Class B Texas license prep help

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Class B Texas license prep help

May 17, 2018, 01:58:00 am

So.... just found out via these forums that I need a class B license in Texas to drive my new coach. Thought I had researched this.... but indeed did not.

I read a lot of the posts here about the different requirements and understand that in Texas for my U320 towing a car less than 10K lbs, I need a class b license. I also now know that it will depend on where I go and to try and stay away from the larger cities. So, what will I need to know to take this exam? I have a cdl booklett someone posted recently but much of that I am sure is not applicable. Backing it up, driving it ? where ? air brakes ? Anything else I need to know before I go ? What should I read first ?
Thanks,
Bob

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #1 – May 17, 2018, 08:45:59 am

Bob,

To say that the Texas non-CDL Class B driver license is a source of confusion is...a gross understatement. Don't feel bad about not knowing you need one. Most of us on this Forum have been down this same exact path. I found a thread on another forum that I believe covers this subject pretty well. I just read through it, and the advice given seems to jive with what I experienced when I got my license 4 years ago, AND also seems to be pretty current. They keep changing the procedures for obtaining this license, so be prepared to encounter the unexpected, just in case you are unlucky enough to get a inexperienced (or clueless) examiner.

Texas Class A or B License Upgrade FAQs - RV Action Items - Escapees...

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #2 – May 17, 2018, 10:16:17 am

Every state has to honor the license from your home state. Once you have a legal license in Texas you can drive any state or city. There are roads that are posted for maximum distance from kingpin to axle on trailers, try to avoid them even though you would be legal.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #3 – May 17, 2018, 10:29:16 am

Yes, you do need the B exempt license. No speculation, and it doesn't matter if the DPS office you talk with knows about it or not. No one said they hired rocket scientists for those clerical jobs.

Yes, you will need to learn a lot of things that apply to tractors, 18 wheelers, etc to pass the written test. No big deal-- spend a couple of hours on it. Pay particular attention to the section on lights.

What the driving test involved DOES depend on the office and officer. Be prepared to discuss the air brakes. Be prepared to parallel park it (go practice in an empty parking lot or even at the DPS lot on a Sunday). The place to parallel park at the Texas City office was sized for 18 wheelers, so length was not an issue.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #4 – May 17, 2018, 12:45:42 pm

Brett, thanks for the reminder!! LOL

Chris

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #5 – May 17, 2018, 03:17:53 pm

There was a section of the DPS cdl rules book you needed to know, not the entire book. I think the only section for written was last in the booklet...mainly how to put out warning signs if broken down, but not covered well as I recall was the brake tests.

If you do not know details of that the procedures are on the Forum or send me pm if want I will send you procedure or if want talk of test. Not a big deal. Brett gave very good reply about driving part varies by office and please be forewarned too not all offices give motorhome test

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #6 – May 18, 2018, 01:12:37 am

I had studied the entire CMVD book. During my 7 min test I found out that I had studied much more than what was required

Scheduling the driving test was much more challenging. You have to make few phone calls to make sure you find a location that knows what you need. Every location do not administer the road test.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #7 – May 18, 2018, 04:46:57 pm

My wife and I went recently went through this process. We purchased a 2001 U270 36 last December from MOT. We left there to visit our daughter in College Station and visited the local DMV there to apply for the Non-CDL Class B license endorsement. There was much confusion as the clerk's had us filling out all of the wrong paperwork (twice - they had use doing the regular CDL ). I had already done some research on this ahead of our visit and found Texas form CDL-2 (TEXAS CLASS A OR B DRIVER LICENSE APPLICATION NON-CDL EXEMPT VEHICLES). After presenting this form to the staff at the DMV, we paid the fee and they continued to process our applications.

We were given a study guide and left to grab lunch. While at lunch we studied the chapter the DMV cited. I don't remember exactly which chapter ( I want to say 11 ) but I remember it mostly pertained to questions about safety regulations, maximum length, reflector height on vehicles, how far a load can extend over the front of the truck or the back and color of safety flag on those loads. Some were about where to place emergency warning triangles (if you break down on the highway) and how far apart depending if you were on a straightaway or curve.

My wife and I took this test on computers at the DMV. There are 20 questions and you are allowed to miss 4 ( I think). Although we were sitting next to each other, we both had different questions. After we passed the test we needed to schedule a road test. Let me tell you, there were so many people at the DMV facility in College Station and we were informed that it could take upwards of 30 days to take the road test. We were heading to Deming, NM to meet up with some friends and needed to get there. I also researched where these road tests are administered and noticed that Fort Stockton was one of them. This was on the way! The clerk in College Station scheduled our road test in Fort Stockton on January 2nd. It is my understanding that since we passed the "written" test that we were good to drive to Fort Stockton legally to take the road test requirement of the NON CDL - B class license.

We headed to Fort Stockton and stayed at a local campground on New Years Day. The next morning we went to the DMV and to our surprise there was literally nobody there. The official from the DMV came out and we got started. We did an air brake check, lights and signals, and for a minute there was a question about our license plates (we had a temp on the back and nothing on the front). After that we went out on I-10 down to the next exit and drove through town - all in all about 5 miles for both of us, we had to back up straight for approximately 60 feet. We were told immediately that we passed and after my wife returned from her road test, we made our way into the DMV. They cut the corners off of our existing class C licenses and gave us a temporary paper Class B license. We were told we would receive our new licenses in about 10 days in the mail.

In closing, what started out as a very stressful experience was actually a breeze. WE WERE RELIEVED THAT WE WERE NOW LEGAL! I
I've heard that there are folks who aren't aware that they need this special classification. If you should ever have an accident, you may find yourself in a bad place after the authorities and your insurance company inform you that you were not licensed to operate your coach! One additional bit of information. If your coach is over 26000 pounds AND you are towing over 10000 pounds, you need a NON CDL - A class endorsement and when taking your road test MUST test with the coach AND trailer. We did not need to have our toad attached for the Class B road test.

I have included a url to the form CDL-2 below.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/CDL-2.pdf

Hope this helps out!

Dave

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #8 – May 18, 2018, 07:25:21 pm

Or, you could just move to Mississippi!
No special license required regardless of motorhome size or weight (because it is classified as recreational use). Just the standard class R Mississippi license.
We have a place there with a bus barn and just transfered our coach title today. Insurance with improved coverage was $300 less than in Texas, title transfer was $10, Coach registration with tags $34.50, yes, its not a misprint, $34.50. Our Texas tags ran $384 per year. Our coach is a U320 at 32,000 lbs. we are starting to love Mississippi!

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #9 – May 18, 2018, 07:35:31 pm

Das went to the right place. I wholeheartedly advise anyone trying to get this driving test done to head for Fort Stockton. My wife and sister both took their class b tests there and it went swimmingly. Wiiiide roads, little traffic and friendly personnel. I got the impression they appreciated the business at the DMV there. Real contrast with my experience, with a tighly buttoned down instructor who made me parallel park....back between cones....and a 45 minute test over a heavily trafficked course that Satan himself laid out. Blind intersections, oddly angled intersections, high speed on and off ramps, narrow streets with overhanging trees etc. passed ok, but just saying.

Fort Stockton. Yes.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #10 – May 19, 2018, 02:59:20 am

Yes! Get your license to be legal & don't take your driving test in Fort Worth, TX as I did. It was not fun

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #11 – May 19, 2018, 11:33:15 am

I took mine at the DMV Supercenter in Rosenberg. It was very easy to drive in and take it. They only had one inspector on duty that had given class B so they asked if the could use me as a training moment. New inspector sat in copilot seat and senior inspector sat in back and observed. Drove around a few mintes and that was that.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #12 – May 20, 2018, 07:39:31 pm

Quote from: Kemahjohn – May 18, 2018, 07:25:21 pm

Or, you could just move to Mississippi!
No special license required regardless of motorhome size or weight (because it is classified as recreational use). Just the standard class R Mississippi license.
We have a place there with a bus barn and just transfered our coach title today. Insurance with improved coverage was $300 less than in Texas, title transfer was $10, Coach registration with tags $34.50, yes, its not a misprint, $34.50. Our Texas tags ran $384 per year. Our coach is a U320 at 32,000 lbs. we are starting to love Mississippi!

Hey John,

In Mississippi you can get an antique license for an rv at 25 years old. I just got mine this week. $26 plus 3.60 for mailing it to you. It's a one time fee!

With the money I saved on the regular tag ( $51 for renewal in 2018) I bought a new new lighted license plate bracket to replace the old rusted one and a license plate frame with a clear plastic protector. No more tags.....Yippee!

I live in Gulfport........where is your place and bus barn?

Jerry

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #13 – May 22, 2018, 10:05:56 am

Well thank you all for the information. Fort Stockton sounds like a great place to do it, and we are heading to New Mexico in August so plenty of time to work on it.
Not moving to Mississippi anytime soon but good to know!
Dave thanks for the link and your experiences taking the test !
Might have more questions after reading some of the material. Thanks again for all the help. Much appreciated!
Bob

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #14 – May 25, 2018, 09:23:48 pm

When you went to take your driving test; who drove to the test site? Did the person who gave you the test ask who drove there? Are you allowed to drive yourself there alone without having someone who has a CDL with you?

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #15 – May 26, 2018, 12:08:40 am

chuck.....I drove and no one asked. I think and stories are of this, that the troopers do not care about the license. I have friends never had one and never been asked about it. Some when asked said not care. I mainly did it for insurance purposes, but being legal seems right too. I recall there was confusion at DPS offices whether this or that level was needed and one office simply said none.

in my opinion, drive yourself. like my opinion being free, so is the consequence to me if I am wrong!

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #16 – May 26, 2018, 12:20:27 am

These web sites were helpful for me.
Texas Class A or B License Upgrade FAQs - RV Action Items - Escapees...
CDL General Knowledge Test | Free Online CDL Practice Test

I took the driving test in Vernon, TX. Very straight forward. No air brake questions or parallel parking.

Glen

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #17 – May 26, 2018, 01:25:34 am

The test only covers Chapter 14 of the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Handbook available for download fron the State of Texas DMV website. No one asked who drove the coach to the testing site. If you are close to a testing site, read through the chapter and take the test to get a feel for it. If you pass, great. If not, you now know the breadth of the questions. Go home, study the handbook and you go back and take the test the next day.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #18 – May 26, 2018, 07:23:49 am

I have already past written test just wondering about driving test. Have appointment at the new South Houston location for driving test. Thanks for info.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #19 – May 26, 2018, 09:02:11 am

If you live in the East Texas area you can go to Kilgore to do the driving test. Took the written test this week in Tyler and the customer service representative told me about Kilgore. When I went online to make an appointment for the driving test Kilgore was the first available option.

Reese

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #20 – May 26, 2018, 11:23:42 am

Wife and I both took our driving test in Kilgore. 5 minute drive that was very simple and straightforward. Highly recommend Kilgore, if you're nearby.

Re: Class B Texas license prep help

Reply #21 – May 26, 2018, 05:17:31 pm

Thank you for the feedback about Kilgore.

Reese

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