My son wants to get a commercial driver’s license. What does he have to do? (We live in Louisville.)

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Here are the steps your son will have to take:

  1. Fill out a commercial driver’s license (CDL) application, which is available online. Once your son has submitted his application, he should wait 48 hours for the application to be posted to his driving record before he takes any further steps.
  2. Go to the circuit court clerk’s office, where he will turn in a valid Department of Transportation medical certificate. He will also take a knowledge test, which consists of 50 questions on subjects such as operating a vehicle under all kinds of conditions, handling cargo, and inspecting the vehicle before driving. Applicants for class A licenses must successfully answer an additional 20 questions about combination vehicles, and applicants driving vehicles with air brakes must answer 25 questions on air brakes. Drivers for the following types of vehicles must have endorsements:
    1. Doubles/triples trailers—20 questions
    2. Tankers—20 questions
    3. Passenger transport—20 questions
    4. Hazardous materials—30 questions
    5. School bus—20 questions

He will also have to pass a vision test.

  1. After successfully passing the knowledge and vision tests, you son will receive a CDL instruction permit that is valid for six months. Between 10 days after the permit is issued and the end of the six months, he must schedule and pass a road skills test with the Kentucky State Police.

Truck drivers, like the drivers of any other vehicle, may occasionally cause accidents. If you have been injured in a truck crash, call a Jefferson County accident lawyer at Gray and White Law. We’ll set you up with a FREE, no-obligation consultation. Call us at 502-210-8942 or toll free at 888-450-4456.