Indiana CDL

[ThinkingAboutTrucking]

Does anyone else out there think the state CDL test for Indiana is difficult? I've failed it five times. The last time, the site wasn't plowed and I had to do the skills on ice and snow, which I never did before. The examiner said he wasn't going to penalize me for the pullups I had to do in order to get traction, but why was the test conducted on ice and snow anyway? I mean, I know I will have to face ice and snow in the real world, but the way things are going, I will never see the "real world" of trucking if I can't pass this #$%^ test.

I went in to this last test confident, but the snow and ice threw something into the equation that I hadn't experienced. My classmates at my new trucking school say I should file a complaint. My instructors all say I can do the skills and I'm fine on the road. The thing is, I can't seem to pull it off when it really counts. That is what is so frustrating. I'm rescheduled for Monday, and I'm going to go into it not giving a damn. Maybe if I go into it as calm as I can, it will work.

[mapleleaf_1]

Best of luck to you Thinking. Drive safe everyone.

[NevadaJim]

Are they telling you what you did wrong after each test? Are you making the same mistakes each time? Did you pass one part one time and fail it another? Did you have the same examiner each time? I am an instructor for cars at a driving school. I know for a fact that the examiners at DMV play silly games. Make sure it's the same examiner every time and ask for a list of your mistakes. If you still have problems passing ask to speak to a supervisor and find out exactly what the examiner is looking for. Or, try a different location, if possible.

[ThinkingAboutTrucking]

Thanks for the responses!!! The first four times I tested at the same site. I think I was rushing too much and panicking when I couldn't see the cones when I thought I SHOULD see them. This last time, I went to the CDL test site in town, and they hadn't cleared the site of snow. Well, it melted a little bit and it was just warm enough to cause the snow to get to the icy/slushy stage. The examiner was all like "didn't you practice on ice and snow?" And I'm thinking, of course not, the temps have been averaging around 50 degrees for the past few months!!!

So tomorrow I am going back to my original test site. I know I will have plenty of room there, at least, to set up.

I didn't think of asking for a list of my mistakes, but that is a good suggestion.

Basically the examiner, and all of my instructors at my second trucking school are confident I can do it, it's just a matter of me calming down to do the skills. I can rattle off pre trip with no problem, and I should be fine on the road; it's just those blasted skills. If nothing else, I should be able to do them better with five additional weeks of school and some tips on how to set up for them.

I think maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself, because I feel like this is my only career option left, plus I've sunk so much time and money into this venture. The last time I tested, I was more confident, but the snow and ice unnerved me, and even though the examiner said he wouldn't penalize me for pulling up (it was the only way to eventually get traction) I think that aspect made me nervous. At least with the test site tomorrow, I've been there four times, the examiner is pretty decent and I have plenty of room to set up, as opposed with the recent site I went to. Please wish me luck and pray for me if you are inclined to do that sort of thing. I am so excited about getting into trucking as I need a break. I've had a rough past couple of years!!! Thank you!

[ThinkingAboutTrucking]

Well, the bad weather finally hit us. I wasn't able to go back and test at the original site of my first four failures because they couldn't get the truck started. I had rescheduled for Tuesday the 6th, but cancelled because I had orientation for a temp job. It was just as well, because it started snowing at 1:30 p.m. and didn't stop for about nine hours. Even if I hadn't cancelled, the examiner probably would have called me to cancel it.

I've decided to take a temp job until the weather clears and I can test again in more decent weather. I have to keep telling myself that I am NOT GIVING UP and this is just a minor setback. However, I'm still scared stiff of the test and have started taking anti-anxiety medication so hopefully I can calm down and get through the test. I got through my second trucking school doing very well, and have more tips to do my skills with, so hopefully I'll be going into this next test (whenever that is) better prepared. I never thought it would take this freakin' long to pass this test. And I can't understand why I'm such a nervous wreck doing it. My skills on the road are pretty good and I always loved driving in trucking school. I actually was becoming bored with the skills the last week of school. I went into the last test confident, but the snow and ice, which I thought wouldn't matter, screwed me up along with feeling I didn't have enough room to do the maneuvers. So back up to the original testing site I will go, when the weather clears.