How to pass the California CDL Class B License Test
To obtain a California CDL – Class B License , you have to be at least twenty-one years old and not have had your regular driver’s license suspended by the California Department of Transportation. Next, you have to apply to get your Permit, which is covered by the entire United States. You must be eighteen years old to get this. You can get it from the California Department of Transportation Office, as well as you can apply through either the mail or visiting the local office. If you plan on applying through the mail with a stamped envelope, be sure to check the website to find out where to mail it to in your area.
California CDL – Rules and Regulations
Here are a few requirements you must bring when applying for your California CDL – Class B License. This is especially true if you do not have a California driver’s license. These requirements include:
- You must be 18 years old.
- You have to show proof that you are the age you say you are.
- Bring papers that show you are a California resident.
- NO PHOTOCOPIES
- You must have a Social Security Number. It is the law.
- You have to be approved of a medical certification to drive by both the United States and the state of California.
- You have to pass the written test before taking your road test.
Please be advised that it is a MUST that you have a commercial driver’s license if you are going to drive a commercial car in California. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. A commercial vehicle must weigh at least 26,001 pounds, carry more than 16 passengers with the driver, and can transport hazard materials. Hazmat will conduct background checks. You must be approved through hazmat to consider applying for the California CDL – Class B Driver’s License.
California CDL – Class B Driver’s License Fees Include:
- $70.00 for Commercial Class B
- Endorsements are extra upon request.
Road Test Rules
Here are the rules and regulations you must adhere to before taking your road test:
- Finish your application.
- Have a Permit for your Commercial Driver’s License.
- Have a state driver’s license that is current or up to date.
- You must be medically cleared by the United States and the state of California to drive.
- You have to have a sponsor with you for the road test.
- Auto Insurance is a must and it has to be up to date or current.
- Must have registration for your car.
- The commercial vehicle has to be properly equipped under state and federal law.
When you go to your road test, you need to have your sponsor right there alongside you. This is due to safety concerns when driving in real life situations. There should not be a problem with your vehicle equipment. If you have any eyeglasses or hearing aids that are requirements on your state driver’s license, you must bring them. This makes the road test that much safer.
Now that you know a little bit more about obtaining your Class B California Commercial Driver’s License, you should understand that there is great responsibility that comes with getting your CDL. You will have to drive with caution and know beforehand when your license is set to expire. There have been plenty of suspensions of good drivers who have had their CDL’s for years without incident. But at the end of the day, a suspension is a suspension, no matter how many ways you skin it. You have to treat it like it’s your livelihood because in many cases, it is.
More people’s CDL’s are suspended through expirations than any other reason. There was a case of a man’s CDL that was suspended after he failed to renew it. He was involved in a tour bus accident through no fault of his own. When the police arrived, he was taken into custody for driving with a suspended Class B CDL. He was subsequently fired from his job and had to pay legal fees and court costs in order to dig himself out of the financial hole he put himself in. To make matters worse, his suspension tripled in length in result from the wreck.
You should keep in mind the great opportunities that come with obtaining a Class B Commercial Driver’s License. You can get any truck driving job in the state with this certification. It can make or break your career. There have been plenty of stories of how truck driving turned people’s lives and career. A Class B CDL will put you in the driver’s seat for success if you can treat it as such.
For more information or questions and concerns about getting your Commercial Driver’s License Class B, please visit the official state website at http://dmv.ca.gov/portal/home/dmv.htm