Understanding the Basic Vehicle Control (BCS) Skills Test

Jason Boudreau • February 7, 2025

The Basic Control Skills (BCS) test is a component of the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills examination designed to assess a driver’s ability to maneuver a commercial vehicle in various controlled situations. This test evaluates essential driving techniques such as backing, turning, and stopping within specific boundaries to ensure the driver has the fundamental skills required for safe vehicle operation.

The BCS test typically includes exercises such as straight-line backing, offset backing, parallel parking, and alley docking, all of which are crucial for real-world trucking scenarios. These maneuvers test a driver’s ability to control their vehicle while maintaining spatial awareness, proper mirror usage, and precision in confined areas. Successfully completing the BCS test demonstrates that a driver has mastered the foundational vehicle control skills necessary for obtaining a CDL and operating commercial motor vehicles safely.

The Modernized BCS Test's Impact on Training

Despite the introduction of the modernized test, the FMCSA's Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations, effective since February 7, 2022, mandate that all entry-level drivers complete a prescribed training curriculum before taking the CDL skills test and show proficiency in all ELDT behind-the-wheel training units.

It's important to note that while some states have adopted the modernized CDL skills test, the FMCSA's ELDT regulations require that all entry-level drivers, regardless of the testing model used in their state, complete the ELDT training curriculum. This ensures that all new drivers possess the necessary knowledge and skills to operate commercial vehicles safely.

Layout of Modernized Basic Contol Skills (BCS) Test

The maneuvers outlined in this article below are according to the "Old Standard" Basic Control Skills Test

Click the following button to view the modernized exercises:

Learn More about the Modernized Basic Control Skills Test

How Points Are Given During a BCS Test

Points are given when the trainee makes a maneuver that is not allowed during the exercise.

Example: If the trainee is allowed one pull up on the straight back and they do more then one, they receive one point for each pull up after that.

Trainees are allowed to get out of the vehicle and check their position during the exam. Once during Straight Back, two during off-set, two during alley dock and two during parallel.

Training Reminders:

Always remind the trainee to set the parking brake and use three-points-of-contact when getting in and out of the vehicle.

Some states also have time limits during the backing exercise. (See chapter 11 in your state Commercial Driver Guide for more information)

When will the tester give the trainee points?

Encroaching over cones or boundary lines is two (2) points
Extra pull ups is one (1) point for each pull up after the allowed amount
Not completing the given exercise is failure to perform (FTP= 13 points)

Automatic fails on the backing exam:

Jumping out of the tractor and not using three points of contact
Hitting any objects around the backing area
Not completing the given exercise is failure to perform (FTP= 13 points)
Max points you can get are 12 (13 or more points is an automatic fail)

Helpful tips to give trainees about backing:

Use Three Points of Contact - Do not jump in or out of the vehicle during your state exam. (Automatic Fail)
Buckle Up - Don’t forget to wear your seatbelt at all times.
Listen to Examiner Instructions - Ask for clarification if you don’t understand.
Adjust mirrors before backing - First thing you should do is adjust your mirrors so you can see properly. If you don’t it will cause you to lose track of your trailer.
Pull ups are ok - Always pull up before encroaching over a cones.
Don’t Encroachment - If you go over a cone line you get 2 points. If you use a pull up you only get 1 point
Pulling up is always a better option.
Always know where your trailer is and the cones are, if you cant see pull up.
Go Slow - Going to fast can cause you to turn the trailer the wrong direction that you cant come back from.
Make Small Adjustments - Small adjustments means small corrections.
Don’t fix the Pickle - If you get stuck its better to pull forward and start over.

Straight Back Training Exercise Setup Layout CDL

ELDT Straight Back Exercise Training BTW

Starting a Straight Back Exercise:

To start 100 foot back, start with tractor and trailer outside of cone line. If Class B only start with vehicle outside of cone line.

Ending a Straight Back Exercise:

Once Tractor and Trailer are outside of cone line the trainee will set their air-brakes and honk the city horn. During a state test, this will notify the tester of your final position.

NOTE: Make sure the trainee's front bumper is completely outside of the final cone.

Starting an Alley Dock Backing Exercise:

Vehicle must start parallel with “Out of Boundary” Cones. Vehicle can pull forward as far as it needs or until there is an object blocking travel.

TIP: Do not let the trainee park next to the outside cones when starting. They will not have enough room to turning into the 90.

Ending an Alley Dock Backing Exercise:

Vehicle must complete the exercise with the rear most part of the trailer or vehicle (Class B) inside the green cone area. Once the tractor and trailer are outside of cone line set air-brakes and have the trainee honk their city horn. This will be what notifies the tester of your their final position.

Offset Backing Left or Right Training ELDT example layout for BTW

Starting an Offset Backing Exercise:

Vehicle will start the exercise pointed toward the outside boundary and the rear axel of the truck must pass the center line before they are allowed to use a pull up.

Ending an Offset Backing Exercise:

Vehicle will end in either the left or right lane with the front of the vehicle behind the first cone.

Note: Measurements are the same of right & left lanes.

CDL Behind the Wheel Parallel Park Training Example ELDT

Starting a Parallel Park Exercise:

Vehicle will start in a position forward and parallel to the the longest distance of cones, which will be 15 feet longer than the vehicle being used.

Ending a Parallel Park Exercise:

Vehicle must complete the exercise with the whole vehicle (tractor and trailer) inside the cone area. Once tractor and trailer are completely inside the cone area the trainee will set their air-brakes and honk their city horn. This will notify the tester of their final position.

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August 17, 2026

Every certification your school submits to the Training Provider Registry rests on one thing: the instructor who signed off was qualified to do it. That makes instructor qualifications the single highest-stakes file in your building. When a student's record gets questioned, the school defends one certification. When an instructor's qualifications get questioned, every student that instructor ever signed off is in question at the same time. One gap, multiplied by hundreds of graduates. That is why instructor files deserve more attention than they usually get, and why "we know our people are qualified" is a sentence worth retiring. Knowing it and proving it are two different jobs. The second one is the one that counts. What qualified actually means The federal requirements come down to a few things. A behind-the-wheel instructor needs to hold a CDL of the same or higher class, with the endorsements needed for the vehicle they are teaching in, plus at least two years of experience driving that class of vehicle or two years of experience as an instructor. A clean licensing history matters too. An instructor whose CDL has been suspended, revoked, or cancelled in the recent past can be disqualified from teaching, even if their license looks valid today. Then the states add their own layer. Some require instructor licenses, background checks, or their own experience documentation on top of the federal floor. The federal rule is the minimum, and your state decides how much higher the bar sits. A school operating in more than one state can have different qualification requirements for instructors doing the same job. Qualified on paper, provable on demand Here is where schools get caught. The instructor genuinely is qualified. Twenty years behind the wheel, endorsements for everything, sharp as they come. But the file holds a photocopy of a CDL from three renewals ago and nothing else. When someone asks the school to prove the qualification, the proof is a phone call to the instructor asking them to bring their license in. A complete instructor file answers the question before anyone asks it. A current copy of the CDL with the right class and endorsements. Documentation of the experience that qualifies them, whether that is driving history or instructional history. The MVR on file and reviewed. State instructor credentials where they apply. Every requirement, matched to a document, sitting in one place. When an auditor asks, the answer takes minutes instead of a scramble.

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August 10, 2026

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