Failed my road test, what are other options?

BIGZILLA · Mar 12, 2017

insipidtoast said: ↑

The school I went to had 2 trucks at the DMV. Both old pieces of junk. I almost laughed during my dmv test when pre-tripping, seeing the oil leaks on the ground and showing the examiner the engine oil was well below the add line. DOT reflective tape missing, and other problems that made me wonder if they were actually going to let me take the truck on the road.

One truck I had driven a couple times before, and the other I had never driven before. Well I chose the one I at least had some experience with even though the tachometer doesn't even work.

Long story short I failed the road test. The examiner wasn't very transparent when I asked what I did wrong, but did mention my shifting needed work. Another classmate told me he had the same examiner and truck as myself, and the examiner marked him down everytime he lightly grinded a gear or made the truck rock when releasing the clutch too abruptly when grabbing the next gear.

I have the same problem. My school never corrected my technique, so I can't shift perfectly everytime, and it makes it extremely hard to shift perfectly when I don't even know what RPMs I'm at. I'm worried I've "learned" sloppy technique too. The examiner even suggested I was lifting my foot too far above the clutch pedal (something I had never heard from my instructors). One of my instructors even told me on my last driving day in class that I slightly grinded some gears, but it was nothing the DMV would grade me down on. Guess he was wrong.

The examiner was a lot more difficult than I was expecting. None of the other students from my class passed either the day I went.

Now the school, without consulting me first, went ahead and scheduled me for my second attempt on the same day.

The same day, probably the same truck, and probably the same examiner too. I think I'm going to cancel and figure out something else, because there aren't any opportunities for me to get more practice before my next attempt, and it just sounds like I'd be wasting my second attempt. If I fail three times, then I have to wait 2 months for another re-test. I don't want to just be sitting around waiting for 2 months.

I'm thinking 2 options:
1) use my friend who has a cdl to rent an automatic from Penske or Ryder. My issues have to do with shifting...otherwise I drove well during my test, and certainly would have passed. Yeah I'll have a restriction, but the companies I'm thinking about working for don't care, since they can guarantee I'd drive an automatic. I could always test in a manual in the future in order to lift the restriction if I needed to.
How much does it cost to rent a truck?

2) Negotiate some private lessons with another CDL school in the area, and use their 3rd party tester to get my CDL. Maybe the 3rd party tester would be more lenient than the examiners at my local DMV, and more experience certainly wouldn't hurt me either.
Click to expand...

Uber

Chinatown · Mar 12, 2017

One option is Roehl Transport. They'll help you get the cdl and also have a rider program for the wife. If it were me, I'd try again at the DMV right now, then decide. You might just pass this time.

DTP · Mar 12, 2017

If you fail the 2nd time, so be it but at least attempt it. You've gone this far it'd be stupid to quit at the very end

Ridgeline · Mar 12, 2017

Wow every road test I took for my cdl was made in a truck without a tach, it is not something that is required to drive a truck.

Mark Kling · Mar 12, 2017

Test in an automatic and you get the restriction of an automatic only.

White Dog · Mar 12, 2017

Give up all together, and go do something else.

Just passing by · Mar 12, 2017

OP posted this at 6 am? What gives?

pattyj · Mar 12, 2017

White Dog said: ↑

Give up all together, and go do something else.
Click to expand...

lol

pattyj · Mar 12, 2017

I would at least give it another try but with a smiling possitive attitude.You may surprise yourself and pass.

Ridgeline · Mar 12, 2017

pattyj said: ↑

I'm surprised the DMV allowed those unsafe trks to be tested in.To rent a trk you're looking at around $200.00 an hour maybe even more.
Click to expand...

What's unsafe about them?

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Failed my road test, what are other options?

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