Failed road test... 18 speed wtf?

You should start a poll: Who takes off in 1st gear, on flat good terrain, empty.

 

I don't even know where first gear is, I hope the owners manual is in the glove box

 

Apparently y'all just ain't natural drivers.

 

FLguy777 I'm sure you will land a good trucking job. I'm not an expert but I would have to say theirs a little bit of a driver shortage right now....

 

I used 1st gear for the first time in years, a few weeks ago north of Atlanta on US 41 going around a 5 mile backup. The hills there and all the lights and being peaked out, 1st seemed like the prudent gear.

 

^^^

So Diesel Dave will vote for starting out in 1st gear.

Curious how others will vote. And more curious how other will actually drive when left on their own.

 

Hey OP,

Regardless what happened with the previous tester, here are some tips for your next road test.

If it's a safety manager testing you (rare but it could happen) and he doesn't specify what gear to start out in, do it text-book and start off in 1st gear.

Same thing if a senior driver doesn't specify what gear to start out in. You'll have some jitters (perfectly natural), so starting out in 1st in a truck you barely know will give you extra margin for error.

However - and this is important - if he tells you you're pulling an empty, so start out in start out in x (whatever gear he tells you and the terrain allows it), be careful what you say to him. The line about "that's why they call it 1st gear" is cute and might get a chuckle from him. Or it could back fire and it can start the entire testing process on the wrong foot. He can interpret the back talk as something negative and it WILL color the rest of his impression on you.

Remember: You can pass all the technical portions just fine but if the tester pulls the hiring manager aside and say "This kid has an attitude problem" then it's OVER. After all, the hiring manager knows the tester; he doesn't know you from Adam.

So if your tester tells you to start in a gear other than 1st, suck it the F up, take a deep breath, and ease up on the clutch so you don't stall or roll back.

If you suspect he's throwing you a curve ball and tells you to start out in 3rd on an incline or otherwise questionable terrain, then you can respectfully point out the situation and explain why you prefer to start out in 1st.

 

I do, thank you very much......

 

That's right, that's YOUR opinion. And I have mine. 1st gear for me works for me.