§383.93 Endorsements

Question 1: Are employees of a governmental agency who drive emergency response vehicles that transport HM in quantities requiring placarding subject to the CDL regulations?

Guidance: No, if the vehicle is being operated under the provisions of §383.3(d)(2).

Question 2:Would the driver in the following scenarios be required to have a CDL with an HM endorsement?

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

b. A driver transports less than 1,001 pounds of Division 1.4 materials in a vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds?

c. The driver transports any quantity of Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 (Class A or B explosive) materials in any vehicle?

Guidance: a. Yes; unless the explosive is a 1.4S explosive, which never requires placarding.

b. No.

c. Yes.

Question 3: Must all drivers of vehicles required to be placarded have CDLs containing the HM endorsement?

Guidance: Yes, unless waived by the State, as allowed by the provisions of §383.3.

Question 4: Do persons transporting battery-powered forklifts need to obtain an HM endorsement?

Guidance: No, battery powered vehicles and equipment are not required to be placarded for transportation.

Question 5: 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 GCWR is 26,001 pounds or more; and
• The combined GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

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: 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 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 8: 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 crash 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 or school bus endorsement.

Question 9: 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 towing a single trailer. This configuration does not require a driver to have a doubles/triples endorsement on a CDL.

Question 10: Are drivers required to have both the “P” passenger and “S” school bus endorsement if they are not transporting students when operating a “school bus,” as defined in §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.

Question 11: Is a person who operates a custom motorcoach in commerce with a GVWR or GVW greater than 26,001 pounds required to have a passenger endorsement for his or her CDL if the vehicle is designed or used to transport fewer than 16 passengers, including the driver?

Guidance: Yes. The motorcoach is a Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B) under §383.91 that is designed to transport passengers in commerce. The driver is, therefore, required by §383.93(b)(2) to have a passenger endorsement.

Question 12: Are U.S. commercial drivers required to possess a Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) training certificate when transporting hazardous materials (HM) in Canada?

Guidance: No, the HM endorsement on the U.S. Commercial driver’s license (CDL) is all that is required when transporting HM in Canada.

Question 13: Are Canadian commercial drivers who transport any liquid or gaseous material in a tank having a rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more or multiple tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate capacity of 1,000 or more gallons in the U.S. required to display a tank vehicle endorsement on their Canadian Commercial License like the CDL for a U.S. driver?

Guidance: No. Canadian drivers are not required to have a tank vehicle endorsement on their commercial licenses; however, they must possess a Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) training certificate when transporting hazardous materials (HM) in a tank in the United States.

Question 14: What proof must a Canadian commercial driver possess to reflect a driver is qualified to transport hazardous materials (HM) in the United States?

Guidance: A Canadian commercial driver must possess a Canadian Commercial License and a Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) training certificate when transporting HM in the United States.