CDL Test
In order to drive commercial vehicles that have a weight of over 26,000 pounds or to transport 15 or more passengers at once, a driver must obtain a Commercial Driver's License. Drivers may study at any public or private driving school, but each state administers their own CDL test. The test is broken down into two segments and they may be completed at separate times.
The first part is the written/computerized portion of the exam. A driver must pass the written part (by achieving a score of 80% or better) before they are allowed to take the second part, which involves actually driving a commercial vehicle. The written test will cover the basics of driving, driving in hazardous conditions and handling equipment failure. More specifically, these true/false or multiple choice questions might ask how to:
- Pass safely
- Control the steering
- Handle break failure
- Transport cargo
The exam might also include sections for driving specific types of vehicles, such as combination vehicles or vehicles with tanks included. The most common of the extra sections is the air brake test, necessary to drive any vehicle with air brakes.
After a driver has passed the written portion of the CDL test they will take the skills portion. The skills portion of the exam is split into three different phases. In the first phase, the driver has to illustrate to the examiner that he can accurately judge when a vehicle is safe to operate. The driver will complete a walk-around inspection of the vehicle, explaining to the examiner how to tell if the vehicle is safe.
Once the written portion is completed, the driver and the examiner will move to a practice area that is closed to the public. Here the examiner will ask the driver to execute several maneuvers in order to show that the driver has learned how to control their vehicle. He/she will be asked to move the vehicle forward, stopping at a line. The examiner will also ask the driver to back the vehicle up, and to back it up at an angle. A right hand turn is typically included in this part of the CDL test.
The final part of the exam is the actual road test. The driver, accompanied by the examiner, will take the vehicle out onto public roads. The examiner will have a pre-planned route, designed so that the driver encounters several different driving situations. Typical situations encountered during the road test are:
- Upgrades and Downgrades
- Passing situations
- Intersections
- Turns in both directions
- Multi-lane roads
- Railroad crossings