| What
is a Commercial Driver's License?
The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established
specific rules and standards that truck drivers and their companies
must follow to operate a commercial motor vehicle. Effective
April 1, 1992, no person is permitted to operate a commercial
motor vehicle unless that person has taken and passed written
and driving tests which meet federal standards. Following successful
completion of these tests the driver is issued a Commercial
Driver's License (CDL).
An example of some of the specific knowledge requirements
which a driver taking the CDL test must possess include:
- Motor
vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance;
- Procedures
for safe vehicle operations
- The
effects of fatigue, poor vision, hearing and general health
upon safe commercial vehicle operation
- The
types of motor vehicles and cargoes subject to federal law
- The
effects of alcohol and drug use upon safe commercial vehicle
operations
- Commercial
motor vehicle safety control systems
In addition to knowledge requirements for the written test,
drivers must also demonstrate that they possess safe driving
skills for their vehicle group. This should include proper
visual search methods, appropriate use of signals, speed control
for weather and traffic conditions and ability to position
the motor vehicle correctly when changing lanes.
Because most commercial vehicles are equipped with air brakes,
the federal regulations require that drivers demonstrate that
they posses the skills to conduct pre-trip inspection procedures
to locate and verbally identify air brake operating controls
and monitoring devices, determine the motor vehicles's brake
system condition for proper adjustments, and ability to determine
that air system connections between motor vehicle and trailer
have been properly made and secured.
The skills driving test must be conducted in on-street conditions
or under a combination of on-street and off-street conditions.
It should include the ability to start, stop, and move the
vehicle forward and backward in a safe manner.
Drivers are also tested for their knowledge on night driving
factors, extreme driving conditions, emergency maneuvers,
skid control and recovery and vehicle inspections.
A driver applicant must correctly answer at least 80% of
the questions on each knowledge test in order to achieve a
passing score. To achieve a passing score on the skills test,
the driver must demonstrate that he can perform all of the
skills required by the regulations. If the driver does not
obey traffic laws or causes and accident during the test,
he automatically fails the test. |
