In a bold move to improve CDL exam pass rates, one Ohio-based trucking school has introduced Emotional Support Geese to help calm students before their road tests.
“They hiss at your fears,” said training coordinator Lacey Brewton. “If you can parallel park while a goose stares into your soul, you can handle I-80 during construction.”
The idea hatched after instructors noticed test anxiety rising among students, especially during the pre-trip inspection section. “People were shaking like blown leaf springs,” Brewton added. “We needed a grounding presence. And geese are very… grounding.”
Student reactions have been mixed. “One bit my clipboard,” said trainee Marcus Jelks. “But I passed, so I’m not mad.”
The geese, named things like Cluck Norris and Honk Williams, roam the practice lot freely, occasionally pecking at cones and inspecting tires with aggressive curiosity. “They’re like angry examiners with feathers,” one student joked.
Animal rights groups initially raised eyebrows, but the geese are well-fed, have reflective vests, and reportedly prefer diesel fumes to pond life. “They love the attention,” said one instructor. “And they’re unionized, sort of.”
FMCSA declined to comment on the program, stating only: “We do not currently regulate fowl-based motivation.”
With pass rates up 12% since the geese arrived, other CDL schools are reportedly looking into similar programs. One school in Utah is experimenting with therapy goats – though early reports say they keep climbing onto the hoods of test trucks.
The Ohio school has no plans to scale back. “We may even train one to honk twice for ‘good lane merge,’” Brewton added.
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