Nearly Half of New York CDL Applicants Fail Before Driving Test

If you’re a New Yorker thinking about getting your commercial driver’s license, you might want to take some extra time practicing the inspection portion of the test. A new study found that nearly half of CDL candidates fail before they even make it to the road test.

The Hardest Part Isn’t Actually Driving

According to research from Zutobi, 53.5% of CDL applicants pass the vehicle inspection stage at testing sites.People think the driving test is the toughest part of getting a CDL, but the study says otherwise.

The inspection part, where applicants must verbally explain and demonstrate safety checks on the vehicle, appears to be the bigger problem. They looked at more than 850,000 CDL test tries between 2017 and 2026 and found many applicants never reach the road test stage because they fail the inspection.

Pressure Plays a Big Role

The company behind the study says the issue comes down to nerves and test format more than lack of knowledge. Candidates may understand what they’re supposed to do, but struggle when they have to perform the inspection step by step while speaking through it...under pressure. If you’ve ever blanked out during a test after you studied, you know what they are talking about.

Get our free mobile app

Demand for CDL Testing Spikes in Late Summer

The study found that testing demand peaks between August and October, while December and January are usually the slowest months for CDL testing. However, pass rates stay steady throughout the year, meaning there doesn’t seem to be a “better” time to take the test.