CDL Testing

[Rollie NE PA]

A friend of mine who hauls heavy equipment, 8 axle configurations, was telling me that anyone taking the skills test now can only drive the truck/trailer configuration that was used for the test. If you take a test with a tractor that has a automatic transmission you are not allowed to drive a standard shift. If you take a test with a pintle hook hitch trailer you can't drive something that is a fifth wheel hookup. If you take a test with a truck/trailer air over hydraulics, you can't use a trailer that has air brakes.

Hard to believe but it is true.

Maybe the next thing will be if you take a test with a day cab tractor you won't be allowed to drive a truck with a sleeper.

 

[4240 Turbo]

When I tested, there was no rule for transmission, but there was a rule for tractor trailer, you could use a truck (power unit) with air brakes and a trailer with electric brakes, and get a class a, however the license would have a NTT (no tractor trailer) restriction, allowed to pull anything so long as it did not have air brakes, and you got an air brake endorsement for class b (power unit) So in order to obtain a genuine tractor trailer air brake cdl, a power unit and a trailer with air had to be tested in. Some truth to his remarks, but here in CO our cdl laws seem lighter than maybe your state.

 

[JD Seller]

The law did change recently. The automatic transmission restriction is fact. IF you drive an automatic while taking the test your CDL will be restricted to automatic only. If you drive a stick you can drive either.

There is a local fellow that has a single axle tractor and areal short flat bed trailer. He makes his living giving "one day" CDL training. His truck has an automatic in it. So his "students" have restricted CDLs.

Also a another wrinkle here is you have to double clutch every shift to pass the test now. It makes no difference if you need to or not you have to double clutch. I am not misstating this either. You have had to single clutch for the last 5-10 years but now you have to double clutch all shifts while moving.

 

[RBoots]

Yep, a buddy of mine trying to help a new employee get his CDL to drive for him just went through all this. Now the double clutch? How stupid, I rarely use the clutch, mostly for taking off and stopping. I can see the part about driving a manual though, not many people can anymore.


Ross

 

[IA Roy]

Last year my oldest son took a 6 week course at the Community College in Waterloo to get his CDL A. He told me of a 3 or 4 day Driving School in Mason City and another in Fort Dodge that taught in a single axle, day cab, automatic transmission with a 28" trailer. You could get your CDL A with a driving test with the Iowa Dot. However enough trucking companies complained that the graduates couldn't drive a manual transmission, so that soon they were issuing a license with restriction to only an automatic transmission. That would cost under $500.
My second son got his CDL A thru his work. The 2 company vehicles they have were either a tandem axle box straight truck with air brakes and a manual transmission and a 1 ton pickup with a 30' goose neck flatbed trailer with an automatic transmission and hydraulic brakes on the truck and electric brakes on the trailer. He had to take the driving test twice with different vehicles.
I am out of a job at this time and decided to change careers. I am scheduled to take a 2 week course in heavy equipment operation and then a 6 week course to get a CDL A. The College person sold me the story that the Heavy equipment operator course was important to construction companies that would have a need for a truck driver that could go to a site to retrieve and load a piece of equipment to move to a different It makes sense to me. I will be in school the next 2 months taking the above mentioned courses.
I already have the learner permit and the medical card, and having 2 sons with CDL A and a brother with a Tractor-Trailer, I could get enough experience and driving practice without going to school.
Because of my situation, age included, Iowa Workforce Development will be paying the tuition. I decided that getting a diploma from a CC is worth more that the time required to complete the training.
Any career advise from those in the business will be welcomed!Thanks, Roy

 

[matthies]

Sounds like the State of Nebraska.

 

[old]

Right there is one reason I do my best to keep my CDL. I grandfathered into it years ago and have driven way to many miles and had what was now calls a CDL since I was 16 years old due to driving for a job and the sate of Mississippi said I had to have that to do what I was doing

 

[Ultradog MN]

In 1981 I was in Vernal, UT working for Halliburton Services.
They needed me to be able to drive tractor/trailers.
I took the driving test in a 1 ton dually.
No trailer.
Seems amazing now.

 

[JOCCO]

Far as I know yes on the automatic thing some states have had that for years even on cars/pickups. Some states will not let you get a tractor trailer with say a dump truck and pintle trailer. Yes on air brakes I have seen years ago people restricted to hydraulic brakes. Rule of thumb is you have to take test in truck that has the items air brake to get air non restriction. liquid Tank for tank endorsement though for some you can take a written test. USED TO BE A FEW QUIRKS LIKE: can't get class 2/b with a bobtail set up!!!!

 

[Bret4207]

Just something to add to the discussion. Whenever you talk about the crazy DOT rules, remember that the rules committees are made up with trucking industry people sitting at the table. IOW, it's not just DOT Feds and law enforcement siting there. I worked with a guy who served on the LE end of rules committees and he said industry has more pull in making the rules than anyone else. So when someone reports that industry is mad because there are so many non stick drivers and the law has changed on licensing...yeah, that was industry getting their way.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

They'd never pass the test in the old DM Macks with 4 X 5 trans if you touched the clutch while shifting you had to start over again.

 

[INCase]

ya, kinda silly in some regards.

I have a class A CDL with air brakes. so i can pretty much drive any regular (non-tanker, non-double/triple ect) semi or class B

Went to get the passenger endorsement so i can drive the church's 24 pass bus. took the test in the church bus. since it is only a HD 1 ton (Ford E450) i only have a class "C" passenger endorsement. you would think the class A would override that but no...

I can actually see some value in an auto versus a gear jammer. if you don't know how to shift a non syncro transmission you could get into trouble real quick in the wrong traffic situation. can't prove you know what you're doing with an auto.

some value to in the air brake side. they do operate differently and you at least need to be somewhat knowledgeable.

 

[W_B]

(quoted from post at 03:47:48 05/23/16) Sounds like the State of Nebraska.

Sounds like a state of confusion! No wonder the trucking industry has a need for qualified drivers all the time (or so they say).

 

[rustyfarmall]

I was grandfathered in when the CDL was put into place. Even though I didn't actually need it for quite a few years, I still maintained it, but it became increasingly difficult to jump through all the hoops, medical card, etc, etc, I finally said enough is enough and dropped the CDL. I have no desire to play that game ever again.

 

[ETxJohn]

I took the driving test in a 1 ton dually.
No trailer.
Seems amazing now.
In 1968 I took and passed my CDL with a 1/2 ton p/u with no trailer. Kept it for years, 'till it got to costing too much and wasn't using it.

 

[tjiniowa]

I have heard that the railroads are pushing all these new DOT regulations, just to make the trucking industry less profitable and less truckers as well. You can thank Warren Buffett as I believe he recently purchased a very large railroad company

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 13:14:35 05/24/16) I have heard that the railroads are pushing all these new DOT regulations, just to make the trucking industry less profitable and less truckers as well. You can thank Warren Buffett as I believe he recently purchased a very large railroad company

Well, you heard wrong and Buffet has owned Burlington Northern for a long time.