My Progress Becoming A Truck Driver

I passed the following: In-Cab, Air Brakes, Tug Tests, Service Brake Test, Trailer Pre Trip, Straight Line, Offset to the right, Conventional Parallel park.

I failed the road test. I kept stalling and I stalled OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. It's like everyone says this is the easiest part to test. For me, it was the hardest. I am going to retest on the 5th of November, hopefully, I'll pass this time around.

Why do you think you are stalling so much? It sounds correctable. Is there anyway to practice leading up to the 5th?

It's always the take off. Once the truck starts moving I upshift and downshift smoothly. My biggest problem is getting the truck to GO, especially on inclines. I have to get this right and if the truck is going to stall I need to learn how to recover before it stalls.

It's always the take off. Once the truck starts moving I upshift and downshift smoothly. My biggest problem is getting the truck to GO, especially on inclines. I have to get this right and if the truck is going to stall I need to learn how to recover before it stalls.

What gear are you starting in?

What gear are you starting in?

4th or 3rd gear...

What gear are you starting in?

4th or 3rd gear...

OK, IMO 3rd maybe, fourth definitely not on a hill, even if empty. I assume you are driving an 8 or 10 speed, yes?

You might want to try starting in second, especially if on a grade until you develop an intuitive feel for your truck.

Start in 2nd I could try that next time I am on the road with a truck. Thank you very much for the advice. :)

I agree start in 1st or 2nd and if you feel the truck start to stall engage the brakes and the clutch slide into a lower gear and try again.

Start in 2nd I could try that next time I am on the road with a truck. Thank you very much for the advice. :)

How is this working for you? Able to practice?

While practicing today the instructor urged me to use 3rd gear. While attempting to take off he stopped me and said,

"Do you feel the rumble?" I was like, "What rumble?" "You don't feel that rumbling?" "No?" "Push the clutch all the way in." So I push the clutch in. "Do you hear the engine?" "yes" "slowly let up the clutch until the engine changes tone" I let up slowly and as soon as the tone changed I held the clutch in place. "that's the sound of the engine engaging, let's try you taking off in 3rd" So we spent about an hour driving in different conditions at different places and I was taking off perfectly at every spot. I even accidentally took off in fifth gear on a small incline. What was happening was, what I thought was the rumbling everyone was talking about was the beginning of the STALL and releasing the brake did nothing because the truck was stalling out. I was quite thrilled to learn about the engine tone change. I am quite thrilled over that discovery! The other instructor said, "You could have told me you didn't feel it rumbling!" I just looked at him... What I thought was the rumble wasn't the rumble, the other instructor tried something a little different and it WORKED.

Glad the lightbulb came on for you. Good luck and keep us posted.