1994 Freightliner FL-70 Air Governor Cut Off And Parking Brake PSI Questions

Hello,

Bit of a long shot here but I'm going to be taking my CDL skills test soon and am running into an issue of my truck not meeting the standards for the test. . Not sure if this only applies to Washington state but according to my state provided CDL study guide the compression check requires that my air governor cut off in the range of 120-140 PSI and for the air test that my parking brake re-engage at approximately 40 PSI. Both have the added note "Or to truck's specifications"

I currently only have access to a 1994 FL-70 for the test but the governor cuts off in the range of 100-110 PSI and I about have to empty the air tank before the parking brake re-engages. I've discussed this with the CDL office and they said they'll only let me test in the truck if it meets their standards or I can prove the truck's specifications list the lower ranges. So my questions would be, first can anyone confirm these ranges for a 1994 FL-70? Second would the owner's manual have this information, and if so where could I acquire a manual? and lastly if I need to get to the DOL's standards is this easily done or would I be looking at costly repairs?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Bob, and welcome to our forum!

First, your post raises a lot of questions. Maybe you don't care to answer them, but I will ask a few anyways.

1) What exactly are you planning on doing with your CDL?

2) Are you not bothering with going to a CDL school?

3) If not, what is your reasoning?

4) It sounds as if you already have your own truck. Are you trying to jump right into the deep water before you even know how to swim?

5) You seem very concerned about the high costs of repairs to your truck. Have you considered what insurance is going to cost you as an inexperienced driver?

according to my state provided CDL study guide the compression check requires that my air governor cut off in the range of 120-140 PSI and for the air test that my parking brake re-engage at approximately 40 PSI.

Okay, now let's talk about those requirements for the truck. The numbers in your CDL manual are standard across the country. The Freightliner FL-70, although a smaller truck than most of us drive, is still subject to those same standards. Since there are no special specifications particular to that truck, you will not find anything in the manual to help you prove anything. It looks like you need to have the air compression system checked out and brought up to legal specifications. I can't really give you an idea of the cost since I can't diagnose the problem from my couch.

Thanks for the fast response! So to answer some of your questions.

I'm a public works employee. My job requires that I have at least a class b endorsement however its mainly so I can drive our plow/sander truck (the FL-70) for the approximate 3 days a year it snows around here, otherwise the biggest thing I drive is a F-550. As for school the short answer is yes I did attend school. The longer answer, which I may detail further after I acquire my CDL , is basically a sad cautionary tale of why you do not go with the cheapest option CDL school. To say the least they've left me in a bind in both training and the vehicle I can test in. Because of this my city is generously letting me continue the training in their truck and giving me some much needed review of vehicle inspection and drive time. I realize I could rent a truck but ideally I'd like to test in the vehicle I'm familiar with.

Since the vehicle is owned by the city the issue isn't so much the cost of getting the truck up to spec but the headache of getting the approvals etc. The vehicle has passed it's yearly state inspection but I'm guessing the standards there may not be as strict as the CDL office? Or perhaps something changed with the vehicle in the past few months. Either way you've provided me the bit of information I can pass along to them and see what they come back with.

Good luck Bob. I hope you can get everything worked out satisfactorily.

Thanks, appreciate the help.

Bob I'm not sure how it goes in Washington state but as long as you test in any commercial truck that requires a Class "B" License you should be good. In New York if you plan to drive a school or passenger bus you must test on those specific vehicles otherwise any commercial vehicle should be fine to test on. When I drove School bus some of my fellow drivers would drive dump trucks during the summer break they didn't have to go through another "Road test" to operate a dump truck. Is it possible that another department in your village / town might have a vehicle that you could use for your road / skills test. Maybe reach out to a neighboring town/ village that could loan your department a vehicle for your test. Never hurts to have your supervisor reach out only thing you risk is getting a No. Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

Hello again,

Wanted to give an update. I've successfully obtained my CDL. We ended up using a newer Peterbilt for the test that met the standards of the CDL office. After a lot of back and forth with their office we could never get a straight answer about how much they adhere to those PSI standards. First they wouldn't budge on it, then it was okay because the truck had already passed it's yearly inspection... and then it wasn't okay again. It seemed to depend on whoever we were speaking to. To save us the headache the director of our department let me use their newest truck and everything went smoothly.

I'd like to say thank you for the help. Having no background in trucking, ending up in a discount school that did not prepare me nearly enough, and having to retrain myself has certainly given me a new respect for truckers and the skill level needed to be one. Additionally everyone I've reached out to for help, including these forums, have been exceptionally helpful and patient.

I will add in case any other newcomers see this, PAY for a good school. The CDL exam is no joke and the examiners expect you to know that vehicle inside an out. If the school gives you a cheat sheet for your exam make sure to compare it to the most current state provided CDL guide. They're free and they tell you exactly what the examiner will be looking for. Its a big red flag if your school omits any of the state's requirements or in my case tells you to ignore critical components of the exam.

Relived this is done. I have some new found confidence after going through it successfully. I won't name my terrible school other than if you are in the greater Seattle area and thinking about getting a CDL... Once again DO NOT go with the cheapest option in town.

Congratulations on getting your CDL.

We continue to not recommend paying for schools, opting instead for company sponsored training.