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Alaska
Commercial
Driver License
Manual
2005 CDL Testing System
Version: July 2017
CDL Driver’s Manual
COPYRIGHT © 2005 AAMVA
All Rights Reserved
Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act
The Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act (MCSIA) is a federal mandate designed to enhance highway
safety by
ensuring only safe drivers operate commercial motor vehicles. MCSIA improves the commercial driver
license
(CDL) sanctioning process by strengthening the disqualification process through the expansion of
violations that
result in disqualification. In addition, MCSIA requires states to disqualify CDL drivers who have
high risk traffic
offenses in their personal vehicles. Below is a list of Major and Serious violations that will
result in a disqualification
of your commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit:
Major Disqualifying Offenses – Applicable when operating a CMV or non CMV. Disqualification periods
are
enhanced if operating a CMV while transporting hazardous materials or passengers, or in connection
with a felony
involving controlled substances (CFR 383.51 table 1).
• DUI
• Refusal
• Leaving the scene of an accident
• Felony involving a motor vehicle
• Driving while license revoked/suspended/cancelled or disqualified
• Causing a fatality while driving a CMV by negligent driving or by committing a felony
1st Major Offense – 1 year disqualification of your commercial driving privileges
2nd Major Offense – Lifetime disqualification of your commercial driving privileges
Serious Disqualifying Offenses – Applicable when operating a CMV or non CMV. Disqualification
periods are
enhanced if operating a CMV while transporting hazardous materials or passengers.
• Speeding 15 or more over the limit
• Following too closely
• Improper or erratic lane changes
• Negligent driving (as 28.33.190(16)(B)
• Violating state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control arising in connection
with an accident
causing injury or fatality to a person.(AS28.33.190(16)(O))
• Driving a CMV without obtaining a CDL
• Driving a CMV without a CDL in the driver’s possession
• Driving a CMV without the proper class of CDL and/or endorsements for the specific vehicle group
being
operated or for the passengers or type of cargo being transported
• Use of an electronic device while driving.(AS 28.33.190(16)(H)
2nd Serious Traffic Offense in 3 years – 60 day disqualification of commercial driving privileges
3rd Serious Traffic Offense in 3 years – 120 day disqualification of commercial driving privileges
Violating Out-of-Service Orders – Applicable while operating a CMV only (AS 28.33.140(j)).
• 1st offense – no less than 180 days or more than 1 year
• 1st offense with hazmat – no less than 180 days or more than 2 years
• 2nd offense within 10 years – no less than 1 year or more than 5 years
• 2nd offense with hazmat within 10 years – no less than 3 years or more than 5 years
• 3rd offense within 10 years – no less than 3 years or more than 5 years
• 3rd offense with hazmat within 10 years – no less than 3 years or more than 5 years
Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Violations – Applicable while operating a CMV only.
• 1st offense – 60 day disqualification of commercial driving privileges
• 2nd offense within 3 years – 120 day disqualification of commercial driving privileges
• 3rd or subsequent offense within 3 years – 1 year disqualification of commercial driving
privileges
Dear Commercial Driver:
The State of Alaska is pleased to provide this Commercial Driver’s License Manual to you. As
a professional truck or bus driver you can appreciate the knowledge and skills that are
necessary to operate a commercial vehicle safely. Our program will help assure that all
commercial drivers understand their safety responsibilities to themselves and all highway
users.
This manual will help you prepare for the CDL knowledge and endorsement tests. Please
review it carefully. For specific information about the CDL program or on how to schedule a
knowledge or skills exam please contact your local DMV office.
Alaska law AS 19.10.300 requires that a person who carries passengers or freight for hire within
the state of Alaska in a commercial motor vehicle, or a person who carries freight in a motor
vehicle for commercial purposes, shall maintain financial responsibility in the following amounts:
$200,000 for property damage in a single occurrence; and $500,000 for bodily injury or death in
a single occurrence.
Evidence of financial responsibility shall be filed with:
Department of Transportation
Division of Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
11900 Industrial Way
Huffman Business Park, Building M
Anchorage, AK 99515-3512
The evidence must be in the form of a policy or certificate of insurance by an insurer
acceptable to the Department, or other security approved by the Department.
Remember that driving is a privilege, not a right. Good luck on your commercial examination.
This publication was released by the Alaska Department of Administration, Division of Motor
Vehicles, produced
at a cost of $0.70 per copy to educate potential drivers of commercial vehicles and printed in
Anchorage, Alaska
under copyright of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration under Cooperative Agreement No. DTFH61-97-X-
00017. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in
this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
view of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The purpose of this manual is to provide the reader with a general familiarity with the principals
of safe operation of a commercial motor
vehicle. The contents of this manual are NOT intended to serve as a precise statement of the
Statutes and Regulations of the State of
Alaska pertaining to the operation of a commercial motor vehicle and should not be understood by
the reader as such.
This material has been created for and provided to State Driver License Agencies (SDLAs) by AAMVA
for the purpose of
educating Driver License applicants (Commercial or Non-Commercial). Permission to reproduce, use,
distribute or sell this
material has been granted to SDLAs only. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system
without express written permission from the author / publisher. Any unauthorized reprint, use,
distribution or sale of this
material is prohibited.
Section 1 - Introduction
Version: July 2017
Revised by the Alaska DMV 02/2018
Printed 02/2018
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Who is required to be licensed – A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required for anyone who is
driving a
vehicle intrastate or interstate with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or
more. If you will
be driving a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, or transporting
hazardous
materials, regardless of the GVWR, a CDL is required. A commercial driver may have only one license
and
that license must be issued by their state of domicile. Those exempted from the commercial driver
licensing
requirements include drivers of recreational, military and emergency vehicles. Farm vehicles are
exempt if
controlled and operated by a farmer, used to transport agricultural products or machinery to and
from a farm,
not used in for-hire or contract carrier operations, and if driven no further than 150 miles from
the farm.
Testing and Issuance Requirements – In accordance with 2 AAC 90.420(a), your social security number
is
required to obtain a CDL along with other birth and identity documents if you have never been
licensed in the
State of Alaska. The commercial driver license fee is $100.00. There is a $25.00 non-refundable fee
for those
requiring a road test. Road test appointments may be scheduled online at Alaska.gov/dmv (see page
7), or in
person at any DMV office. The minimum passing score for all knowledge tests is 80%. To obtain a
passing
score on the skill test, the applicant must demonstrate that he/she can successfully perform all of
the skills
required. Under Department of Administration regulation 2 AAC 90.420 the knowledge tests may be
taken
once per day until successful completion. The road skills test will be given to the applicant once
he/she
satisfactorily meets all other requirements; second road skills test can be conducted at least one
week after the
first test if the department determines it is necessary; further testing will be at the
department’s discretion and
the department may require proof that additional driver training has been completed.
An applicant must hold a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) for at least 14 days before taking a road
skills test. If you are upgrading to a higher class or an endorsement that requires a road skills
test you
must have held a CLP for at least 14 days.
An applicant must be at least twenty-one years of age to operate in interstate commerce or nineteen
years of
age to operate in intrastate commerce at the time of application and must have held a valid driver
license for at
least one year. An applicant must pass the knowledge, skills and vision test prior to issuance of
the CDL. For
further information about obtaining a commercial driver license or a commercial learner’s permit,
please
address your questions to any DMV office.
Medical Certificate and Self-Certification Requirements – Effective January 1, 2012 all CDL drivers
are
required by Federal law to self-certify to the type of CMV operation that applies to the driver.
The types of
operation are as follows: non-excepted interstate, excepted interstate, non-excepted intrastate and
excepted intrastate.
Depending on the type of operation a driver self certifies to, Federal and State laws require
drivers to carry a
medical examiner’s certificate which certifies that they are physically qualified to operate a
commercial motor
vehicle (CMV) on their person while operating a CMV. There are excepted reasons for not having a
medical
card, as explained in CFR 383.73. For questions regarding CDL Medical Cards, please call Dept. of
Transportation at (907) 341-3200.
Effective January 1, 2012 the State is required to downgrade any CDL holder with an expired medical
certificate on file within 60 days of expiration.
Implied Consent – When you operate or drive a CMV you have already consented to a chemical test of
your
breath for the purpose of determining the alcohol content of your blood or breath. The law of
“implied consent”
allows law enforcement officers to request a sample of your breath. If you refuse to submit to a
chemical test
your CDL will be disqualified for one year for a first offense, or three years if transporting
hazardous materials.
A second and subsequent offense is a minimum ten years disqualification.
Section 1 - Introduction
Version: July 2017
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COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE CLASSES, ENDORSEMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS
GCWR = Gross Combination Weight Rating: The value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight
of a combination vehicle.
GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: The value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of
a
single vehicle.
Class A
Any combination of vehicles with gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds
falls
in Group A, provided the GVWR of the power unit is at least 26,001 or more pounds; and the GVWR of
the vehicle(s) being towed is more than 10,000 pounds. (18 wheelers, logging)
Class B
Any single vehicle with a GVWR in excess of 26,001 pounds or any such vehicle towing another
vehicle that does not weigh 10,000 pounds or more (dump trucks, cement mixer trucks, box trucks,
motor coaches).
Class C
Any single vehicle with a GVWR less than 26,001 pounds falls in Group C or any such vehicle towing
another vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR. However, vehicles of this size are included in
the CDL program only if they are:
(1) Designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, or
(2) Used to transport hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding under the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (49 CFR Part 172, Subpart F) or is carrying material listed as a select
agent or toxin in 42 CFR part 73.
ENDORSEMENTS:
H – Hazardous Materials Any vehicle used to transport hazardous materials in placardable amounts.
(Pickups, trucks, vans) Effective 05/31/05: ALL applicants renewing a license with a hazardous
materials (haz-mat) endorsement, adding a haz-mat endorsement to a CDL or obtaining an original
Alaska CDL license with a haz-mat endorsement must pass a background check prior to issuance. For
additional information on background checks please see https://universalenroll.dhs.gov/.
Required Test(s): Knowledge
N – Tanker Any vehicle intended for hauling liquids in bulk (tank trucks)
Required Test(s): Knowledge
P – Passenger Any vehicle designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver)
(Regardless of how many passengers are being transported and whether or not the vehicle has been
modified to carry less than 16 passengers.)
Required Test(s): Knowledge, Road Skills
S – School Bus Required operating a school bus carrying children to and from school.
Required Test(s): Knowledge, Road Skills
T – Double or Triple Trailers
Required Test(s): Knowledge
X – Combo Tanker/Hazardous Materials Any tank vehicle used to transport placardable amounts
of hazardous materials
Required Test(s): Knowledge, background check
RESTRICTIONS:
E - Automatic Transmission Vehicles Only: If the driver takes the skills test in a vehicle that has
an
automatic transmission, then an "E" no manual transmission restriction is placed on their license.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
Section 1 - Introduction
Version: July 2017
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K – Intrastate Only: Used to restrict an applicant to intrastate driving. This includes an
applicant under the
age of 21 or an applicant that is legally blind in one eye and has submitted a state waiver.
Interstate
commerce (CFR 49 390.5) means trade, traffic, or transportation in the United States- (1) Between a
place in a State and a place outside of such State (including a place outside of the United
States); or (2)
Between two places in a State through another State or a place outside of the United States; or (3)
Between two places in a State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation *Intrastate commerce
means any
trade, traffic, or transportation in any State which is not described in the term “interstate
commerce”.
L - Vehicles Without Air Brake Systems Only: If the driver does not pass the Air Brakes Knowledge
Test,
does not correctly identify the air brake system components, does not properly conduct an air brake
systems check, or does not take the Skills test in a vehicle with a full air brake system, the
driver must
have an "L" no full air brake restriction placed on their license.
Required Test(s): Knowledge, Road Skills
M – No Class A Passenger Vehicle: If a driver possesses a Class A CDL, but obtains his or her
passenger
or school bus endorsement in a Class B vehicle the State must place an "M" restriction indicating
that the
driver can only operate Class B and C passenger vehicle or school buses.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
N - No Class A and B Passenger Vehicle: If a driver possesses a Class B CDL, but obtains his or her
passenger or school bus endorsement in a Class C vehicle; the State must place an "N" restriction
indicating that the driver can only operate Class C passenger vehicle or school buses.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
O - No Tractor Trailer: If the driver takes the Skills Test in a Class A vehicle that has a pintle
hook or other
non-fifth wheel connection, they will have an "O" restriction placed on their license restricting
them from
driving any Class A vehicle with a fifth wheel connection.
Required Test(s): Knowledge, Road Skills
P - No passengers in CMV bus: A Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) holder with a P endorsement is
prohibited from operating a CMV carrying passengers, other than Federal/State auditors and
inspectors,
test examiners, other trainees, and the CDL holder accompanying the Commercial Instruction Permit
holder as prescribed by § CFR 383.25(a)(1) of this part.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
V – Medical Variance: If the State is notified by the FMCSA that a medical variance has been issued
to the
driver, the State must indicate the existence of such a medical variance on the CDLIS driving
record and
the CDL document using a restriction code "V" to indicate that there is information about the
medical
variance on the CDLIS record.
Required Test(s): Waiver or SPE
X - No cargo in CMV tank vehicle: A Commercial Instruction Permit holder with an N endorsement may
only operate an empty tank vehicle and is prohibited from operating any tank vehicle that previously
contained hazardous materials that has not been purged of any residue.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
Z - No full air brake equipped CMV: If the driver takes the test in a vehicle with an air over
hydraulic brake
system, then they will have a "Z" no full air brake restriction placed on their license. In either
case the
driver is not authorized to operate a CMV equipped with full air brakes.
Required Test(s): Road Skills
7 - Off-Highway: Used in specific rural communities where road tests are not administered. License
restricted to these communities.
Required Test(s) to obtain Restriction 7 (off highway) CDL: General knowledge test & non-commercial
road test
Required Test(s) to remove Restriction 7 (off highway) CDL: Road Skills
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