CDL Road Test Failed? How could you have done better?

I don't think it's a stupid question. I'm genuinely intrigued right now.

Even if an examiner must hold a CDL (and I don't think they do), I have to believe that with only testing others and possibly retesting every four years themselves - that's not a lot of wheel time. They'd probably be extraordinarily bad at it!

 

BUT, they are qualified to correct YOU

lets face it, it doesnt take much to be a "tester", there are certain parameters and basics that they are looking for, if you pass that, (just like your passenger car road test) then you are "qualified" to drive

 

I agree with you on all counts.

The question came up and I went digging for the answer. Then we started throwing hypotheticals around and I probably got a little carried away...

 

I checked, they don't have to have one. If one reads the regulations the government is exempt from many things. I guess NY feels it's not necessary. I strongly disagree. Though they have certain things they are taught to look for they have absolutely zero experience to the real world. It's almost equivalent to the trainee training another trainee.

This is from hiring within...

55b/55c are just part time examiners wanting to go fulltime.

Wow!


As far as the road test you have to go by the book. You are suppose to go from the turn lane and pin hook the lane you are turning on after it is clear. You can't bully and expect traffic to back up, you wait. Typically a right turn on red is legal in most situations and states. You let them have the green and let the traffic clear. Then do your right turn on red. That is for the test.

In real life if traffic is clear behind me I'm pin hooking early but that takes an experienced driver to keep the dummies from encroaching your right turn space.


I agree with others your test didn't go well. Is there something that led up to this. First impressions go a long way and if you done or said something silly prior then she has already made up her mind. Snowball effect of sorts. If it was PMS I would not retest in a month but wait about 6 weeks!

 

I can't think of anything that lead up to this, I was very polite, unless in being a quiet talker, she thought I was talking about her under my breath while pointing out hazards. I will say that it was about 10 outside and windy, I was dressed for the weather, she was not. I think either she was on meth, or had a bad experiance from the prior road test. I am sure that had I waited through the entire green cycle she would've dinged me for holding up traffic and start yelling. Infact she said that everything else was almost perfect with the exception of the automatic fail for the unsafe act.

I was nervous and certainly not my best ride. Im going to reschedule and take it again, no big deal.

 

I took my driving test when I was 21 in Flagstaff,AZ. The tester there was an ex-state trooper and made sure to let you know that before you started the test. It was like he was trying to make me as nervous as possible before I took the test. Tried it 3 times never made it to the road. I couldn't parallel park to save my soul haha. I ended up going to a one day cdl school in phoenix,AZ. Class started at 8:00 and by 3:00 you had a cdl in your hand. The DMV was one block from the school so after you passed you just walked over and got your license.

 

Hmmm I guess she thought you should plow the snow. You didn't hit the pickup or the curve, I see no problem especially for an inexperienced truck driver.

 

what i find interesting is that i was taught NEVER pinhook, and instead make traffic backup, if needed

you were told the complete opposite

(something about the hook makes the cars on the right more likely to pass you on the right as you are turning right)

 

Nah. I did it as a student and taught it to students. The "hard" part for them was blocking traffic and ignoring "peer pressure". They tend to think you can drive a truck and stay out of "everyone's way". That seems a natural tendency that is hard to overcome.

 

This was a no win situation from the get go.This tester had it in for u from the beginning.Maybe because she hates trks.or like you said had a bad road test before yours,maybe she hates her job who knows.I would request a new tester.She may fail you the next time.