[Greg Manning]

OK guys I needed the Class A for my other towing needs irregardless of the boat so I went to the DMV today and took the truck test and road test to get mine. The test covers section 1 which is parts 1-3 and the air brake section which is part 5 of the CDL booklet. It was not too bad and I just read over these sections before taking the test....50 questions...can miss 10 and pass. Next I had to take a road test with any trailer with a GVW tag over 10000#. So I hooked up a gooseneck equipment trailer and went back...standard road test along with explaining what I needed to check for pre-inspecyion on the truck and trailer before getting under way....but be prepared to PARALLEL park your trailer.....I tow a lot of big stuff so it went well...but practice because they may throw that at you!!

As a side note...they couldn't tell me definitively whether it was needed for the boat. All they said was you need class B if you are pulling trailers under 10,000 and you need class A if you are towing over 10,000#...and get this...whether it is loaded to that weight or not. The class C is apparently not good for much towing at all...at least heavier stuff. As to the requirment stated to me...if you tow over 10,000 with less than a GCVW of 26000 class A.....if you tow less than 10000 and a GCVW of less than 26000 you need class B. As to horse and cow trailers...they are only exempt from having to have a CDL...you still have to have the A or B depending on your GVW plaque on the trailer you are pulling. They have stopped several horse and hay trailers in my area so look out. The A and B is just a toned down CDL for those not pulling for hire and farm use only exempts you from needing the full blown CDL even though you are towing as a farm business...at least that's what was told to me when I listed everything I tow to find out what license I needed.

Hope this helps some. Greg