§383.113 Required
skills. [Editor's
Note]
Question 1: A driver holding a CDL with an
"air brake restriction" wants to operate a commercial motor vehicle
of the same vehicle group which is equipped with air brakes. Must the
driver retake the complete CDL test, or may the State conduct a partial test to
determine the driver's air brake skills? [Editor's Note]
Guidance: Since the applicant has already
demonstrated the ability to drive a vehicle in a specific vehicle group,
the State may conduct a test that includes only the Air brake knowledge requirements
of §383.111(g)
and the Air brake skills, Pre-trip inspection skills and Driving
skills required by §383.113(c).
The Driving skills test need only demonstrate that the driver can safely
and effectively operate the vehicle's air brakes. [Editor's Note]
Question 2: May a driver use a truck tractor (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) as a representative vehicle for purposes of completing the skills tests for a Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL)?
Guidance: No. A driver must be tested in a truck or bus (as those terms are defined in 49 CFR 390.5), or other single unit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 11,794 kilograms (26,001 pounds) or more to satisfy the skills testing requirements for a Class B CDL. A truck tractor is designed to operate with a towed unit(s), typically a semi-trailer (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) and therefore could only be used as a representative vehicle when connected to a semi-trailer, for a Class A CDL.