No down sifting while testing in a Hazmat truck?

I don't think he knew what he was trying to say. Or something. Hazmat is nothing but a written test and a background check. There is no associated road test.

 

A lot of truck driver's out here participate in something called word vomit.... They spew words out of their mouths that don't make any sence. But they still try to justify their existance. And if you believed them, then they did what they planned to do from the start.

 

Maybe he meant that you are not allowed to shift gears while crossing railroad tracks while on a road test with hazmat...

 

You're not allowed to take it out of gear while crossing RR tracks while hauling hazmat. You must select the right gear and stay in it until you're entirely clear of the tracks so if something happens and you couldn't get it back in gear, you would avoid that problem entirely.

 

I thought that's what I said......

 

"Not allowed to shift gears" could also mean "coast across in neutral" cause, hey, I'm not shifting, right? I just wanted to make it real clear because they are so anal about it. You even have to lock it in manual if you have an automatic to keep it in gear.

 

I think they include a ficticious HazMat stop, like at a railroad crossing, on the road test. At least they did when I took mine years ago, but it's possible it might have had something to do with me already having a HazMat endorsement. Otherwise, there was nothing relating the endorsement and doing any actual driving.

 

You can "not" have a hazmat endorsment with a learners permit...
The only exception to this is, if you had a class B & already had a hazmat endorsment but you can not test in a hazmat vehicle...