In 1986, Congress passed the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. This law requires each State to meet the same minimum standards for commercial driver licensing. The standards require commercial motor vehicle drivers to get a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). Florida law requires that you must have a CDL no later than April 1, 1992, in order to operate any of the Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV's) listed in Figure 1-2.The current Florida operator and chauffeur licenses will be phased out and replaced by classified licenses. Classes A, B and C will be issued to drivers of CMV's. Classes D and E will be issued to noncommercial drivers. To get a CDL, you must pass knowledge and skill tests. This manual will help you pass the tests.
To find out which parts of this manual you should study, see Figure 1-1.
CDL Tests
You will have to take one or more knowledge tests, depending on the class of license and endorsement(s) you need. The CDL knowledge tests include:
- the General Knowledge Test, taken by all applicants.
- the Combination Vehicles Test, which is required if you drive combination vehicles.
- the Doubles/Triples Test, required if you pull doubles or triple trailers. Triple trailers may not be pulled in Florida. This endorsement allows you to pull triples only in the states where it is legal.
- Tanker Test, required if you haul liquids in bulk.
- the Hazardous Materials Test, required if you haul placarded hazardous materials.
- the Passenger Transport Test, taken by all bus driver applicants.
- the Air Brake Test, which you must take if you drive vehicles with air brakes.
You must score 80 percent or better on each test to pass. There is no limit on the number of times an applicant may take the written tests.
There are three types of CDL skills tests: the pre-trip inspection test, the basic control skills test, and the road test. You must take these tests in a vehicle "representative" of those that may be driven with the class license you are applying for. The manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), the declared (registered) or actual weight will determine whether the vehicle is "representative".
Purpose. To see if you know whether the vehicle is safe to drive.
Test Procedures. You will be required to do a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle and explain to the examiner what you would inspect and why. The examiner will mark on a scoring form each item that you correctly inspect or explain. Sections 2.1 and 4.1 tell you what you need to inspect. It is your responsibility to insure that the vehicle is properly equipped. If you fail the pre-trip inspection because you did not inspect it correctly or because the vehicle is unsafe, the test will not be completed. You will have to reschedule a new test.
Purpose. To evaluate your basic skills in controlling the vehicle.
Set-up.
The test set-up consists of various exercises marked out by lines, traffic cones, or something similar. The exercises may include moving the vehicle forward, backing, and turning maneuvers. The examiner will explain how each exercise is to be done. You will be scored on how well you perform the exercise(s) and how many pullups you make. The basic control skills may be given before the road test or made a of the in-traffic road test.
Purpose. To evaluate your ability to drive safely in a variety of on-the-road in-traffic situations.
Test Procedures. The test drive is taken over a route specified by the examiner. It may include left and right turns, intersections, railway crossings, curves, up and down grades, rural or semi-rural roads, city multi-lane streets, and expressway driving.
You will drive over the test route following instructions given by the examiner. The examiner will score specific tasks such as turns, merging into traffic, lane changes, and speed control at specific places along the route. The examiner will also score whether you correctly do tasks such as signalling, searching for hazards, controlling speed, and lane positions. You will be told whether or not you passed at the end of the road test. No passengers or animals may accompany the driver during the skills test
To drive a CMV with air brakes you must pass the skill test in a vehicle with air brakes. Otherwise your driver's license will be issued with a "not valid for air brakes" restriction.
There is no separate license class for buses. Instead, a passenger transport endorsement is required. If you drive a bus, you must the general knowledge test, the passenger transport endorsement and the skill test in a bus representative of Class B or C. Passing the skill test in a bus will also qualify you to drive trucks in the same class, although endorsements may be necessary depending on the type of truck or its use. However, a Class B or C license holder cannot drive a bus without a passenger endorsement.
To obtain a CDL in Florida you must:
- be a resident of Florida;
- be at least 18 years of age to drive intrastate and 21 years of age to drive interstate;
- surrender any and all driver licenses issued by Florida or any other state;
- not be under suspension, revocation, cancellation or disqualification in Florida or any other state;
- submit a valid medical report or card, if you are normally required to hold this document;
- provide proof of your social security number such as the social security card itself or your W-2
- Form (photocopies are not acceptable); pass all required tests and pay the proper license fee.
Drivers of the following vehicles which otherwise meet the definition of a commercial motor vehicle are exempted by law from having to obtain a Commercial Driver's License.
- Military vehicles operated by members of the armed forces.
- Authorized emergency vehicles. These vehicles include, but not limited to, ambulances, law enforcement vehicles and fire trucks equipped with red or blue lights and audible warn devices (siren);
- Farmers transporting farm supplies, farm machinery or agricultural products to or from the first place of storage or processing or directly to or from market provided:
the vehicle is used within 150 miles of the farm;
the vehicle is not transporting placarded hazardous materials;
the vehicle is not used as a common or contract motor carrier (for-hire);
- Recreation vehicles when used for recreational purposes; and
- personal vehicles (straight trucks) used to transport personal property that is not for sale.
Fees for commercial licenses will be $50 for initial issue and renewal, except applicants who have received school bus training and are applying for employment or are employed by a public or non-public school system will pay $20 for initial issue and $15 for renewal. Each endorsement is $5. There is no fee for tests given by the department.
You can be disqualified and lose your Commercial Driver's License for certain traffic convictions if committed while operating a commercial motor vehicle:
- If convicted of two serious traffic violations within three years, you will lose your license for 60 days. A third conviction within three years results in 120-day disqualification.
"Serious Traffic Violations" include unlawful speed (15 MPH or more over the posted speed), careless or reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, other traffic offenses committed in a commercial motor vehicle resulting in the death or personal injury of any person, and commercial motor vehicles not properly insured.
- A driver will be disqualified for one year for a first time conviction of the following offenses while operating a commercial motor vehicle:
- Driving with an alcohol concentration of .04 percent or more;
- Leaving the scene of an accident;
- Using a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony; or
- Refusing to take a blood alcohol test. Consent to alcohol testing is given by you when you drive a motor vehicle in Florida.
- If convicted of any of the above while transporting placarded hazardous materials, the disqualification time is increased to three years.
A second conviction for the above offenses will result in disqualification for life. The second conviction may be for the same or a different offense.
Using a commercial motor vehicle in the making, selling, or distribution of drugs will result in disqualification for life.
Disqualification for life means YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES !
- If any level of alcohol is detected, law enforcement officers can place a commercial driver out-of-service for a period of 24 hours. It is illegal to operate a commercial motor vehicle with any alcohol in your system.
- The penalties are severe, but are designed to improve highway safety for you and other highway users.
1.2 Other Safety Act Rules
Under the federal Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, all commercial drivers must:
- Only have one driver's license. If you break this law you may be fined up to $5,000 or put in jail. Keep your home state license and immediately return any other license to the state where it was issued.
- Notify your employer within 30 days of a conviction for any traffic violation (except parking). This is true no matter where or what type of vehicle you were driving.
- If licensed in Florida, notify the Florida Division of Driver Licenses within 30 days of an out-of-state conviction for any traffic violation (except parking). This is true no matter what type of vehicle you were driving.
- Notify your employer immediately, but no later than the end of the next business day if your license is suspended, revoked, canceled, or if you have been disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle.
Your employer must not let you drive a commercial motor vehicle if you have more than one license; if your Commercial Driver's License is suspended, revoked, cancelled, or if you have been disqualified from driving. Your employer may be fined up to $5,000 or placed in jail for breaking this law.
- When applying for a commercial driving job, give the employer information on all driving jobs held for the past 10 years.
- Have a Commercial Driver's License by April 1,1992. After that date you cannot drive a commercial motor vehicle without one. You may be fined up to $5,000 or put in jail for breaking the law.
Florida and all other states will be connected to a nationwide computerized system to share license information about drivers. The states will review driver's records to make sure that drivers do not have more than one Commercial Driver's License. In Florida it is illegal for drivers of commercial motor vehicles to have more than one driver's license!
Note: effective Jan. 19, 1994, the Federal Highway Administration ameded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to Prohibit the use of radar detectors in commercial motor vehicles.
Florida Department of Motor Vehicles
