It's called an E Restriction; looks like its an FMCSA thing, which means it's national or very soon will be: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/drivers Sorry, Mack, I found it for Maryland: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/drivers/apply/cdl/commercial.htm You'll have to drill down to find it.
God bless NJ, they are much faster in processing applications and will issue licence same day while you will have to wait for New york licence for two weeks to arrive in mail.[/QUOTE] Not sticking up for NY (the home of fines, fees & taxes), but the last I knew, when you passed your road test, your "permit" was stamped "passed" and became your temp license.....When you went to DMV they issued you another paper temp license on the spot, after paying the fee of course.....Your photo license then came in the mail....No 2 week wait involved....But alas, back in the day of Class 1's (before CDL), ALL licenses were paper and no photo was needed.. No one drove an "automatic" either ...I could go on but I'll digress..........
Not a problem. I never heard a word of this back when I tested. This "E" restriction must have been added sometime since 2001.
I got given an Auto shift when i first started i found you just get so lazy, on the other hand driving a manual 13/ 18 speed Road Ranger keeps you on your toes and more alert to driving conditions.
I think a lot of us have been saying for some time now check every aspect of driving before signing or paying for any school. It's a shame that schools do not inform everyone before the school starts but they what you money. We have seen students come on this site asking what they can do for this and that and on some matters there is nothing anyone can could. You've got to check everything out if you're going to make a big move like changing your life to go into trucking. As far as driving certain transmissions use a standard and always double clutch in the beginning and don't let any school put any restrictions on your CDL from the start.
Those recommendations were correct. You got lucky with the NJ workaround. Doesn't mean that advise was wrong. Actually MANY states do that. I'm 100% for it. The overwhelming majority of us went to school or got company training. Do you really think that somebody that took the permit tests on their own and rented an automatic should be able to legally drive a manual? What happens when they can't slow it down or stop it right because they just lock themselves out of everything and cook the brakes into nothing? I'd love to say "who the hell would drive that if they didn't know how" The answer is STUPID PEOPLE! and this country is full of them! Smart people forget how stupid the stupid people really are, and stupid people are dangerous people. I'm no fan of the feds controlling things they shouldn't but in SOME ways, trucks are one of them.
I recently got one about a month ago from MD's MVA to brush up on the hazmat test since my license is due for renewal, and the front of the book says "2005 testing model".