Locate your most convenient DMV office in North Carolina (see Resources). Inform the member of staff that you wish to apply for your commercial driver's instruction permit, which entitles you to operate a Class B commercial motor vehicle when accompanied by someone who has held a regular driver's license for five years and a Class B CDL for two. Provide the DMV with proof of residency; proof of age and identity; your Social Security card; proof of liability insurance and proof of your clean driving record. You must also supply a completed Department of Transportation medical examination form (see Resources), which must be endorsed by your physician. As of April 2011, you must pay $30 to apply for a North Carolina CDL and $15 for your learner's permit.
Search for the best truck driving school in your local area (see Resources). Although you are not legally required to undergo any formal training in order to sit for a CDL examination in North Carolina, it is strongly advised that you do to become adequately skilled to pass the tests. Consider what is offered by each driving school -- for example, some centers organize their own examinations so you can pay one flat fee and receive all training and examinations, which is more convenient. Choose your school and inform it that you wish to complete Class B CDL training.
Study the North Carolina commercial driver's manual as you learn the practical elements of truck driving with your school. Read every chapter of the manual, as all of the information contained within the manual will be required to pass knowledge and practical CDL testing.
Apply to take a CDL examination. If your school oversees its own examinations, it will organize this for you. If it does not, find a North Carolina DMV center that conducts examinations and apply. Each school sets its own fees for testing, and many require you to provide a Class B vehicle in which you will complete practical elements of testing.
Start the CDL examinations by taking the written knowledge test. Progress to the three-part practical assessment, which begins with a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle. Talk the examiner through the safety functions and basic mechanisms of your Class B commercial motor vehicle and answer any questions about the vehicle he asks. Move on to off-road maneuvers test, where the examiner will join you in the truck's cab as you complete a range of simple maneuvers. Complete the examination by undergoing the on-road skills test, where the examiner will sit in the cab and assess your ability to drive the Class B vehicle in everyday traffic. Upon successful completion of the exams, you receive a signed and sealed form.
Return to the DMV office that you started your application with. Provide your signed-off exam forms and pay for and collect your new Class B CDL. A North Carolina Class B CDL costs $15 per year, with licenses valid for eight years for those age 18 to 65 and five years for those age 66 and above.
