Profile For Grant G.

Hi guys, you might remember my post a couple weeks ago where I stated that I was having difficulty downshifting. I'm definitely better at doing it now, as I passed the road test and now have my class A license!

I'm supposed to start a job with Roehl next month, and one of the things I'm seeing on the forms I have to sign is "Qualification Day" which includes passing the drug tests and updating the DOT physical if needed. Then it mentions a pre-work screening to determine if I meet the physical requirements for the job. What are the physical requirements typically for someone who will be doing dry van loads?

Hi guys, I've known about these forums for some time but haven't created an account till now so I could post this:

I'm currently in CDL school, and from what I've noticed, the 2 biggest issues I have that could prevent me from passing the road test are my ability to make turns wide enough, and downshifting into 5th gear. For the turning issue, I just need more practice with it so the trailer doesn't hit the curb, but for the shifting issue, I have attempted to down shift into 5th gear multiple times with no luck. I know the order for downshifting is: Clutch in, shifter to neutral--> rev engine to appropriate RPM (10-15 on the tachometer)--> clutch in, shifter to gear. And with 5th gear, I know to put the splitter down before getting out of 6th.

I don't have to downshift like this very often, as in most cases, I end up stopping the truck in 6th gear and resetting to my starting gear while stopped, bypassing 5th gear for slowing down. The main scenario that would require me to downshift to 5th gear is when I have to make a sharp turn without coming to a complete stop, such as when I have a green light that doesn't turn red before I make my turn.

In EVERY situation I have been in on recent times behind the wheel that would've failed me on the road test, all my problems stemmed from having to down shift into 5th gear to make a turn. I mentioned what should ideally happen if things go right, but what usually ends up happening is I'll put the splitter down, clutch to neutral, rev the engine, then when I try to put the truck in gear, I end up grinding gears and get flustered since part of me wonders if I was attempting 3rd gear rather than 5th, or I didn't rev the engine enough/too much, I didn't push the clutch in enough/too much, or something else. I'm the only student that seems to have a problem with downshifting to 5th gear, as everyone else I've seen has done it no problem. Any advice on how to get a 10 speed into 5th gear when shifting down? Thanks in advance.