Commercial Driver Training

FEDERAL ROAD TEST ROUTE CRITERIA

For the CDL Road Test, the motorist drives an approved predetermined route. To set up the test route, follow the criteria shown below. A map of the route along with a narrative explaining the maneuvers must be submitted with your applications. Once a test route is established and approved, it may be used indefinitely for certification.

A CDL test route design must incorporate all of the specified maneuvers listed below:

1. Four left and four right turns. Include turns at traffic lights, stop signs and uncontrolled intersections. The turns should range from easy to somewhat difficult for a heavy vehicle. You should try to get a mixture of types of intersections so they vary in complexity.
2. A straight section of urban business street. The section should be one to two miles long. It should contain through intersections, and intersections with traffic lights. It should have moderate traffic density. Try to get a section where the driver can make lane changes along the route. The section should be one that lets you see how the driver copes with traffic in a typical business area.
3. Intersections. Select one through intersection and two intersections where a stop has to be made. If possible, these intersections should be included in the urban section.
4. One railroad crossing. Try to get an uncontrolled crossing. The crossings should have enough sight distance for you to see if the driver makes search head movements when approaching each crossing. The driver's attempt to look left and right down the track will often be the only way you can tell if the driver noticed the crossing.

If you do not have a railroad crossing in your area, do the following:

• For bus and HAZMAT applicants, create a simulated railroad crossing. This will be on a lightly traveled section of the street or road that contains a landmark that you can point out to the driver, and tell the driver to treat as a railroad crossing. The landmark can be an intersection, an entrance to the road, or even a billboard. You will instruct the driver to do whatever he or she would do at a real railway crossing.
• For all other applications, simply add one extra through intersection to the route.
5. For curve, either to the left or to the right. Try to get a curve that is tight enough to produce noticeable off-tracking on a tractor-trailer.
6. A section of expressway or two-land rural or semi-rural road. You must have an expressway section if there is an expressway in or close to your testing area. The two land rural section may be used when there is no expressway available.
   

   The expressway section should be a four-lane controlled access highway such as an Interstate highway. The section should start with a conventional ramp entrance and end with a conventional ramp exit. The section should be long enough for a heavy vehicle to do two lane changes during this section.

   The rural highway section should be at least two miles long. Try to find a road that has at least a section with four lanes where land changes can be made. In general, when you choose a section of rural road, look for something that gives driving challenges as close as possible to those found on an expressway.

7. A downgrade. The grade should be steep enough and long enough to require gearing down and braking. A steep short hill is the next best choice if a longer grade cannot be found. Try to find a grade where it should be obvious to a driver approaching the grade that the grade will require proper downgrade driving precautions.
8. A simulated downgrade. This is flat section of road where you can ask a driver to go through the motions of driving down a steep grade. The section should be about a quarter mile long. It should have little or no traffic, or have several lanes so that a slow vehicle will not interfere with traffic. If the real downgrade on your route is likely to give a poorly prepared driver a problem, it is a good idea to locate the simulated grade so that it comes before the real grade.
9. An upgrade. The grade should be steep enough and long enough to require gear changing to maintain speed. A steep, short hill is the next best choice if a long grade cannot be found. You can use the same grade for both the downgrade and the upgrade if it is hard to find steep grades in your area.
10. A downgrade for stopping. This is a grade where a vehicle can be safely stopped and parked for a minute or so. The grade needs to be only steep enough to cause a vehicle to roll if the driver does not park properly. Remember that you only need a gentle slope to cause a heavy vehicle to roll.
11. An upgrade for stopping. This is another grade where a vehicle can be safely stopped and parked for a minute or so. You can use the same grade as you need to.
12. One underpass, or low clearance, or a bridge. The underpass should have a posted clearance height. The bridge should have a posted weight limit. If you cannot find underpasses or bridges with posted limits, use ones that do not have posted limits. If you cannot find any low clearance or bridges, look for places that have signs a heavy vehicle driver should see. Examples of such signs are "No Commercial Vehicles after 11 P.M" or "Bridge with 10 Ton Weight Limit in 5 Miles."