Earning a New Jersey commercial driver's license no longer needs to be difficult. Sure, the process may seem complex, but this resourceful guide will help you discover the ins and outs of the procedure. You'll start with a knowledge test, followed by a skills test. Are you ready to start driving? Begin preparing now!
It's as simple as this: If you want to legally operate a Class A, B, or C vehicle in the State of New Jersey, you must obtain a New Jersey commercial driver's license. Further endorsements will be required for double/triple trailers, tanker vehicles, passenger vehicles, and vehicles placarded for hazardous materials.
Class A License - This only applies to combination vehicles with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) that exceeds 26,000 pounds, but only if the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is more 10,000 pounds.
Class B License - This license is for those who want to operate single or combination vehicles where the GVWR of the single vehicle exceeds 26,000 pounds. The vehicle in tow cannot exceed 10,000 pounds.
Class C License - This license is prudent for those who want to drive a vehicle that was designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, as well as vehicles that are placarded for hazardous materials that don't quite fit into the above categories.
Only if you successfully pass a knowledge test, will you then move on to take a skills test. The various skills you'll be judged on are: pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control, and on-road driving. You must take the skills tests in the type of vehicle in which you want to become licensed to drive. You will need to have a current inspection sticker, the current registration document, and current insurance card for the vehicle.
Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection - You must know if your vehicle is safe to drive. You will have to conduct a vehicle inspection, as well as report to the instructor what you're inspecting and why.
Basic Vehicle Control - You will have to be able to properly control your vehicle. During this time, you'll be moving your vehicle forward, backward, and turning it within a specific area.
On-Road Test - Your skills to safely drive the vehicle in a range of traffic situations will be tested. These situations may include: single or multi-lane roads, highways, intersections, and more.
If you fail the road test, you will have to wait at least two weeks before you can take it again. Several failures could result in you having to wait six months to retake the test.
Though it's vital to pass these tests, there are other requirements that you'll have to meet, such as: passing a physical exam every two years, having good hearing, possessing 20/40 vision with or without glasses or corrective lenses, and not being colorblind.
No one enjoys going to the DMV, so make sure you only do it once. You will need the following documents: a current driver's license, a Department of Transportation Physical Examination Form, and 6 point ID verification documents.
There is a $125.00 permit fee to take the test. For a complete list of CDL licensing and endorsement fees, please visit the New Jersey DMV.