVERY road sign.


When i did my road test, it was "turn here. Turn here. Turn here. Btw, what was the posted height of the bridge we went under a mile back? What's the posted speed limit?"

 

Stay on your side of the road and in the center.Do not weave all over the place.When making a turn watch the back tires so it clears the curb but at the same time you also need to focus on the traffic.Don't brake hard.

 

Wear a ball cap. I was given this advice from my instructors in school. Sometimes the test may not see your head rotate to check the mirrors. But if you wear a ball cap he/she will see it move and they will know you are moving your head for a mirror check.

 

Most companies are looking to hire drivers, they don't WANT to turn you away. Nerves and anxiety can really kill people's chances. Also, don't lie about what you can do. If you've spent the last 10 years driving an automatic truck since getting your license, don't tell the person doing the road test you can drive a manual and then spend 20-30 minutes abusing the equipment.

Secondly, do a good and thorough pre-trip. The tester should be telling you to move along, rather than you missing important things. I can't count the number of times I've had guys come in for a road test, and do about 75 seconds of walk around, kicking tires, checking lights and not even bothering to open the hood. It's like they think we just looking for warm bums to fill the seat, and not professional drivers.

 

I used to give road tests to prospective drivers at a small local company and I can't tell you how many times guys didn't even check tires, let alone anything in depth. The company had bad equipment and even worse drivers (who'd gladly hand off a trailer with a flat instead of do a post-trip). I had to tell those guys "hey, you seriously need to check equipment out here; I find a flat tire about once a week."

Some people think a road test is just to check to see if you can drive, but that's only part of it.