Interviewed for a job with Durham this AM, took (and passed) the CDL general knowledge, passenger, and S tests. Should take the DOT physical this week. Has anyone taken the driving test--what does it involve? Just curious--I've driven 1-tons and pulled trailers, but nothing classified as commercial. Ought to be interesting, but wondering what else I could use the Class B CDL for.

 

all depends on what you get. air brakes, haz mat, bus, and a couple of others i cant think of right now. it is good for anything smaller than a tractor and trailer or a pup trailer. i drove a bus for several years, screwed up my whole day, and now i could kill a child with no remorse, i think. if you have kids, it will make you appreciate yours a whole bunch. if you dont have kids, it may make you decide against them!



jim

 

I believe you have to only have a class B to drive a school bus. I have a class A and the driving test wasnt that hard. Up here in KC they take ya too a spot off I-70 and you do the drivin test there. The first one was u had to drive straight thru some lines for about 50 feet then stop and back up without touchin the lines. Each time you touched a line it was a point off.
After that you had to go around a cone with a point system on it and try to get as close to the cone as possiable. The closer the better, but dont knock it over with the tire!!
The third and last test was you stop at a 45 degree after the cone and back into what they called a dry dock. Just some lines on the ground and you had to put your back bumper within 2 feet of the last line. Its just to make like your dockin a truck to be unloaded. I didnt pass my first time but the guy let me take it again right there and i passed with flying colors. I was so damn nervous about it that i did everything wrong!!
Oh i forgot before you take the driving test they made me inspect the truck and tell them what i was checkin and why. Didnt actually have to do it but at least tell them what it was that you would do. I believe on a end dump truck theres over 120 things that you have to point out to check before you drive on the road.

Its a long process to get a CDL and its even harder and more exspensive to get the extra classes like Haz-mat,tanker,doubles and triples but you can take them anytime.If you have any questions just ask,i can do my best to answer them. Ive been driving trucks for 3 years now and can just about teach a person how to drive, in my opinion its easier to drive a big truck then to drive your regular car at times.Anyways just ask if you have any questions!!

Also your class B will get ya to be able to drive a 10 wheeler. Thats a regular dump truck for those that dont know!! We have a guy that only has a B and all he drives is a small dump truck. You need a Class A to drive a Tractor-Trailer in Kansas.

Jeff

 

Yeah, school bus is Class B. I was wondering about dump trucks or something like that--looked like Class B would cover it, anything without a trailer. I looked at the air brake section in the book, and found a few Class B jobs online--most of them want air brake, but nothing more. So I was thinking something like that. Other than another written test, what all do you have to do to get airbrake? Do you have to retake the test in a truck with air brakes, and if so, where could you practice driving first? There's a lot of construction around here and a lot of dump trucks. Or the ever-present garbage truck. Heck of a use for two degrees! Just gotta find somewhere to learn to shift a nine-speed.

 

With a class B your good to drive any truck rated 26,001 lbs and up. The only thing you gain with a class A is the ability to pull a trailer. If all you have to get is the buss endorsement it will be easy. A piece of advice, take the air brakes test if you can. If the school bus thing don't work out, you can always drive a straight truck or dump truck if you wanted. The only down side is if you take the air brakes test you have to take the driven part in a truck with air brakes.

Duane
Southeast Kansas Coordinator
www.fordtoberfest.com

 

Piece of advise for shifting a 9-speed is to either double clutch or use the 1700 RPM rule!!
The 1700 RPM rule is to downshift at 1200 raisin the engine speed 500 RPM's to shift and the upshift to to lower the engine speed by 500 RPMS. If you understadn what im saying. The easiest way is to just double clutch the truck!!

 

You have to duoble clutch for the test anyways.

Duane
Southeast Kansas Coordinator

 

I've had a Class A with Air, Doubles and tripples, Hazmat and Tankers endorsements for about ten years now. Never sit foot back in a big rig since I took my driving test. But if Ryan's was looking for a driver I'd be there in a heart beat!

 

I heard Ryan's doesn't pay their drivers that good. But they get free meals at all the stores. LOL

 

i see tony just don't pay me i just eat for free, i will work for a free meal at ryans

 

That's all I am asking for Rollie. It's in my grand scheme of eating at every Ryan's in the country. Deliver food, eat food. Deliver food, eat food. Deliver food, eat food. What a dream job that would be.

 

Here latelly the big thing is expedited loads. That's the straight trucks you see with the big sleeper. They are usually team drivers. Shippers like them because you get a cheaper rate than you would on an LTL (less-than-loaded) load and they get there alot quicker cuz you don't have to make a bunch of stops. I hear the pay is like 60-65 cents a mile for O/O drivers.

Duane
Southeast Kansas Coordinator
www.fordtoberfest.com

 

I have a class A CDL. Used to have combination and haz mat endorsement. I let those drop though. Had to get them to work on the farm hauling chemicals. Anyway, when I took the test and passed, the examiner asked if I wanted class A combination. I said not really but they said I passed the written part for for the upper class. I took the liscence and have never set foot in a tractor trailer!!!

Mark

 

Back in the OLD days b4 the new system you had to have a class A to haul people and to get one of those you had to be 21. I got a Class B back back when I was 20 and all the concrete company had to do was call the examiner and send me down to take the written test. A class A came at 21 and I drove buses with that. When the rules were changed I fell thru a crack in the grandfather clause and would have had to take the test. Unfortunately I did not have access to a vehicle to take the test with at that time. I have a plan to buy a CDL truck in a few years so I will have to take the test.

 

Fordnut i didnt double clutch for my test. Hell i never use the clutch but to stop and go!! They wasnt so concern about me clutchin as they was with both hands on the wheel. I got a habit of one on the wheel and one on the shifter!! Never know when you'll need to slow down with the drivers up here. Someday when we all get together ill have to tell ya some horror stories about some of the junk ive drove and what happened!! Thats an interesting conversation piece!!