Just wanted to give a final update: took the road test on 7/2, didn't pass the service brake check...for some reason, the vehicle wouldn't shift from N to D..whether it was an error on my part or the vehicle, I don't know, but that's life. Went back to re-test on 7/30 and passed; I got a perfect score on the pre-trip and brake tests, with the examiner telling me that's the first time that's ever happened as long as she's been conducting the exam. Everything else went well; I went to the DMV the following day and submitted the app for my license. It was truly gratifying to accomplish this, more so than almost any other test I've taken in the past. I am a former science/biology teacher and I've had to take licensing exams to obtain my teacher certification...quite honestly, passing my CDL exam trumps those tests and is just a great feeling. My current place of employment was giving me 12 months to obtain the license...I jumped on it right away and got it in 4 months. There's workers who are cutting it close to their "deadlines" and haven't even obtained a permit yet...hopefully they get on it soon enough.
Anyway, thanks for the comments in the earlier postings; this forum contains a plethora of information, much of which helped me on the road test. Definitely would recommend a lot of this site's contents to others.
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.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Just wanted to give a final update: took the road test on 7/2, didn't pass the service brake check...for some reason, the vehicle wouldn't shift from N to D..whether it was an error on my part or the vehicle, I don't know, but that's life. Went back to re-test on 7/30 and passed; I got a perfect score on the pre-trip and brake tests, with the examiner telling me that's the first time that's ever happened as long as she's been conducting the exam. Everything else went well; I went to the DMV the following day and submitted the app for my license. It was truly gratifying to accomplish this, more so than almost any other test I've taken in the past. I am a former science/biology teacher and I've had to take licensing exams to obtain my teacher certification...quite honestly, passing my CDL exam trumps those tests and is just a great feeling. My current place of employment was giving me 12 months to obtain the license...I jumped on it right away and got it in 4 months. There's workers who are cutting it close to their "deadlines" and haven't even obtained a permit yet...hopefully they get on it soon enough.
Anyway, thanks for the comments in the earlier postings; this forum contains a plethora of information, much of which helped me on the road test. Definitely would recommend a lot of this site's contents to others.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated