CDL info

[pops572]

Looking into getting a CDL, class B specifically, do you have to get a permit first and keep for so long before you can get your CDL, like a normal DL? Is a school required, or can you just study the materials and take the test? Really have no valid source to ask these questions and I figured somone on here must have knowledge. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[lowery100]

No permit required and no school required either. You can go down and take the written test and get a learners permit but not required to get your regular license. You will however need your own vehicle or an employers vehicle to take the road test. Also, don't forget your DOT physical.

[Guest gunnutt]

No permit required and no school required either. You can go down and take the written test and get a learners permit but not required to get your regular license. You will however need your own vehicle or an employers vehicle to take the road test. Also, don't forget your DOT physical.

but if you get a learner permit you have to be with a cdl holder when you drive.And be sure to study for the pretrip inspection there is no leeway with that!John

[pops572]

No permit required and no school required either. You can go down and take the written test and get a learners permit but not required to get your regular license. You will however need your own vehicle or an employers vehicle to take the road test. Also, don't forget your DOT physical.

That's what I was gathering with the limited research I have done. Thanks for the info guys.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

It really depends on what you want to do with the CDL once you have it. If you just want it then you can borrow a truck and go the learners permit route.

But if you want to drive as a job most companies are going to want to see a school or several years driving experience before they will hire you due mostly to their insurance requirements.

Any decent school will have instructors that are certified to give both parts of the DOS test so you wont see that place until you go to get your pic taken and pick up your license.

I had a Class-A for years but I dont even remember just what a class B is, so I may be way off base here.

[56FordGuy]

I've worked around semi trucks, both as a mechanic and a driver for the last 6 years. I have yet to meet anyone that came from any driving school that had a clue what they were doing beyond 'Point the big thing down the road kind of that way'. Not to say there are no good driving schools out there, but I've yet to meet anyone from a driving school that had a clue.

The others covered the basics. Watch the pre trip, they will bust you for every little thing. If you say "Check the alternator and fan belts", but only touch one of those two belts, they will dock you for missing one thing even though you mentioned it. If you don't say it, then in their eyes you didn't do it. I took my road test at the Hart Lane DMV in Nashville, the examiner I had was pretty cool. The road test was fairly easy, just watch your bridges and overpasses. After you go across or under one, they'll ask you what the height or weight limit for it was. Some may not have limit signs. Watch for that.

Joe, Class B is over 10,000 GVW with no trailer. Dump trucks, those concrete block trucks, etc...

[Oh Shoot]

I drove a rig in my youth for a while, back when a Special Chauffer's license only was needed.

I got CDL Class A in '04 (school, long story) and the staff (and a couple of previous drivers who had let CDL lapse) all said that it's almost impossible to pass the pre-trip the first time without some detailed instruction, at least on a semi with air brakes. It's very much a "by rote" deal, and they don't even necessarily pass you if you forget something in order and come back to it toward end.

- OS

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Thanks Ford, I knew it was something like that. And I was also one of those who paid good money for someone to basically sign off on a license, I cant say I didnt learn anything but it sure wasnt much.

That is the reason I give the big trucks plenty of room when on the road, there is no way to tell who is behind that wheel or how long they have been there.

My OTR trainer asked me if I knew how to get from Memphis to Dallas and I said yes, he then said "Wake me up when we get to JJ's (TJ's?) truck stop and I'll buy ya dinner".

Later I became a trainer myself but I sure did not do it from the bunk.

Good luck to ya Pops, driving can be a really good job under the right circumstances, and an excellent one if you are single.

[56FordGuy]

Joe, you're absolutely right about giving the big trucks room. Not only do you not know who's driving, you can't tell what kind of shape the truck is in. I've had trailers roll in with no brakes on them. Literally. Someone removed the wheels, removed the drums, removed the shoes and hardware, then reinstalled the drums and wheels with no shoes. That's just one of many situations I've come across.

I'm sure not all driving schools are bad, but it seems like as much as the DOT examiners harp on the pretrip, the paid school guys don't. I've had 'schooled drivers' come in the shop that had no idea about checking wheel seals, when brakes were too low to run, or even "Hey, can you take that Lock Out, Do Not Use tag off so I can take that trailer to Memphis tonight?"

I don't work on them anymore, just drive a flatbed one for work once in a while.

[pops572]

Thanks for the tips guys. The reason I am looking is for a job delivering DSD pizza to retail stores, so it will be a big box truck type (freezer on wheels). Don't know if I will even get an interview, but if I do I would like to know what my next steps are going to be.

[56FordGuy]

Pops, a lot of those single axle box trucks don't require a CDL. If it's registered at 26,000 lbs or below, you likely won't have to have one. If anything, you might need a class C or an F endorsement on your regular license.

[Oh Shoot]

Pops, a lot of those single axle box trucks don't require a CDL. If it's registered at 26,000 lbs or below, you likely won't have to have one. If anything, you might need a class C or an F endorsement on your regular license.

Yeah, F "for hire" endorsement is what I'm thinking for that type truck. 'Cept for the semi guys, that's all FedEx Ground step van and straight truck drivers need for the most part.

http://www.state.tn.us/safety/driverlicense/classf.htm

- OS

[pops572]

Pops, a lot of those single axle box trucks don't require a CDL. If it's registered at 26,000 lbs or below, you likely won't have to have one. If anything, you might need a class C or an F endorsement on your regular license.

The job posting just says ability to get a CDL within 2 weeks, so I figured it would be a B, but maybe a C.

[Oh Shoot]

The job posting just says ability to get a CDL within 2 weeks, so I figured it would be a B, but maybe a C.

Oh, well, never mind my comment.

/Emily Litilla

A Class C is for carrying 16 or more passengers or placarded hazardous stuff. (maybe the pizza is classified as such!!)

So it must entail either a straight truck over 26,000 ( or a tractor trailer towing more than 10,000 (A), assuming the ad is correct.

- OS

Edited April 8, 2011 by OhShoot

[hardknox00001]

Pops, a lot of those single axle box trucks don't require a CDL. If it's registered at 26,000 lbs or below, you likely won't have to have one. If anything, you might need a class C or an F endorsement on your regular license.

If it has air brakes, it doesn't matter what it weighs. Air brakes is an automatic requirement for CDL. Also, the required CDL goes by what the vehicles GVWR on the door post is (manufacturer placard/sticker thingy), not what they registered it for on the license plate. On a side note, if they have a 26,000 lb plate and you weigh more than that, expect a long talking to and a big "reward".

[Oh Shoot]

If it has air brakes, it doesn't matter what it weighs. Air brakes is an automatic requirement for CDL.... .

You know, I think it used to be. But I don't think it is anymore? Can find no mention of it anywhere on TNDOS.

Look at first page of CDL Manual, "Do You Need a CDL" flow chart at:

http://www.state.tn.us/safety/driverlicense/CDL_Classifications.pdf

- OS

[hardknox00001]

You know, I think it used to be. But I don't think it is anymore? Can find no mention of it anywhere on TNDOS.

Look at first page of CDL Manual, "Do You Need a CDL" flow chart at:

http://www.state.tn.us/safety/driverlicense/CDL_Classifications.pdf

- OS

Interesting, I stand corrected and have learned something today.

[MudBugjr]

You can get an A with a restriction to haul a trailer as long as it under 10k. Might be wrong on the weight but years ago before I got my full A with Haz Mats I had an A restriction 57 I think it was. That way I could pull a trailer behind a commercial roll off truck. Only had to take the air brakes test with the B to get that. I would say if the ad says you must get your cdl in two weeks youll be fine. They wil let you take a company truck to do so. Back in the early 90's I drove a box truck and only had an F endorsement and the truck had air brakes.

[56FordGuy]

Yep, OS is right about the air brakes. We run some air brake equipped, below 26k trucks as well and those guys don't have their CDL.

In my personal experience, the DOT in TN and GA don't look at the manufacturer's GVWR on the door sticker, but the registered weight. We have one truck that's rated at about 31k on the door, but has an aftermarket tag axle and is registered at 51k. TN will let us run 51 with the tag axle down. Georgia doesn't recognize tag axles for weight purposes, one other driver found that out when they told him he was several thousand over on his fixed drive axle. That was a long night. His gross weight, about 38k was legal, just way over on the drive axle.

[SamZzz]

Sorry guys, I just gotta jump in here for a minute and say something about schools. There are ALOT of shady ones out there, and the comment made earlier about a good school having their own tester is NOT true. Those are the ones that will pass a driver just for being able to start a truck in order to keep up their completion stats. Avoid them. You're better off in the long run with a school that will teach you how to drive the truck then take you down to the DOT and let them test you.

I took a 10 week course at Tennessee Technology Center to get my CDL. We covered EVERTYTHING from Pre-Trip to various backing scenarios, parallel parking, docking, ALL the safety rules and even logging. At the end of the 10 weeks we went to Straw Plains for our test. The Pre-Trip was a piece of cake for me since EVERYDAY we each had to go through the list with someone checking it off as we went. Had it memorized.. in order. I missed 1 point on the PT exam at the DOT... because I grabbed the seatbelt but didn't TELL her I was checking it. *sigh*

Of course, if he's gotta have one in 2 weeks, this probably won't help matters much... but if you have some time to think about it and you're considering it.. it's a lot cheaper than going through the 2-week "Crash Course" CDL schools (About 1/3 of the cost). There was a waiting list though so it's certainly not something you can just call them up and start doing. Took me 6 months to get into the class once I registered.

Another thing.. the physical... if you haven't had a physical in a while, get that first. They're kind of picky about stuff... if your blood pressure isn't stellar it might cause you problems. That seems to be the biggest trip-up followed closely by undiagnosed and untreated diabetes.

But anyway.. just had to say there are SOME people who get out of schools that do well. Course it might just be cause I'm a woman and everybody knows we're smarter.

[Oh Shoot]

... if you haven't had a physical in a while, get that first. They're kind of picky about stuff... if your blood pressure isn't stellar it might cause you problems. That seems to be the biggest trip-up followed closely by undiagnosed and untreated diabetes.

The required FMCSA physical doesn't do blood test, btw, so no diabetes testing.

- OS

[hardknox00001]

Yep, OS is right about the air brakes. We run some air brake equipped, below 26k trucks as well and those guys don't have their CDL.

In my personal experience, the DOT in TN and GA don't look at the manufacturer's GVWR on the door sticker, but the registered weight.

Just so I understand what you are saying, If you have a truck with a H4 tag for 26,000 lbs and less, you can get by without a CDL?

[Oh Shoot]

Just so I understand what you are saying, If you have a truck with a H4 tag for 26,000 lbs and less, you can get by without a CDL?

If 26K or less straight truck, not carrying 16 passengers, or carrying placard required hazardous, no CDL required.

Note that actual manufacturer's GVWR is the criterion, NOT the plate that the owner put on it. 56FordGuy is saying that DOT/LEO might well just look at plate and let it slide even if vehicle is actually heavier than the plate classification would indicate, and he's right. But that's mostly up to your employer to lie about or not, assuming you're not the owner operator.

- OS

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Sorry guys, I just gotta jump in here for a minute and say something about schools. There are ALOT of shady ones out there, and the comment made earlier about a good school having their own tester is NOT true.

You are correct, I should not have used "good school" and their "own DOS certified instructors" in the same sentence, I didnt mean for it to come out that way.

I was at the top of my two week class and did not learn a whole lot of anything until I got on the road for myself. They also found a way to pass everyone the first time as the contract that I signed stated that if one flunked that they could go through again at no additional cost. They certainly didnt want to fill seats in new classes like that so they tended to find a way to pass everyone.

"Good schools" was certainly not the correct wording.

As for the Pre-Trips I never did have a problem with those.

But even after nearly four years I still had trouble at times backing those babies into some of them holes, some took what seemed like forever but I did manage to get them all in without tearing anything up......other than my nerves at times.

[hardknox00001]

If 26K or less straight truck, not carrying 16 passengers, or carrying placard required hazardous, no CDL required.

Note that actual manufacturer's GVWR is the criterion, NOT the plate that the owner put on it. 56FordGuy is saying that DOT/LEO might well just look at plate and let it slide even if vehicle is actually heavier than the plate classification would indicate, and he's right. But that's mostly up to your employer to lie about or not, assuming you're not the owner operator.

- OS

I bought a used Ryder box truck with a GVWR of 32K if I remember right. I took the box off and put on a flat bed with an aerial ladder boom on it. I equipped it out and scaled it out and it weighs right at 20K lbs, so I bought the smallest tag I could to contain it and it was the 26K tag. Don't have much of an enclosed "freight" holding area other than tool boxes so it shouldn't be much of a mystery as to what is on the truck to the passing LEO.