Class A Commercial Learner's Permit Study Guide

Class A Commercial Learner's Permit Study Guide

CDL Digest

Copyright © 2022 CDL Digest

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 979-8-9872194-0-9

Cover design by: CDL Digest

Produced digitally in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

AIR BRAKES

COMBINATION VEHICLES

NOTES

PREFACE

The demand for commercial, industrial, and consumer products has been steadily on the rise as our population grows in the United States. This demand has created enormous opportunities for those individuals and companies dedicated to the movement of materials across this county by the use of commercial motor vehicles. This situation has created a huge demand for professional drivers in the transportation industry.

Although the demand for professional drivers is great, there is still a shortage of them. In recent years this county’s economy has been shedding traditional blue-collar jobs at a demoralizing rate, yet the transportation industry cannot seem to fill the thousands of employment openings that exist or even meet their recruiting goals of obtaining qualified drivers.

In purchasing this study guide you have taken the first step towards becoming qualified for one of the many employment openings in a high-paying, rewarding career as a professional driver. Becoming a professional driver requires a lot of knowledge of the transportation industry, commercial motor vehicles, and the federal regulations which govern the operation of commercial motor vehicles.

CDL Digest has created this study guide in an effort to provide you with the knowledge required to successfully pass the written exams required to obtain a Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). Our study guides have already helped thousands of people just like you to easily pass their written exams. Our study guides are used by many of the leading driver training facilities across the country and have been praised by people just like you, who have used our study guides to successfully pass their written exams.

INTRODUCTION

This study guide is specifically intended for licensed drivers who intend on obtaining a Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) for the first time.

A Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) is issued to an individual by their State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA). A commercial learner’s permit (CLP) authorizes an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in a configuration that person expects to operate only when accompanied by a valid CDL holder for the purpose of behind the wheel training.[1]

Class A: This CLP classification is required for Group A commercial motor vehicles (CMV).

Group A (Combination Vehicles) includes any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), actual weight, or registered weight over 26,000 lbs. provided the GVWR, actual weight, or registered weight of the towed vehicle(s) is more than 10,000 lbs..[2]

This study guide has been updated to reflect changes to the national commercial driver’s license (CDL) program which went into effect on February 7, 2022.[3]

An individual who applies, for the first time, for a Class A or Class B CDL, or who upgrades to a Class A or B CDL, must complete driver training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry (TPR).[4]

An individual seeking to obtain a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time, must complete the training related to that endorsement from a training provider listed on the TPR.[5]

Before you can begin the Entry-Level Driver Training Program (EDLT) to obtain a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL), you must first obtain a Class A commercial learner’s permit (CLP) from your State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA).

There are three (3) tests that are required to obtain a Class A commercial learner’s permit (CLP). All three of these tests are administered by your SDLA.

General Knowledge Test:

All applicants for a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) must take the General Knowledge test.[6]

The General Knowledge test is 50 questions and all applicants must correctly answer 80% of all questions to achieve a passing score.[7]

The General Knowledge test covers general areas for safe operation of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) contained in the following federal regulations:

49 CFR 391: Qualifications of Drivers and Combination Vehicles

49 CFR 392: Driving of Commercial Motor Vehicles

49 CFR 393: Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation

49 CFR 395: Hours of Service

49 CFR 396: Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance

49 CFR 397: Transportation of Hazmat, Driving, and Parking Rules

Air Brake Knowledge Test:

All drivers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with air brakes, including air over hydraulic brakes, must take the air brake test.

The Air Brake Test is 25 questions and all applicants must correctly answer 80% of all questions to achieve a passing score.[8] If a driver applicant who fails the air brake portion of the knowledge test (scores less than 80 percent correct) is issued a CLP or CDL, an air brake restriction (L) must be indicated on the CLP or CDL.[9]

The Air Brake knowledge test covers seven (7) areas:

Air Brake System Nomenclature

Contaminated Air Supply Dangers

Severed or Disconnected Air Line Dangers

Low Air Pressure Readings

Pre-Trip Inspections

Enroute and Post-Trip Inspections

Operating Practices and Procedures

Combination Vehicles Knowledge Test:

All Drivers seeking to obtain a Class A commercial learner’s permit (CLP) for the first time or drivers wanting to upgrade from a Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) to a Class A must take the combination vehicles knowledge test.

The combination vehicles knowledge test is 20 questions and all applicants must correctly answer 80% of all questions to achieve a passing score.[10] Any driver applicant who fails the combination vehicle portion of the knowledge test (scores less than 80 percent correct) must not be issued a Group A CLP or CDL.[11]

The Combination Vehicle knowledge test covers 3 areas:

Coupling and Uncoupling

Vehicle Inspection

General Operating Practices and Procedures Including Safe Operations and Air Brakes

State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLA) must use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) pre-approved pool of test questions to develop knowledge tests for each Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) group and endorsement. The pool of questions must be comparable to those in AAMVA's 2005 CDL Test System (July 2010 or newer Version) 2005 Test Item Summary Forms, which FMCSA has approved and provides to all State Driver Licensing Agencies.[12] Specific requirements for development of computer-generated multiple-choice knowledge tests include:

The total difficulty level of the questions used in each version of a test must fall within a set range.[13]

Twenty-five percent of the questions on a test must be new questions that were not contained in the previous version of the test.[14]

Identical questions from the previous version of the test must be in a different location on the test and the three possible responses to the questions must be in a different order.[15]

Each test must contain a set number of questions with a prescribed number of questions from each of the knowledge areas.[16]

The knowledge tests may be administered in written form, verbally, or in automated format and can be administered in a foreign language, provided no interpreter is used in administering the test.[17]

A State must use a different version of the test when an applicant retakes a previously failed test.[18]

This Class A commercial learner’s permit (CLP) study guide is broken down into three (3) parts:

General Knowledge

Air Brakes

Combination Vehicles

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

REGULATIONS FOR SAFE OPERATIONS

Driver Requirements and Qualifications

In order to obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) or Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) your State Driver Licensing Agency will require that you provide documents for proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency.[19]

Disqualifications for Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)

Applicants for commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and commercial driver’s license (CDL) must certify that they are not subject to any of the following disqualifications:

Major offenses listed in Table 1 of 49 CFR 383.51

Serious traffic violations listed in Table 2 of 49 CFR 383.51

Offenses for railroad-highway crossings listed in Table 3 of 49 CFR 383.51

Violations of out-of-service orders listed in Table 4 of 49 CFR 383.51

Any license disqualifications that fall under State laws

Having a driver’s license from more than one State

Medical Certification Requirements

Prior to a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) or commercial driver’s license (CDL) being issued or renewed by a State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA), the driver must identify what type of commerce (interstate or intrastate) they are engaged in and self-certify accordingly.[20]

Once a driver determines whether they will be operating in interstate or intrastate commerce, they must decide whether or not that operation will be in a non-excepted or excepted status.

Interstate Commerce[21]:

From one State to another or a foreign country.

Within a State but crossing into another State or foreign country.

Within a State, but the cargo or passengers begin or end their trip in another State or foreign country.

Intrastate Commerce[22]:

Within a State and does not meet any of the criteria for interstate commerce.

If both apply, the State Driver Licensing Agency will default to Interstate Commerce.

There are four (4) types of self-certification:

Excepted Interstate Commerce[23]:

No Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card) is required if the CLP/CDL driver will be engaged in the following Excepted Interstate Commerce Activities:

Transporting school children to and from home and school.[24]

Federal, State, or local government employee engaged in transportation for official government purposes.[25]

Transportation of personal property by an individual (not for hire).[26]

Transporting sick and injured people or human corpses.[27]

Operating fire and rescue vehicles.[28]

Transporting between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) (not for hire).[29]

Operating a CMV to transport propane for winter heating.[30]

Operating a CMV for liquid or gas pipelines.[31]

Operating a farm vehicle (straight truck only) not carrying any placard-able hazardous materials to transport farm products, machinery, or supplies within 150 air-mile radius of the farm.[32]

Operating a CMV for custom harvesting operations.[33]

Transporting custom harvested crops.[34]

Beekeepers operating a CMV to transport bees.[35]

Operation of a private (not for hire) motor carrier of passengers.[36]

Transporting migrant workers.[37]

Non-Excepted Interstate Commerce[38]:

The CLP/CDL driver is required to provide a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card) if none of the Excepted Interstate Commerce Activities listed above apply.

Most CLP/CDL holders fall into this category.

Excepted Intrastate Commerce[39]:

The CLP/CDL driver is not required to provide a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card) if the driver is engaged only in intrastate commerce activities that do not meet the State Driver Licensing Agency’s medical certification requirements.

Non-Excepted Intrastate Commerce[40]:

The CLP/CDL driver is required to provide a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card) if the driver is engaged only in intrastate commerce activities that do meet the State Driver Licensing Agency’s medical certification requirements.

If a CLP/CDL driver falls into both excepted and non-excepted categories, the State Driver Licensing Agency will default to the non-excepted category and require the driver to provide a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card).[41]

Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) General Requirements

Basic definition for Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP):

Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP): This permit is issued to an individual by a State where the individual already holds a valid driver’s license. A CLP permits a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) when accompanied by a valid CDL holder for the purpose of behind the wheel training. The CMV must be in a configuration (i.e., combination vehicle, heavy straight truck, passenger and/or school bus, etc.) that the CLP holder intends to obtain a CDL for.[42]

To obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) a