Start here
Vol. I
The Backing Playbook
Every maneuver, step by step
181 pages. One method, P.A.C.E.R., for every backing maneuver.
- Arrives instantly
- Card · PayPal
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Or The CDL Playbook Set: $37 ($47.99 one by one)
For CDL students and first-year drivers
Walk into test day knowing every step
Start with backing: one method for every maneuver. Add the pre-trip and the road test, checked against the CDL manual.
All three parts of the skills test
All 3 Playbooks · Inspection, backing, road
The CDL Playbook Set
- The Backing Playbook
- The Pre-Trip Playbook
- The Road Test Playbook
- Cab Cards: 19 cards to print
- Test-Day Checklist
$37$47.99 one by oneGet the complete set
One book for each part of the skills test
Backing, the pre-trip inspection and the road test. Take one, or take all three with the cab cards.
Vol. I
The Backing Playbook
Every maneuver, step by step
For the trailer that goes the wrong way, the extra pull-ups and the dock with someone watching.
- 181 pages. One method, P.A.C.E.R., for every backing maneuver.
- 11 maneuver cards: setup, numbered steps and what each mirror shows.
- Coupling and uncoupling step by step, plus a 4-week practice program.
$9.99Get this book
Vol. II
The Pre-Trip Playbook
Inspection, in-cab check and air brake test, checked against the CDL manual
For the inspection you have to say out loud, system by system, without skipping a part.
- 150 pages, 9 chapters, from “How the Pre-Trip Is Scored” to “Every Morning After the Test”.
- The air brake check in order, with the numbers your manual uses.
- 5 Short Yard Sessions, 12 symptoms with their fix and 9 cab cards to print.
Vol. III
The Road Test Playbook
Shifting, turns, crossings, auto fails and test day, checked against the CDL manual
For the drive itself: shifting, turns, railroad crossings and the mistakes that end a test early.
- 149 pages, 9 chapters, from “How the Road Test Is Scored” to “If It Doesn't Go Your Way”.
- Auto fails in three layers: the federal rule, the model manual and your state.
- 6 Short Yard Sessions, a test-day checklist and 10 cab cards to print.
Why we made these books
The Backing Playbook came first, because backing is where so many drivers get stuck.
But the skills test has three parts. Before you back a single cone, you inspect the truck and say it out loud. After the backing, you drive.
So we wrote the other two the same way. One clear order. The manual's words, with the section. A box every time your state may do it differently.
And one rule comes before any step outside the cab: set the parking brake and put the truck in neutral before you climb down.
Driving Truck Tips
Every chapter works the same way
In Vol. II and III each part of the test gets the same order, so you always know where to look.
Why it matters
What the examiner watches in this part, and why it matters on a real road.
What the manual says
The model CDL manual, quoted with its section. When states differ, a box tells you to check your state's manual.
Step by step
Numbered steps in the manual's order. Any step that takes you out of the cab starts with the parking brake set and the truck in neutral.
Say it like this
Short lines to say to the examiner, so you explain the check instead of reciting a script.
How you know it's right
What you should see, hear or read on the gauge when the step went well.
Common mistakes
Symptom, why it happens, and the fix.
Auto fail watch
What the manual treats as an automatic failure in this part, with a reminder that each state keeps its own list.
Remember this
The few lines to keep in your head, then a quick check of yourself before you move on.
Practice it
A short session in the yard or in a parked cab, and what to write in your log.
What's inside The Road Test Playbook
Shifting, turns, crossings, auto fails and test day, checked against the CDL manual
- How the Road Test Is Scored
- Set Up, Move Off, Stop
- Shifting on the Route
- Right and Left Turns
- Intersections and the Stop Line
- Railroad Crossings
- Lanes, Merges, Curves and Grades
- Auto Fails, Nerves and Test Day
- If It Doesn't Go Your Way
These books are for you if
- You're in CDL school and your skills test date is coming.
- You failed one part once and want to know exactly what went wrong.
- You get a few tries a day in the yard and want each one to count.
- You just got your CDL and backing at docks and truck stops still makes you sweat.
- You want the manual's words and your state's rules, not a guess from the break room.
They're not for you if
- You want a promise that you'll pass. Nobody can honestly make one, and we don't.
- You're studying for the written knowledge tests. These books cover the skills test.
- You want printed books in the mail. These open on your phone, tablet or computer.
- You want to skip your school or your trainer. The books work next to them, not instead of them.
Who makes these books
Driving Truck Tips · animated lessons for tractor-trailer drivers
Driving Truck Tips is a YouTube channel of animated lessons on tractor-trailer maneuvers. No famous face. Just the maneuver, drawn from above, step by step.
The books follow the same idea. Every rule is checked against the CDL manual, the FMCSA and the federal rules in 49 CFR. The diagrams are drawn by code, like the videos, so the trailer moves the way a real one does.
When your state's manual says something different, follow your state's manual. We say that in every chapter.
One clear method, checked against the manual, and the safety steps never skipped.
30 days to decide
If the books don't help you, write to us within 30 days and we'll refund you. You can tell us what didn't work, but you don't have to.
Questions drivers ask
How do I get the books?
They arrive instantly. Right after checkout you get a page with your books, and a link to them in your inbox. Nothing is mailed. You open them on your phone, tablet or computer, and you can print any page at home. If you wanted paper books, ask for a refund.
Can I buy just The Backing Playbook?
Yes. It's the main option on this page, at its usual price. You can add the other two later.
I already own The Backing Playbook. Do I pay for it again?
No. Don't buy the set. Right after checkout, Playbook buyers get an offer for Vol. II and III with the cab cards. If you missed it, write to us and we'll send you that link.
What's in the set that isn't in the books?
The cab cards from Vol. II and III in one file to print, and the test-day checklist on its own page. They come from the books, so nothing in them contradicts what you read.
I just passed my written tests and got my permit. When should I start?
Now is fine. Federal rules say you must hold your permit at least two weeks before the skills test (49 CFR 383.25). Vol. II and III each have a 4-week countdown you can start from any week.
Is the air brake check in here?
Yes. Vol. II walks through the air brake check in order, with the numbers your manual uses and how to time the leak check. Where your manual or examiner calls for it, the wheels are chocked first, because the leak check releases the parking brake.
Right turns scare me. How wide do I swing?
Vol. III has a chapter on right and left turns, with diagrams of where the trailer wheels track and a cone drill for the yard. On the test, your manual and your examiner set the rules.
My road test is in a manual truck. Does Vol. III cover shifting?
Yes. It covers upshifting, downshifting and double clutching, and why you don't shift in a turn or on the tracks. If you test in an automatic, it explains the restriction that comes with it.
The offset is the one I keep missing. Is it in the Playbook?
Yes. “Offset Backing, Left and Right” has its own card: where to start, the numbered steps, what each mirror shows and the usual mistakes.
Is this only about passing the test?
No. The test is where it starts. The Playbook's cards cover docks and truck stops, and the last chapter of Vol. II is the inspection you do every morning after the test.
I already have my CDL and docks are the problem. Is The Backing Playbook still for me?
Yes. Several cards are for the job after the test: the loading dock, truck stop parking and turning around in a tight space, plus one for the tight right turn.
What I learned online doesn't match my school. Who is right?
Your state's CDL manual. We quote the model manual with its section, and every chapter has a box that tells you where your state may differ.
Will these books make me pass?
We can't promise that, and nobody honest can. They show you what is scored, how to do each step and how to practice it. The test is yours.
Who writes the books?
Driving Truck Tips, the channel behind the animated maneuver lessons. We don't put a made-up instructor on the cover. Every rule is checked against the manual and the federal rules, and we show you where.
Is paying safe?
Yes. You pay on Payhip's secure checkout page. We never see your card details.
What if they're not for me?
Write to us within 30 days and we'll refund you. No conditions.
Pick where you start
Backing is a good first step. If your test date is close, the set covers all three parts.
Start here
Vol. I
The Backing Playbook
Every maneuver, step by step
181 pages. One method, P.A.C.E.R., for every backing maneuver.
- Arrives instantly
- Card · PayPal
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Or The CDL Playbook Set: $37 ($47.99 one by one)
All three parts of the skills test
All 3 Playbooks · Inspection, backing, road
The CDL Playbook Set
- The Backing Playbook
- The Pre-Trip Playbook
- The Road Test Playbook
- Cab Cards: 19 cards to print
- Test-Day Checklist
$37$47.99 one by oneGet the complete set
- Arrives instantly
- Card · PayPal
- 30-day money-back guarantee
