CDL question

[Kalaehina]

Okay guys help me out here. Assuming CDL laws are the same nationally, here's my gripe. I have a CDL class C license but want to get a class B to drive school buses for the school I attended as a teen, they use old Crown 10 speeds, Gilligs and Thomas' both autos. Now this company doesn't provide free training like I got with my current company so I looked into a community college program, now here's the ????. To get a "manual trans" endorsement, I need to take the class A (tractor trailer) program BUT, they tell me I will not be qualified to drive school buses which fall in the B class, because I need to take the BwP (different from B truck) class to drive this type, yet I have a class C with P (passenger). So my P endorsement doesn't count with a B unless I take the test with a B vehicle made for passengers! AND here's the best line of the whole fiasco, I was told, if I take the class BwP for bus, I would NOT be able to drive school buses, here's the kicker, because transit buses which they use for the program are lower and have different pre checks then higher truck chasis based school buses. So I'd only legally be able to drive tuor and transit buses. Ah, the Gilligs my school uses are based off a transit body and is just as low as the transit buses, so what the hell does that fall under??? I'm kinda confused here, so they are basically saying to me "You can be licensed to drive a 40,000lb tractor trailer, but you wouldn't be able to handle a bus".

Educate me someone! Please. Thanks for letting me semi-vent.

 

[snowracer69]

Can't help ya one bit! All I know is that my Dad has every license available in Oregon (including doubles, triples, all haz-mats, tankers, moto, etc) and my Mom also has a Class A CDL and her bus driving stuff too.



Dad had to go in and renew both his haz-mat and bus driving stuff at the same time... the lady looked at him funny so he told her he was planning on taking some radioactive material on a bus trip w/ a bunch of kids... she wasn't too happy about that till she realized he was joking... . no sense of humor at the DMV.

 

[wes reeves]

That sounds quite a bit different than Texas. Here you can take your class A driving test to get your CDL and that's the only driving test you ever have to take. All the endorsements are written tests you can take and have added on at any time.

 

[MMeier]

Ditto what wes reeves said !!

 

[BBarry]

If I remember right from when I got my class A it goes something like this in Massachusetts.



You have to take your roadtest in a manual transmission equipped vehicle or you will have a automatic transmission only restriction on your licence.



To get a passenger endorsment you had to take a roadtest in a bus. I know some people who got around that rule by getting all of their endorsment on their learners permit. When they took the roadtest in the tractor trailer the state trooper signed the permit off and the registry gave them a license with all the endorsments they had on their permit. I would think the whole point should be moot for you if you already have a class C with the endorsement it should just tranfer over. For example if you had hazmat it would just transfer over all the test stay the same regardless of class.



In Mass. I think you need a seperate permit from the state DPU to drive school buses. My guess its just a more involved test.



I think the school is trying to pull one on you telling you need a special class B to drive a bus. I can drive any bus I want as long as there is no people in it (I don't have the P endorsement never liked freight that could complain) with my class A. Buses are just class B trucks.



By the way if you are going to spend the money to get the license it might be worth it to spend a little more and get the class A. You never know when the class A might be useful. Call the RMV or DMV in Hawaii and ask them what the rules are.

 

[ndurbin]

Kansas has Class A and B CDL's. Class A covers combination vehichles (semis and the like) Class B covers straight trucks (like scholl buses). Each one you can have the endorements for passengers. But to drive a semi or anything with a trailer you have to have a Class A. You also haveto have the air brake endorsement to drive a vehicle with air brakes. Other endorsements you can get are doubles, triples, tanker, and haz-mat.

 

[Kalaehina]

Thnaks for all the responses, you guys make sense, the school doesn't. I think it's a money ploy. BBarry, I agree, if I take the class I will go for the A class, geez, it's only $300 more anyway, compared to the whole price, that's pretty good. Yah, I think I will call the DMV, and get the right answer. Doesn't sound right-Got C with P, can't drive B, must get B with P again, but need A to drive all B trans, but A don't come with P!?!?!?

 

[1stgen4evr]

"Georgia Overdrive"

For the uninformed, that is knock it out of gear and let her rip down the mountain. Fast, real fast.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[surfbeetle]

school bus certs

I drove school busses here in California for 8 years. In Ca. here is the deal. you need a class b (or higher) with a passenger endorsement. If you plan to drive a larger bus with air brakes, you said gilligs crowns, bluebird, etc, you will need the air brake endorsment. Now, here's where the confusion sets in. The school bus certificate is separate, but in addition to the class of driver's license. If you had a class A or B, but also have the School bus Cert, then you are okay.



One more thing, if you have a class A or Class B and were endorsed for manual transmission, but took the driving test with the Highway Patrol in an automatic school bus, then you would be restricted to an automatic transmission when driving a school bus even though a school bus with a manual would be the same as driving any other class a or b vehicle with a manual trans.



When taking your driving test, ideally, you take it in the hardest, most complicated vehicle so that you are qualified for everything else that is less complicated. I mean you would want a transit style, with air brakes, manual trans, dual rear axle, etc. because if you tested in a 48 passenger, manual trans, hydraulic brakes school bus, you still would not be qualified for a 90 passenger manual trans, air brakes transit.



In California, the school bus license has to be renewed every 5 years, this involves a written test and the behind the wheel driving test. Also, to stay current, you need at least 10 hours of classroom training every year.



Hopefully this will help clear things up for you.

 

[tugboatphil]

Kalaehina,



I've had a Class A, with all endorsements except passengers, in Virginia for 7 years. I haven't been using it for employment lately, but thought I might want to part time as a school bus driver. When I renewed last time, they said I couldn't take the written for passenger, unless I had a vehicle to take the driving test. I left without the endorsement.



It beats me how I can drive a tractor with tandem trailers, but not be able to handle a school bus without taking another driving test. Yet a retiree from a white collar job, with a pocket full of cash, can drive a large motor home, towing a car, without any special training or license.



Only in America!



Oh yeah, I never heard of any difference in licenses for a manual or auto transmission. Must be something new.



Good luck!

 

[1stgen4evr]

large motor home, towing a car, without any special training or license.

I suspect this fact is not lost on those who would do harm. There are generally no checks of any sort on the movement of these vehicles. They may well be the next delivery vehicle of terror.

 

[Kalaehina]

Thanks for the info, I agree Surfbeetle, I am going to take the "biggest" class vehicle course I can. That's what I figured, if you take the course with everything under it you should be able to drive anything. And as far as these "other" vehicles being driven by non CDL drivers, it's been a pet peeve of mine for a long time, I call them "pseudo CDL" drivers. I remeber when I was taking my CDL classes in 95, a friend of mine was working with a moving company driving these Ford flatbeds, and I ask him "so you had to get a CDL too?", he says no, because it falls under a "type 4" category here. Now here's what it says on my license word for word-CDL C-Vehicles less than 26,001 lbs gvwr; Designed to transport 16 or more passengers; or placarded for hazardous materials. Here's the "Type 4"-Trucks over 10,000 lbs through 26,000 lbs gvwr and type 3. So we were driving vehicles in the same weight category, yet all he had to do was go to the dmv and take a little test, written, and I had to go through classes, road trips and obstacle courses, learning how to be safe. I think everyone should be CDL trained when you go to get your license, everything you learn can be applied to a regular car, I swear some people should not be on the road!