passenger vehicle
승객 운송 차량A vehicle seating enough passengers that its driver needs a CDL.
The line is drawn by seating capacity, counting the driver. City buses, coaches and large shuttle vans all count. Driving one needs the P endorsement.
On the test
No current stem names the term; questions on passenger vehicles ask about the P endorsement, bus inspection, loading rules and stops.
Appears in 1 test question
See 1 question on the Passenger testDiffers by state: The federal and majority threshold is a design capacity of 16 or more persons including the driver (41 of 44 manuals). California requires the P endorsement above 10 persons including the driver. New Jersey requires it from 8 or more including the driver for any bus, limo or van for hire. Texas also lets capacity set the license class. In Texas, 24 or more passengers is Class B regardless of weight, and Class C is capped at 16 to 23.
Example: Hired to drive a 20-seat airport shuttle, you learn it counts as a passenger vehicle and needs a CDL with P.
Also called: passenger vehicles
A bus that carries students to and from school or school activities.
School buses have their own rules: danger zones, mirrors, student loading and unloading, railroad stops. Driving one needs the S endorsement on top of P.
Differs by state: Which school buses need a CDL with S differs by state. The majority manual says 16 or more persons including the driver. Pennsylvania sets 11 or more for school buses; Washington, New Jersey and Minnesota require the endorsement for a school bus of any size. Where the minimum driving age is stated it is 21, except 18 in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Example: Approaching your first stop of the morning, you check every mirror for children before opening the door.
Also called: school buses
A floor line on a bus behind which standing riders must stay.
On buses that allow standing, a two-inch line on the floor marks the front limit. Nobody may stand ahead of it, next to the driver. It keeps the driver's view and movement clear.
Example: A rider steps forward to chat; you ask him to move back behind the standee line before you pull out.
Diagram coming
The area around a school bus where children most risk being hit.
It surrounds the bus on all sides and reaches far in front of the bumper. The first few feet in front are the deadliest. Mirrors are set to watch it.
On the test
No current stem uses the term; school-bus questions ask how far the danger zone extends and how mirrors cover it.
Differs by state: Most manuals describe the danger zone as reaching up to 30 feet in front of the bumper. The first 10 feet in front are the most dangerous, and the zone covers 10 feet on each side and behind the bus. California scales every one of those 10-foot dimensions to 12 feet. Serve 10 feet nationally and treat California as a single exception.
Example: A boy runs back along the bus for a dropped glove; you hold the bus still until he is clear of the danger zone.
Diagram coming
Also called: danger zones
A bus door, window or roof hatch for leaving in an emergency.
Every exit must be labeled, undamaged and easy to open from inside. Never drive with one open. On the inspection you show the examiner how at least one works.
On the test
Questions ask whether you may drive with an exit open and what to check on exits, their signs and lights before a trip.
Appears in 15 test questions
See 15 questions on the Passenger testExample: During the walk-through you push each emergency window open a few inches and let it latch shut again.
Also called: emergency exits
passenger endorsement
P 추가 자격The P endorsement a CDL needs to drive a passenger vehicle.
You pass a knowledge test on safe driving and passenger transport, then a skills test in a bus. School bus drivers need P first, then S.
On the test
No current stem names it; Passenger-test questions cover inspection, loading, the standee line, stops and prohibited practices.
Appears in 1 test question
See 1 question on the Passenger testDiffers by state: The majority threshold for needing a CDL with P is a design capacity of 16 or more persons including the driver. Forty-one of 44 manuals print it. California requires it above 10 persons including the driver. New Jersey requires it from 8 or more including the driver for any bus, limo or van for hire. These are permanent state options under the AAMVA model, not printing differences.
Example: Hired by a tour company, you schedule the P knowledge test and book a coach for the skills test.
Also called: P endorsement
school bus endorsement
S 추가 자격The S endorsement a CDL needs to drive a school bus.
It is added on top of the P endorsement. You pass a school-bus knowledge test and a skills test in a school bus. It can also go on a CLP.
On the test
No current stem names it; School Bus test questions cover danger zones, mirrors, loading and unloading, and evacuation.
Differs by state: Most manuals require S for a school bus designed for 16 or more persons including the driver. Pennsylvania sets the line at 11 or more; Washington, New Jersey and Minnesota require S for a school bus of any size. Where a minimum age is stated it is 21, except 18 in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Example: After a year on transit buses, you add the S endorsement so you can take the morning school route.
Also called: S endorsement
A place where a road crosses railroad tracks at the same level.
Buses, placarded hazmat trucks and chlorine carriers must stop 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail at every crossing. Other trucks slow down, look and listen. Low or long rigs can hang up on a raised crossing.
On the test
Questions ask which vehicles must stop at a crossing, how far from the rail, which rigs can get stuck, and the penalties for violations.
Appears in 30 test questions
See 9 questions on the Passenger testDiffers by state: Maryland requires every CMV to stop at every crossing, so it lists four crossing offenses where other states list six. Pennsylvania requires bus drivers to open the forward door and the driver's window at a crossing. Every other manual only advises opening the door if it helps you see or hear a train.
Example: Driving a loaded gasoline tanker, you stop short of the tracks, roll down the window to listen, and cross without shifting.
Also called: railroad-highway crossing, rail crossing, railroad crossings
