Texas Class A road test question

[paulbeauchemin]

I moved my residence to Texas in December and applied for a Class A exempt license. (Drive a 40' 5th Wheel with total weight over 26,001 lbs).

Took the road test in Texas City in Jan and the woman testing me failed me.

Took me 3 tries to parallel park and I touched the curb
I touched a curb on one of my turns
I entered the opposing lane on many of my turns

Most of the course was in a residential neighborhood with very narrow streets. My roof sustained damage from low hanging trees which I was unable to avoid.

Question is this. For those of you who drive something long 40' or more - how do you make a turn without entering the opposing traffic lane?

1- if there is no car waiting at a light, I can stay inside the turning lane and enter opposing lane after I execute the turn
2- If I see a car waiting, I always swing a little into the opposing lane before I make the turn - don't see any way to avoid this

I'm not clearing the curb by much more than a few inches, so i see no way to not at some point go in an opposing lane.

Any suggestions on how you take turns in a long rig to pass this test?

[wannavolunteerF]

Does no one else besides me, think parallel parking with a trailer of any type should not be expected? Is that really required? I wouldn't dare try to parallel park with a trailer, and prefer not doing it even with just my truck. Most times I would park easy and safely and walk a little extra distance.

[Bill_Satellite]

sayoung wrote:
Maybe you shouldn't be driving this big a rig. Did you not study the handbook ? I found the driving test the easiest part and I also had to go down a narrow residential street.

Maybe you should read the handbook about not being rude to a stranger? Additionally, the handbook has exactly NOTHING to do with the road test.

[2gypsies1]

CONGRATULATIONS! KNEW YOU COULD DO IT. 🙂 Thanks for coming back with your outcome.

[paulbeauchemin]

sayoung wrote:
Maybe you shouldn't be driving this big a rig. Did you not study the handbook ? I found the driving test the easiest part and I also had to go down a narrow residential street.

Test was easy in Brownsville

[sayoung]

Maybe you shouldn't be driving this big a rig. Did you not study the handbook ? I found the driving test the easiest part and I also had to go down a narrow residential street.

[2gypsies1]

Personally, I think you'll do just fine if you re-take it in another town. It's not right that the tester took you in a narrow-streeted residential area - a place that you would never take a big RV and she should have known that. Believe it or not, most RVers have 'some' common sense! 🙂

[Bill_Satellite]

You can't legally drive that RV in any State without a proper license from the State where you reside. So, if you plan to keep a TX drivers license you MUST get the Class B add-on.

[paulbeauchemin]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Sorry you are so far South in TX. Livingston would likely much more RVer friendly. I took the test in Bryan/College Park and there were no neighborhood streets, no parallel parking and no low hanging branches.

We were in Livingston in late Nov to get license but have been moving south with the weather. Scheduling road tests its usually 5-6 weeks out or 100's of miles away

Currently in Port Isabel and test scheduled next week in Westlaco - 68 miles away.
If I don't pass, I won't return to Texas for a long time.

[Bill_Satellite]

Sorry you are so far South in TX. Livingston would likely much more RVer friendly. I took the test in Bryan/College Park and there were no neighborhood streets, no parallel parking and no low hanging branches.

[MDKMDK]

paulbeauchemin wrote:

MDKMDK wrote:
Should be similar to what a semi rig with a 53' trailer does.

Left turn.....
Left turn

Right turn.....
Right turn

I think you have to "go long" before you actually start to turn, which means you will traverse the oncoming lanes of traffic nearest to your target lane for completing the turn. It's unavoidable in a long rig. I can't see how they can fail anyone for that.

Thanks - very helpful

No problem. Good luck with it.
Agreed on testing elsewhere, if possible, but either way you'll have to do as the CDL drivers do, and "go long" before you start to turn. Just make sure the near side on coming/left turn lanes are clear first. :B
Also agree, trying to parallel park a 40' rig. Not as easy as it looks. :E

[paulbeauchemin]

MDKMDK wrote:
Should be similar to what a semi rig with a 53' trailer does.

Left turn.....
Left turn

Right turn.....
Right turn

I think you have to "go long" before you actually start to turn, which means you will traverse the oncoming lanes of traffic nearest to your target lane for completing the turn. It's unavoidable in a long rig. I can't see how they can fail anyone for that.

Thanks - very helpful

[paulbeauchemin]

nevadanick wrote:
#2 in your list isnt allowed. You have to wait until you can make the turn without doing that.

I think that is the issue.

In my common sense world - if there is no oncoming traffic and the lane I'm turning into has cars stopped - it makes sense to me to pull into opposing lane. Rather than sitting there blocking traffic behind me

[paulbeauchemin]

nevadanick wrote:
Rent or borrow a bumper pull trailer with a gvwr of more than 10k and take the test in it. Though i kinda think if you rubbed that many curbs and cant park it you might rethink the size you have.

In the 12k miles I've driven the 5th wheel only hit the curb twice - was a little nervous taking this test

Not sure I could ever learn to park to my blind side without help. It's not something I would ever attempt without help or being able to get out and look in my real world

[nevadanick]

#2 in your list isnt allowed. You have to wait until you can make the turn without doing that.