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Getting ready to take both my written and skills test for a Class A Exempt (non-CDL) Texas license. Other than the Texas driving handbook, can anyone recommend a site that will help me with the test questions? And, since I have a big rig in the form of a fifth wheel that I pull with a semi truck, what kind of skills in Texas will they expect me to demonstrate? For instance,  will there be an air test I have to perform? 

I just now found David & Cheryl's post on the subject that was posted in this forum in 2016. It has been updated. Excellent post answering most of my questions that I have requested here. Specifically, there are still a couple of concerns my wife and I have about the skills test. Does anyone out there have any dealings with the Waco test site. We live in Waco, and we are apprehensive about testing in the city.  Also, David and Cheryl recommended that we study the section in the handbook on air brakes, but did not mention whether or not we might be asked to perform an air test. We are driving a mid sized Freightliner with air ride suspension and brakes. Being newbies, any help would be appreciated.

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On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 6:36 AM, mlsj2009 said:

We are driving a mid sized Freightliner with air ride suspension and brakes.

When we took our Class A non-CDL written and driving test in Van Horn, TX, our Freightliner had air brakes, but they asked us no questions about it, either on the written test or during the driving test.  That doesn't mean, of course, that the people in Waco won't do so.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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21 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

To be honest about it, whether the test has questions on air brakes or not, you should both study and understand how they work for your own safety. The life you save might be mine :)

Thanks for the good advice. I have, I will, and I do. I am studying Sections 2, 5, 6 and 14 for this particular test. In addition, I am reading the entire manual and have taken all the practice CDL tests online. I want every advantage I can get and don't want to waste my time if I accidentally mess us and fail the test. And yes, failing won't be the end of life or a necessary waste, but I want to be rewarded for my hard work. Driving one of these big boys is an awesome responsibility, one in which I take very seriously. I use to pull John Deere tractors and 15' bat-wing mowers attached on a flat bed goose neck trailer  with a 1 ton dually for commercial work, and I drove school buses when I was young, so I have had some experience with bigger vehicles but nothing exactly like this. I have driven this unit in states that don't require a special license to drive these and have about 800-900 miles worth of driving time. And I spend a lot of time learning to back it on my storage center parking lot. Having had long trailers and big boats, backing is similar and I am a good backer, but practicing never hurts. Believe it or not, all of this I have just written to you is true. So, here is hoping, Georgia-Hybrid, we don't accidentally meet in a bar ditch some day. I will do my best if you do yours. Thanks again for the comments. ALL help is appreciated.

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4 hours ago, LindaH said:

When we took our Class A non-CDL written and driving test in Van Horn, TX, our Freightliner had air brakes, but they asked us no questions about it, either on the written test or during the driving test.  That doesn't mean, of course, that the people in Waco won't do so.

Thanks Linda. Both my wife and I grew up in West Texas and met and married in Lubbock. I am very familiar with Van Horn. Use to hunt close to there when I was a kid. Still a country boy at heart I guess, these cities scare me with all the different little agendas generating all at once. But we survive Austin for 3 years, having to drive 1.5 hours each way to work for the first 12 months of it. After starting this post, I found a post written by David and Chryl that covered 99% of questions I had. Their answers removed 99% of my anxiety, so thanks for all of you for your help and David & Cheryl for their hard work. Happy Travel. Maybe we will see you on the road or at some Escapee function some day soon, but we can't go until I pass the dang test. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

fear not.

i have been driving big rigs for over 30 years. with 100eds of miles backing up. the testing is the fear point. other than that when on the rd fools love to cut you off. just try and keep a living zone out front. 

backing. well i can park a rig most anyplace. just please do not ask me to  park my pu truck at a curb.  🙀

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After reading your post ....I realized that most of us.....and alot more of us over think this testing thing.  I'm in North Carolina and I took my class A test this past summer....and passed.  The examiner asked me to explain the airbrake process, not perform it. An then asked me to take the rig down the road and follow where he told me to go....1st turn was to the right and HEY...looky there...a R/R crossing.  Note...slow down and when you cross do not change any gears.  It's a fail if you change a gear going across a R/R track.  Be sure to tell the examiner why you are doing this because alot of accident's happen changing gears on R/R crossings.  Then we drove down to the stop sign, made the stop, made a right turn, drove about a mile and made another right turn and behold...another R/R crossing and then on to a stop sign that he told me to make a right turn and there was the license examiner station where we had started 10 minutes ago.  He said...Well done, let's go inside and get your license.  The point here is that I tried to cover everything in the book and as many of us often do.. we over think the problem.  Texas is not I believe that much different than North Carolina when it comes to testing in the realm of a class A non CDL.  If you read up on the airbrake section and here I can't over stress this...be humble and agreeable..be polite.  These guys are slammed with work every day and I'm sure they can get pretty stressed out.  If you can show them that you can work with them...they will do their best to work with you.    Best of luck hope to see you out there on the road.

Ben/Chief 916

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

mlsj,

If you haven't already taken the written test----it covers Sections 6 and 14 only.  I just completed it in Livingston with minimum of study time online, missed 2 questions on each test.  TX requires knowledge of combination towing, that is the harder part.  Don't believe you will have any problem with the written part, I take the driving part this Wed, also in Livingston.  There is an online free sample testing site available, and it helped.

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