Profile For Darlene R.

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out!

You could look into Performance Food Group. They are located in Essex Junction but they run some drivers out of a shuttle yard in St Johnsbury and offer a training program. Unfortunately I do not know any of the details of the training program but it is another possible option for you to checkout.

Thank you for explaining it better than I did!

That really means nothing. Without a physical copy of a training certificate you don't have anything helpful toward your career.

Wrong. As part of last year's ELDT (Entry-Level Driver Training) rollout by the FMCSA all new drivers MUST complete training from an FMCSA approved school. Training records are then uploaded by the school to a Federal registry. If your training records aren't on the registry you can't test for CDL skills or knowledge tests on or after February 7, 2022. New drivers can check their training record HERE. ELDT training requirements aren't retroactive (If you already have your CDL they don't apply).

I got my CDL long before the ELDT program - I've NEVER seen or touched my training certificate. Never had a problem finding a job.

I have a physical certificate that I completed Commercial Driver Traning. I tried to upload a photo but not sure it's gonna work.

I have a certificate because I know how to drive a truck (well as well as a beginner does), I put in the driving and classroom hours, passed the course work. They prepare you to take the cdl, but passing the course does not depend on whether you pass or fail your road test. Otherwise I would have to pay and take this whole course again everytime I failed the road test.

I'm still confused by your answer to PackRat. I don't see how you could have a training certificate and not have your CDL. You said...

Yes. like if I look myself up in the FMCSA site, my name and info comes up as completed and gives my grades/hours for Range, Theory, public road and hazmat theory portion.

That really means nothing. Without a physical copy of a training certificate you don't have anything helpful toward your career.

Thank you, I feel hopeful!.

Yes it happens a lot, I too failed at the DMV 3 times, 1st was airbrakes DUH fogot what to say. 2nd time truck failed, bad governor wouldn't go past 100 psi, no ding on me. 3rd time, I got thru to in cab, finished THEN lady says I failed air brakes??? WTF then why did she let me go thru in cab, I was ticked off, told her she was crazy hahaha (she failed 95% of everyone !) seen her my times there, waiting my turns. 2nd training school I went to CRST, I passed it all and had CDL on day 10. Hindsight I shoulda went there to start with not some local POS , WIOA paid "school" (more self taught training than real training)

Good luck Darlene finding your way to "git r dun"

Thanks, I didn't turn the key forward enough, like i turned it but only part way! I noticed it when I was waiting for my low air alarm to come on.

For what it’s worth don’t let failing the air brake portion of the pre-trip bother you too much. It took me 3 attempts to get past it. And I used to replace/repair brake chambers and manually adjust brakes in the days before auto slack adjusters.

First time I did not keep track of the time and hit the 30 minute mark as I was conducting the in cab portion of the test FAIL. Second time I did the entire test with both tractor and trailer brakes set. Wondered why the examiner was staring at me funny, I think he was trying to get me to notice my mistake. Third time was the charm and passed the rest of the tests with no issues.

Keep practicing your pre trip routine even though your next step is not clear yet. I had an Audi TT that had a couple of buttons that sort of looked like brake buttons. I put red and yellow stickers on them and would sit in the car and practice the air brake tests. My wife thought I was nuts.

I guess I may have said that wrong?

I passed the school all the tests and skills there.

when they brought me to the dmv I failed the air brakes test because I forgot a step. So technically I never even got in the road.

I have finished and passed all the course work. (edlt)

What about the completion certificate from the course to satisfy the Federal Regulations for Entry Level Driver Traning? Not having that = no driving.

Do you have a completion certificate after not passing the driving skills portion?

Thank you for the repy and information.

I researched my options before hand and this was my best choice, with the knowledge I had - so if I had started looking for information with this site (or other truckers that had more time put in) way back in the beginning of this journey I would have maybe had better info to research with.

Unfortunately you are stuck with the option of paying the school for the use of their equipment and driver once they open back up. That IS their backup plan for failure during testing.

Auto insurance is way different than the insurance underwriting for a tractor/trailer. They are also way way more picky about who can operate the insured equipment. The reason Mega Carriers can train, is that they are USUALLY self insured (with catastrophic coverage levels beyond a certain amount.) They are also super picky about requirements to operate their equipment.

Is it possible for your CDLa holder family member to rent a truck/trailer from Penske? Possible. Likely? Not really. They would again have to provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage levels. That is big time money outlay when you are talking about allowing a newbie to drive it, even directly supervised.

This is one of those times where more research would have been helpful up front, but for most people, they don't understand what the really truly important questions and issues are, until it's too late.

Yes. like if I look myself up in the FMCSA site, my name and info comes up as completed and gives my grades/hours for Range, Theory, public road and hazmat theory portion.

I have finished and passed all the course work. (edlt)

What about the completion certificate from the course to satisfy the Federal Regulations for Entry Level Driver Traning? Not having that = no driving.

Do you have a completion certificate after not passing the driving skills portion?

Thanks for looking up all that information!

I have started contacting schools, one so far had answered with they are closed also.

My school is in New Hampshire because all Vermont schools are pretty far away from me, but if I knew the hassle it was gonna be I would have gone that route anyways. NH has different testing requirements and that made it more difficult (as for practicing maneuvers we were gonna be tested on) as well. because of that NH would not allow me to test there (Vermont, on the other hand, had no issues with having results sent in by another state where i was in school).

Do you know if a cdl-a driver is an owner-operator don't they have their own insurance?

our instructor said that Every time we went to drove we were driving with our permit, but also under our instructors license. When we road test we are under the testers license.

so if someone let me use their vehicle to test, they drove it to the test site and I only went on the road with the tester, wouldn't that satisfy the cdl-a licensed driver only driving?

I don't know how tractor trailer insurance works, but our car insurance said to us we can lend our vehicle to any licensed driver we wanted to and the car is still insured. I know I taught 2 people to drive using our vehicles (with learners permits)

My school charges $95/hour so I guess it's comparable to Washington if we're saying 8 hours = 1 day.

Here's the deal - even if you could find a driver willing to let you use their truck the decision isn't theirs to make. As with so many things in this industry it's not the truck's owner who makes decisions about who gets to drive it - it's that person's insurance agent who does. Now, an owner op won't have insurance that will allow someone without a CDL to drive the truck. That leaves a short list of who is insured to let someone without a CDL drive their truck - truck driving schools.

The Vermont DMV says you have FIVE options (six schools, less the one you went to that is closed for the winter). I'd start by contacting the other schools to see how much they would charge you to rent a truck and driver to test at the DMV. It will be spendy - rates are ~$800/day in Washington.

If they all turn you down you're not up the North Fork without a six-pack - you've got two other options. First, go to a company sponsored school. They grease the skids and make it a lot easier to get your CDL. Consider the time and money you've already invested as test prep. Second, is move to a different state. Pick a state where you know someone (relative or friend) that has soft residency requirements. You can, "move" - or go visit aunt Betsy for a month or two then rent a truck from a school in that state to get your CDL. Good luck!

That's horrible news! I know I'm not the only one to fail the road test on the first try. I wish the school had a backup plan for this. Although at this point I wish the school didn't accept me as an out of state learner.

Newsflash... Most mega carriers won't take someone who started a program already and failed. I did have one student who completed a program but never tested and Prime accepted her. But she 1. Completed the program 2. Never tested.