What could/should I have done?

Well about the only thing I could suggest next time something like that happens or what you could have done, is instead of downshifting three times (that probably took a long time), slow down and match a gear to your road speed, which I'm guessing fifth would have put you in the ball park. So if you can remember about what speeds you are going in which gears, next time you will be able to slow down, take it out of gear, raise your rpm's slowly so you dont overshoot, and just slip it back in whatever gear you want/need. He should not be giving you (or other students) instructions like that on the spur of the moment, but different strokes for different folks I guess

 

It's a hard question to answer because it left a little detail out.

About the only thing 2 things I see you did wrong was shift while crossing the tracks & you seemed to be in the wrong gear for that road speed.

Shifting on a track is a nasty naughty no-no.

When he said "turn here", was that before or after the tracks?

If the left turn required that you stop for oncoming traffic, would that leave your trailer on the tracks or closer than the law allows?

If it meant sitting partially on the tracks waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, a no-no.

You stop before the tracks & judge the best time to clear the tracks so you can make the turn without having to stop on the tracks.

When he said "turn here", would you have had to make a sudden slow down & turn to do it?

If that's the case, the sudden slowing & turn might be considered "unsafe movement" if the cops saw you.

If it was a sudden slow down & turn, you would not do that pulling a food grade tank.
You would proceed & find a way to get turned around.

Otherwise, you could find yourself laying there or at the least, getting the wind knocked out of you when the liquid in the tank kicked the hell out of you when you made that sudden braking action.

Another possibility is that 35mph was too fast for the action you were getting ready to perform.

Just some thoughts without knowing the actual particulars.

 

The instructor is definitely off his rocker. He expects you to slow down that quick and make the turn? What if you'd been loaded to the hilt? That's a good way to cause a nice mess in a wagon. And what about some tailgater kissing your bumper because you more or less slammed on the brakes?

Another instructor is needed here for sure.

 

I don't see this part of the test as unreasonable.
Sneaky maybe but otherwise ok.

It looks to me that he was testing your reaction time & reasoning skills under sudden duress.
Suppose instead of a quick turn it was a car cutting across your bow or a running pedestrian?
These things are absolutely going to happen to you at some point.

As I was taught & I pass on to you; Always have an escape plan & plan at least a couple or three steps ahead of everyone else.

While I'm driving, I am usually playing a game of "what-if".
If this car does this, what do I do to escape it or where do I need to be to miss it.
If I blow a steer tire, what do I need to do?
If this car does such & such, what are his closest vehicles likely to do?
What will I do if I hit some ice around this shaded corner?
There's any number of possible scenarios to play against.

If you practice the most common scenarios in your head, you'll instinctively react rather than freeze up or spend too much time deliberating on the right move.

Besides, don't feel bad.
My teacher of 30 something years ago hit me with the sudden yell "Look out, low bridge."
There was a bridge but not a low one.
He was just testing my reactions & timing.

 

Yea he might have been testing his reactions but for some new drivers in a big rig just getting out on the road can be a little intimidating. What would happen if the next driver he does that to in the same spot just reacts to his "TURN LEFT HERE" and flips the wheel to the left? Granted, you gotta be quite the Gomer to do something like that, but I can see that happening somewhere down the line

 

A trainer/evaluator/teacher shouldn't be testing students this way, if he was indeed testing you. Green drivers shouldn't be expected to react on a dime. Most don't know enough to even shift properly, let alone be a 'perfect' driver and react to any situation as expected.

 

I know what you're saying & I wouldn't base a big part of the grades on this.

But by the same token, it does drive home the knowledge that as a newbie, you don't know as much as you think & maybe you need to concern yourself with this particular aspect a bit more.

Jess sayin'.