How to lift the restriction 8 off of my cdl.

Copied from a previous thread asking same question.


The restriction is that you cannot drive a tractor with a 5th wheel plate. It is really considered a Class B (straight truck)but, in the past some states did issue the Class A with the restriction. NC and SC do not allow this anymore.

You would have to take the permit test for the Class A.

The test will cover, as mentioned above:
General Knowledge
Air Brakes
Combination Vehicle

The permit test is about $15.00 and the permit itself is approx. $25.00.
The initial cost of the test will give you 3 chances to pass. I believe that the DMV charges an additional $2.00 to retake any part of the test and you must wait 24hrs before you are able to retest.
Get a CDL manual from your local DMV and also utilize the crist.com/roadwars website to help with your studies.
Keep us posted as to your progress

 

You need to do a DMV combination vehicle "skills test" for the type of Vehicle you want to drive, Ie, Tractor-Trailer, including the pre-trip and driving portion at a third party state approved tester.

 

That is what I had to do as I had a class B so General Knowledge and Air brakes I already had.

Now when I took the Combination Vehicle test for my class A permit I also took tanker and doubles & triples endorsements. Tanker was added to my class B license and the D&T was on hold till I got my class A license.
Between getting permit & taking the class A road test I got finger printed for HAZMAT & TWIC. After passing my road test when I went to DMV to replace my class B for the class A I took HAZMAT test so my class A has everything but passenger endorsement.

I know some will say getting HAZMAT & TWIC is crazy but for me just getting back into driving it opened a lot more doors for jobs. Others that have a driving job may never need or use a HAZMAT / TWIC on the license.
Dave ----

 

Class A covers gcwr >26,000 when a trailer >10,000 is being pulled. If you are driving anything BUT a semi t/t during your road test, you'll get that restriction. If you want the restriction off of your license, go take the test in a semi t/t.

 

when I took my test the school had me use their Volvo with a 28ft electric brake non 5th wheel trailer. I received a cdl A with no restrictions upon completion of the parking lot and road test. pa must be more relaxed then your state.

 

The CDL rules should be the same across all the states as it is regulated by the federal gov't, but some states do interpret them slightly differently. When you get the CDL manual from the DOT it usually says across the top it is a "model" CDL Manual. This means it is the based on the federal model published somewhere in the federal regs.

When I took my CDL driving test in Iowa, there was a federal agent that road along to check on how the state agent was evaluating my driving.

Frank the Tank, your DOT agent may have just been confused about the regs and gave you your class A. I had something similar happen when I got my school bus endorsement in TN. As my favorite TN DOT Inspector says when doing our annual training for the school bus drivers, "I am the low bid employee the state hired". He really knows the regs and is not a low bid employee And he is a good ole boy.