I am currently only 20 years old, turn 21 in 2 months. I wanted to ask your opinions on the situation. In Pennsylvania, I can't take the knowledge test for Hazardous Materials until I am 21. Would you guys recommend I take all the other knowledge tests now and wait on the HAZMAT until I'm 21, or should I just wait until I'm 21 to take all of them? Which would be the better way of doing it in your opinion? Thanks in advance.

i would take the other ones just to get them out of the way. Hazmat is the hardest one so if you pass the rest you just have to worry about hazmat.

Mackman, that sounds like a good idea. The only thing that made me wait was because if I did pass the tests but couldn't get into a school right away, the permit would expire and I would have wasted all my time and money. I will probably take the others earlier as you said.

Once you pass the others and go in to take the HAZMAT test, how does that work? Do you just tell them you want to apply for a HAZMAT endorsement or what?

i would think you just go the the DMV and tell them you want hazmat and they help you out. I dont know dont have Hazmat. But am going to get it one of these days. I think you take the test and then go for the backround stuff not really sure dont hold me to that.

[quote="tjv189"]
Mackman, that sounds like a good idea.

The only thing that made me wait was because if I did pass the tests but couldn't get into a school right away, the permit would expire and I would have wasted all my time and money.

Wrong!! Soooo WRONG!!!


Gaining knowledge and studying is NEVER a waste of time!! So what if you take the tests, pass them, and then have to take them again?? You'll be far better prepaired!!

The most dangerous big truck drivers on the road are the ones who think that they only need to "pass the tests", and then feel free to forget what they've learned.

Just tell them you want to add the hazmat endorsement and they will give you the test. You should definitely study for it though.

You also have to retake the hazmat every time you renew your CDLs.

because if I did pass the tests but couldn't get into a school right away, the permit would expire and I would have wasted all my time and money.

This could also be wrong in another way. I know for a fact that in Arkansas, you can have the permit renewed. My permit was actually 2 years old and all I had to do was show them the permit and my actual score cards from the tests and they renewed the permit without so much as a question. Of course, this may vary from state to state, but it's worth checking into.

My advice, go ahead and take everything you can and get it out of the way. As someone else said, the hazmat is the hardest and with the others out of the way, you can concentrate on the hazmat.

Good Luck!

Arky

I say go for them all, but be aware of a potential time limit.

When I passed the Hazmat at the same time I passed the permit tests I was told they couldn't endorse a permit, only the actual CDL. Also that the Hazmat test was only valid for 30 days, so unless I got the CDL within those 30 days, even though the permit was good for longer, I'd have to take it again.

I ended up getting my CDL 3 weeks after I got my permit, so it wasn't a problem for me, but just be aware of the time limit on the Hazmat.

(This was Florida, but I assume it's the same everywhere).

Good Luck!