Thinking of getting one so I can haul heavier loads (heavier skidsteer/tractors), and trailers. Also would come in handy volunteering to drive the church bus on occasion (endorsement P). I'm guessing Class A.

My understanding is that as long as it is for the farm and not for hire our beyond 150miles/interstate, I wouldn't need one but I would like to not have these restrictions as I have places out of state and also might want to contract out sometimes.

I've seen the check list of requirements but any tips out there and how long it took? Is it a big deal of hassle? Renewal paper work etc?

Or would it be easier for the few times I would need to travel out of state or beyond 150 miles to file for an exemption/waiver?

TIA

Got it to haul tandem dollied goosenecks to Arkansas as a side job during college try 1 (did it illegally in HS). Kept it for years while stationed overseas, then used it to drive A&M bus on college try 2, but had to triple my speeding ticket budget, so finally dropped it after I graduated.

Not the easiest tests I've taken without studying much, but it weren't rocket surgery neither. Took me 2 tries over 3 months the first go round.

I've had mine for +20 yrs. The people I work with had folders of actual tests so there was no reason not to pass, the hardest thing was the walk around inspection and there were a couple of places where the DPS person would do that for you so that's where you did the driving part. None of it is hard, just don't go in thinking you don't need to do a little work ahead of time.

The hardest thing for you will probably be finding a truck and trailer that gets you the most things. I did my test in a Duce and a half with a trailer that had air brakes, so I'm good to drive full OTR semi if I need to even though I didn't take the test in anything like that.

I've had a Class A since 2001. I've heard they tightened up requirements since then but can't confirm.

Mine went like this:

Monday: Boss said "we need to find a driver to take a tractor and trailer to Las Vegas"

Wednesday: Logistics department said they couldn't find any contract drivers.

Thursday: I stopped by the DMV, took and passed written test. Went to work and told boss I had been driving trucks pulling boats, hay trailers, stock trailers, etc since before I was legal to drive and was sure I could drive an 18 wheeler...

Friday: Convinced a friend to let me use his tractor and trailer for the test. He drove me to DMV at 8am. Driving test at 9am. Got license.

Saturday: Left College Station headed to Las Vegas...

A few years later I was put in charge of training new company drivers. Some (mostly those with cowboy / ranch experience) had it as easy as I did. Some who had never pulled a trailer had to study the manual and practice drive for months.

Air brake test caught a lot of people who didn't bother to memorize the steps.

Parallel parking test got a bunch too. In College Station they used to do it on a street leading into a residential area. It was just past a curve. If you didn't overthink it, you could use the curve to your advantage.

I took my test in a long nose Pete with a cattle trailer. When I took new employees to get tested I would rent a short nose day cab and flat bed. Much eadier to parallel park when you can look over your shoulder and across the deck and don't have to swing the extra length of the nose and sleeper berth.

I haven't driven a tractor trailer in 5 or 6 years but I maintain my license just in case. There are some cons to having it but not using it:

More expensive to renew than class C

Have to get annual DOT physical to maintain medical cert. Most PCPs arent certified to do DOT physical so it's separate from an anjual physical for health purposes. Standard requirement is every 2 years. I have sleep apnea so I have to do it anually.

Can't take defensive driving or deferred ajudication for speeding tickets, regardless of vehicle class driven when issued the citation.

Lower legal limit on alcohol (This one I would have to verify is still in place. Used to be 0.08 for everyone else, 0.05 if you held a CDL).

I got mine a long time ago and it was much easier back then. We were having huge problem a few years ago with employees trying to get their CDL. The requirements have just gotten more difficult. We now send them to a school which has them do a bunch of online work. Once they have completed that, they attend a two day driving school where they actually get their driving test at the end of the of the two day course.

The school is called CDL Connections

I carried mine for 30 years. When I got it, I got a 1-hr lesson and then went to Pasadena for the written/driving test. Passed the written, got in the truck and the lady had me do a figure 8 around two blocks and said I was good to go. Drove for 25, including several years as a trainer.

It isn't hard...just study for it. As mentioned above, different rules for tickets/BAC level. Moving violations are beat it or get convicted. There is a way out, though. Get an attorney, go to JP court where you will be convicted 99% of the time. Appeal it to county court, and have the atty ask for a 180 day delay and dismissal at the next hearing provided you stay clean. It's defacto deferred, but I had a 65 in a 35 dropped that way. It was worth the $400 court costs and $200 atty fee since that's a serious violation.

Same as skelso, I've had mine for years even though I've never used it to drive commercially for a living. Started out driving busses at A&M while in school and had to get a class B for that (on the job training), then paid a guy after graduation to use his truck to take the actual driving test to upgrade to class A as I needed that for a job I had with Halliburton (they had an internal driving program but guys who already had the license went out into the field faster). I've kept it renewed it ever since.

Got my class B to drive school bus. A lot of the same written tests as class A. Definitely harder than anticipated. The biggest pain was the actual driving and having to do the pre-trip inspection. There are some videos on YouTube and you can more or less memorize their script.