I failed...

Ok, I have ONLY 1 week under my belt on the road but the best advice I have received about backing is watch the trailer back corner, when you are backing if you see the gap stop moving then give it some more passenger side turn on the steering wheel. It is hard to do with just cones but it might help. You are in a different tractor?, is it longer or shorter? You will have to set up farther to one side to compensate. We are all rooting for you!

 

"Experience is what we get, when we don't get what we expect."

You'll pass, you made a couple of mistakes, in the real world those are really just learning experiences. There are a ton of drivers out there who didn't pass the first written test, the first pre-trip, or the skills test that just means they got a little extra practice at things.

Hell there are also drivers who did pass the first time, and have no business behind the wheel.

 

Same at my school. You can call it once and take it as a mulligan, but after that it's an automatic fail even if you call it.

They're not going to send you around any corners that aren't able to be easily cleared with feet to spare if you've been practicing and halfway know what you're doing. They told us the biggest thing guys do is try to bang off one too many upshifts before the turn, miss the gear, panic, and cut the corner too sharp. You're better off just going around the corner grandma style in 3rd gear if you took off from a dead stop in 2nd.

I've already rolled over a curb pulling a little 27 footer on a tight-tight right hander. There was a vehicle hugging that left hand turn lane and I figured that was better than taking his fender out.