Commercial Driver Licenses are for people who drive vehicles or trailers with weights of 10,001 up to 26,001 pounds or those who drive a vehicle of 15 passengers or more and carry large amounts of hazardous materials.
The CDL License is divided in 3 differents types: A, B and C.
The Class A License allows to drive all the type B or C vehicles. Mechanics or sales people who drive trucks in public roadways may have license this license.
The CDL has different types of endorsements:
Buses: to carry 16 or more passengers.
- Pull double and triple trailers: to haul more than 2 trailers.
- Tank vehicles: for drivers who carry liquid or gases or fixed tanks. For portable tanks that have a capacity of more than 1,000 gallons.
- Hazardous materials: required for trucks that need to be marked with a placard.
Those special endorsements need a specific test.
The unique restriction that CDL has is for airbrakes. This restriction is needed for special tests and authorizations.
CDL also has 3 exceptions of vehicles that do not need the test such as: vehicles that transport farm products (Christmas trees or wood products), supplies; fire-fighters and law enforcement personal (only need to complete EVAP); and recreational vehicle operators, who use vehicles for non commercial purpose.
A driver that wants to obtain the CDL must be at least 21 years old and have a valid license. They must apply in a Licensing Services Office and give them their security number for identification purpose.
The CDIP is for 6 months and it can only by renewed once. A knowledge test is required for the CDIP.
Drivers that need to transfer or surrender their CDL do not need to take these tests again unless they want to upgrade it for haul hazardous materials.
The written (knowledge) and driving (skill) tests are requirements for the CDL. The written test is required for the class of vehicle, endorsements and air brake systems.
The skill test requires inspection before trip and backing exercises. The vehicle must be provided by the applicant.
To renewal or upgrade the CDL applicants must bring update information, pass a written test for hazardous materials, submit fingerprints, pass federal checks and complete additional testing requirements.
Applicants must adopt all of the medical standards and regulations.