You'll need a commercial driver's license (CDL) to drive a vehicle more than 26,000 pounds, a trailer more than 10,000 pounds, a transport vehicle, or a hazardous materials vehicle. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for a CDL, and at least 21 years old to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement.
Your CDL training should have provided all the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) tests successfully. However, you might want to refresh your memory by studying the Missouri Commercial Driver License Manual before taking the tests. The Missouri Driver Guide also provides helpful information.
By federal requirement, each state has standards for licensing commercial drivers. The class of license you're seeking will determine what tests you'll be required to take.
You will have to take one or more knowledge tests, depending on what
class of license and what endorsements you need. The CDL
knowledge tests include:
- The general knowledge test, taken by all applicants.
- The passenger transport test (bus drivers).
- The air brakes test, which you must take if your vehicle has air brakes.
- The combination vehicles test, which is required if you want to drive combination vehicles.
- The hazardous materials test, required if you want to haul hazardous material or waste in amounts that require placarding.
- The tanker test, required if you want to haul liquids in bulk.
- The doubles/triples test, required if you want to pull double or triple trailers.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol administers the knowledge exams. When you apply for an instruction permit or new driver's license, you must bring proof of identification, lawful presence, and residency with you.
The fee for a Missouri CDL instruction permit is $7.50 and the permit is valid for six months.
The fee for a Missouri CDL is $22.50 for a three-year license or $45 for a six-year license. If you lose your license, you'll need to pay $22.50 to request a duplicate of a three-year license or $25 to obtain a duplicate of a six-year license.
If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you may be eligible to receive a non-resident CDL. The testing requirements for this license are the same as those for the standard commercial driver's license, but you'll also need to provide an employment verification letter from your Missouri employer that has been written on company letterhead and is dated within 30 days of your application. The letter must include the following information:
- The company's name, address, and phone number
- The name of a person who can verify your employment
- A short paragraph stating that you are employed as a commercial driver or training to become a commercial driver for the company
- The signature of the company's authorized representative
Once you pass the required knowledge test(s), you can take the CDL skills tests. You'll be tested on three types of general skills: pre-trip
inspection, basic vehicle control, and on-road driving. You must take these tests in the type of vehicle for which you wish to be licensed.
Pre-trip Vehicle Inspection
You will be tested to see if you know
whether your vehicle is safe to drive. You may be asked to do a pre-trip
inspection of your vehicle and explain to the examiner what you
would inspect and why.
Basic Vehicle Control
You will be tested on your skill to control the vehicle. You will be asked to move your vehicle forward, backward, and turn it within a defined area. These areas may be marked with traffic lanes, cones, barriers, or something similar. The examiner will tell you how each control test is to be done.
On-road Test
You will be tested on your skill to safely drive your vehicle in a variety of traffic situations.
To find an exam center near you, Missouri DOR license stations provides a complete list. Good luck on your testing!
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 was designed to improve highway safety. Its purpose was to ensure that drivers of commercial vehicles are qualified to drive them, and to remove unsafe drivers from the highways.
The Act didn't require federal driver licensing?states still license commercial drivers?but it established minimum standards that states must meet when issuing commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). It required states to upgrade their existing programs to follow the new federal standards.
Before the Act was passed, many commercial vehicle drivers operated vehicles they were not properly trained on or qualified to drive. Even in states that had separate license classes, drivers were not necessarily tested in the types of vehicles they would be driving. States must now test commercial drivers according to federal standards, to ensure that drivers know how to operate the trucks or buses they intend to drive.
The Act also made it illegal to have more than one driver's license. You can hold a regular or commercial driver's license, but not both. You can have one license from the state you reside in, but not from any other states. In the past, bad drivers could more easily hide their driving histories by getting several licenses. Today, all the states are connected to a national database to check driver histories.
To be eligible for a CDL, you must have a clean driving record. Federal regulations require you to pass a physical exam every two years. To operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, you must be at least 21. Many states allow those as young as 18 to drive commercial vehicles within the state. You must be able to read and speak English well enough to read road signs, prepare reports, and communicate with the public and with law enforcement.
The Act established three separate classes of commercial driver's licenses. Every state issues licenses in these categories:
- Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GWVR) of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Class B: Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.
- Class C: Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.
Many states make exceptions for farm vehicles, snow removal vehicles, fire and emergency vehicles, and some military vehicles.
To be licensed for certain types of commercial vehicles, extra testing is required. If you pass, you will receive an endorsement on your CDL. These are the five endorsements that you can apply for. Each requires between one and five knowledge (written) tests, and two require driving (skills) tests.
- T?Double/Triple Trailers (knowledge test only)
- P?Passenger (knowledge and skills tests)
- N?Tank Vehicle (knowledge test only)
- H?Hazardous Materials (knowledge test only)
- S?School Buses (knowledge and skills tests)
In the interest of public safety on the highways, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations require interstate commercial drivers to be medically fit to operate their vehicles safely and competently. You are required to have a physical exam and carry a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) medical certificate if:
- You operate a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross combination weight (GCW) of 4,536 kilograms (10,001 pounds) or more in interstate commerce.
- You operate a motor vehicle designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, in interstate commerce.
- You operate a motor vehicle designed or used to transport between nine and 15 passengers, for direct compensation, beyond 75 air miles from your regular work-reporting location, in interstate commerce.
- You transport hazardous materials in quantities requiring placards, in interstate commerce.
You must carry a current copy of your medical examination certificate with you when you drive. Residents of Mexico or Canada who drive in the United States can be certified by doctors in their countries, provided they meet the U.S. requirements.
There are no federal standards in place for on-the-road commercial driver training. The government only requires that you take and pass your CDL knowledge (written) and skills (driving) tests. Longer-combination-vehicle (LCV) drivers must receive training in driver wellness, driver qualifications, hours of service, and whistleblower protection.
Many motor carriers train their employees, while other drivers take courses at private driving schools, vocational or technical schools, and community colleges. Individual states often approve or certify training courses. The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) has set minimum standards for training curriculums and certifies driver training courses that meet industry and Federal Highway Administration (FHA) guidelines. Many employers require their drivers to take PTDI-approved training.
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, commercial drivers transporting hazardous materials (hazmat) must pass a background records check and be fingerprinted. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for conducting the background checks for all commercial drivers with hazmat endorsements or who want to add hazmat endorsements to their licenses.
The TSA developed this program to carry out the USA PATRIOT Act mandate and protect citizens from the potential threat of terrorists using hazmat cargo. The requirement is a result of the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56, Section 1012) and the Safe Explosives Act (Public Law 107-296, Section 1121-1123), ARS § 28-3103(A)(2), and 49 CFR 1572.
If the TSA disqualifies you because of your background, you can appeal their finding or seek a waiver. However, if you are found guilty of a disqualifying crime, you must declare any disqualifying conditions and surrender your hazmat endorsement (if you already have it) to your state's department of motor vehicles or other licensing agency.
The TSA charges the following nonrefundable fees for background checks:
- Information collection fee: $38
- Threat assessment fee: $34
According to the TSA, background checks take between one and eight weeks to complete. You will be notified by mail whether you are approved. If you are approved, you can then go to your state's licensing authority (usually the department of motor vehicles) to complete your application process. If you are denied, you can appeal or seek a waiver.
According to the FMCSA, hazmat endorsements must be renewed at least every five years. However, your state might require renewal more often. You will need a background check each time you renew your hazmat endorsement. You must arrange for the background check no less than 30 days before the expiration of your current approval, or your CDL may be cancelled.
Disqualifying Crimes
Conviction of any of the following crimes will disqualify you from being eligible for a hazmat endorsement:
- Assault with intent to murder
- Kidnapping or hostage-taking
- Rape or aggravated sexual abuse
- RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) violations
- Unlawful possession, use, sale, distribution, or manufacture of an explosive device, firearm, or other weapon
- Distribution of, intent to distribute, possession, or importation of a controlled substance
- Dishonesty, fraud, or misrepresentation, including identity fraud
- Crimes involving a severe transportation security incident
- Improper transportation of a hazardous material
- Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of these crimes
