Question for both Students and Experienced drivers.

Which skill will serve you better in life, 1) being able to succeed once all obstacles are removed, or 2) being able to overcome minor issues and succeed?

 

For what it's worth --

During your road test for your CDL -- your shifting by no means has to be perfect.

Or even close.

Your main objective during the road test -- avoid hitting anything (especially curbs, with either right or left turns).

During my road test -- my shifting was far from perfect -- & yet, I still passed.

Instructors know that shifting is a learned skill that comes...with time & practice.

Thus -- expecting perfection that soon generally isn't realistic.

-- L

 

^^ Pretty much it. They don't fail you for grinding gears...they fail you if you hit hit s***. So try your best not to hit s*** and you'll be well on your way. (Also don't miss anything on the in-can air brakes inspection, either.)

Fun fact: I still have my 105-point pre-trip inspection cheat sheet and checklist from when I went through CDL school almost 15 years ago. I didn't realize it until last year when I went digging through all my old notebooks when packing up to move. Sure enough, there it was, along with a bunch of other notes from CDL school. (I went through Indiana, if that matters.) Kinda cool looking back at how nervous and wide-eyed a greenhorn I was then and how only marginally* more experienced I am now fifteen years later.

 

Driving schools do one job, and only one job. That is to prepare you to take and pass the state exam. If the person administering the testing is worth anything, they are fully aware of this fact. They also realize that you are not a polished and skilled driver. Hopefully the thing they see is that you DO in fact understand the concepts and principles of operation of a class 8 truck. That time and experience will hone the skills.
Take your time, never be in a hurry. Set your pace and stick to that. Be cognizant of what you’re doing. Should you not clearly understand something, STOP, take a breath and ask for clarification. You get one, maybe two of these. You can make this as hard as you want it to be.

 

Welcome and what you speak of is common anxiety. Range trucks or yard trucks, trucks relegated to the horrors of student drivers, and are going to be rough, but all trucks primarily are the same, with subtle differences, like brakes, steering, and pretty much give you the basics. I suppose, their thinking is, if you can handle a range truck, a road truck should be a snap. BEFORE the actual test, check the brakes, make sure they aren't grabby, and remember, the examiner is looking at the whole test, and I doubt would fail someone just for grabby brakes, maybe, but the point is, they want to see if you are capable of driving the rig. They understand you may be nervous, but you can do it, AND GET TO WORK,,,we need ya'. Good luck.