Commercial Driver License Manual - Nevada State Library Archives and ...

Commercial Driver License

Manual

'

January 2014

This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under Cooperative Agreement No. DTFH61-97-X00017. 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.

Table of Contents

Nevada Information ................................................................ i Introduction ......................................................................... 1-1 Driving Safely .....................................................................2-1 Transporting Cargo Safely..................................................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 Buses ...................................................................10-1 Pre-trip Vehicle Inspection Test........................................11-1 Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test ......................................12-1 On-road Driving ................................................................13-1

Nevada Information

Serious Traffic Violations

In Nevada, texting while driving is considered a serious traffic violation. All other serious violations are listed on pages 1-3 in Section 1.2.3. You will lose your CDL:

? For at least 60 days if you have committed two serious traffic violations involving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) within a three-year period.

? For at least 120 days for three or more serious traffic violations involving a CMV within a three-year period.

Classifications, Endorsements, and Restrictions

VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Class A

Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more provided the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds. Examples:

Class B

Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle which does not have a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds. Examples:

Class C

Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is designed either to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver or is placarded for hazardous materials. Examples:

NOTE: A commercial driver's license (CDL) of

any class allows you to drive your personal vehicle. You will not need any other license. The following are types of CDL endorsements you may need:

T ? Doubles/Triple trailers P ? Passengers N ? Tankers H ? Hazardous Materials X ? Hazardous Materials and Tankers S ? School Bus

Restrictions may apply. A list of restrictions can be found on the DMV website at .

Exemptions

You do not need a CDL to operate some vehicles that may fall within the GVWR descriptions. The following are exempt from Nevada CDL requirements:

? Farmers transporting equipment, supplies, or products to or from a farm as long as the vehicle: - Is controlled and operated by a farmer, his family members, or employees - Is used within 150 miles of the farm - Is not being used as a common or contract motor carrier - Is not transporting placardable amounts of hazardous materials

? Recreational vehicle drivers using an RV for non-commercial purposes

? Active-duty military personnel driving a military vehicle

? Firefighters operating emergency equipment

CDL Qualifications

To obtain a CDL, you need to meet certain qualifications regarding your age, physical condition, and driving record.

NOTE: If you are currently a Driver Authorization Card (DAC) holder and want to apply for a CDL, you must present all documentation to prove name, date of birth, and Social Security number. A DAC cannot be used as proof of name or date of birth.

Legal Age

You must be at least 21 years old to be issued a CDL to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce and 25 years of age or older to drive an over-length combination vehicle (70

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Nevada Information

feet). Applicants between 18 to 20 years of age may be granted a CDL to operate a CMV in intrastate commerce. However, this age group will not be granted a privilege to transport passengers for hire or transport hazardous materials requiring placards.

NOTE: When applying for a Nevada driver's license, you will be asked to provide proof of your identity, age, and Social Security number. You will also be required to pass a vision test. Please refer to the Nevada Driver's Handbook or your local DMV office for more information.

Self-Certification

An applicant must identify what type of commerce he or she intends to drive.

An applicant must select interstate (operating inside or outside the state of Nevada) or intrastate (operating only within the borders of Nevada).

An applicant must determine if he or she is nonexcepted (medical examination is required) or excepted (medical examination is not required).

Medical Exam

Based on the applicant's self-certification as to the type of commerce to be driven, a Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC) may be required.

Interstate commerce is when you drive a CMV:

? From one state to another state or a foreign country

? Between two places within a state, but during part of the trip, the CMV crosses into another state or foreign country

? Between two places within a state, but the cargo or passengers are part of a trip that began or will end in another state or foreign country

Intrastate commerce is when you drive a CMV

within a state and you do not meet any of the descriptions above for interstate commerce

NOTE: If you operate in both interstate and intrastate commerce, you must choose interstate commerce.

Once you decide whether you operate (or will operate) in interstate commerce or intrastate commerce, you then must decide whether you operate (or expect to operate) in a non-excepted or excepted status.

Interstate Commerce:

You operate in excepted interstate commerce when you drive a CMV in interstate commerce only for the following excepted activities:

? To transport school children and/or school staff between home and school

? As federal, state, or local government employees

? To transport human corpses or sick or injured persons

? Fire truck or rescue vehicle drivers during emergencies and other related activities

? Primarily in the transportation of propane winter heating fuel when responding to an emergency condition requiring immediate response such as damage to a propane gas system after a storm or flooding

? In response to a pipeline emergency condition requiring immediate response such as a pipeline leak or rupture

? In custom harvesting on a farm or to transport farm machinery and supplies used in the custom harvesting operation to and from a farm or to transport custom harvested crops to storage or market

? Beekeeper in the seasonal transportation of bees

? Controlled and operated by a farmer, but is not a combination vehicle (power unit and towed unit), and is used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies (no placard-able hazardous materials) to and from a farm and within 150 air-miles of the farm

? As a private motor carrier of passengers for non-business purposes

? To transport migrant workers

If you answered yes to one or more of the above activities as the only operation in which you drive, you operate in excepted interstate commerce and do not need a federal medical examiner's certificate.

If you drive for more than just the above activities, you operate in non-excepted interstate commerce and are required to provide to your State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA) a current medical examiner's certificate (49 CFR 391.45), commonly referred to as a medical certificate or DOT card. Most CDL holders who drive CMVs in interstate commerce are non-excepted interstate commerce drivers.

If you operate in both excepted interstate commerce and non-excepted interstate commerce,

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