On the road Posted February 18, 2011 Share #1 Posted February 18, 2011 I currently have a CA Class B CDL which was all I needed in the past to drive a 15 passenger van for several tour operators. The CA CDL has the restriction marked on the back of the license saying "Limited to bus designed to carry not more than 15 passengers..." My question is whether this restriction will be marked on the back of the NY Class B CDL. I'm asking because I have a job in Alaska this summer where I will be driving a vehicle that holds up to 25 pax and a Class B license from any state is sufficient as long as the passenger restriction is not on the license. I am currently living in NY and the company in AK suggested I get my license in order before I get there because of time constraints. I have a friend who had the same CA CDL and he changed his to a CO CDL and the restriction wasn't carried over, so he was able to drive the larger vehicle without having to get re-tested on everything. Would this be the same with a NY CDL? Thanks for any insight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckie Posted February 19, 2011 Share #2 Posted February 19, 2011 In New York you are required to have a "P" (passenger) endorsement to drive a vehicle holding 15 or more passengers or a vehicle defined as a bus under Article 19-A Section 509(a) of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. In order to obtain a "P" endorsement you must pass both a written test and a driving test. Additional information can be found in the NY Commercial Drivers Manual: http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/broch/cdlmanual.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted February 19, 2011 Thanks Truckie. If I change my CA Class B CDL to a NY Class B CDL, do you know if there will be a restriction actually written on the license to limit me to 15 passengers? If that isn't specifically written on the license, then it will be acceptable in Alaska. I do not plan to drive a commercial vehicle in NY so I'm really just looking to meet the requirements to drive in Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted February 20, 2011 Does anyone have a Class B CDL with the P endorsement? Is there a restriction indicated on the back limiting you to 15 passengers? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 20, 2011 Share #5 Posted February 20, 2011 I currently have a CA Class B CDL which was all I needed in the past to drive a 15 passenger van for several tour operators. The CA CDL has the restriction marked on the back of the license saying "Limited to bus designed to carry not more than 15 passengers..." My question is whether this restriction will be marked on the back of the NY Class B CDL. I'm asking because I have a job in Alaska this summer where I will be driving a vehicle that holds up to 25 pax and a Class B license from any state is sufficient as long as the passenger restriction is not on the license. I am currently living in NY and the company in AK suggested I get my license in order before I get there because of time constraints. I have a friend who had the same CA CDL and he changed his to a CO CDL and the restriction wasn't carried over, so he was able to drive the larger vehicle without having to get re-tested on everything. Would this be the same with a NY CDL? Thanks for any insight... NY has a N1 restriction (="No vehicle designed for 15 or more adult passengers") I couldn't/wouldn't imagine why that restriction wouldn't carry over to NY. IMHO it would be very scary if they just let people with restrictions slide over to a NY CDL and forget about the restriction. There is a reason, CA put that restriction on your license, I assume because you did not take your test on a vehicle that carriers more than 15 passengers, therefore not taking/passing the written and road test for a passenger vehicles so the State knows you can do so safely and think NY should say "don't worry about that"??? I understand it is for a job, but then again isn't every aspect of CDL class, restrictions, and endorsements ultimately for a job? I would love to find a loophole and turn my CDL B into an A and have State worry about whether I had a written or road test to drive that type of vehicle. ...but there are many rules for CDL drivers and no matter how stupid or tedious they may seem it is our responsibility as commercial drivers to follow them, not find loopholes around them. BTW how long have you been living in NY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 20, 2011 Share #6 Posted February 20, 2011 Thanks Truckie. If I change my CA Class B CDL to a NY Class B CDL, do you know if there will be a restriction actually written on the license to limit me to 15 passengers? If that isn't specifically written on the license, then it will be acceptable in Alaska. I do not plan to drive a commercial vehicle in NY so I'm really just looking to meet the requirements to drive in Alaska. Do you have a P endorsement? If not you will have to take the road test over in a bus. I've known both school bus drivers and Greyhound drivers, who are former truck drivers who had take the road test over again in a bus to receive their P (and S for the school bus drivers) endorsements... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted February 20, 2011 Thanks Burrstone. Yes I do have a P endorsement from CA. It is fairly new that CA requires a CDL to drive 15 passenger vans commercially. From what I read online, it appears that I wouldn't need the CDL at all to drive up to 15 in NY, but I may be wrong. I am originally from NY and have been here for a little over a year, minus the 1 month I worked in Alaska. I have not worked in NY since I am back and have no plans to drive commercially here. The Alaska job is for a Canadian Tour Operator and the vehicle holds 25. The company says it's as easy to drive as the vans, just a little bigger. I will have plenty of time to practice on it when I get to Canada before driving it to Alaska. If I am able to get the Class B switched to NY w/o the restriction indicated on the license then that may be a loophole that would keep me legal to drive the larger vehicle in Alaska, but I wouldn't be legal to drive it in NY. Isn't a Class B in NY limited to 15 or less and a Class C for 15 or more? If the restriction is indicated on Class B, then I would really need to get a Class C in NY, but Class B is all Alaska requires. If I do need to get a Class C in NY, do you know where I can go to get practice driving a vehicle and having one to test on, without having to go through a driving course? In the past, my employers have always provided their vehicles to me to test in, but I won't be employed in NY... This is a seasonal job by the way, so I'll be returning to NY after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 20, 2011 Share #8 Posted February 20, 2011 When you say you got your CDL in "CA," is that California or Canada? What type of vehicle did you use when you took your road test for your CDL? A 15 passenger van? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted February 21, 2011 California. I was working for a tour company there and California required me to have a CA CDL. I took the test in a 15 pax van. The vehicle size I'd be driving in AK is the largest pictured on this site: http://www.ny-exec-transportation.com/ All these regulations between different states is confusing to me, but it's looking like I will need to get a Class C license if I get it in NY... which creates the problem that I need a vehicle to practice in and test in and probably someone to go with me since I wouldn't be licensed in the vehicle... if that is the case, I may decide to go to Alaska early and get it there... Unfortunately, I'd need to get to Canada 2 weeks early to get that done because the closest place to get the license in AK from Whitehorse is Skagway which is a 3 hour drive one-way. Driving tests are only done on Thurs, so I'd need to make that trip twice as I'd need to take the written first. The good thing there is that I wouldn't need to rent a vehicle and I'd have someone to go with me. Either way it's not appealing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 21, 2011 Share #10 Posted February 21, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leelorimatt Posted February 21, 2011 Share #11 Posted February 21, 2011 I have a BPS which i could drive a school bus(which i am) transit or even coach which carry 40+ you should go and get it done so you will no more problems in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 21, 2011 Share #12 Posted February 21, 2011 I have a BPS which i could drive a school bus(which i am) transit or even coach which carry 40+ you should go and get it done so you will no more problems in the future. Exactly! I'm in the same position as you... Well except that I'm not working know. I came from driving a school bus but my license has allowed me to also drive coach buses and may different types of shuttle buses. I'd recommend anyone getting a CDL B (even if they want to just drive a school bus) to train and test on a school bus, it leaves their options open in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Gaysinsky Posted February 22, 2011 Share #13 Posted February 22, 2011 that`s what i have bps so i can get a school bus driver job in the future when i retire from the transit when i get a job with the transit and retire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted February 23, 2011 I just got back from the DMV and spoke with a supervisor there who told me that I wouldn't want to change my class B to a class C as it is a lesser license. So I need to transfer to a NY class B license and get a permit to drive the larger vehicle. I need to take a driving test in the vehicle and I'd then get an endorsement allowing me to drive 16+ on my Class B... I do not have to retake any of the written tests. My problem now is getting a vehicle to test in. The vehicle I'll be driving in Alaska is actually only a 20 pax - I had initially thought it was a 25 pax. I called one driving school in the city that does road test services and 1 hour instruction for $348... Does anyone know if there is a CDL school in western Suffolk or in Nassau that would have a 20 pax bus that I could test in? Any other suggestions as to where I could get a hold of a vehicle - preferably not costing me $350? I don't have any plans to ever drive a school bus and this summer could possibly be the last time I even need a CDL - so I don't want to test in something larger when it isn't necessary. Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 24, 2011 Share #15 Posted February 24, 2011 I just got back from the DMV and spoke with a supervisor there who told me that I wouldn't want to change my class B to a class C as it is a lesser license. So I need to transfer to a NY class B license and get a permit to drive the larger vehicle. I need to take a driving test in the vehicle and I'd then get an endorsement allowing me to drive 16+ on my Class B... I do not have to retake any of the written tests. To get any permit, you will have to take a written test... Those are the only written tests in NY, to get your permit... My problem now is getting a vehicle to test in. The vehicle I'll be driving in Alaska is actually only a 20 pax - I had initially thought it was a 25 pax. I called one driving school in the city that does road test services and 1 hour instruction for $348... Does anyone know if there is a CDL school in western Suffolk or in Nassau that would have a 20 pax bus that I could test in? Any other suggestions as to where I could get a hold of a vehicle - preferably not costing me $350? I don't have any plans to ever drive a school bus and this summer could possibly be the last time I even need a CDL - so I don't want to test in something larger when it isn't necessary. Where do you live? I see a place in West Babylon training all over western suffolk and nassau all the time, if I stayed with the school bus company I was working for I was thinking of getting my class A through them this summer while I collected unemployment. :cool: I know they have coaches and school buses... I've never (personally) seen a company offer 25/30 seat buses because the weight would probably put them under 26,001, making it a class C, probably not a lot of demand for training cdl C P... The reason a lot of schools offer training on school buses is because they are cheap and they can offer their 'graduates' more opportunity when they are looking for work after they trained on and tested on a school bus giving them a CDL B with P&S endorsements... Why do companies charge so much? Because they can! They are training people to make money, they don't owe anyone anything, or a discount to help them make money. They have to pay for the diesel, the trainer and take the risk of someone they don't know banging up their bus or banging up someone else's vehicle (or god forbid worse) for which the owner/company will be defendant for doing someone a favor, they've known for an hour... No offense, but you said you only tested on a van, maybe a few hours of "training" behind the wheel of a school bus would not hurt! You are worried about paying $300 bucks to take the road test... What if you found someone who let you use their vehicle for $150, and you fail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrstone Posted February 24, 2011 Share #16 Posted February 24, 2011 Oh BTW, some food for thought, if you agree to an hourly rate, keep in mind I spent about 45 minutes in line when I took my road test, so be careful if agreeing to an hourly rate. Going there, sitting in line, taking the test, and going back to their place could easily be 2 hours or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the road Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks Burrstone for the tip about the hourly rate. I would avoid that obviously. The company I spoke with that gave me the $348 price - $250 of that is for the road test service - going with me there for the test. The rest is for the one hour instruction that they require. I posted another thread and got a tip on a place that offers free training and a vehicle for low income and unemployed people. I am going to call them tomorrow. I have been unemployed since August and am not eligible for unemployment benefits, so if I can get this done for free or cheaply, I will take that option. Companies can charge what they want, but if I can find a better deal or a free service that I am eligible for, then I will take it. I specifically asked the supervisor at the DMV if I would need to take the written tests and she said no. But if that is not the case, I will find out when I go to change my license over. When I changed my CA CDL to a NY CDL years ago, I did not need to take any written tests. Perhaps she said that I didn't need to take them as I am transferring over to the same Class license that I already have. The only difference is that I need the endorsement for the additional pax. I live in the Town of Babylon. What is the name of the place in W. Babylon? I called the Commercial Driver Training place in W. Babylon and they said they only have full size school buses. I understand what you're saying about testing in a school bus to give me more work opportunities later, but I'm not looking to make a career out of driving school buses or larger coaches. My job in Alaska is not just driving, but also guiding tour groups. I am a driver/guide. For me the guiding part is why I am doing the job. I wouldn't do it just to drive a coach.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sealteam1962 Posted February 26, 2011 Share #18 Posted February 26, 2011 you say you have a california license cdl for only 15 pass when you come to ny go to dmv take passenger endorsement test and you can drive 45-or more pass its nothing to worry about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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