Commercial Driver License Manual - State

1 Commercial Driver License ManualRequirements for Licensing in New Driver s License Manual This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Motor Carrier safety Administration under Cooperative Agreement No. DTFH61-97-X-00017. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Federal Motor Carrier safety Administration. Commercial Driver s License Manual Message from the Chief Administrator In 1986, the Commercial Motor vehicle safety Act became law, requiring all states to implement the same Commercial Driver licensing system. This law continues to help improve Commercial Driver quality, remove problematic Commercial drivers from the roads and prevent truck and bus drivers from getting a License in more than one State . The law requires all Commercial drivers to pass standard written knowledge and road tests. New Jersey complies with these requirements.

2 Information contained in his Manual will be helpful. It helps applicants prepare for Commercial Driver tests. To learn what you must do to obtain a New Jersey Commercial Driver License , please carefully read and review this Manual . Your job is important and the Motor vehicle Commission wants to serve you and ensure that all New Jersey Commercial motor vehicle drivers are correctly tested and licensed. Important Notice Under provisions of 39:5B-32 and 13:60 the New Jersey State Police have adopted the Federal Motor Carrier safety Regulations, title 49 CFR 390 through 397 effective September 20, 1993. These regulations apply to both interstate and intrastate operators. Copies of Title 49 CFR 383 to CFR 390 through 397 and appendices may be purchased from the sources listed below: Superintendent of Documents Government Printing Office Washington, CD 20402 Government Printing Office, Bookstore Room 110, 26 Federal Plaza New York, NY 10278-0081 Government Printing Office, Bookstore Room 1214, Federal Building 600 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 The above regulations are available for review during regular business hours, at: Division of State Police Division Headquarters Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation, Compliance and Enforcement River Road, PO Box 7068 West Trenton, NJ 08628-0068 Under provisions of these regulations, initial Commercial Driver License applicants must meet the medical fitness standards and possess a medical examiner s certificate as outlined in Title 49 CFR 391:41.

3 Commercial Driver s License Manual Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to control their victims. Any minor engaged in Commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking. Trafficking can occur in many locations, including truck stops, restaurants, rest areas, brothels, strip clubs, private homes, etc. Truckers are the eyes and the ears of our nation's highways. If you see a minor working any of those areas or suspect pimp control, call the Natfonal HotUne and report your tjp: 1-888-3 73 7-888 (US)1-800-222-TIPS (Canada)For law enforcement to open an investigation on your tip, they need "actionable information." Specific tips helpful when reporting to the hotline would include: Descriptions of cars (make, model, color, License plate number, etc.) and people (height, weight,hair color, eye color, age, etc.) Take a picture if you can. Specific times and dates (When did you see the event in question take place?)

4 What day was it?) Addresses and locations where suspicious activity took placeTrafficking Red Flags to Look for: Lack of knowledge of their community or whereabouts Not in control of own identification documents (ID/passport) Restricted or controlled communication--not allowed to speak for self Demeanor: fear, anxiety, depression, submissive, tense, nervousQuestions to Ask: Are you being paid? Are you being watched or followed? Are you free to leave? Come and go as you please? Are you physically or sexually abused? Are you or your family threatened? What is the nature of thethreats?Report by Email: Warning: Please do not approach traffickers. Call the hotline, and they will call the FBI and local police to deal with them and rescue the victims. Approaching traffickers is not only dangerous for you and their victims but could lead to problems in the eventual prosecution of traffickers. Go to for more information. Make the Call, Save Lives.

5 Commercial Driver s License Manual Commercial Driver s License Manual Table Of Contents Cargo Passengers and vehicle vehicle Control Skills Driver s License Manual Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 1 INTRODUCTION The Commercial Motor vehicle safety Act (the Act) became law in 1986. It requires each State , including New Jersey, to meet uniform minimum standards for licensing Commercial drivers . Under the Act, applicants who must be tested and licensed for the specific Commercial vehicle type they operate include those who drive a tractor trailer or any other truck combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 pounds, a bus, including all school buses, or any vehicle used or placarded for carrying hazardous material (HazMat). All first time CDL applicants are required to submit a CDL Holder Self-Certification document and a medical examiner's certificate, if applicable.

6 All New Jersey applicants must be New Jersey residents and must prove medical fitness through a fully completed medical examiner's certificate completed by a federally certified medical examiner. Applicants must have 20/40 vision in each eye (with or without glasses / corrective lenses). Medical examiner's certificates must be updated upon expiration but not greater than every two years. The minimum qualifying age for a Commercial License is 18. However, note that only applicants 21 or older may apply for the hazardous material (HME) and passenger (P) endorsements, or to operate interstate Commercial vehicles. There are three Commercial Driver License (CDL) classifications: A, B and C, which are commonly referred to as Class A, B or C. These classifications include tractor trailers and combination vehicles, single body trucks and large buses, small buses and vehicles carrying hazardous material.

7 There are five different CDL endorsements, which denote vehicle type and cargo. These endorsements each require a specific, separate test. All endorsement applicants must already have New Jersey s basic CDL and Class D (auto) Driver License . CDL endorsements cover: Double or triple trailers (one tractor pulling two or three trailers); Commercial buses (both large and small); tank trucks (vehicles carrying liquid or gas cargos); hauling hazardous material (any type vehicle ) and school buses (both large and small). New Jersey s testing process includes a knowledge test based on information contained in this Manual and a variety of road skill tests. Visit MVC s Web site at to find out what fees are needed to obtain your CDL. These include fees for CDL learner s permit, four year License and each endorsement. An applicant s first CDL will be prorated to expire with any time remaining on current basic License .

8 Applicants without a basic New Jersey passenger License (Class D) should also factor in the cost for the Class D License . If you do not have access to the internet, you can also call MVC s Contact Center at (609) 292-6500 for information on CDL drivers who transfer their out-of- State CDL to New Jersey must pay a transfer fee instead of the perm it fee. Please visit the MVC Web site to obtain the transfer fee. They will not have to be retested unless they require a hazardous material endorsement (HME). After your CDL has been issued, there is a fee for any additional endorsement or License class upgrade. The fees for these upgrades are also listed on our Web site. Obtain your permit at any of MVC s 39 Motor vehicle Agencies (MVA) statewide. Schedule your CDL test(s) in person at any of the MVC Driver Testing Centers (DTC), which are located within nearly three dozen MVAs.

9 You can also visit the MVC Web site or call MVC s Contact Center at (609) 292-6500 to find the closest MVA and/or DTC. To make sure that MVC administers the proper tests, when you schedule your test(s), tell MVC which test(s) you require. Determine this based on the type of Commercial vehicle you are driving or what type you anticipate driving, as well as what endorsement(s) you will need. You will be asked to certify that the vehicle you use to take your road skills test will be the type of vehicle you will be driving. All CDL permit or License applicants must meet requirements outlined in MVC s 6 Point ID Verification Program. Obtain 6 Point ID Verification Program information at MVC s Web site or through MVC s Contact Center at (609) 292-6500. vehicle Types vehicle Classification and Endorsements CLASS A: If you A tractor trailer; or, A truck and trailer with a gross combinationweight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or morepounds, provided the GCWR of the vehicle beingtowed is more than 10,000 pounds, you need aCommercial Driver s License Manual Section 1 - Introduction Page 1-2 Class A License .

10 You also qualify to operate vehicles in Class B and Class C, provided you have the proper extra endorsements. (See page 1-3 to determine the appropriate endorsement.)CLASS B: If you Any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating(GVWR) of 26,001 or more pounds; or, A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of26,001 or more pounds towing a trailer with agross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 or lesspounds; or, A bus with GVWR of 26,001 pounds or moredesigned to transport 16 or more passengers;including the need to have a Class Blicense. You also qualify to operate vehicles inClass C, provided you have the proper extraendorsements.(Note: If the vehicle that you bring to be tested in is not equipped with air-brakes, your Commercial Driver License will have the restriction code L to indicate that you cannot operate Commercial vehicles with air-brakes.)