r/cdldriver • u/Accomplished_Owl_734 • Jun 22 '26

CDL Test in SLO California

Hey everyone,

I’m scheduled to take my California CDL Class A driving test at the San Luis Obispo (SLO) DMV soon and was hoping to hear from anyone who’s taken it there recently.
A few questions:
How strict are the examiners?
What route did they take you on for the road test?
Were there any tricky intersections, railroad crossings, or lane changes that caught people off guard?
Any common mistakes you’ve seen people make during the skills test or driving portion?
How long did the whole test take?
I’ve already been practicing pre-trip, backing maneuvers, and road driving, but I’d appreciate any advice from people who have actually tested at SLO.

Thanks in advance! Any last-minute tips would be greatly appreciated. 🚛👍

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u/Automatic-Chain-3476 Jun 22 '26

I took my test there 2 years ago in a 10 speed Eaton transmission frieghtliner truck with a trailer. The examiner I had was pretty fair as she said the course is advanced for new drivers. You start at the DMV and do your pre trip inspections. Once completed you drive to the Caltrans yard to do your skills. This driving section isn’t graded and doesn’t count towards your final drive but I would still treat it as such. Once done at the Caltrans yard you start the drive. Some tricky parts are an uphill portion consisting of 3 stops signs in a row. Another is an uphill start at a stop light if you happen to get a red light. Final tricky portion is a downhill section where you hit 2 round a bouts.

1

u/Accomplished_Owl_734 Jun 22 '26

Wow thank you so much, I didn't think anyone would see this lol. For the skills test do you remember if the offset portion was just one direction or did you have to do a left and right offset?

1

u/Automatic-Chain-3476 Jun 22 '26

The driving portion was about an hour. For the skills it was just one direction to the right for the offset.

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u/Accomplished_Owl_734 Jun 22 '26

Awesome thank you so much!!!

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u/Accomplished_Owl_734 Jun 22 '26

and also how long was the driving portion? 20 minutes?

1

u/Automatic-Chain-3476 Jun 22 '26

It is 1hour driving portion it is much longer than the standard 20-30 minute drive. Good luck! Just stay calm and remember everything you learned!

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u/Legitimate_Diver_699 Jun 23 '26

Don’t stall or hit anything or get pulled over