The Test

I drove to the testing site. Did I mention how much I like to drive? I got checked in and signed some forms. One of the forms was the one that explained the rules for the four maneuvers I was to perform.

First, I took my evaluator through my Pre-Trip Inspection. That went well. Some things the evaluator had a hard time hearing me and asked me to repeat. Other things he asked for more clarification. Like when I was talking about the leaf springs I pointed in the general area where they are located. But he stopped me and asked exactly where they were. So I reached over and touched them. When I asked him to follow me to check the air bags on the trailer he said it wasn’t necessary to check them. (?!) When I talked about the air hoses and lines that are under the hood he asked if I could say it differently. Then when I talked about the reflectors on the trailer he asked several times if there was something else I could say about them. I couldn’t think of much else to say about them except that they were securely mounted and clean. Apparently he wanted something else? Still passed though.

Next was the Air Brakes. Nothing odd to report here. But this was the first time I got to see his poker face. When I was done with the test he asked if there was anything else I wanted to check, creating doubt in my mind. I had been supplied with a checklist for the Pre-Trip and Air Brake Inspections, so I looked over the checklist before saying I was done. I passed.

Next, I pulled the truck around to the driving course. The evaluator would explain before each maneuver what the rules were and that I was to apply the air brakes and blow my horn to signify that I was done. First up was the Forward Stop. I drove the truck straight through the cones and put my front bumper in the two-foot box. Air brakes; horn. Nailed it—I think. The evaluator had no expression on his face and told me to get out of the truck to look. “Good job, you passed.” Whew!

Next was Straight Line Backing. I pulled the truck forward so that the trailer was completely outside of the cones. I then had to back the truck through the cones until my front bumper was outside of the cones on the other side. This maneuver went pretty smooth. It was easy to see that my front bumper had cleared the cones. But still the evaluator had me get out of the truck. “You passed.”

Now it was time for Forward Offset Tracking, the maneuver I just found out about today. The evaluator explained that I was to drive the truck out of the box, putting my right rear trailer tires between the yellow line and the course, ending with my truck parallel to the course. I was really nervous about this maneuver. I just pulled my truck out of the box like I normally do in class—hugging the right rear trailer tires to the front cone marking the boundary of the course. When I exited the box I could not see the yellow line my tires were supposed to be between. My truck wasn’t exactly parallel to either. I kept driving forward to straighten out the truck, but I ran out of room to go forward. The yellow line I am to get my tires between is only about 2-feet in length and runs in a parallel direction with the course. It is positioned at the front of the course and even with the boundary lines. I didn’t know if my tires were supposed to actually end up between the line and the course. I hoped not, because pulling the truck forward to straighten out put me well in front of the course and this yellow line. Having no more room to go anywhere, I saw I had no other option but to be done. Air brakes; horn. I climbed out of the truck and felt defeated. I told the evaluator that I didn’t think I did that right. He told me to relax—“You passed.” Apparently, that yellow line extends in to infinity and my tires were between it. Whew!

Next up: Parallel Parking (aka Reverse Offset Backing). I need to explain some of the rules for this maneuver. I am permitted to get out of the truck to check my position only 2 times. I am permitted to pull my truck forward 2 times. The evaluator helped me straighten out my truck and then I got started. Halfway through the maneuver, I’m swinging the cab of the truck around and I only see 2 cones in my mirror, not 3. Shoot! But now I know how to fix it. And I did. I got to where I could see 3 cones and I liked my position. I began backing into the box and the evaluator blew his whistle and told me to pull forward. Grrr. I must have been too close to the boundary line on my blindside. I pulled forward and tried to reposition myself. I began backing in again and the evaluator again blew his whistle and told me to pull forward. I put on the air brakes and got out to look at what I was doing. My trailer was in fact touching the boundary line on my blindside. (Apparently that is not a critical fail?) I commented to the evaluator that if I pull forward again that that will be my second one. He said yes, but not to worry about it and just do the maneuver. Ok? Getting out and looking helped me see that my angle going into the box was too sharp. So, getting back into my truck I pulled forward and changed my angle. Now I was able to back in and hung the 3 cones. While I was in the box I pulled forward two more times to straighten out the truck. Now I began backing to put my rear bumper in the two-foot box. I was afraid of going back too far, backing past the box, which is a critical fail. So I stopped well short of the box. I used my second get out and look  to see how much further back I needed to go. I was pretty far from the box, like 7 or 8 feet. So I got back in the truck and backed up what seemed liken the appropriate distance. Being out of get out and looks, I applied the air brakes and blew the horn—I was done. I got out and met up with the evaluator at the rear of the truck. The trailer was maybe 3 or 4 inches from being in the box. Depending on where you stood you could say maybe I was on the line, which is what I said. But that is not how the evaluator saw it. He said he hated to do it, but he had to fail me.

He went on to explain the rules and the point system. This particular maneuver is worth 8 points (?). Each time my trailer hit a boundary line I lost a point. I am allowed 2 free pull ups. Any pull ups beyond that cost me a point. And here I thought I failed after two pull ups. Why was I not explained these rules during training? Per the rules, when I blow the horn I am indicating I am done. But as I write this, I wonder had I not blown the horn and got out and looked for a third time would I have just lost a point? Because one more look was all I needed.

I was nervous while testing. I was dreading the parallel parking, knowing that was my wild card. Maybe it was better not to have to do the road drive on a Friday in Gary on a holiday weekend. I test again on Tuesday at noon. I think I’ll be more relaxed knowing what to expect. I also know the rules better. I’ve got this!