Commercial Driver License Manual - State

1 Commercial Driver License ManualRequirements for Licensing in New (R8/19) Commercial 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 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.

2 New jersey complies with these requirements. Information contained in this 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 (MVC) 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 THIS Manual IS AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO THE MOTORING PUBLIC. It is also available online at Commercial Driver License Manual Commercial Driver License Manual Commercial Driver License Manual Commercial Driver License Manual In January 2015, an RV pulled into a truck stop in Virginia. Observant professional truck Driver Kevin Kimmel recognized suspicious activity around that RV, which had pulled back by the truck line, and decided something was off. Instead of turning a blind eye, he made a call that brought law enforcement out to the scene within a few minutes. After interviewing the occupants of the vehicle, they discovered that a young woman, 20 years old, had been kidnapped from Iowa two weeks prior. She had been beaten, raped, her whole body burned by instruments heated on the RV stove, branded and starved. She was being sold by her traffickers, Laura Sorenson and Aldair Hodza, through sex ads on Craigslist, where men were purchasing her and then arriving at the RV to rape her.

4 She was dying from malnutrition and the torture she was subjected to .. had the call not been made that brought law enforcement out to that truck stop, doctors said she would have died within the next few days. Now a recovering survivor, this young woman calls Kimmel her guardian angel. He calls himself a Trucker Against Trafficking. Truckers Against Trafficking is a non-profit organization that has been working with the trucking industry since 2009 to provide the needed training and tools to enable members of the industry to both recognize human trafficking when they see it happening and to know what actions to take to enable law enforcement to effectively fight this crime. Through this training and these tools, truckers are becoming Everyday Heroes like Kevin Kimmel, who was also named TAT s 2015 Harriet Tubman Award winner. One of the tools TAT provides is a wallet card with red flags to look for, questions to ask if you suspect someone is a victim and actionable information to report.

5 This wallet card is available by App, from the appropriate App Store, on all smart phones, whether Android, iPhone or Windows format, as well as by emailing for a version to carry in your wallet. Additionally, TAT provides a powerful, 26-minute training video on its website ( ), which, when watched along with taking and passing a short test, certifies drivers as TAT-Trained, a designation which can go on your resume. Because professional drivers often find themselves in locations frequented and exploited by human traffickers, they are in a unique position to recognize the signs of human trafficking and to make the call that can lead to victim recovery and perpetrator arrests. Get your wallet card today. Be an Everyday Hero! Make the call (1-888-3737-888); save lives! Commercial Driver License Manual Commercial Driver License Manual Table of Contents Introduction .. 1-1 Driving Safely .. 2-1 Transporting Cargo Safely.

6 3-1 Transporting Passengers Safely .. 4-1 Air Brakes .. 5-1 Combination Vehicles .. 6-1 Doubles and Triples .. 7-1 Tank Vehicles .. 8-1 Hazardous Materials .. 9-1 School Bus .. 10-1 Vehicle Vehicle Inspection .. 11-1 Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test .. 12-1On-Road Driving .. 13-1 Commercial Driver License Manual Commercial Driver License Manual Section 1 - Introduction Page 1-- 1 - Section 1 INTRODUCTION This Section Covers Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL) Commercial Driver License Tests Medical Requirements Driver Disqualifications Other Safety Rules International Registration Program 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 . 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.

7 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. New jersey s Commercial Driver License (CDL) testing process includes a knowledge test based on information contained in this Manual and a variety of road skill tests. Visit the MVC website ( ) to find out what fees are needed to obtain your CDL. These include fees for a CDL learner permit (CLP), 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 Former out-of- State drivers who wish to transfer their out-of- State CDL to New jersey must pay a transfer fee instead of the permit fee. Please visit the MVC website to obtain the transfer fee. You will not have to be retested unless you require a hazardous material endorsement (HME). Please visit the MVC website or call MVC General Information at (609) 292-6500 for CDL fees and to find the most convenient motor vehicle agency (MVA) and/or Driver testing center (DTC). When you schedule your test(s), make sure that you tell the MVC exactly which test(s) you require, so that you will receive what you need. 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.

9 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 the MVC requirements of the 6 Point ID Verification Program. This information can be found on the MVC website or by calling (609) 292-6500. - Commercial Driver Licenses - Classifications CLASS A: If you A tractor trailer; or A truck and trailer with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the GCWR of the vehicle being towed is more than 10,000 pounds, ..you need a Class A License . You also qualify to operate vehicles in Class B and Class C, provided you have the proper extra endorsements. Commercial Driver License Manual Section 1 - Introduction Page 1-- 2 - 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 a grossvehicle weight rating of 10,000 or less pounds; or A bus with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or moredesigned to transport 16 or more passengers, including the Driver .

10 You need to have a Class B License . You also qualify to operate vehicles in Class C, provided you have the proper extra endorsements. (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.) CLASS C: If you Any vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001pounds used and placarded to transporthazardous materials; or Any bus, including school buses, designed tocarry 16 or more passengers, including the Driver ,and with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds andall school buses designed for 15 or fewerpassengers, including the Driver ; or Any bus, limo or van designed to transport 8 to 15passengers, including the Driver , which is usedfor need to have a Class C License . You only qualify to operate vehicles in Class C, with any proper extra endorsements.