I do a few things, every year. Even with the vets that have a lot of time under their belts. Oh year, we always use the biggest truck, to make it as hard as possible ( so this year when the guys get into the F 250, after the course in the F 650, it's easy).
I do a cone course, with the blade up and down, when its down its on some really heavy duty casters. I do a back up test, over the road test, sand application test, useing non salted sand.
I never put a rookie in truck, without a year or two as a shoveler. This gets him some ride a long time, i try to get the ride a long time on the route he will get the following year. Everyone rookie starts on a residential route, and sees some commercial on small storms. Then from commercial, they stay there for a long time. They can move in two directions depending on their skills, equipment opperator, or priavte road plow truck driver (often seeing some commercial work as well as roads) Why do i put private roads as the hardest part. When you do a road, you have to be 10 times better than in a lot, because cars don't have much of a place to go, there are ditches, soft sholders in march, not a lot of room for a big truck.
I have one guy that is happy as a clam in the john deer tractor, has been doing it for 6 years now, doesn't even want to see a truck. So go figure.
Geoff