Commercial Driver Education

There are so many steps to the process of obtaining your West Virginia commercial driver's license that those who are seeking to obtain their CDLs for the first time may be somewhat intimidated. However, there are a couple of ways to educate and prepare yourself for obtaining your CDL:

• You can start by studying the CDL Manual, available for download with the free Adobe Reader. This manual has all the information you'll need, including contact addresses and phone numbers.

• Consider receiving training from third party examiners, which are private companies certified by the state to train you and test you, too. Find the location nearest you and give them a call.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986

Although there are currently no state-mandated classroom hours or behind-the-wheel hours, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 places certain requirements on CMV drivers, employing motor carriers, and on each state.

The goal of the Safety Act is to improve highway safety by making sure that drivers of large trucks and buses are qualified to operate those vehicles, thus removing unqualified, and unsafe, drivers from the highways. The Safety Act makes it illegal to hold more than one license, and it requires states to adopt testing and licensing standards specific to the type of vehicle a person plans to operate.

The Safety Act doesn't require drivers to obtain a separate federal license; however, it did require that states upgrade their previous testing and licensing programs to meet the federal minimum standards. The state retains the right to issue a license, but minimum national standards must be met.

OTHER IMPORTANT CDL SECTIONS

• Applying for a New CDL
• Renewing Your CDL
• Replacing a Lost CDL
• Commercial Driver FAQs