Here at Test Questions & Answers, we have everything you need to study and ace your written CDL exam, however, the road test will be another task altogether. Do you have what it takes to drive an 80-ton vehicle under the watchful eye of a CDL Examiner? Sure you do! It just takes some practice, patience, know-how, and an ability to remain calm (or at least appear to) in a high-stakes situation. Here are a few tips to help you survive the experience:

Relax. This is the most often-repeated and possibly most important piece of advice experienced truckers give to new drivers. Maintain your composure no matter what. Part of the exam is testing how you perform under pressure, and how you recover after making a mistake. Often, smaller mistakes such as missing a shift or taking a turn too wide can be forgiven if you handle the situation calmly and quickly correct your driving. The examiner knows you are still new to this, and also realizes that your training will continue with your first trucking company. However, losing your composure is a clear sign that your aren’t cut out for this industry and can result in failure.

Check Your Mirrors. Situational awareness is key in the truck driving industry. It’s critically important that you check your mirrors often to know what is going on around you, and especially before changing lanes. In fact, not checking your mirrors properly before changing lanes can result in an automatic failure. For this reason, don’t just glance but noticeably look at your mirrors so that the examiner can see you are checking them.

Watch the Curbs. Hitting the curb can also be considered an automatic failure. For this reason, if you’re unsure about a turn it’s safer to take it a little wide than to cut it short and end up hitting the curb.

Stopping. Always come to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights, and when you accelerate be sure to do so correctly. Don’t forget where your gears are, and if you do, quickly recover before stalling out. Stalling is an automatic failure, and rolling backward before taking off from a stop is another automatic failure because of its safety implications.

Use Turn Signals. Failing to use your turn signal when changing lanes is another reason for the examiner to fail you.

Remember the Basics. There is a lot of information to remember from your CDL license test, however, don’t forget all the basics from your original drivers license test either! Review things such as right-of-way laws and driver safety.

Keep Your Cool. Just to repeat the relaxation mantra again, we’ll wrap up the list of tips with this age-old advice: Keep your cool. During the test, your examiner may be making marks constantly. Don’t assume they are all bad marks… some may be good marks. And, don’t sweat it if you fail because you can always take the test again.

Remember, if you don’t let the pressure get to you then you’re already ahead of the game. Good luck and safe travels!