I Didn't Pass My Skills Test In Vermont

I was in school and took my skills test at the end of the course, I messed up on my air brakes and failed.

Now I have a CDL-A learners permit, a bunch of endorsements, plus money paid to tsa for a background check, a certificate and some college credits and a bunch of money paid out and no cdl-a.

I have no access to a tractor-trailer and my school is shut down until may. I can wait and pay them $95 an hour, but I really don't want to wait 4+ months, with no driving practice and go in to test being unprepared.

I live in very rural northern Vermont, this is not a major trucking hub.

Does anyone have any ideas for me about finding a truck.

I have put a note up at work (corner store, with lots of traffic)

I have posted the following on Facebook:

"I'm looking for someone who has a tractor-trailer and has their CDL-A and would be willing to let me use their truck for my road skills test in St Johnsbury.

I have had my CDL-A permit since September and have doubles-triples and tanker endorsements.

Please let me know if you can and how much you would need in compensation."

My brother said if I could get a truck he'd take me, since he has his cdl-a, but he works pretty far from me and for a mega-carrier so using their truck is out of the question.

Try company sponsored training. Its a step back but not a bad step back. Prime, Swift, Millis, Wilson, Continental Express, Stevens(possible), Schneider, etc Look thru this entire site, loads of info.

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!

It would benefit you greatly to pursue a company paid/sponsored program, as suggested above.

1) you failed your skills test so you could use some more instruction and practice.

2) company sponsored programs are free and you get paid a modest amount while attending. Also, they provide accommodations and most of your food.

3) upon successfully completing the program, you have a job with that company. Usually you have to agree to stay with the company under contract to avoid any cost to you.

Since your brother has a CDL you could possibly rent a truck and trailer from someone like Ryder or Penske. Don’t know if they would rent to individuals and I’m sure it would be expensive.

Your best bet would be to find a testing facility that rents equipment. Don’t think it would have to be in Vermont.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!