About the CDL Test

Commercial driver license is one of the essential licenses, which are required for driving a vehicle of any type that weighs 11,793 kg or above generally in commercial purposes. When compared to driving a non-commercial vehicle with commercial motor vehicle, it is not that easy to drive a commercial vehicle because this requires excellent knowledge level, high experience and good skills along with physical abilities.

A commercial driver license will be obtained, only if an applicant will pass skills as well as knowledge of testing that is geared to these types of higher standards. Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act which came in to existence in 1986 that aims at improving high safety that will be ensuring whether truck drivers, drivers of tractors, drivers of trailers and buses are qualified or not to drive commercial motor vehicles.

Class Definitions in Commercial Driver License:

A commercial driver license will be issued only if the vehicle will satisfy at least one of the following definitions in Commercial Motor Vehicle:

Class A truck:

A vehicle will be defined as Class A truck only if different combinations of vehicles that has a GVWR of 11,793 kg or above in-case if GVWR of vehicle when towed will be in excess of 4,536 kg.

Class B truck:

A vehicle will be defined as Class B truck only if any type of single vehicle that has a GVWR of 11,793 kg or above in-case if GVWR of vehicle when towed will not be more than 4,536 kg.

Class C truck:

Class C truck can be defined as a single or combination of vehicles, that do not satisfy either of Class A or  Class B truck conditions, but still will be carrying 16 or more passengers or else that will transport hazardous materials.

Commercial Driver License in Australia:

Though Australia will be having same driver license mostly throughout the country but there will be little changes when it comes to each state or territory. Australia will be having different classes of licenses which are as follows:

• C Car: License of ‘class c’ will be covering that weighs up to 4.5 tons of gross vehicle mass.
• R Rider: It is required that a motorcycle rider has to produce ‘Class R’ license.
• LR Light Rigid: This is a ‘Class LR’ which will be covering those rigid vehicles that have GVM between 4.5 tons and 8 tons also includes vehicles of ‘Class c’.
• MR Medium Rigid: This is a ‘Class MR’ which will be covering those rigid vehicles that has GVM with 2 axles and above 8 tons also includes vehicles of ‘Class LR’.
• HR Heavy Rigid:This is a ‘Class HR’ which will be covering those rigid vehicles that has GVM with 3 axles and above 8 tons also includes vehicles of ‘Class MR’.
• HC Heavy Combination:It is that type of license which will be covering heavy combination vehicles such as a prime mover towing a semi-trailer, or rigid vehicles towing a trailer that has GVM of above 9 tons also includes vehicles in class 'HR'.
• MC Multi-Combination:It is that type of license which will be covering multi-combination vehicles such as Road Trains and B-Double Vehicles. It also includes vehicles of class 'HC'.

Medical Standards:

There are certain medical standards that have been set for drivers of commercial vehicles by National Transport Commission and AUSTROADS. These are set to ‘Access Fitness to Drive’.