Texas Driver Safety and Training

Earning a CDL License in Texas can be a confusing task. Knowing the right procedure, list of requirements and passing the tests may sound easy, but here are a few tips to get you started into getting your Texas CDL License.

• Check if your local Texas driver's license office offers CDL testing. Not all driver's license offices are the same, some don't offer CDL testing, so check first with your local office or nearby counties for information. Here's a link to a Texas DPS page that offers information on some driver's license offices. (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rolodex/search.asp) You might still need to call, so find contact numbers for the driver's license office in the county you are checking.



• Know the Requirements. A prerequisite for drivers is being at least over 21 years old and must already be licensed. Bringing your Social Security card along with your license is for verifying your identity.



• Know your vehicle's (truck's) weight class and fill out the appropriate Texas CDL license form. Each class has its own application form, so applying for the wrong one might take you more time in getting your CDL License.
  
  
  
  • Class A is for a combination of vehicles that weigh from 26,001 pounds or more,
  
  
  • Class B is for a single vehicle that weighs 26,001 pounds or more,
  
  
  • Class C is for single or combination vehicles that don't fall into either Class A or Class B criteria, and might be designed for a specialized purpose.
  
  
  
  



• Review the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook. The written and skills exam questions will be based on the contents here. Here is a link to the PDF version of the handbook: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InternetForms/Forms/DL-7C.pdf. Additionally, signing up for a CDL practice test will also help you pass your Texas CDL Licensing exams.



• Have a commercial vehicle for your driving test. Applicants are required to provide the vehicles they will be tested on. Usually, when applying for a Texas CDL, the driving test will be performed using the vehicle that the applicant will be driving, once they obtain their license.



• After you have passed, there will be a fee for your CDL license. It is usually just a little over $60. Applicants will also be required to take a photo and get their fingerprints on record after this process.

By following these tips and maintaining a good driving record, an applicant will stand a greater chance at obtaining their Texas CDL License quickly, with relatively less hassle and confusion.

Labels: commercial drivers license, texas cdl, texas drivers license

When teens are asked why they want their driver's licenses, they often reply, "for freedom and independence." But even getting a Texas learner's permit can be difficult, and if you don't comply with certain restrictions on your permit and license, the freedom and independence you wanted so much and worked so hard for can quickly disappear. That's why skimming the handbook and memorizing a few facts that are quickly forgotten as soon as you pass your written test is not a good use of your time. You should take a practice permit test course, and you can do so online, from the comfort of your home.

It is difficult to learn enough from the Texas Driver's Handbook to pass the written test at the driver's license office. Simply reading the handbook is not enough. It is almost impossible for anyone to anticipate every type of question that might be asked on the test. The questions on the written test are typically drawn from a database of over 500 questions. Every test is random, so talking to your friends about what their tests were like won't help you. And questions on the test are written with the assumption that you understand the entire handbook, so knowing just a few parts of the handbook well won't be sufficient for you to achieve the minimum passing score on the test, which is 70% in Texas.

A practice permit test course helps you pass the written test because it replicates the experience of taking the test at the driver's license office. Often, people are surprised when they take a free online written test because they realize how little they remember even after reading the handbook. You don't want that surprise when you're already at the driver's license office! If you fail the written exam for your Texas learner's permit, you'll have to get your parent or guardian to make the trip all over again. With an online practice course, you can take tests as many times as it takes to feel totally comfortable with the material. Some courses even offer a guarantee that you will pass your test at the driver's license office after passing the practice tests a certain number of times.

But an online practice permit test course does more than help you pass the written test to get your learner's permit. It helps you remember information that will help you keep your Texas driver's license and make you a safer driver. For example, Texas has a Graduated Driver License program that specifies a variety of restrictions for new drivers, including hours during which you may not drive alone. If you don't know those laws, you won't follow them - and not following them could mean losing your Texas learner's permit or license. And of course, if you don't know and follow the rules of the road, you could get traffic tickets or, even worse, have a crash that results in property damage, injury or death. It would be much more devastating to cause harm to someone else, perhaps one of your friends, or to lose your own life, than it would be to have your driver's license taken away.

Hopefully, you'll have your Texas driver's license for many years. It makes sense to invest time and energy into earning it so you'll have a smooth start.

Labels: dmv practice test, dmv prep course, permit course, texas drivers license

The Texas Legislature had a busy year in 2009 and enacted the following laws that went into effect on September 1st.

Driving Safety

• Seat Belts

HB 537 requires all occupants of a vehicle, no matter where they are seated to wear safety belts or to be secured in an approved child safety seat. Passenger vehicles include passenger vans that carry up to 15 passengers including the driver.

This law also removes the exemption for third-party Medicare transporters and now requires that they use child passenger safety seats.


• Child Restraint Seats

SB 61 changed the law regarding child safety seats and now requires any child 8 years and under to be secured in an approved child safety seat. Children too large for the typical toddler child safety seat need to be secured in a booster seat. Children younger than 8 who are at least 4'9" tall can be placed in a regular seat belt.

The fine for this offense is $25 for a first offense and $250 for a second offense. The law also includes an increase in court costs to provide child safety seats for low income families.


• Wireless Communication (Cell Phones and Texting)

HB 55 makes it illegal for any driver to use a cell phone while in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or the driver is using a hands free device.

A permitted defense to prosecution under this law is if the driver was making an emergency call.

Teen Drivers/Minors

HB 2730 requires that all applicants under the age of 18 take the driving skills exam to receive a driver license.

The law requires that a provisional driver's license or instruction permit expire on the individual's 18th birthday. It also removed the requirement that a provisional driver's license or instruction permit be renewed every year. The fee for those licenses increases from $5 to $15.

• Graduated Driving Laws

HB 2730 extends the current phase-two restrictions for holders of a graduated driver's license from 6 months to 1 year. The restrictions include limits to night time driving and the number of passengers.


• Wireless Communication

HB 2730 and HB 339 restrict all drivers under the age of 18 from using a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle.


• Crimes

HB 2730 closes a loophole so a person who commits an offense as a minor cannot circumvent the driver license penalty if the person turns 21 before their court date.

HB 2730 provides that if a child is engaged in conduct involving a severe form of trafficking persons, a judge at a juvenile hearing is required to order the juvenile's driver license or permit to be suspended.


• Boating While Intoxicated

SB 328 gives DPS the power to suspend a minor's driver license if they fail a breath or blood alcohol test while operating a watercraft. The Transportation Code clearly defines the suspension period for an individual who was under the age of 21 at the time when the offense of boating under the influence or driving under the influence of alcohol occurred. The law also increases the reinstatement fee for a license suspended under sections from $50 to $100.

Driver's Licenses
HB 2730 prohibits DPS from issuing a driver license or identification card to a person who has not established a domicile in Texas. The law specifies that an applicant may receive a driver license at a post office box only if the applicant's residence address has also been provided, with some exceptions.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
SB 129 authorizes neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) to be operated on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less. The bill authorizes driver license holders to operate NEVs without having a motorcycle endorsement, clarifies that drivers and passengers in such vehicles are not required to wear helmets and specifies that enclosed three-wheeled vehicles as described in the bill are authorized to operate in preferential lanes.

Motorcycles
HB 537 prohibits a motorcycle operator from carrying a passenger under the age of 5 unless the child is seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle.

SB 1967 requires that applicants for an original class M license or class A, B or C driver license (including commercial driver licenses and permits) with authorization to operate a motorcycle, provide evidence of completion of an approved motorcycle operator training course.

The law also removes the minimum limit of $10,000 in health insurance to be eligible to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. The rider must be at least 21 years of age and provide proof of an applicable health insurance plan.

The law increases the penalty for failure to yield the right-of-way if there is a crash that results in injury to a person other than the motorcycle operator.

Labels: driving safety, texas drivers license, texas driving laws