You must be at least 18 years of age to hold a CDL. Under federal law, you must
be a commercial driver at least 21 years of age to drive across state lines, transport
hazardous materials or transport interstate freight (e.g. mail) within the state.
If you want to learn to drive commercial motor vehicles, you must get a commercial
driver's license instruction permit. To obtain a CDL instruction permit, you must
pass the CDL general knowledge exam and the other knowledge exams for the vehicles
that you want to drive. For example, if you want to learn to operate a tank vehicle
and a passenger bus, you must take the general knowledge exam, the tank vehicle
exam and the passenger vehicle exam. If you want to learn to drive a school bus,
you must take the general knowledge, school bus and passenger vehicle exams.
The CDL instruction permit allows you to drive a commercial vehicle of the class
and type shown on the permit only when a person licensed to drive the same type
of vehicle is with you. You must hold the CDL instruction permit a minimum of
30 days or show successful completion of C.D.T.S.
You need to get your CDL for the class vehicle you plan to drive plus you may
need additional endorsements.