Failed cdl test 3x...am now questioning if trucking's really for me

I failed my test 2 times & nailed it on the 3rd try. The alley dock maneuver had me terrified but on the 3rd try, after some one on one training with an old hand instructor, I just nailed & everything clicked into place.

The real test of whether trucking is for you isn't in getting the CDL, it's once you get out there on the road & start doing he job. That'll be the time you'll know. Don't get discouraged & do it as many times as it takes to make it happen. Life, & indeed all of truck driving it seems, is just one big test so keep your chin up.

 

It takes time.Youll ace it.I didn't think trucking was for me but I didn't give up.I put too much time into it.So you failed 3 times,do you have to wait weeks before you can retest?

 

Nerves will get you when you got the man with the clipboard in front of you, stick with it you will be fine.

 

i understand you probably have to pay and do the test all over again (you do in ca) ....... but I think you should suck it up, and just do it........... If you're going to decide to quit this industry: atleast quit it AFTER you've tried it (you haven't yet)

TRY HARDER TO RELAX (i know its not easy), dont over think anything, and understand this:

IF you KNOW you can drive- (and i mean DRIVE), then do what you need to do to GET TO THE DRIVING PART (passing your airbrake test, and pretrip) You have no idea how many people dont make it out the parking lot because they were "worried" about the wrong things.

My suggestion would be: (if you have the choice what order to do it in)

1- Do the airbrake test-THIS is the hardest part-Take your time and do it right- because if you miss even ONE thing- AUTOMATIC FAIL "go reschedule"
2- Pretrip- I was told the best way to pass this is to "keep on talking"- ( once the instructor knows you know what your talking about- he/she might not even make you go to the other side of the truck)

3- HEY! Now you get to finally make it out the parking lot- 4 main things- dont get stuck in neutral, dont roll back on a hill, dont hit a curb (or worse: a fire hydrant) making a right turn, and ALLWAYS keep your head moving in those mirrors, and you'll go back to the dmv a new commercial driver...... you can miss a TON of things on the actual drive test...just dont do the things above, and you'll be fine.

Good Luck

Almost forgot- dont get nervous when you see him/her writing on the clipboard: BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WRITE ON THERE (check off boxes actually) so dont automatically think its something you did wrong

 

Drove with a trainer almost every day for 3 months while I had my permit. Felt VERY confident. Until there was a man with a badge and clipboard watching me. First time I failed the pre trip so bad we never even got in the cab. Chin up, you'll get the hang of it!

 

I took an employee of mine 2 saturdays in a row to test for his class B cdl. He just could not get passed the pre-trip.
He did well with it when he was going over it with me. Got in front of examiner and just caved. He told me the third Saturday that he was tired of going and he would get it this time and he did. Don't sleep too much/too little and try not to have too much caffeine. You WILL get it!!

 

What Mondo said

 

You'd be amazed at how many folks on the forums would have a hard time passing the test today. Not that they are bad drivers at all, it's that the test is "hard". What I mean by that is, in the real world, you get as many pull ups as it takes. Pre-trips often consist of thumping the tires and checking the 4 way lights. The real life test is making it from point A to point B in one piece with no damage and no DOT encounters.

Good luck