CDL test in NJ... more gov't BS

[RamAirfreak98ss]

So in April, i get pulled over by a local cop that really only tickets for Commercial vehicles. Among the few tickets, one is for non-cdl operation of the vehicle, and made me detach a 14k gvw gooseneck equipment trailer at a local gas station, pay $60 overnight to "store" it there and then i paid a CDL driver the next day $50 to drive my truck 5 miles each way to tow it out of there and drive it back to my house.

Because the trailer is over 10k gvw, they're saying you need a CDl... FINE.

So i take my written test, 3 parts, pass all but the air brakes, hey i've only driven an air brake truck 1/8th of a mile to move it in a parking lot so i only know what i've read, heard about them and the very basics of operations.

I went back 3 weeks later and took the air test part, passed. They stamped my permit good to 10/20/12 .They scheduled in July 20th , my road test for the CDL. I was then told i need an air-brake equipped truck for the class A endorsement of the air brakes. I scrambled for over a week to rent a truck for a couple hundred bucks for a day, but most all rental places like Ryder, didnt have a local 26+ truck that had air brakes local. Even Vinny Maddox on clubgp tried to offer taking a bus he drives, which i thought may have caused trouble with his boss or job. I never took the road test in July.

Earlier this week, i am pulling the same trailer with the same 06 F350 drw diesel truck and theres a state police of NJ roadside diesel emissions inspection... I pull in, figure, i should pass fine, even though the truck has no cat. They never checked anything emissions related, but again, said i need a CDL for the trailer being over 10k, although im on a permit, no tickets were issued but i only had a few days now to take the test. these three cops know the CDL stuff fluently and he said theres no requirement for air brakes and i don't need an air brake truck for the test, take it with this truck and they just won't give you the class A endorsement until you retake it with air brakes... fine.

Next day i call DMV in NJ.. after 20 minute wait, they tell me i need to go into a facility. [:@] I rush to finish work, get there by 4pm, go in, explain it all to the guy that they said to go in person and schedule for tomorrow, which is the last day of the permit.... figured i'd have a 2% chance of the availability lol. So in ocean county NJ, i can schedule an 11am test the next morning. Fine ill take it.

So 10am, i drive over 45 minutes to show up for the test, truck is all commercial, one of our other 2006 F350s, has a dump body on it, dot #s, diesel if that matters, flares, road triangles, fire extinguisher and DOT inspection sticker in the door you pay $100 for annually :/... I get out of the truck and the guy's like "you cant take the CDL test in that". He say's he can't even fill out his form for taking the road test unless he puts the truck make, model, and gvw, which must be over 26,000 "where federal requires a commercial truck to have cdl, air brakes or not". So they denied the road test. I'm not sure what you'd actually have to do different than the normal drivers test in a car?

He said i'd have to complete the pre-trip inspection, back up, test the brakes, drive a couple miles on the main road etc..... why cant i do that?

I told him we only own trucks as large as an F-550, which are 19.5k gvw... he asked whats the gross total, and i said well i need a CDL if we pull a 7k open "lightweight" trailer empty with our 19.5k GVW F550 because thats over 26,000 too...

So explain to me why i can't take a required CDL test in the same trucks i'm being ticketed in for not having a CDL class C or better license? Its all because of the trailer, so fine, let me take the test pulling the damn trailer then. They don't do that, only for the tractor "18 wheelers" they pull the trailer.

So what do i tell the cop the next time the nitwit pulls me over eventually for non-cdl with a trailer over 10k?

Keep in mind for some of you who don't own or tow trailers regularly, most of those 24ft box trailers guys tow their cars to the track with are 10k trailers, 10,000+ is a cdl requirement, 9999 and you don't need one.

I shouldn't be required to rent or pay to borrow a truck or buy a truck to satisfy their cdl test when im being ticketed driving one already.

[RamAirfreak98ss]

How To Get CDL License In New Jersey or CDL License NJ: SmithSolomon.com

So isnt a class A and B difference only being that A certifies for air brakes?

Right now, my class D i can pull trailers less than 10k, going to a class B doesnt help at all, still is limited to a 10k or less trailer, you still need a class A.

CDL A: Tractor Trailer Training - 160 Hours (4 Weeks)
This course is our most popular course. We encourage each prospective student to take the CDL A course, because it gives you more career options when you graduate. During this course you will be in the classroom the first week learning the theory behind operating a commercial vehicle in order to pass your written permit test, then you will move out to the yard to learn maneuvers. Afterwards, under supervised instruction by one of our experienced trainers you will learn the skills necessary to drive a tractor trailer on the road. This is where you gain the knowledge and most importantly, the confidence to operate a truck safely and efficiently. These trucks are very large, very heavy and can be dangerous, proper instruction from professionals is necessary, critical and crucial for your future as a professional driver.

If i've pulled trailers for years, and already passed ALL the written tests for NJ already with DMV, why should i be required to take a driving school for probably $3000-5000 or more, to take up 160hrs of my time now, just to be able to drive their big rig truck and take a drivers test in a couple months?

[NoRalPh]

Has Nothing to do with Air Brakes (don't think that's any kind of issue anymore). Class B is about a Straight Truck exceeding 26K, a Class A is about pulling more than a 10K trailer (BASICALLY....).

Look here in the Towing Forum;

hot shoting

(CDL) Why do people think............

[6.0f250firstcar]

NJ sucks.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL while selling cummins but dreaming of powerstrokes!

[ZMANN]

apparently LOL

[6.0f250firstcar]

Because of budget cuts they were going to reduce the frequency of emissions inspections. But then the tree huggers got their panties in a bunch and demanded that the emissions test stay the same. So they got rid of the SAFETY inspections on things like the SEAT BELTS and BRAKES so that the damn prius people would be happy.

[mustangman02232]

If the truck and trailer combined gvw is over 26001 you need a cdl, if you have a 10k gvw truck and 15 gvw trailer you are at 25k and do not Need one

Are there any truck driving schools near you? If so I would see how much they want to just take the test not the class

[Spudman]

You do not need a CDL simply because the trailer is over 10k GVWR.

Nor do you need a CDL simply becasue the combo is over 26k combined GVWR, (the trailer would then have to be over 10k GVWR as well)

[Spudman]

Originally Posted by RamAirfreak98ss

So in April, i get pulled over by a local cop that really only tickets for Commercial vehicles. Among the few tickets, one is for non-cdl operation of the vehicle, and made me detach a 14k gvw gooseneck equipment trailer at a local gas station, pay $60 overnight to "store" it there and then i paid a CDL driver the next day $50 to drive my truck 5 miles each way to tow it out of there and drive it back to my house.

Because the trailer is over 10k gvw, they're saying you need a CDl... FINE.

So i take my written test, 3 parts, pass all but the air brakes, hey i've only driven an air brake truck 1/8th of a mile to move it in a parking lot so i only know what i've read, heard about them and the very basics of operations.

I went back 3 weeks later and took the air test part, passed. They stamped my permit good to 10/20/12 .They scheduled in July 20th , my road test for the CDL. I was then told i need an air-brake equipped truck for the class A endorsement of the air brakes. I scrambled for over a week to rent a truck for a couple hundred bucks for a day, but most all rental places like Ryder, didnt have a local 26+ truck that had air brakes local. Even Vinny Maddox on clubgp tried to offer taking a bus he drives, which i thought may have caused trouble with his boss or job. I never took the road test in July.

Earlier this week, i am pulling the same trailer with the same 06 F350 drw diesel truck and theres a state police of NJ roadside diesel emissions inspection... I pull in, figure, i should pass fine, even though the truck has no cat. They never checked anything emissions related, but again, said i need a CDL for the trailer being over 10k, although im on a permit, no tickets were issued but i only had a few days now to take the test. these three cops know the CDL stuff fluently and he said theres no requirement for air brakes and i don't need an air brake truck for the test, take it with this truck and they just won't give you the class A endorsement until you retake it with air brakes... fine.

Next day i call DMV in NJ.. after 20 minute wait, they tell me i need to go into a facility. [:@] I rush to finish work, get there by 4pm, go in, explain it all to the guy that they said to go in person and schedule for tomorrow, which is the last day of the permit.... figured i'd have a 2% chance of the availability lol. So in ocean county NJ, i can schedule an 11am test the next morning. Fine ill take it.

So 10am, i drive over 45 minutes to show up for the test, truck is all commercial, one of our other 2006 F350s, has a dump body on it, dot #s, diesel if that matters, flares, road triangles, fire extinguisher and DOT inspection sticker in the door you pay $100 for annually :/... I get out of the truck and the guy's like "you cant take the CDL test in that". He say's he can't even fill out his form for taking the road test unless he puts the truck make, model, and gvw, which must be over 26,000 "where federal requires a commercial truck to have cdl, air brakes or not". So they denied the road test. I'm not sure what you'd actually have to do different than the normal drivers test in a car?

He said i'd have to complete the pre-trip inspection, back up, test the brakes, drive a couple miles on the main road etc..... why cant i do that?

I told him we only own trucks as large as an F-550, which are 19.5k gvw... he asked whats the gross total, and i said well i need a CDL if we pull a 7k open "lightweight" trailer empty with our 19.5k GVW F550 because thats over 26,000 too...

So explain to me why i can't take a required CDL test in the same trucks i'm being ticketed in for not having a CDL class C or better license? Its all because of the trailer, so fine, let me take the test pulling the damn trailer then. They don't do that, only for the tractor "18 wheelers" they pull the trailer.

So what do i tell the cop the next time the nitwit pulls me over eventually for non-cdl with a trailer over 10k?

Keep in mind for some of you who don't own or tow trailers regularly, most of those 24ft box trailers guys tow their cars to the track with are 10k trailers, 10,000+ is a cdl requirement, 9999 and you don't need one.

I shouldn't be required to rent or pay to borrow a truck or buy a truck to satisfy their cdl test when im being ticketed driving one already.

Show them the federal requirement that

A.) says they have to let you test in a vehicle that requires the CDL.

B.) that 10k trailer alone doesn't require a CDL.

[Tuscany]

Spudman for once I agree with you. However there is a discrepancy with your statement. That only holds true if he is not using his truck in commerce or for work. If he is using this vehicle as a commercial vehicle whether it be a tractor trailer or a pickup with a 18k trailer or what have you than he would be required to carry a cdl. If he is using it for personal use only than your 100% correct in him not being required to carry a cdl.