Question regarding Endorsements

for a P endorsement you have to have a bus (over 26,001 so you can drive school bus)not sure wha the S endorsment is tho

 

Yes, you'll need a passenger vehicle for the P enforcement because the pretrip for them has extra things that won't be in other vehicles. For the S Enforcement you'll need a school bus, here in VA you could use a school bus for both the P&S, but not the other way around. Only difference I can think of is the lights and stop sign. At least here in VA that's the way it is. When I was in school there was a couple people going for bus in the first part of our class.

 

I don't have a P. Got a hazmat, Tanker, Double endorsements, don't even know why a Class A requires a "P". Buses are just really big stretch Limos. Can drive a 50' RV with a D.

 

OP I have the Doubles and Triples Endorsement as well as the Tanker Endorsement and didn't have to road test with Doubles and Triples or a Tanker. Granted that was a few years ago (2007) but to my knowledge a new driver does not need to road test with doubles and triples and/or a tanker to get those endorsements. For a Class A license you need to actually road test with a rig and not a box truck or bus but for the endorsements it doesn't really matter if your driving a day cab with a pup or a sleeper with a tanker.

 

I have run into 2 states that would not let me take the school bus written test without having a form from the school bus company saying they wanted to hire me and that form was authorization to take the test. The DOT apparently does not want to commit resources to applicants that take the test but then don't get hired to drive a school bus.

 

P is passenger endorsement, S is school bus. One more difference in road test for S (in addition to student stops with lights and door mentioned above) is RR crossings. Also, in a school bus you will be expected to observe school zone speed limits at ALL times while driving through school zones regardless if there are children present at the time.

 

In Illinois, the school bus endorsement can only be put on your license if you work for a bus company...and it is only good for a year. There is an 8 hour classroom session for 1st timers, and renewal requires a 4 hour classroom session. There is also a 4 hour behind the wheel instruction as well as a road test to get the endorsement. Don't forget the fingerprinting and background check.

In other words, it is nearly impossible to have the endorsement if you aren't employed by a school district or bus company. Knowing this, most school districts and bus companies will train "new" drivers...so if you need the endorsement to work for someone, they'll help you get it.

As for the generic passenger endorsement, you need to take a road test in a vehicle designed to carry more than 16 people. If you've already got a class A CDL, the passenger endorsement will come with a restriction which states that the passenger vehicle endorsement is only good through the class vehicle you drove during your passenger road test. For example, I've got a class ##M CDL with endorsements PTX...and a restriction M, because my license is only good through class B if I'm driving a passenger vehicle. I had the school bus endorsement too about 11 or 12 years ago, but I only drove busses for 6 months while I finished college. A year after I got that endorsement, it was no longer valid because since I no longer worked for a bus company, I couldn't take the 4 hour classroom refresher course, and without that, I couldn't renew the endorsement.

Tankers is just a written test, as is doubles & triples. There has been sporadic talk about training requirements being added for longer combination vehicles (doubles & triples), in which case it would require seat time and a skills test...but that hasn't happened yet. Hazmat requires a written test, TSA background check, and fingerprinting...which takes time and money, but isn't too difficult. Due to the expense involved, I wouldn't recommend getting it unless you either need it for your current job or are planning to apply at a company which requires it. Sometimes it isn't worth having even at a company that hauls hazmat if the hazmat loads don't pay any better than the general freight and are too few and far between that it costs you more to have the endorsement than what it earns for you.

Sure, it's great to say "I can legally drive anything"...been there, done that...but the reality is that it is more effort than it's worth. My advise is to get what you'll need, and don't worry about the rest of them until you're looking at a job where they might be required.

 

Want a Schoolbus endorsement? Go to work for the School. Seems like a waste of a hard earned Class A to me.