cdl with a horse trailer

Very smart of you to set yourself apart from the pack. Being able to specialize, yet not loosing the ability to still take the smaller breeds. I'd like to think some owners would pay a premium to make sure their beloved horses are comfortable, & well cared for..

 

Unless they changed it, it's supposed to be vehicle length plus 15 feet in California.
At the offices that are set up for CDL testing, they have a test box painting on the ground, and there is a line 15 feet away from the rear end of the box. They have you pull up so that the rear of your trailer is in line with that line, put the cones out lined with your front bumper, and then you back in.

If she only gave you 5 feet, I think either she might be trying to make you fail, or just doesn't know what she's doing.

I would call or go in and ask to speak to a supervisor and find out what it is supposed to be, and if they say that it's 15, ask for a retest just on the parallel parking since you failed due to DMV errors. And if you can slide it in at 15 feet no problem, you may just avoid another test.
And if they say it's 15, but aren't going to do anything to make it right, file a complaint because that employee was failing you against the rules for whatever reason, and the supervisor wasn't correcting it.

Also, hitting a cone is a DQ, because the cones are pretending to be Porsches and Mazzarattis, so touching one gives you a VERY bad day lol

 

Oooooo, something interesting now. I have two Selle Français. But because I'm 6' I don't have a horse under 17.1hh because I would look massive on them

 

One thing you can try is to stop the truck when you need to turn the wheel alot. It kinda takes longer, more distance, if you do it while moving. "dry steering" makes people cringe but it helps in tight spots. Might buy you a few more feet behind the trailer when you are almost finished.

 

I was wondering that too. About a million years ago I decided I wanted to get a CDL b just because (this is when I was just driving a package car so I didn't need a CDL) and I borrowed a buddy's straight truck with air brakes and all and they wouldn't let me test in it because it was tagged at 25999 even tho the truck obviously was a CDL needed truck before the registration was dropped down.

 

Is that per horse on the trailer

 

Part of it is because she's in CA. Out their you need CDL A, to legally pull a trailer for compensation with a GVWR of 10,001lbs or more. Pretty lame, right?

Most states as long as the combo is under 26,001 lbs GVWR of the truck & trailer added up, it doesn't matter how you get there.

ie- FL 9000lb GVWR truck + 17,000 GVWR trailer is fine for class E. Not so in CA.

CA you'd need 16,000 GVWR truck & 10,000 GVWR trailer to stay under CDL A out there, & get to 26,000 lbs..

Her combo is probably well over that. Just guessing here, but maybe 13,500 GVWR for the truck, & 16-20k GVWR for the trailer..?