CDL STUDY GUIDE 2022-2023: The Most Updated Study Guide on CDL With 350+ Tests

Book Preface

Question 1: What is CDL? And CDL classifications
(A, B, and C).
CDL stands for commercial driver’s license. It is the requirement for driving commercial motor vehicles. For the drivers operating commercial diving equipment or any other heavy machinery, this license is a requirement. A commercial vehicle is defined as a motor vehicle that is used for transporting goods or passengers. The definition of a commercial motor vehicle in the United States is any self-propelled or towed vehicle that is running on the public highway in interstate commerce transporting passengers or property if:

The gross weight rating of the vehicle is 4536 kg or more.
The vehicle is either designed or transporting more than eight passengers, including the driver, for compensation.
The vehicle is not transporting passengers for compensation or is designed to do so for more than fifteen passengers, including the driver.
The vehicle is being used to transport the material, which is hazardous, according to the Secretary of Transportation.

The European Union’s definition of a commercial motor vehicle is a little different than the American one and considers any motorized vehicle as a commercial motor vehicle if it is capable of transportation by its design and construction, whether for payment or not.

If the vehicle has the capacity for more than nine people, including the driver.
If it is transporting goods or standard fuel tanks.

A candidate for the CDL needs to pass the CDL training courses and a driving test. This driving test is similar to getting a regular driving license. It takes almost a month to graduate from a commercial driving license training school on average. The training includes a classroom training experience and a hands-on experience of truck driving. Someone who has zero experience in the field needs to complete an ELDT-compliant Truck Driving School. A class A CDL training course helps the students to get a class A CDL by providing them with the required skills and to become eligible for the entry-level commercial driver positions. This training usually includes the following:

Getting hands-on time to drive a truck at the proper practice facility or on the road while dealing with real-world conditions.
To pass the test, a required pre-trip inspection training. Department of transportation laws compliance, map reading, and trip planning.
Identifying the preventive maintenance problems on the tractor-trailer units.
Backing, turning and hooking/unhooking an industry-standard 53ft trailer.

In the year 1986, CDL was made mandatory when the Vehicle Motor and Safety Act was passed. It was the first year when carrying a CDL became a requirement. There were several road deaths and unnecessary accidents before this because each state had its own laws regarding heavy machinery driving. With the introduction of this law, it is now prohibited to drive a commercial vehicle without possessing a proper CDL license. This law has forced all commercial vehicles driver to possess a CDL; for example, even hot shot truckers are now required to possess a CDL while they are driving on the road.
There are different types of commercial motor vehicles. These different types require the driver to have a valid driver’s license. Employers are always looking for drivers who have a valid driver’s license in one of the classes of CDL. If a person wants to drive specialized types of vehicles, he needs to apply for the proper endorsements. Specialized types of vehicles include tanks, buses, trucks, or any other hazardous material carrying vehicle. The types of endorsements are:

Passenger (P) which allows carrying passengers.
Tank (N) allows the drivers to drive trucks that contain liquid cargo. Hazardous material (H) allows the driver to drive hazardous material trucks. This hazardous material can include explosives, flammable liquids, or radioactive substances.

A person is required to pass a specialized knowledge exam to get an endorsement. A specialized driving skill set is also the requirement for the endorsement. Training from the FMCSA-approved training provider is also the requirement to get an H, P, or School Bus (B) endorsement. A thorough background check is also the requirement for getting a School Bus (B) endorsement.
There are three types of CDL that one can get. Each type requires a separate set of requirements for its acquisition. To get a CDL, one has to meet the class requirements of at least one of them. The classes of CDL are given below: