General Knowledge For A And B
Topic 10832 | Page 1
I know this may be a silly question but. I took my G.K test and skills and passed and now have my Class B license. I am thinking about going back to school to get my class A. When I get to school, will I have to study and take the G.K. again in order to obtain my class A? Is the class A & B G.K. test the same?
Thanks again for all your help folks.
All I had to take was Combination to upgrade from B to A. I already had airbrakes on my B.
It will depend on your state and what other endorsements you'll want. You really don't want to limit yourself so you're best off getting all of the endorsements also. You can prepare for it with our High Road Training Program. Here's how it breaks down:
To Get Your CDL Permit:
- Rules & Regulations
- Driving Safely
- Transporting Cargo Safely
- Air Brakes
- Combination Vehicles
- Pre-Trip Inspection
- Driving Exam
To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but highly recommend:
- Transporting Passengers
- Doubles And Triples
- Tankers
- Hazardous Materials
Two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road:
- Logbook
- Weight & Balance
Two sections for anyone considering flatbed:
- Cargo Securement
- New York State Coil Endorsement
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Logbook:
A written or electronic record of a driver's duty status which must be maintained at all times. The driver records the amount of time spent driving, on-duty not driving, in the sleeper berth, or off duty. The enforcement of the Hours Of Service Rules (HOS) are based upon the entries put in a driver's logbook.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Thanks folks.
Brett,
I spoke with the instructor at the school. He said all I have to do is take the general knowledge for class A. Which one of the listed items under High Road Training Program is for the General Knowledge test? Thank you
Here are the ones from the general knowledge section:
To Get Your CDL Permit:
- Rules & Regulations
- Driving Safely
- Transporting Cargo Safely
- Air Brakes
- Combination Vehicles
- Pre-Trip Inspection
- Driving Exam
If you have your air brakes endorsement already you may not need that section. But there still could be questions from that section on the general knowledge also so I would go through it.
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
Here are the ones from the general knowledge section:
To Get Your CDL Permit:
- Rules & Regulations
- Driving Safely
- Transporting Cargo Safely
- Air Brakes
- Combination Vehicles
- Pre-Trip Inspection
- Driving Exam
If you have your air brakes endorsement already you may not need that section. But there still could be questions from that section on the general knowledge also so I would go through it.
Thank you sir, you're the best!
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
Brett,
I spoke with the instructor at the school. He said all I have to do is take the general knowledge for class A. Which one of the listed items under High Road Training Program is for the General Knowledge test? Thank you
No, you don't have to take GK if you already have a class B. All you have to take is Combination plus any endorsements you want.
Ok, so here is what I found out today from Penndot here in Pa. I had to go there in order to get an extra DUP off my license. They are 100% after your money! They require you to take the General Knowledge exam for your class A even though you passed the B already. And even though they are pretty much the same exact thing. With a few air-brake and cargo questions thrown in. Penndot said every state is different with testing. So, that is the short of it. gggrrrrrrr
Thanks for everyone's help.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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I know this may be a silly question but. I took my G.K test and skills and passed and now have my Class B license. I am thinking about going back to school to get my class A. When I get to school, will I have to study and take the G.K. again in order to obtain my class A? Is the class A & B G.K. test the same?
Thanks again for all your help folks.