Michigan CDL Test, Pull Up's, Goals, How Many And Any Help?

I'm not trucker. I'm a race car guy that is testing for his CDL due to DOT cracking down on our rigs. I'm taking my first skills test next week. I say first because I'm sorta expecting to fail the first one. I've been towing with 70' motorhome/trailer combo's for 20 years all over the Midwest. I've never been required to complete an alley dock and rarely an offset backup...lol. My current motorhome is a 2003 Freightliner Columbia conversion, 310" wb with a 38' gooseneck trailer for 71.5' total.. The motorhome has a single rear axle with the hitch ball 3' behind the rear axle cl. I was struggling with the alley dock due to about 6' of overhang on my trailer. After watching several vids, I can now find spots on my trailer to use while backing and turning to consistently get parallel before entering the cones. My problem is setting up in the same spot every time. I have found if I'm not in a good spot to start, I'm outside of the correction window by the time I get close enough to the cones. I think I can see a front lug nut cover and count the revolutions for decent placement each time. Any suggestions?

Can anyone explain to me the current points system for a Mi skills test? How many pull ups and goals? I'm told its a straight line, two offsets, and the 90 degree alley. Thanks for your time.

I'm a driving instructor with Swift (not a CDL Examiner). We teach the Straight line, Offset and 90/Alley. S-L gets one pull up and GOAL*, the other two get two pull ups and 2 GOALS.

Do search on this forum (search box is on the top left here). Lots of advice. Good luck!!

*Get Out And Look

Thanks. I tried searching, but I found big differences in the time frame of info. Older info seems inaccurate to todays standards. It's fairly confusing.....lol.

I got my first CDLs in Michigan. I'm saying "CDLs" as plural, because I got a bus CDL over 15 years ago, then the Class A CDL in January 2016.

When I took my test for the class A, it was the same as Errol described. But you could use more pull ups and more GOALs - you just got nailed for a point for each extra - and two points if you whacked a cone.

My advice - get as much practice as you can before you go take the test, and be sure that you can absolutely ace everything but the alley dock. That way, if you need to make some extra pull ups and/or GOALs to complete the alley dock, you will be able to afford to lose some points there...just so long as you get it done in a reasonable amount of time, you'll still pass that way, even if you do several pull ups/GOALs while completing that alley dock - and just don't run over the cones. Also, be sure you don't smack curbs or anything else when you are doing the road test (I'm sure you won't have a problem with that due to your experience...I just mention that for the benefit of any new students reading this).

I'm a driving instructor with Swift (not a CDL Examiner). We teach the Straight line, Offset and 90/Alley. S-L gets one pull up and GOAL*, the other two get two pull ups and 2 GOALS.

Do search on this forum (search box is on the top left here). Lots of advice. Good luck!!

*Get Out And Look

Swift doesn't teach parallel?

I got my first CDLs in Michigan. I'm saying "CDLs" as plural, because I got a bus CDL over 15 years ago, then the Class A CDL in January 2016.

When I took my test for the class A, it was the same as Errol described. But you could use more pull ups and more GOALs - you just got nailed for a point for each extra - and two points if you whacked a cone.

My advice - get as much practice as you can before you go take the test, and be sure that you can absolutely ace everything but the alley dock. That way, if you need to make some extra pull ups and/or GOALs to complete the alley dock, you will be able to afford to lose some points there...just so long as you get it done in a reasonable amount of time, you'll still pass that way, even if you do several pull ups/GOALs while completing that alley dock - and just don't run over the cones. Also, be sure you don't smack curbs or anything else when you are doing the road test (I'm sure you won't have a problem with that due to your experience...I just mention that for the benefit of any new students reading this).

I'm a driving instructor with Swift (not a CDL Examiner). We teach the Straight line, Offset and 90/Alley. S-L gets one pull up and GOAL*, the other two get two pull ups and 2 GOALS.

Do search on this forum (search box is on the top left here). Lots of advice. Good luck!!

*Get Out And Look

Thanks. From the Mi CDL manual, it states I will need to complete a straight, both offsets, and 90 degree back ups. No parallel or right turns as other states have. I spent a couple hours last night and completed 5 90 degrees. Two being nearly perfect, the other three I hit one cone. It sounds like I'd be better pulling up than hitting a cone, which I would rather do anyway. Four pull ups ought to get me there with no issues. I know where the front cone should be on the motorhome, but I want at least one GOAL to check the rear trailer placement. Thanks for the help.

Indeed, an extra pull-up is much better than hitting a cone. Consider this - hitting a cone in practice or testing is considered tantamount to hitting someone else's property out in the real world. Of course they use cones instead of say, someone's Mercedes during practice for reason :-). But when you're ready to test....no cones!

Regarding the manual interpretation - they'll have you do one offset in the test, not two...the problem is you won't know which offset it is. The examiner will pick. Also, they will of course have you do multiple right turns, but maybe I am not understanding what you mean by that. As you stated, Michigan doesn't do the parrallel...although for getting along in the world we should know how to do them. In some states a bunch of the rest area parking will be parrallel, and of course we need to do them or something like them from time to time in various locations.

Thanks. From the Mi CDL manual, it states I will need to complete a straight, both offsets, and 90 degree back ups. No parallel or right turns as other states have. I spent a couple hours last night and completed 5 90 degrees. Two being nearly perfect, the other three I hit one cone. It sounds like I'd be better pulling up than hitting a cone, which I would rather do anyway. Four pull ups ought to get me there with no issues. I know where the front cone should be on the motorhome, but I want at least one GOAL to check the rear trailer placement. Thanks for the help.

You'll find once you are "out here", you'll use the extra pull-up to align with the door; centered.

Don asked:

Swift doesn't teach parallel?

If your state exam requires a parallel maneuver then Swift will "teach it".

Swift Academies organize yard skills (backing) by state. You'll be covered...no worries.

Swift Academies organize yard skills (backing) by state. You'll be covered...no worries.

That was then (like when I did the Academy). Now we use a "carousel" that combines the marks for 1: straight line, 2: LEFT offset only, and 3: the dreaded 90° alley dock for all states. Do those three maneuvers and you pass the Skills portion of the CDL exam.

Also, the pre-trip is consolidated to one for all states, too.