Alpha CDL Academy driving school Pantego TexasALPHA CDL ACADEMYYour trucking authority from day one
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Skills test · parts 2 & 3

Maneuvers

Fort Worth yard, Sat/Sun 5–8 pm. Two pull-ups and two GOAL looks are usually free; a knocked cone fails the exercise. Check each one after you’ve run it on the yard.

Two rows of cones. You back the trailer (or the straight truck) down the alley without kissing a cone.

Steps

  1. 1Stop square. Mirrors even. Goal is to see equal space on both sides.
  2. 2Idle reverse. Hands at 10 and 2 or as your instructor taught — small inputs.
  3. 3The trailer goes where you steer. Catch drift early. A late yank puts a tandem on a cone.
  4. 4GOAL if you lose the picture. Two looks are typically free; extra looks cost points.
  5. 5Pull-up if you are about to hit. Two pull-ups are typically free; don't waste them on ego.
  6. 6Stop when the examiner says, usually when the vehicle is through the box.

Scoring

  • Encroachment (crossing the line / hitting a cone) — points or fail the exercise.
  • Pull-ups and GOAL looks beyond the free allowance — points.
  • Final position inside the box.

Auto-fail

  • Knocking a cone over or leaving the exercise area.
  • Too many pull-ups / looks on some score sheets.
  • Ignoring the examiner.

Alpha CDL Academy practice based on the Texas CMV Driver’s Handbook (DL-7C), FMCSA, and the 2026 DPS exam order. DPS writes the real test. Confirm any rule with your instructor or dps.texas.gov.