Things You'll Need:
- Valid driver's license
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Step 1
Find out whether or not you need a CDL to operate a given vehicle. If the vehicle has a manufacturer's weight rating of over 26,000 pounds, is designed to carry 16 or more people (driver included), or carries certain hazardous materials, then you will need a Missouri commercial driver's license. If the vehicle meets none of these qualifications, then you do not.
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Step 2
Determine what type of CDL you need. If the vehicle is a "combination vehicle," such as a tractor-trailer, and the unit being towed has a manufacturer's weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, you need a Class A license. If it is a single vehicle with a manufacturer's weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds, you need a Class B license. If the vehicle is designed to carry 16 or more people, such as a school bus, or is transporting certain hazardous materials, you need a Class C license.
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Step 3
Pass what are called the "knowledge tests." These consist of a general test (which everyone applying for a CDL in Missouri must take) and additional tests based on which class of CDL you are applying for.
For example, bus drivers must take a passenger transport test, drivers of combination vehicles such as tractor-trailers must take a combination vehicles test. Drivers who will be carrying a liquid tanker must take the tanker test. -
Step 4
Take and pass the skill tests. There are three parts of the skill tests: the pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control and the on-road test.
The pre-trip inspection will test your ability to assess whether or not your vehicle is safe to drive. The basic vehicle control test will assess your ability to handle the vehicle in a controlled environment. The on-road test will assess your ability to handle the vehicle in a real-life driving situation, consisting of a number of different driving conditions, such as intersections, multiple and single lane roads and railroad crossings. -
Step 5
Avoid any of the disqualifying conditions that could cause you to lose your CDL. Infractions that will lead to temporarily or permanently losing your CDL include, but are not limited to, doing any the following while driving in a commercial vehicle: drunk driving, fleeing the scene of an accident, committing a felony, repeated serious traffic violations and certain railroad crossing infractions. Also, if your normal driver's license is revoked, you will also lose your CDL.
