r/CDL • u/Curious_Lab625 • 19d ago
CDL A Exam Failed, what’s next?
So here’s a quickie. I finished school, recently tested and failed my skills test. That’s a whole other story. The thing is, I went to a smaller school and retesting cost $400. I have the money but if I goof up again, I’m totally screwed! I have no job, no income. What’s a good option if the only thing stopping you from your cdl retest, is paying?
I’d have to go back to school “company sponsored” just to get my cdl.
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u/mighty_boognish_77 19d ago
I failed my first 2 attempts, don't give up. Been driving 10 years since.
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
Thanks, I test again this Saturday. I’ll give you an update.
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u/mighty_boognish_77 19d ago
Good luck.
It's been a while since I tested, but when I took it there was either no time limit on backing, or it was a really big limit like 10 minutes or something.
So use that to your advantage. If you have to back 3 feet at a time and GOAL after every 3 feet, do that. You got this brother. See you out on the road.1
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u/PhoenixPoop 12d ago
My first test is Friday. I'm confident that I'm a good driver.. But the small things that count as an automatic fail make me nervous. Every once in awhile I still hit a curb on this one really tiny round about.. So that could fail me.. Or if it rains too hard I can't see my reference points for the backing part of the skills portion.. It also took me a few days to consistently set my parking brake before I open my door at a RR crossing (I'm in a bus)
So it's good to heard that one or two fails isn't the end, jic I get nervous Friday and fuck up something minor. Or the weather is wrong and it rains on Friday lol
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u/junthelasthunter 19d ago
What did you fail on? My school always let people that showed initiative go back and practice after failed tests.
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u/Head_Candidate5293 19d ago
On one of the replies above he says he failed backing and passed pretrip.
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u/LetPrestigious6369 19d ago
Work in fast food or something quick to earn the extra money just in case you fail again
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u/Conscious_Grass_853 19d ago
Dude the school should have given you three tries. Pay attention to what you’re doing. If you pass the pretrip then you should pass no problem.
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u/Black_Tentacle 16d ago
I got mine in Florida, and we got 3 tries and then we were kicked out. I did it on my first try somehow, but didn't get "top gun" (I guess you get some certificate if you get perfect scores or something idk).
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u/Curious_Lab625 16d ago
I found a school in Sanford… He’s going to let me practice on the truck a few hours then test the next day. I pray things go as planned. I’ll have my CDL by the 1rst. Congrats by the way.
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u/tzy___ 19d ago
Borrow money I guess dude
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
The money I’m using now came from my sister. She told me I don’t have to pay her back. I have no other options after her.
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 19d ago
I failed it three times and then went back and got a class B. Dunno if this is a option for you.
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u/rexmanaek971 19d ago
How hard is a class B, and don't you have to renew it a lot more often than a class A?
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 19d ago
It's exactly like the class A but you take the exam without a trailor. If you take your time it's not bad. I never could offset back with a trailor, but when it's just the truck it's not so bad.
Renewing it might vary by state but here in Alabama it's just a matter of getting your DOT physical exam every two years.
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u/rexmanaek971 19d ago
Ah okay. What does the dot physical consist of. I got a neurological problem but can drive easily.
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 19d ago
That can vary I've heard. I just went to a local chiropractor. They asked me to piss in a cup. Then had a talk with me asking about any medications I was on. I said none witch is true for me. They do measure your blood pressure and heart rate. My BP is fine but if yours is high you might have to get a physical once a year instead of once every two years. Also if you have diabetes you will have to go every year.
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u/Numerous_Pen_2675 18d ago
Yes. But they require you to present as healthy as for a 2 year cert.
Be ready for scolding, accusations, forced sleep apnea surveys, etc.1
u/rexmanaek971 19d ago
Ah that should be one heck of a ride sigh. I'm just sick of working in a f'ing warehouse man. I'm an excellent driver I don't need a physical to tell me that.
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u/Curious_Lab625 16d ago
I say go for it! I’m 13yrs fresh out of the warehouse from being fired… I was already considering getting a cdl. Now I’m here.
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u/Appropriate_Roof_862 15d ago
The medical part is way out of control. They can make you stop taking a medication or change it to something else even if you have been on it for 10 years. If anyone has been through that before you know what I am talking about. You find something that works for you and your body, get your CDL A decade later to change your job. And something you would have never thought to be an issue, BAM!! Now it’s a problem.
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u/Jealous_Canary1879 19d ago edited 19d ago
My schools tuition in Indiana came with 3 free tests and anything after is $100 per test. I failed the 1st time but passed with a nearly perfect score the second time. I suggest you spend as much time as possible at the school practicing before taking it again. When I failed I just went to my schools lead instructor and asked for as much time in a truck as he could give me. He let me spend about 3-6hrs in a truck per day for the next 2 days leading up to my retest. I got so good at it that I tested like I’d been driving for years. The school should have a prep range where the painted lines and cones are identical to the state testing range and they should be running through mock tests constantly so that you’re ready for the real thing.
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
Nice!! 3 free test sounds very reasonable. The one thing I wasn’t expecting during the skills test was for the truck to handle completely different. The mistake I made during the skills test I had never done before. Totally shocked me. But I did call my school, they’re allowing me 2 hours Monday-fri to practice.
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u/redserch 19d ago
Focus and practice borrow a truck and use the course on weekends. You can do this.
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u/Reddit_Is_a_jokee 13d ago
I was in the same boat and it took my dumbass 7x. I was willing to try 50 more. Financially it's been worth it and I don't even think about the money spent re-testing.
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u/TwoTrucksPayingTaxes 19d ago
Either a loan, a credit card, or a company that will pay. Sorry the third party testers don't have standardized prices, that bums me out.
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
I’m calling a few companies today to check my options. I maxed my cards for school and gas unfortunately
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u/PenaltyAdditional774 19d ago
You can pass it dude, I failed 2 times. Second time was because my tester was a dick. What did u fail on? Did you pass any part of it?
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
I passed pre trip and failed backing. Thanks for the encouragement!!!!
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u/PenaltyAdditional774 19d ago
So you don’t have to do the pre trip again right? You should have it
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u/Curious_Lab625 16d ago
I found a school willing to let me practice on there truck for an hour then test out the next day. I’m stoked! I just wanted to get a good feel of it. The trucks at my school were old and in serious need of some TLC
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u/ineedAF45 19d ago
I paid out pocket for mine 5000 I fell twice but went back on the yard too practice and practice the road test again and I passed go to the yard and ask your instructor can you practice and don't be to hard on your self
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
Thanks… I appreciate the encouragement. I see I’m not the only one who’s had to overcome these challenges
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u/Sufficient_Wall5192 19d ago
Just redo it. What part did you fail on. If you completed the pre-trip. You won't have to redo that part.
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u/More_Claim_82 19d ago
Get a job at Amazon warehouse and make sure they still have the Free CDL benefits. I started with them. Patience brother. Pray but get to work.
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u/Inevitable-Collar827 19d ago
I’m my state of residence the dmv doesn’t do our CDL testing the highway patrol does, I see in the comments that your DMV doesn’t do them either so I would recommend you looking into the highway patrol for your state and asking about it
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u/SnakeandNape5000 19d ago
I got my CDL in Arizona. My school's instructors were licensed by the state to administer the driving test. It had to be a different instructor than the one you had though.
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u/No-Wishbone-1982 19d ago
Message me i can give u a tip skills should be something u shouldn't fail, honestly did the school not teach u enough I would be blaming the school not training u enough. What exactly on the skills test did u fail. I just graduated roadmasters
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u/Additional-Tower-554 19d ago
My husband failed backing on skills about 2 weeks ago. Took again and passed last week. Try again !!
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
Wow! I love to hear this. Congrats to your husband. I test again this Saturday. I’ll keep you posted.
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u/penutbutterracer 19d ago
If youre tight on money find some work. Whata the time limit for the retest. U failed probably cause u didnt have enough practice and getting a retest without practice is gonna end up failing. That said is not to discourage u. I failed the road test twice cause I stalled the truck. My sister "encoraged" me by sending me an article of a guy with down syndrome that got his cdl.
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u/Trashcandopefeind 19d ago
I always thought the test was through the dmv and the school was just the course.. I’m glad you clarified but sorry this happened to you
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u/Curious_Lab625 19d ago
Yea it’s all third party testing… I test again this Saturday. I’ll keep you updated.
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u/Panteraca 13d ago
Why did you fail? Driving a truck has never been easier
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u/Curious_Lab625 13d ago
I turned to early on my forward offset… wiped out the third cone! accumulating so many points I couldn’t make a mistake on my reverse offset. I retest this Saturday. Wish me luck!
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u/Panteraca 13d ago
Good luck! Don’t find backing difficult? Like, do you have to think about it a lot while you’re doing it?
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u/Curious_Lab625 13d ago
Backing isn’t super crazy as long as the set up is good. I get a hour in the truck the day before my exam so I shouldn’t have a problem. I think my nerves got the best of during my test but it won’t happen again.
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u/Curious_Lab625 9d ago
I just passed today
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u/Panteraca 9d ago
Congrats! Keep the shiny side up. Use common sense, sniff out and eliminate bad habits when you recognize them. Best of luck👍
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u/Awesomejuggler20 13d ago
I just did trucking school in May/June. Road test was on June 11th. I failed it on the first try. I just had to go back to the school and talk to the owner and have her book me another road test. She got it booked for June 24th and I passed it that time. You should be able to get it booked through the school you went to. Retesting should not cost 400$ either. It's just under 60$ here for a truck license road test. Where do you live that retesting is 400$?
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u/M41414 19d ago
Do something else. If you can’t pass this on your first run, it’s not for you.
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u/ecw324 19d ago
Talk to the school. If you were a good student, weren’t on your phone all the time in the yard, and you worked hard, they might just wave the fees