Is stalling the tractor an automatic fail on the road test?

I came to the school I went to without knowing a thing about trucks. The very first time I hopped in a tractor trailer was when learning how to straight back. I got so frustrated and overwhelmed my first time straight line backing because no matter what the instructors were telling me, I couldn't get the hang of it. My truck kept drifting one way to the left or to the right and then I would panic hoping my truck wouldn't hit another truck doing straight line backing, so I would ride the clutch and cause the wheels to spin. It was a scorching hot day and I was in a group with 4 other people trying to learn how to straight line back. We all rotated 10 minutes each. It got to the point where I got so frustrated and sweating that I was close to getting out of the truck and walking away since I was out there the entire day from 7 am to 4pm.

Then an instructor told me to hop in on the passenger side and demonstrated to me how to do it. He went back and in forward for a good 20 minutes telling me how much I should turn my wheel to correct the trouble and what to look for to know when it's straight. Other instructors showed me, but their way didn't work for me. This instructors method worked best for me, because after he got done showing me how he did it, I am able to do it perfectly.

The following week was learning how to do maneuvers which were right and left offset, sight side/blind side parallel and the 90 alley dock. Again, I was overwhelmed. Thought I'd never get any of them. I couldn't offset to save my life, my parallels looked like complete crap that weren't all the way in the box and don't even get me started on the alley dock. Eventually, being out there day after day, and taking tips from other classmates who had done their maneuvers perfectly, I picked the methods that worked best for me. There was one classmate that did his parallels perfectly every single time and on the rare occasion it wasn't perfect inside of the box, he showed me the method of how to correct it. I studied his method and I can get the both parallels in easy every single time.

Next week was learning how to upshift and downshift. Not on a simulator, but on a real road with real cars and traffic! We never got a simulator to start out with. Instructor drove 4 of us out to a location where cars were everywhere and gave us a 30 minute demonstration on how to upshift, downshift and how to make turns. He pulled over to the side of the road and I was the first one up. I could not tell you how nervous I was with cars flying past me and my first time driving this monster. He said "when it's clear, take off". I took off and got on to the road and I became overwhelmed when trying to upshift and don't even get me started on downshifting. I know he showed us how to upshift and downshift, but it's a lot different when you're in the drivers seat with cars all over. I was pulled from the drivers seat very quickly and another classmate hopped up and he didn't do any better.

As time went on, I am now able to upshift smoothly and control my lane and not get so nervous when driving. There was a big problem with my downshifting and coming to a stop without being in a gear. I now understand how recovery gears work.

This school only gives you 2 times to pass the DDS test. If you fail both times, you go home. I failed the first time and had to wait nearly 2 weeks to take the test again. They offered me a ticket to spend some time at home while waiting for my next test date, but I declined and spent the entire time at school to learn more.

This school is accelerated and I would have most likely been better suited for a community college, but it is what it is and I started this thread to learn why the truck was lugging the way it was so I can improve and learn from that mistake.

 

@bluejet I hope you understand my comments were not designed to be personal. I guess it is just I started trucking in another world. I am happy you got your CDL and I do hope you will continue onto the road to being a safe compliant asset to trucking. << This is the most important part of it.
However I still believe if you are lugging that tractor as you described a lot you are not controlling that tractor properly. I know I sound like a monster when I say that. Hand, (take that word from me as a compliment) what I wish I could do is get you and take you into a big city like Richmond or Charlotte and TEACH you how to do this by both showing you and nurturing you through it. But I am today a broken person that no longer has a DL because of epilepsy. Honestly I am not upset with you at all. I think I am more upset at the whole system your training under. Anyway welcome to the world of trucking I hope you last 30 or 40 years and are someday in a forum like this doing what I am.

 

In my state stalling the truck is not a failure.

Put on you flashers, restart the truck, continue the test and your only loose a couple of points. Of course most that stall the truck cannot spare a couple of points.

 

I actually stalled out on my road test ON THE HIGHWAY, but since it was no cars behind me I didnt fail since it didnt count a impeding traffic.

The driver lady mustve liked me or thought I was cute

 

Don't get a big head, now....

 

I finally got the reply to my email from a guy that actually does CDL skillls and road testing. He told me he knows of no state that actually has in it a rule that says a stall is an instant failure. He did though tell me (for the thousanth time now) that as an examiner he is looking for the driver to show knowledge of their tractor and it's systems. Part of this knowledge is that tach operating range. He told me I know a year ago that he will warn once about serious lugging. Then he will fail if you repeat.

 

The overwhelming feeling is the stress of a learning curve. You need to learn. And you did.

What I keep trying to show is that school is just enough to pass the CDL test. Your REAL education starts with your first tractor and load somewhere. You yourself need to learn fast as you go day by night sometimes really scaring yourself when you discover a fear or failure somewhere. For example, people say the best solution to a jackknife is never get into one. I said fine. Hand me a bobtail. Here you are. Went out onto a parking lot with a foot of snow and some ice. Spun the bobtail around in it until I could master a circle. Then did figure 8's under control while drifting or sliding. Then I did J's which simulate a jackknife but is nothing close to the real experience (Which I hope you never have.) a few hours on that lot now and then sharpened my taste for winter work. Just did not let myself get caught by the Boss spinning his 110,000 dollar equiptment around.

Fast forward to actual trucking, both myself and with wife. Once in a while that tractor or trailer wanted to come around, but because I go visit a empty lot and slide all over I instantly know how much or how little to add to a wheel eitherway to get it back. Provided it does not get beyond 15 degrees of angle. I don't care about the violence, the noise and perhaps breakage and damage, we deal with that later. Save the truck. And maybe save lives.

So, that was my way of learning. It's not the best way. The best way comes in when something comes up and confronts you with the possibility of death, mutilation or cremation by fire in about 15 seconds and counting, you might have nothing taught you at all what to do. At that point you write your own bible on a empty page presented to you. Your reward is no one gets hurt. But you worked through it. Your body will fight you with chemicals in fight or flee, your mind will freeze or try to. You will turn to jelly. But you must not allow these minor issues to stop you from deciding your choice and executing it. NOW. Because in a few moment's that time is past and you are a statistic.

We can sit and talk and talk, but you learn nothing. Best you grab a bobtail and hit the snowy and icy lot. See for yourself.

 

One of the most sickening feelings you will ever experience is looking in your California Mirror on either side and watching your trailer get bigger in it.

 

I failed my second try for stalling it. Straight from the testers mouth.

The problem with many cdl schools is the fact that they are accelerated. The focus seems to be on how to pass the test rather then how to do things properly.

@bluejet I was in your shoes just a few months ago. You learn a lot about yourself real quick! If I could offer a piece of my own supertrucker pie to you it would be this. Try to hire on with a company that has a very good training program. It will pay dividends in the long run.

 

Honest to god..Take a break..That's why it's called..school