It’s Not as big as you think it is

After graduating from MTI - Cartersville, my CDL test was scheduled for Tuesday. I got in the day before to practice my backing maneuvers. Georgia requires three maneuvers to pass the test. The first will be the straight line backing. The second will be either the offset to the left or offset to the right. The third will be one of three; left side parallel, right side parallel, or 90° alley dock.

My instructor liked to say we couldn’t even spell Kenworth three weeks ago, now we are driving one. I was very happy with my progress on the 90°. Here’s a time lapse I shot the night before the CDL test of my last back before parking the truck.

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The morning of the test, and I’m as nervous as a 16-year-old taking that first driving test. I repeat the mantra, use my pull ups, use my GOALs. The straight line back was simple. Used my training, backed up slowly, no more than minor adjustments. Thumbs up from the examiner. Next came the offset to the right. No big deal. Final maneuver the instructor gave me to do was the 90°. Took my time, used my GOAL check set up. Used my second GOAL to check distance. I was being extra careful.

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All my practice had been in an OTR truck, I took the test in a regional truck. Some will tell you that schools that have a third party tester will just pass students, haven’t met our examiner. He failed me for not being in the box. Here’s the thing, I respect him for that. I missed passing by less than 6”. I needed that lesson in humility.

I went back on Friday and passed my test the second time. I want to pass on some things that I’ve learned that I didn’t know when I took my first CDL test. My experience is Georgia and may not be the same in all states. The examiner asks you, if you have any questions. Ask them! While using an extra GOAL is a fail, using an extra pull up is not. Hitting a cone is not. Encroachment of a boundary is not. When I took that first test, I was worried that I would fail if I hit that cone in the back. As a result, I was conservative when backing towards it. If I had ran that cone over, it would have just been a deduction for encroachment of the boundary and hitting a cone. In other words, a pass.

My reason for this post, is to tell others that may be getting ready for their CDL backing maneuvers test, to ask questions. Know what will fail you and what will just cost you a point. In the real world we can GOAL as many times as we want, on the test? Only twice.

 

That’s not the training that limits the GOALs. That’s the Georgia DDS. The examiner has to use the state standards. The school does not punish us for GOALs. The state does.

 

I’m out with my trainer now. I’ve done all the backing the last two weeks. I do a lot of GOAL. I’d rather do too many than one too few.

 

Each state seems to have different requirements. In Georgia we had to learn straight line backing, offset backing, parallel, and 90° alley. Others have to do 45° alley. Some states do not have the parallel.

The only part I think is foolish is limiting GOALs to 2. I did a tight back the other day; dumpsters, fence, and gates for obstacles. I did at least six GOALs but I got it in there and didn’t hit anything.

They should take points away, if you don’t GOAL.