How is it possible to get your CDL but then not know how to road test??

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by BigDog Trucker, Nov 29, 2019.

  1. BigDog Trucker

    BigDog Trucker Heavy Load Member

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    I'd like to think if I was the tester, I'd have some patience. But I'd also take into account what kind of drivers the owner is looking for and what kind of driving environments you will get into with that rig. This particular job I tested for is for hauling heavy equipment within about a 200 mile radius that includes new york and philly.
     
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  3. BigDog Trucker

    BigDog Trucker Heavy Load Member

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    lololol! That old lady shouldnt have been crossing the intersection when I hit her! Now the bully judge wants to lock me up! Haha
     
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  4. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I admire your humanity but in the case of the driver that gave me such a horrible qualification ride your ideas don't have any merit.
    He told me he'd trained on a 10 speed. I believe he did.
    He failed the ride for two reasons. One, he couldn't drive. That was easily seen.
    Two,his attitude toward his performance. He got angry, he laid blame everywhere but where it belonged. He blamed the truck, he blamed the road, he blamed me, and he wouldn't listen when I suggested a better way of doing things. We weren't doing anything tricky, just down a flat straight road about twenty miles, load and return.
    I like your ideas and in a perfect world with time and circumstance it would be great to apply them.
    But we were looking for a road-ready driver to drive a truck on the highway and you know what that's like out there. It's no place for a hot head and it's no place for an incompetent. He was both.
    I've taught several people to drive. Some I've taught from scratch. The ones who made the best drivers were the ones who wanted to learn. They were easy to teach and we took the time to teach them. They didn't claim to know everything from day one and they soaked up knowledge like a sponge.
     
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  5. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

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    For the record, some current CDL holders have NEVER taken a road skills test. They were grandfathered in if they held a "truckers" license before the CDL law. I am one such person. Back before the CDL law in most states, they would accept an employer's notarized statement instead. I can see how such a person could have maintained a CDL and let their skills go stale. I am not sure if this applies to this question.
     
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  6. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Ahhhh, throwing another wet blanket over a roaring thread?☺

    Chemo starts next week. My wife has been absolutely great every step of the way. Unbelievable support from friends, churches, folks on this forum, folks I don't even know.

    Plenty of reasons to express gratitude and look for ways to pay it forward.
     
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  7. Tx Countryboy

    Tx Countryboy Road Train Member

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    MasondingBobtail Member
    We are a tech college and the dmv testers are pretty lenient because they know our passions and goals.

    The problems with 3rd party testers.
     
  8. Digman943

    Digman943 Medium Load Member

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    I got my CDL through a driving program at an outfit that uses a 3rd party testing facility. As others have mentioned it is so easy to pass the driving test. We even practiced at the testing site and drove the exact same route. They had us memorize a script for the pretrip, which even made that a lot easier. BUT the trainers told us numerous times there job is to get us to pass the tests to get the CDL, we’re not teaching you how to drive. They said we would learn how to drive when we get on the road with our driver trainers for 5 weeks or however long it was.
    I remember the first trip out with my trainer.... that was rough couple days. I didn’t know crap and I didn’t pretend like I did. He was a great guy and learned a lot from him and still even think about some of the stuff he taught me. 4 plus years later no accidents or tickets, thank god.
     
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  9. Tx Countryboy

    Tx Countryboy Road Train Member

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    Lepton1 keep on keeping on. God bless you & your family.
     
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  10. tarmadilo

    tarmadilo Road Train Member

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    I won’t lie to y’all, a year ago I took a 4-weekend CDL class to upgrade from a Class B (drove buses for 20 years) to a Class A license, and even though I passed the test, I pretty much sucked driving a tractor trailer. I’m profoundly grateful to the trainers at J Rayl Transport who took the time to help me become competent.

    After 20 years of driving automatic transmission buses, and far too little road time with a 10-speed in CDL class, I was completely lost in any situation that required downshifting. And while I was pretty good at straight backing, parallel parking, and offset backing (all that Maryland required for the CDL test), I didn’t have a clue about backing into a dock.

    Five weeks of training later, I was adequate, and 10 months of OTR later, I can handle pretty much whatever comes my way. I don’t even get worked up about blind side docking.

    I’m still amazed that they didn’t let me go after the first three weeks, though!
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2019
  11. Judge

    Judge Road Train Member

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    I used to give road tests, and even train drivers, one guy on a road test I asked him, auto or manual, he wanted manual, I got the keys, checked his license,had him hook to a tanker, it was loaded nonhazmat, he couldnt shift at all. Stalled right by the office, tried to take off in 4th with 40k liquid. Got mad and blamed me, because the trailer was loaded.
    I told him to look around, this is a tanker company, we dont always run around empty and besides, you had to have 2 years exp or 1 in a tanker to even be considered.

    When I pulled flatbed, another guy I made it one city block, got tired of getting thrown all over the cab, he never made it passed 2nd.
    He kept taking off in granny with an empty trailer, I tried to tell him it would take off in 3rd, he said he knew what he was doing.
    I made him get out and I drove back and told them I dont know how he even drove a car, I refused to help him, you cant teach someone who knows everything.
    Another guy trained him for 3 weeks, turned him loose, then the guy turned over his first load right behind the office, said noone told him he had to tie the load down.

    One easy failure, a lady did great on her driving, shifting and all, got a text on the last 2 miles before the terminal, grabed her phone and went to reading text.

    I did let a guy who wanted to learn, and while on a road test admitted he had never drove a manual, I asked why he chose one to do a road test with.
    Said he wanted to learn, I told him about the shift, gave him a couple hours out on a old deserted road to practice, and he passed.

    Although I was told I was a hard person to give tests.
    You dont have to ride with someone very far to know if they can drive or not.
     
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