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There is a federal requirement that each
state have minimum standards for the licensing of commercial drivers.
You must have a CDL license to operate:
Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), actual
weight, or registered
weight over 26,000 lbs. or such vehicle towing a vehicle with a GVWR,
actual weight, or
registered weight of 10,000 lbs. or less.
Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR),
actual weight, or
registered weight over 26,000 lbs. provided the GVWR, actual weight, or
registered weight
of the towed vehicle(s) is more than 10,000 lbs.
A vehicle transporting hazardous materials in amounts requiring placarding.
A vehicle that is designed OR used to transport 16 or more passengers,
including the
driver.
Any vehicle for which a CDL license is required is considered a Commercial
Motor Vehicle (CMV).
To get a CDL license, you must pass knowledge and skills tests.
KNOWLEDGE TESTS
You will have to take one or more knowledge tests, depending on what class
of CDL license and
what endorsements you need.
The CDL license knowledge tests include:
The General Knowledge Test, taken by all applicants.
The Passenger Transport Test, taken by all bus driver applicants.
The School Bus Test is required if you want to drive a school bus.
The Air Brakes Test, which you must take if your vehicle has air brakes.
The Combination Vehicles Test, which is required if you want to drive
combination vehicles.
The Hazardous Materials Test, required if you want to haul hazardous
material or waste in
amounts which require placarding.
The Tanker Test, required if you want to haul liquids in bulk.
The Doubles/Triples Test, required if you want to pull double or triple
trailers.
SKILLS TEST
If you pass the required knowledge test(s), you can take the CDL license
skills tests.
There are three types of general skills that will be tested:
Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection: You will be tested to see if you know whether
your vehicle is
safe to drive. You will be asked to do a pre-trip inspection of your
vehicle and explain to the
examiner what you would inspect and why.
Basic Vehicle Control: You will be tested on your skill to control the
vehicle. You will be
asked to move your vehicle forward, backward, and turn it within a defined
area. These
areas may be marked with traffic lanes, cones, barriers, or something
similar. The
examiner will tell you how each control test is to be done.
On-Road Driving: You will be tested on your skill to safely drive your
vehicle in a variety of
traffic situations. The situations may include left and right turns,
intersections, railroad
crossings, curves, up and down grades, single or multi-lane roads, streets
or highways.
The examiner will tell you where to drive.
You must take these tests in the type of vehicle for which you wish to be
licensed.
Other CDL License Rules
There are other rules which affect drivers operating CMVs.
You cannot have more than one license. If you break this rule, a court may
fine you up to
$5,000 or put you in jail. Keep your home state license and return any
others.
You must notify your employer within 30 days of a conviction for any
traffic violations (except
parking). This is true no matter what type of vehicle you were driving.
You must notify your motor vehicle licensing agency within 30 days if you
are convicted in
any other state of any traffic violation (except parking). This is true no
matter what type of
vehicle you were driving.
You must notify your employer within one working day if your CDL license
privilege is
suspended, revoked, canceled or disqualified.
You must give your employer information on all driving jobs you have held
for the past 10
years. You must do this when you apply for a commercial driving job.
All states are connected to one computerized system to share information
about CDL
drivers. The states will check on drivers’ records to be sure that drivers
don’t get more than
one CDL license.
FEDERAL MEDICAL STANDARDS
Applicants for a CDL license must meet all federal physical
qualifications. To drive in interstate
commerce, an applicant must be at least 21 years old. However, applicants
ages 18 to 21 may
receive a restricted CDL license, limited to intrastate operation only.
The CDL license will be
restricted to “No CMV Operation in Interstate Commerce”.
Effective July 29, 1996: Drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMV)
operating in intrastate
commerce must meet the federal medical standards and present a valid
federal medical card
when they apply for a commercial driver license (CDL) unless they have
been grand fathered or
are exempt by federal or state law. A copy of the federal medical
standards is available at the CDL
licensing agency in your state.
IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for commercial driver licenses are required to show their
Social Security card. The
Social Security number will not appear on the driver license document but
will be used to identify
driver records between states.
INSTRUCTION PERMITS FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS
New commercial drivers must get an instruction permit (CDLI) to practice
driving a commercial
motor vehicle (CMV) to prepare for the CDL skills test.
To obtain the permit you must:
Be at least 18 years of age.
Hold a valid driver license.
Pass the knowledge tests for the type of vehicle you will be driving.
Have a valid federal medical card. Persons who do not have a valid federal
medical card
will be restricted to:
- No CMV operation in interstate commerce.
- No CMV operation in intrastate commerce unless exempted by federal or
state
law, i.e., employed by a governmental agency or operating a school bus (a
state
medical form is required for school bus operation).
A CDL license instruction permit is valid only for CMVs. The permit is
valid for 6 months and will list
the type of vehicles and endorsements for which you have qualified.
Certain restrictions will apply to your operation with a CDL license
instruction permit:
You must have a qualified driving instructor or a person who is licensed
to operate that type
of CMV, and who is at least 21 years old, sitting next to you at all
times.
You may not transport passengers. However, if the accompanying driver is a
qualified
instructor, 3 other persons with instruction permits may also ride along.
You may carry property in a CMV while you are driving on an instruction
permit.
Unless you are at least 21 years old, and have a federal medical
certificate (Fed Med Card),
you may not operate in interstate commerce on an instruction permit. |
