A CLP holder with a P endorsement wants to drive a bus with paying riders. What rule applies?
What to know for the Passenger Transport test
Each set draws 20 of our 32 questions
The passenger test earns the P endorsement, required to drive a bus or other vehicle built to carry 16 or more people including the driver. It covers loading, emergency exits, fires and unruly riders, railroad crossings and braking. It is a knowledge test plus a skills test in a passenger vehicle, and a pass is 80 percent.
Last checked against the handbook and 49 CFR on .
What the P endorsement requires
A vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers, including the driver, is a commercial vehicle that needs a CDL. 49 CFR 383.5
The knowledge test covers loading and unloading, emergency exits including push-out windows, fires and unruly passengers, railroad crossings and drawbridges, braking and general operating practice. 49 CFR 383.117
The P endorsement also requires a skills test in a passenger vehicle of the group you want to drive. 49 CFR 383.117
A learner permit holder with a P endorsement may not carry passengers, with the exception of inspectors, examiners, other trainees and the supervising CDL holder. 49 CFR 383.25
Inspection and interior checks
Read the previous driver's inspection report, and sign it only when reported defects are certified as repaired or not needing repair. CDL Handbook 4.1
Recapped or regrooved tires are not allowed on the front wheels. CDL Handbook 4.1
Buses need fire extinguishers, emergency reflectors and spare fuses unless the bus has circuit breakers. CDL Handbook 4.1
Inside the bus, check handholds, railings, floor covering, seats, the restroom emergency buzzer and emergency exit handles, and keep aisles and stairwells clear. CDL Handbook 4.1
Never drive with an emergency exit door or window open; the exit sign must be clearly visible and any red exit light must work. CDL Handbook 4.1
Wear your seat belt, and do not make a habit of leaving roof hatches open. CDL Handbook 4.1
At the end of each shift, inspect the bus and report rider damage to handholds, seats, exits and windows so it can be repaired before the next trip. CDL Handbook 4.4
Riders, baggage and hazardous materials
Keep aisles and doorways free of baggage, and stow items so the driver can move freely and riders can leave by any exit. CDL Handbook 4.2
No rider may stand ahead of the standee line, a line on the floor behind the driver's seat area. CDL Handbook 4.2
Before leaving a stop, make sure everyone is aboard and give riders time to sit or brace themselves. CDL Handbook 4.2
Do not refuel with riders aboard unless absolutely necessary, and never inside a closed building. CDL Handbook 4.5
A disabled bus should not be towed or pushed with riders aboard, unless getting off is riskier, and then only as far as the nearest safe spot. CDL Handbook 4.5
Never talk with riders or do anything else distracting while driving. CDL Handbook 4.5
Hazardous materials on buses carrying passengers
Material
Rule
Poison gas (Division 2.3) and the most dangerous Division 6.1 poisons
A bus with riders must halt within 50 feet of the rails but not nearer than 15 feet, then look and listen before crossing. 49 CFR 392.10
You may open the front door to hear better, and you must not shift gears while on the tracks. CDL Handbook 4.3
A bus need not stop at a crossing where an officer directs traffic or a green signal permits crossing. 49 CFR 392.10
Where a drawbridge has no signal light or attendant, halt 50 feet or more short of the draw and confirm it is completely closed. CDL Handbook 4.3
Banked-curve speeds that are safe for cars may be too fast for a bus, and if the bus leans to the outside you are going too fast. CDL Handbook 4.3
Convex mirrors make objects look smaller and farther than they are. CDL Handbook 4.3
Most bus crashes happen at intersections, so use caution even when signals favor you. CDL Handbook 4.3
Move a drunk or disruptive rider off only at a safe, well-lit place, not wherever the rider demands. CDL Handbook 4.3
On a transit coach, a brake-door interlock holds the brakes while the rear door is open, and it is not a replacement for the parking brake. CDL Handbook 4.6
Passenger Transport test: common questions
How many passengers require a P endorsement?
Federal rules treat a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people, including the driver, as a commercial vehicle needing a CDL, and its driver needs the P endorsement. Some state handbooks use other wording, so confirm locally. 49 CFR 383.5
Is there a skills test for the passenger endorsement?
Yes. The P endorsement needs the knowledge test and a skills test in a passenger vehicle of the vehicle group you intend to drive. 49 CFR 383.117
How far from railroad tracks must a bus stop?
Within 50 feet of the tracks but not closer than 15 feet. Then look and listen for trains. A bus may skip the stop when a police officer or flagger directs traffic or a green signal permits crossing. 49 CFR 392.10
What is a standee line?
A line on the floor, usually 2 inches wide, showing riders where standing is not allowed. Nobody may stand ahead of the driver's seat. CDL Handbook 4.2
Can a bus carry hazardous materials?
Only a few. Small-arms ammunition, emergency supplies and some limited quantities are allowed. Poison gas and the most dangerous poisons are banned outright on a bus carrying passengers. 49 CFR 177.870