Thread: Going to take my drivers test any tips

I always played it safe and drove like i was riding a motorcycle. never trust mirrors alone. technically they have to pass you as long as you use your mirrors but go with whats comfortable!

thanks a million im comfortable with lookign over my shoulder after i check my mirrors, i was also told it as better to do the parkign job half ass than it as to keep trying to get it perfect if you dont get it in right the frst time. i shouldent worrie so much i drive a 84 f250 ith a 8 foot bed which is standard and i do ok and im takign it in a mini van because my truck has a few thing they might not care for like the loud pipes.

Well I wont hold the ford against you, lucky you didnt say chevy. If you can manuever that size of vehicle you will do fine in a mini van. After I worked in Pa, I cant see how they can be too particular with all the amish buggies on the road, I just about took out a few, they come up quick when you are doing 60 and late for work. What part of PA are you from, I worked on a pipeline from renova past state college about three years ago, I would have to say PA is my second favorite state I have lived in, my home state of Utah being the only better, but I might be a bit biased.

Get a good night sleep before the test, no alcohol. No heavy meal before the test either, nor too much coffee.
You'll be more alert that way.

Other than that, try not to maul pedestrians and cyclists. Examinators frown upon that.
And if you have a chance, explore the area where you'll be testing, so that you have an idea of where the one way streets are, and the sneaky situations where you can easily make mistakes.

As a professional driver, your most important thing to remember is scan your mirrors every 30 seconds or so. Dont keep your eyes off the road, but keep em moving so your always aware of your surroundings. If you don't see it, you won't be able to avoid it. Don't tense up, stay relaxed and you'll do fine

i have taken drivers tests in everything big from a lincoln continental, mk v to a full size dodge van, to an older chevy caprice classic WAGON, just be relaxed, and keep your head about you, being nervous will only make you do more stupid little mistakes that will fail you in the end. and dont believe the family guy line of if you make eye contact, you have to race.

I wish I could help,but it has been SO long since I took a driving test that I really don't remember much about it except having to shovel some extra coal in the boiler so I could have a full head of steam.

I took my first driver's test 46 years ago. I imagine things haven't changed much. If you know the laws and obey them no problem. If you are comfortable with the vehicle you're driving, again no problem. The examiner is probably bored to death, so the smoother you can make things, the more they'll appreciate it. All of the above advice is good.

My driving test for my commercial license was great sport. I was 16 and driving a truck ( 18 wheeler ) with two transmissions and powered by a 238 Detroit. Funny thing about those old Detroits was they had NO guts and if you took time to wave at somebody, you were lugging it. In other words it kept you busy swapping gears to get it down the road. It had 6 forwards and one reverse on the main box and a 4 speed auxiliary. That makes for 24 possible forwards and 4 reverses. I got griped at for NOT using the clutch enough to swap gears and for using BOTH hands to cog up the main and the auxiliary as when you go up a gear on the main, you usually have to go down a couple on the aux so you reach through the steering wheel with your left hand and get some gears. I never ground a gear nor missed a shift. She passed me, she'd never seen a two stick set up before and was pretty bumfoozled by all that gear shifting action. Either that or she was ready to get the HELL away from that screaming Detroit and didn't ever want to have to have to plant her ample rear end in that truck again. LOL

You'll do fine.

was that one of those slap stick trannies i have heard alot about from friends

Nope, that was a sure enough 'old school' set up. You don't see set ups like that any more because engines have changed so much and make torque across a lot wider rpm range than they used to, so having a hat full of gears isn't needed any more except in some super heavy haul applications.

Here's a video to give you an idea. It's a Mack with Brown-Lipe trannies rather than Dana-Spicer's. Macks have the auxiliary shifter nearest the driver and are sweet shifting set ups. This old man can damn sure run a set of boxes.

My tip for passing driving tests. Don't drive in Bangkok. It will teach you too many bad habbits. After five years of driving here I'm not sure I could even drive back in Ausrtalia, let alone pass the test.