What is needed for CDL Class B

You can get an 'A' license with a restriction for "No air brakes". Hot Shot O/O's do this all the time for LTL. I never saw the point in not getting the air brake endorsement. The mantra I got was "Why get it if I dont need it?".

For the 'A' license you just need a truck with a trailer that meets the 'A' license qualifications. Over 10,001 lbs and generally 40'+ in length. Can be done with a 1 ton pick up truck.

The B license (Someone correct me if I wrong here) is for trucks over 26,001 lbs and with air brakes. I dont think you can get a B license with out having air brakes. With something like an International 4300 with hydraulic brakes the best you could hope for is a CDL C license. Or an 'A' restricted license if you plan to pull a heavy trailer.

I originally started driving back in 1989 with what was then called a chauffeurs license. Then in 92 or so they set April as the last day you could get 'grandfathered' in for the new CDL licenses. I never had to take a road test. Just the written tests and a letter from my employer stating that I had been driving for so many yrs proficiently. That was it.

I got out from behind the wheel in 96 to take an offer from a company I had been hauling heavy equipment for. I moved from Md to Fl. If you never had a Fl license back then you had to take a drivers test for your regular license regardless of how old you were or how many yrs you had driven commercially. When asked if I wanted to reinstate my CDL here in Fl I said no. I look back on that as the dumbest thing I ever did. I was clearing $85k a yr and saw no need for it. Then in 2009 my company filed for bankruptcy and sold everything. I was left with a worthless 401k and roughly $90k in my IRA. I'm here to tell you,.. $90k doesnt last as long as you think it will. I took classes for IT/CS and have a 2 yr degree, but quickly found out that just like trucking,.. if you have no work history in the IT field, you can have a masters degree and it means very little. In the last yr the best job I was offered was for $11hr as a phone tech.

I realized I'm just not an indoor/office type person. I went to the MVA here. Got the CDL handbook. Read it over for about 30 mins. Went back inside and took the General knowledge, Air brakes and combination tests. I passed all 3 tests. I was then given a CDL 'Learners permit'. Basically a sheet of paper that said I passed the 3 tests. The learners permit and tests were free. You only pay if you failed and have to retest. From what I understand,.. you can immediately retest as many times as you need in order to pass. But its $20 for each retest.

A month later I borrowed a 99 Volvo day cab 10spd tractor that was pulling a kaufman 4 car auto-trailer with electric brakes on the trailer. I live near Tampa and the closest place that the state did road tests was in Dade county,.. Miami. They used to do them here but through budget cuts they closed it down. So it was cheaper to pay Roadmaster $150 as a 3rd party test site than it was for the fuel and time to drive (5 hours each way) to Miami.

I was nervous about the pre-trip as I had never done one before. Driving the truck was cake, I wasnt worried about that at all. I will give it to the guy testing me,.. he thoroughly had me worried for a few mins. I was expecting to do the pre-trip my way, explaining and touching everything to show I knew what I was doing. He didnt allow me that luxury. He wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing and cut me no slack. He pointed from the front of the cab to the rear and said now tell me in this general area what you would check. Pulling the hood and checking there was the last procedure. Completely opposite of what I was expecting. I then had to take the truck to a coned off area. One resembled a long alley way and was asked to drive through and then to reverse back through it. Then I was asked to pull back back through but this time to reverse the trailer into another lane of cones to the left of me that was blocked off at the end to resemble a loading dock. No problem with either. I was told I was allowed 2 pull ups and allowed to get out of the truck once. I did neither and landed it on my first shot. It was like riding a bicycle,.. you never forget. What did get me was after backing to the 'loading dock' I was then asked to pull up to another set of cones that was about the same length as the truck but only open on 1 side. I was asked to parallel park the truck and trailer inside the cones. Hitting any cone meant instant failure, I was allowed 2 pull ups and 1 walk around. I did need 1 pull up in order to get the tractor lined up with the trailer in the cones.

After this we took a 10 min road trip. Returned to the driving center and he said he was happy to report that I passed. I then returned to the MVA with the paper work from Roadmaster,.. took my picture and paid $75 for my CDL - 'A' license. No school,.. no classes. If you need a truck Roadmaster charges $300 to use their truck if you need to use a truck.

So IMO the only thing these schools do is if you honestly have never driven a truck or know what to expect then they can help teach you that. Or in some cases supply you with job placement. But its my understanding that Roadmaster only gives 40 hours of actual seat time. IMO thats not enough time for a complete 'noob' to learn and understand trucking. If you want to learn the easy way, get in with a tow company and get a feel for what its like pulling and hauling loads,.. backing up cars and trailers etc. This is an easier less risky way to get your start. Then when you feel comfortable,.. take the CDL tests on your own. If the tow company has larger trucks (Many do) you can advance and move up within the company driving the semi's and big wreckers. Thats how I got my start back in the 80's. And let my tell ya,.. learning in a 71 International with a 2 stroke Detroit (Think old fire truck engines) and 14 spd was no easy task. But man did I love letting off that jake brake LOL.

Hope that helps.

Hurst

 

A class B license:

"Any single vehicle with gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more and any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds. (Holders of a Class B license with applicable endorsements may operate Class C and D vehicle groups, but not Class M.)"

 

If the vehicle if 26,000 pounds or less you probably need a Class C.

I would try to find a 10-wheeler with air brakes and get a Class B.

You will need to do some research. Study your state Commercial Driver's Guide. Find online sample tests. Go take the written tests and get your permit. Learn the pre-trip inspection. Get some practice driving time. Take the driving test.