TO "B" OR NOT TO BE ?




 

Examiner's touch screen

 With all the research done I'm committed to the 8 hour drive to Denver to try for the CDL "B". So Monday
drive up and then be ready for one hour of instruction and free driving before taking the 3 part test. It
looks like I'll be using a 35 foot coach fitted with air brakes so I'll need the hour to find out where
everything is so that I can point it all out to the Examiner on the Pre Trip Inspection. Phase 2 of the test
is 3 out of 4 reversing tests, so again a little brush up on their test course and make sure I don't hit too
many cones! Finally if I haven't scattered the parking lot with cones on their sides I get to drive on the
road for the final portion of the test.

 Collect all the necessary tools to do the inspection, pressure guage, tread depth thingey, tire kicker,
flashlight and of course the oiley rag. Now time to study the "What I'll be looking for section" and get
that portion of the homework done.

 The time has come so just after 11 I'm on the road for 400 miles of Colorado's fall scenery, although as
I leave its cloudy, very windy and spitting with rain. Good thing we took the "fall pics" when we did as the
wind and nightly frost are ravaging the trees and the colors have changed quite markedly as I drive
across to Durango. A long and incident free drive despite a lot of road works, flagmen and single file
roads. Still a major improvement in a lot of areas where the eyeballs had previously been running
round their sockets like roulette balls. Out of Pagosa and up Wolf Creek Pass and thick cloud and
strong winds and as I get closer to the summit a dusting of snow everywhere and the temp has now
dropped to 37F. Over the top in light snow and pick up the 285 northbound to Denver. More passes,
more snow and rain and eventually come out of the mountains for the last 30 miles of freeway to the
night stop. Dusk driving amid the spray is not pleasant and big city driving seems to be as lunatic as
ever. At 7 I pull into the hotel and I'm ready for some food and a good night's rest. Nice hotel and there is
even a Chinky with free delivery!

 Very impressed with Brenda's hotel selection. Huge comfortable bed, the Chinese wasn't bad and the
coffee is halfway decent. So suitably refreshed and continental breakfast on board set off for the CDL
College of Knowledge. Only 2 miles and, Oh yes, plenty of railway tracks so we know that will feature on
the test!

 In I go and sign in and get set up with an Instructor and my 1 hours worth of time on the vehicle. Out of
the building and amid all the puddles, as apparently it had rained all day yesterday, there sits my
"test" vehicle.................




 

Yikes! Not quite what I was expecting

 I had been expecting a pretty NEW coach a la "Tour Market" as they show in their brochure..........
however that was just an example of what you "COULD" drive if you pass the test. Lady examiner
/instructor takes me through all the Pre-Drive Inspection both inside and out of this old school bus and
it is similar to many of the vintage trucks I bought when I first started the UP-Grading company and
couldn't afford anything new.



 
The One in the brochure !

 Amid the puddles there are some concrete ramps where the 18 wheelers are shuffling about between
the cones with the incessant back up bleepers going full cry. Soon its time for me to fire up the steam
engine and roll round onto the pads and have a go at their "Skills Tests". No1 is fairly simple just drive
down a straight line through 2 sets of cones and stop when through. Then reverse all the way back
through the cones. Obviously without a trailer this is fairly straight forward. Next up is the "S" turn then
reverse, which entails coming out of your "garage" do a S turn to the right then reverse into another
"garage" alongside the one you just left. Again not that difficult and despite my earlier reservations the
old girl has a pretty good lock and the power steering works well with no steering wheel hunting on full
lock. Now the final test........ parallel park the bus in an area about 10 feet longer than the monster. Lady
examiner/instructor shows how and tells me it doesn't have to be pretty! So it seems as long as most of
it is "in" then thats all that can be done. I have a few goes at this a find a couple of "datum" markers
which I will try and remember for the actual test.



 

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep

 I thought that was the end of it but lady examiner is back and says we will go for a quick drive so off we
go and needless to say that railway track is in play for the first part of the preview. With this thing you
have to get round a left turn at the traffic lights, getting in the correct lane, then cancel the turn signals,
put on the flashers and stop 15' before the tracks. Then do the left, rights and set off and when clear of
the tracks cancel the hazard warners. A bit more round the blocks driving with the heap and an
accelerator which has a 200lb spring on it !!! All done and back in the yard and park amid the cones.


 Enter new examiner stage left, ....... "are you ready?" ....... and so it begins ........." whether tis nobler to
suffer etc, etc,"


 
 Examiner explains what he wants for the Pre Drive Inspection and I get out my crib sheet and I'm
immediately told "None of that!"....... one of my books says you can use the sheet as you go round a bit
like an aircraft pre flight check list so that you DON'T forget anything but it seems Colorado want you to
do everything from memory. Now bearing in mind if you fail any portion of this 3 part test you can't
re-take it for 3 days! He tells me we can wait or do it another day but I insist that I'm ready and let battle
commence. First up general inspection of bus.... anything obvious, then the front of the vehicle and all
its lights and what I will be looking for when they are lit up. Next up with the hood, and having memorized
lady/teach blow through, start at the block and work outwards to the wheel. So through that lot then
round the other side doing the same all the way out to the suspension, steering box and wheel and tire.
So far so good, don't think I missed anything. His next request is the entrance way, quickly through that
and now through the passenger compartment behaving like an airline hostie showing all the
emergency exits and checking the o'head bins etc. Finally get to sit down and go through all the pre trip
checks on engine and equipment and of course the airbrakes checks which have to be correct or its an
automatic FAIL.

 Congrats! you have passed the Pre Drive Inspection. 1 down 2 to go!!




 

C'mon Bill

 Now for the Skills Tests. First one explained and I'm told drive forward through the line of cones
stopping with your bumper over 2 yellow lines which are 18 inches apart. Hmmmm! well there is a huge
fish eye mirror mounted up front so I guess I'll use that, and by the way you have to do it in one go and
when the wheels stop thats it. Trundle through and gently stop using the big mirror. Now reverse all the
way and old faithful stays on course without any steering required. Good !

 Next is the garage game and that works well now I'm getting used to the lock on this thing. The back
wall of the "garage" is removed and I'm told where to stick the bus. With the bus in the original garage
some cones are removed and other placed in various positions. Time for the "Not pretty" Parallel
parking game. This has to be completed in one single manoeuvre with no adjusting. I line up on my
datums and all seems to go well coming in through about a 30-40 cut at the box. Wait until the front
mirror shows the edge cone for the box then go on full lock and watch the cone come across the mirror
leaving the bus in that position as per lady Instructors demonstration.......... PASS on the skill test.


 Time for the biggee! Any screw ups on Railroad tracks or striking the curb with a wheel is an automatic
FAIL. OK, understood so off we go and sure enough the first section is the railroad crossing that I did on
the practice. Meet the classic dumbarse coming head on at the traffic lights with his left turn on but
comes straight through the intersection. Elect to go for a non stop talking commentary which seems to
impress the examiner. Lots of turns, lane changes, out on the freeway, more lane changes and back
into the round the block driving and then a simulated emergency pull off. Signal, pull over, stop, cancel
signal, flashers on, brakes on, neutral etc. Drive away, keep the wheel straight with turn signal on, pull
out, signal off and resume. Nearly over, and now back to the yard and back across the railroad one
more time then turn right at the lights.............. CONGRATULATIONS!!!



 

The day is done

 CDL B license in hand I can now get on the road with an ETA of around 2200 at home base. A lot of
police around but traffic is fairly light and an incident free drive and not a deer or elk to be seen, but hey,
it is hunting season and they are not that stupid.


TONY DOWN