CRST Expedited Trucking School And Training Program Cedar Rapids, IA. A (re) Training Diary By Millionmiler24

Millionmiler not to worry. Not sure of the official statistics but a high percentage of students require two attempts before passing.

My only advice is try to relax and not stress over it. You've done this before.

As far as your explanation of executing a turn with two turning lanes, you are correct; always use the outside most lane unless specified otherwise; right turn stay in left most lane, left turn stay in right most lane. The outside lane turning radius is less sharp allowing additional space to execute the turn with less risk of obstructing with traffic in the lane next to yours. At least in the PA CDL manual, this guidance is clearly indicated.

Good luck today!

I feel your pain, I almost impeded traffic myself during my driving test. At a stop sign, I forgot to go back to low range and tried to take off in 10th instead of 5th, but I caught it quickly. The tester told me at the end that it almost failed me. Y'all only have 47 items on pretrip? We have 93, I thought I had nailed it, but only got 78 of them. But that was good enough and I'll take it. Good luck to you today, the nerves shouldn't be as bad the second time around. You'll do great!

... We were taught to always use the lane farthest to the right when it's a multiple lane turn lane, whether we're turning left or right. ..,

Really? So, on a right turn, with 2 turn lanes, you use the inside/right-most lane?

... We were taught to always use the lane farthest to the right when it's a multiple lane turn lane, whether we're turning left or right. ..,

Really? So, on a right turn, with 2 turn lanes, you use the inside/right-most lane?

Old Rookie please read my response to Millionmiler. I fundamentally disagree with Susan's reply.

06/29/2017:

Well today, the usual: wake up at 0500, go board 1st shuttle to NADTA, and then wait for practice before my road test retake today. Anyway enough of the leading facts, lets get right into it.

Yall arent going to like this but I screwed up AGAIN. This time for an even DUMBER reason: I got the curb with my steer tire on the FIRST right turn out of the yard. He had me make the block around and back to the yard it was for me. That was yet another AUTOMATIC FAIL. The last 2 attempts now at this road test God has not been on my side and frankly it scares me. I know what got me though: The one thing that gets everyone: NERVOUSNESS. I don't know how to not be so nervous out there. It just seems to me that if you make even ONE LITTLE mistake its an AUTOMATIC FAIL. I swear I really believe those are a DOT examiners favorite words in the English language. I would hope it would be YOU PASSED but I guess not. Oh well. Its TOTALLY MY FAULT. I OWN UP TO IT. I let my NERVES get the best of me. Well there is always tomorrow and I sure hope I can prove the old adage true: The 3rd time is the CHARM. Anyway, I am so bummed out right now, I just don't know what to think. Oh well there are people at this school who it took them 9 attempts to pass that road test because they keep failing due to trivial Automatic fails. One of my roommates finally passed today on his 7th attempt at that road test. I am more than likely going to be here a while. I am just going to have to accept it and take it with pride. I WILL get this LICENSE, I will PROMISE you all THAT. It may take a few attempts, but IT WILL HAPPEN. Anyway I am going to close out this update. Until tomorrow: Remember: Every day is a good day and stay SAFE out there at ALL TIMES.

Okay...maybe time for some tough love.

OMG WAKE UP!

Cracking the curb with your steer tire is not nerves and it's not a little mistake either. My take,... you are distracted beyond reason, focused on your nerves, screwing-up, and failure. Negative energy...all of it. Focus...focus, focus on the positive, drive the truck! Your single-minded laser focus can be on nothing else but driving the truck; safely all the way out of the yard, on the road course, and all the way back into the yard until you turn the motor off. F**k the nerves...put your game-face on, block out all the head-trash and do not let anything distract you from driving that truck.

To be clear, the instructor does not want to flunk you...nothing could be further from the truth, nonsense. However when you crack the curb with a steer tire on the way out of the yard, you give them no choice, zero options. You are sending a message to them; "I do not know what I am doing and I am not in control of my rig". I too would have turned you around. This isn't new to you (at least it shouldn't be), why are you having such a problem with it? You drove OTR for 2.5 years??? Right? There is nothing to be nervous about, you know how to drive a truck, this is all review for you. Just drive it.

Stop making promises to us. We are not the problem and should be the least of your concerns, it's all about you and you getting this done. Dig deep my friend, you need to get a grip on this situation and stop back sliding. Maybe the solution is to step back; get your head straight, re-evaluate, deep-breath, and get a days worth of practice to regain some confidence before you subject yourself to yet another test.

I am not trying to be mean...but coddling you, telling you it will be okay? It ain't working.

Okay...maybe time for some tough love.

OMG WAKE UP!

Cracking the curb with your steer tire is not nerves and it's not a little mistake either. My take,... you are distracted beyond reason, focused on your nerves, screwing-up, and failure. Negative energy...all of it. Focus...focus, focus on the positive, drive the truck! Your single-minded laser focus can be on nothing else but driving the truck; safely all the way out of the yard, on the road course, and all the way back into the yard until you turn the motor off. F**k the nerves...put your game-face on, block out all the head-trash and do not let anything distract you from driving that truck.

To be clear, the instructor does not want to flunk you...nothing could be further from the truth, nonsense. However when you crack the curb with a steer tire on the way out of the yard, you give them no choice, zero options. You are sending a message to them; "I do not know what I am doing and I am not in control of my rig". I too would have turned you around. This isn't new to you (at least it shouldn't be), why are you having such a problem with it? You drove OTR for 2.5 years??? Right? There is nothing to be nervous about, you know how to drive a truck, this is all review for you. Just drive it.

Stop making promises to us. We are not the problem and should be the least of your concerns, it's all about you and you getting this done. Dig deep my friend, you need to get a grip on this situation and stop back sliding. Maybe the solution is to step back; get your head straight, re-evaluate, deep-breath, and get a days worth of practice to regain some confidence before you subject yourself to yet another test.

I am not trying to be mean...but coddling you, telling you it will be okay? It ain't working.

You are 100% right. I totally agree with everything you are saying here. Sorry if I made you mad sir, that was not my intention.

G-Town, I will take that post and engrain it into my head when I am doing my practice drive tomorrow and make those words work for me. I will talk with the instructors and see if after my practice drive tomorrow if they will hold off on retesting me until the next day. Its all up to their discretion on that.

Not mad at you, far from it. Again, please focus and worry about you.

Not mad at you, far from it. Again, please focus and worry about you.

Yes sir, will do. Thanks again. I appreciate it.