Skills Test Scam

That's ridiculous failing because students called the fuel cap a gas cap.In the real world drivers aren't technical about parts.

 

Illinois does that also. They flunked a guy that owns a small trucking company for calling an air line a air hose and calling a air pressure indicator a air pressure guage. He just wanted the CDL to move his own trucks around the city if he needed to on rare occasion. He posted about it on here a few months ago.
You have to memorize the nomenclature exactly as the book has it. Some states such as Florida at least use common sense and know if you say air line, it's the same as air hose, etc.

 

when I learned pretrip we had to learn it word for word that's in the CDL manual.I passed but my score was like 80% because I didnt say all the parts word for word that was in the manual.I bet the CDL test is harder now then ten yrs ago.

 

That is what is so pathetic about all of this. They place such importance upon precise verbiage, meanwhile probably 95% of those being tested couldn't positively put their finger on a part they are allegedly checking if their life depended upon it. They've memorized a list without ever learning what they are doing...which makes the whole pretrip exercise a waste of time since they don't know what they are looking at. What's the point in walking around a truck reciting a list of parts you can't identify? So they simply stop pretripping and just flag it in their log that it was done to keep the company happy.

I'd rather a guy knows what he's looking at, how the parts work, and what he's looking for as potential problems, even if he uses names like "doohickey" and "whatchamacallit" to identify them.

 

Its been many years since I worked as an "Instructor". Followed by "Examiner", further followed by 3ed party CDL for the state.
As with many things. Its not as simple as it may seam.
Some variance is allowed. In different states. As well as, to the discretion of the Examiner.
I can easily beleve, that in recent years. States may have become rather sensitive to the Environmental issues involved when Drivers install the fluids ingested by modern Trucks.
Additionally, sometimes, the Examiner, has no "Discretion" available, on certain Examination details. And are subject to audit / review by the state. That is, sometimes, the Examiner, is under observation.
I rarely failed a Student. And always felt it within "my discretion" to allow for some variance in the use of language.
I never took any joy from telling someone that they had failed. In fact, I found it painful.
With all respect to the OP.

 

Many learn pre trip and understand what all the parts do.But come testing out they get nervous and choke.I took careful time when I learned.I stayed at the dorm and go home on the weekend's.After school I would walk back to the semi and practiced my pretrip,study the books,watch videos,get help from the other students and ones who just graduated you name it I did it.I knew and understood the pre trip in my sleep.Not just because I wanted to ace the test but because I wanted to know everything for my benefit.I thought I would get 100% and disappointed because I scored average.But I made up for it come backing shifting turning driving.I studied on my off time everything else just as hard as I did the pre trip.

 

Are you sure about that ?

 

No I'm not sure just going by what others are saying.I have no clue how the testing is today.Wouldn't be at all surprised though.

 

Nether do I.
That is not the part I was asking about.
Do you think Drivers are not technical about Truck parts ?