A newly introduced CDL test designed to prepare drivers for steep mountain grades has sparked debate across the trucking industry. While officials claim it will improve highway safety, those who have attempted the exam say it feels more like an extreme survival challenge than a road test.
The course begins with a simulated downgrade that has rookies gripping the wheel as they try to manage their speed without burning up their brakes. Without warning, the service brakes gradually become “less effective,” forcing drivers to either gear down properly, rely on their Jake brake, or aim for the runaway truck ramp before their descent turns into a free fall. Some test-takers manage to hold their speed in check, while others end up parked in a gravel pit, questioning their career decisions.
Further into the test, drivers encounter obstacles meant to simulate real-world hazards – though many argue they are anything but realistic. Instructors have set up rolling boulders across the downgrade, claiming it will train drivers to react to unexpected debris. Early participants remain skeptical, noting that dodging a full-blown rockslide while downshifting feels more like a video game than a CDL requirement.
At the midway point, the course introduces an especially nerve-wracking challenge: a narrow, one-lane bridge suspended high above a canyon. Officials insist it is “completely safe,” though the distant creaking of metal has left some drivers debating whether this is still a test or an elaborate prank. To finish, test-takers must navigate a stretch of switchbacks so tight that even veteran mountain drivers would be tempted to get out and walk. Instructors watch from a safe distance, reportedly placing bets on which drivers will complete the course without having to back up mid-turn.
While government officials insist the new terrain test is necessary for ensuring highway safety, trucking schools are pushing back, arguing that instead of teaching rookies how to safely descend a grade, the course is sending them straight to the runaway ramp. One test-taker, after failing spectacularly, was last seen taking off his CDL vest and heading toward the nearest bus station.
Officials maintain that the test is here to stay, though sources report that several of them attempted the course in a pickup truck and were overheard asking if there was an easier route down.
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