Month: March 2018

Updated November 2019

A lot of students are concerned with what will happen if they fail their CDL Exam. The truth is you are not alone. Many people have failed their CDL tests for a number of reasons. Some are not great test takers or some just get nervous. If you do happen to fail your CDL test, we are here to answer your questions and help you pass the next time!

1. Can I retake my CDL exam?

The answer is yes! In California, you can retake your CDL test up to three times with the same permit. If you do not pass the exam in three tries, you will need to obtain a new permit and start all tests over again.

2. Do I need to retake the written test?

No. In California, as long as you are still within your three attempts, once you pass a portion of the test, you will only need to retake the portions you failed. However, if you fail more than three times, you will be required to get a new permit which means starting the testing all over again.

3. How long do I have to wait before retaking the CDL exam?

3 Days. Failing either the written or driving portion of the CDL exam will mean that you have to wait three full days before you are eligible to retake the test. You can take your test again on the fourth day or wait as long as you would like to feel prepared.

4. What should I study?

The best way to study is to review your state’s CDL Exam section on the Department of Motor Vehicles webpage. They will give you details about what you will be tested on for the road test and the written exam. This is an excellent resource to help prepare you, so don’t let it go to waste. Additionally, be sure to understand which items would get you automatically disqualified.

Find California’s DMV CDL Road Test, Vehicle Inspection Test, and Written Test information here.

5. What skills should I practice?

Make sure to get yourself in a truck and especially practice:

• Straight Line Backing
• Offset Backing Right & Left
• Alley Dock
• Parallel Park Driver Side and Conventional

The test examiner is not looking to trick you during the exam. If you have practiced, be confident in the knowledge you have learned.

6. Study what you did wrong.

The good news about failing the test is that you already know what to expect when you go in to take it again. You will know the spot(s) in which you need to get right in order to pass. United Truck Driving School, is here to help you pass your test. Let us know the areas you need to work on and we will help you.

Passing the test on the first try is not always easy. Plenty of talented drivers have failed the CDL Test on their first attempt. It is not as big of a deal as you may think. Contact us today to learn more about our services and training options to help get you started at a full-time truck driver.

Updated March 2020

Though trucking is often viewed as a man’s job, women have started to enter the field, and for good reason. On the road, women and men have the most equal footing of any job in the country. Throughout history, women have showcased how gender means nothing when it comes to hauling freight.

Women who Paved the Way

Luella Bates

Luella drove a Class B truck for the Four Wheel Drive (FWD) Auto Corporation in 1918 through 1922 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. When she started with FWD, she was a test driver and the corporation used her and other women to prove that ‘anyone’ could drive a truck. After WWI was over, Luella was one of few women who kept her job and continued driving. In 1920 Bates was the first woman to receive a truck driver’s license in New York.

Lillie Elizabeth McGee Drennan

Lillie is often credited as the first female truck driver. During Drennan’s second marriage, she became a truck driver. After her divorce, she got sole ownership of the Drennan Truck Line. Lillie was licensed in 1929, but not without a fight. She had a hearing impairment and was told that was why she was unable to get a license to drive a truck. Not one to walk away, she argued that the real reason was discrimination because she was a woman. Once she succeeded in getting licensed, she sometimes drove up to 48 hours at a time!

Adriesue “Bitsy” Gomez

Bitsy was a big part of the 1970s Coalition of Women Truck Drivers. She drove at a time when feminism was in its infancy. Bitsy was and remains an amazing woman who loved trucks her whole life, and fought for the rights of herself (and women as a whole) on the road.

Your Time is NOW!

As you can see from this small taste of women in trucking history, women have always been on the road hauling freight. More women are in trucking now than ever before.

The American Trucking Association (ATA) is expecting a severe shortage of drivers over the next few years. As baby-boomers retire, jobs continue to increase. Many companies are working to recruit more women to their team! As one company put it, the “biggest problem regarding women drivers is finding enough of them.”

If you’re ready to take that next step and begin your CDL Training, contact us today. It’s time for you to join the amazing group of women who are already a part of the trucking industry. United Truck Driving School would love to help you begin your new career. Your time is NOW!