Part 383

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View the regulations for Part 383

Guidance for § 383.93: Endorsements.

Question 1: Is the HM endorsement needed for operation of State and local government vehicles carrying HM?

Guidance: No.

Question 2: Are drivers of double and triple saddle mount combinations required to have the double/triple trailers endorsement on their CDLs?

Guidance: Yes, if the following conditions apply:

• —There is more than one point of articulation in the combination;
• —The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is 26,001 or more pounds; and
• —The combined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

Question 3: Are drivers delivering empty buses in driveaway-towaway operations required to have the passenger endorsement on their CDLs?

Guidance: No.

Question 4: Would the driver in the following scenarios be required to have a CDL with a HM endorsement?

a. A driver transports 1,000 or more pounds of Division 1.4 (Class C explosive) materials in a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 26,001 pounds?

b. A driver transports less than 1,000 pounds of Division 1.4 (Class C explosive) materials in a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 26,001 pounds?

c. The driver transports any quantity of Division 1.1,1.2 or1.3 (Class A or B explosive) materials in any vehicle.

Guidance:

• a. Yes.
• b. No.
• c. Yes.

Question 5: Do drivers of ready-mix concrete mixers need a tank vehicle endorsement ("N") on their CDL?

Guidance: No.

Question 6: Does an unattached tote or portable tank with a cargo capacity of 1,000 gallons or more meet the definition of "portable tank" requiring a tank vehicle endorsement on the driver’s CDL?

Guidance: Yes.

Question 7: Must all drivers of vehicles required to be placarded have CDLs containing the HM endorsement?

Guidance: Yes, unless waived.

Question 8: Is a driver who operates a truck tractor pulling a heavy-haul trailer attached to the tractor by means of a “jeep” that meets the definition of a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) under part 383 required to have a CDL with a double/triple trailer endorsement?

Guidance: Yes. The "jeep," also referred to as a load divider, is a short frame-type trailer complete with upper coupler, fifth wheel and undercarriage assembly and designed in such a manner that when coupled to a semitrailer and tractor it carries a portion of the trailer kingpin load while transferring the remainder to the tractor’s fifth wheel.

Question 9: Do persons transporting battery-powered forklifts need to obtain an HM endorsement?

Guidance: No.

Question 10: Do tow truck operators who hold a CDL require endorsements to tow "endorsable" vehicles?

Guidance:

For CDL endorsement purposes, the nature of the tow truck operations determines the need for endorsements:

—If the driver’s towing operations are restricted to emergency "first moves" from the site of a breakdown or accident to the nearest appropriate repair facility, then no CDL endorsement of any kind is required.

—If the driver’s towing operations include any "subsequent moves" from one repair or disposal facility to another, then endorsements requisite to the vehicles being towed are required. Exception: Tow truck operators need not obtain a passenger endorsement.

Question 11: Must a driver have a tank vehicle endorsement to deliver an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer?

Guidance: No. Part of the definition of a “tank vehicle” in §383.5 is “any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials with in a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis.” A flatbed is not “designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials” simply because it carries an empty storage tank-readily distinguishable from a transportation tank-secured as cargo in compliance with Part 393, Subpart I.

Question 12: Is a person who drives an empty school bus from the manufacturer to the local distributor required to obtain a CDL?

Guidance: Yes. Any driver of a bus that is designed to transport 16 or more passengers or that has a GVWR of 11,794 kilograms (26,001 pounds) or greater is required to obtain a CDL in the applicable class. A passenger endorsement is also required if the bus is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver.

Question 13: Does a driver who operates a straight truck equipped with a pintle hook towing a full trailer (a semitrailer equipped with a converter dolly) need a doubles/triples endorsement on his or her (CDL)?

Guidance: No. This combination is a truck-tractor towing a single trailer. This configuration does not require a driver to have a doubles/triples endorsement on a CDL.

Question 14: Are drivers required to have both the “P” passenger and “S” school bus endorsements if they are not transporting students when operating a “school bus,” as defined in 49 CFR §383.5?

Guidance: No. Only drivers actually transporting pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school sponsored events in a school bus are required to have both the “P” and “S” endorsements. Only a “P” endorsement is required by drivers delivering school buses from the manufacturer, by mechanics and other drivers operating empty school buses, and by drivers transporting students and/or adults to and from events that are not sponsored by the school.