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Got My CDL-A PA Permit Today (Yay!)

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016.

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  1. Jan 21, 2016 #1
    fjrgerry

    fjrgerry Light Load Member

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    Dec 30, 2015
    Philadelphia suburbs
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    Whew, step one in my new career has been completed...

    Starting CDL school this coming Monday, the 25th, but wanted to be ahead of the curve - sure feels good! My process was to read and re-read the PA CDL manual, then write all the questions and answers in MS Word. I also used the quizzes here over and over and wrote down as many questions and answers as I could until I started seeing the same ones over and over. Next I used the High Road Trucking Guide on TruckingTruth.com, as well as their quizzes - very helpful since each process gives plenty of opportunity for review. Next I used a couple more sites via a Google search to take their quizzes. Since the success rate was nearly 100% most of the time I went to the local DMV and took the tests for all the combination truck endorsements - passed them all easily! The PA tests all had only 3 options and allowed skipping as well. I skipped a total of half a dozen over all the tests and got 3 or 4 wrong out of all of them as well. I have to say it's taken a load of stress off accomplishing this - now I'll be focusing on the pre-trip inspection next.

    Good luck to those planning on starting CDL school in the not-too-distant future. Hope a strategy similar to this works for you!

    Gerry
     
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    #1
    tucker, TruckerVinny and bottomdumpin Thank this.
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  3. Jan 21, 2016 #2
    street beater

    street beater Road Train Member

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    Apr 18, 2014
    cold as hell, MN
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    Make sure you know your stuff on the pre trip. And i mean, by the book, technicnal names, acurate locations and discriptions. Some testers will fail a pretrip based on termanolagy. (Have know 3 to fail on that fact, and stated by the tester as the reason)
     
    street beater, Jan 21, 2016
    street beater, Jan 21, 2016
    #2
    fjrgerry Thanks this.
  4. Jan 21, 2016 #3
    fjrgerry

    fjrgerry Light Load Member

    87
    34
    Dec 30, 2015
    Philadelphia suburbs
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    Yeah, I'm most concerned about the pre-trip part of the test than anything else. I learned today that PA upped the testing requirements last year to meet Federal guidelines.
     
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    #3
  5. Jan 21, 2016 #4
    Osiris

    Osiris Light Load Member

    154
    124
    Dec 3, 2015
    Philly
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    congrats! where are you going for school?
     
    Osiris, Jan 21, 2016
    Osiris, Jan 21, 2016
    #4
  7. Jan 21, 2016 #5
    street beater

    street beater Road Train Member

    4,578
    20,669
    Apr 18, 2014
    cold as hell, MN
    0
    Dont be concered. Be ready. You seem to have geared up well for the permit, i like the memeory trick of writting out the q&a thing. Think as if your a teacher, and the instructor is a student who will be taking the test, and you want him to pass. Thats all, you will ace it with your methodology. No worries.
     
    street beater, Jan 21, 2016
    street beater, Jan 21, 2016
    #5
    fjrgerry and Bob Dobalina Thank this.
  8. Jan 21, 2016 #6
    fjrgerry

    fjrgerry Light Load Member

    87
    34
    Dec 30, 2015
    Philadelphia suburbs
    0
    Smith and Solomon in Norristown PA
     
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    fjrgerry, Jan 21, 2016
    #6
  9. Jan 21, 2016 #7
    TruckerVinny

    TruckerVinny Medium Load Member

    375
    253
    Dec 10, 2015
    Ohio
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    Pre-trip will be practiced on the range in school until you have it down. Just be open to learning it on the vehicle you will test on. The big thing to remember, YOU are there to learn and YOU are the only one that controls what you take extra time on. School was fun for the most part but pay attention and ask questions regardless of how it feels. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked. Good Luck!
     
    TruckerVinny, Jan 21, 2016
    TruckerVinny, Jan 21, 2016
    #7
    fjrgerry and street beater Thank this.
  10. Jan 21, 2016 #8
    mickeyrat

    mickeyrat Road Train Member

    7,859
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    Nov 24, 2011
    on my 30 min break
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    Make sure you note the other side of the truck too. In Ohio you show/point to everything on the drivers side only .I missed points by not noting the passenger side is checked like the drivers side.
     
    mickeyrat, Jan 21, 2016
    mickeyrat, Jan 21, 2016
    #8
    fjrgerry Thanks this.
  11. Jan 21, 2016 #9
    RMU91

    RMU91 Light Load Member

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    Jan 3, 2016
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    The advice for Ohio is great for Pennsylvania, too. However, Pennsylvania Examiners give the person taking the test a specific section of the truck and trailer to examine, along with the in-cab: Everyone gets the in-cab section, along with the Emergency Equipment, and the Air Brake Test (SALE).

    So, do indeed make sure you note the other side of the truck being examined like the side that was examined. Also, do not be afraid to ask the examiner for help when you examine the headlights and the turn signals.

    Good luck!!!
     
    RMU91, Jan 21, 2016
    RMU91, Jan 21, 2016
    #9
    fjrgerry Thanks this.
  12. Jan 22, 2016 #10
    fjrgerry

    fjrgerry Light Load Member

    87
    34
    Dec 30, 2015
    Philadelphia suburbs
    0
    It's memorizing the terminology that concerns me the most. I'm working now on copying into Word the Trucking Truth pre-trip section of their High Road Training Guide - making extra notes as I go along.
     
    fjrgerry, Jan 22, 2016
    fjrgerry, Jan 22, 2016
    #10
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