Driver Road Test Rules: The Company Road Test and Certificate (49 CFR 391.31)
Before a person drives a commercial motor vehicle for a carrier, the person must pass a road test and get a signed certificate, or the carrier must accept an equivalent (49 CFR 391.31 and 391.33). The carrier or someone it names gives the test, in the type of vehicle the driver will be assigned. A valid CDL, or a road test certificate issued in the last 3 years, can stand in for the test. The carrier keeps the records in the driver's file.
Facts checked October 22, 2026
Key Points
- A driver may not drive a commercial motor vehicle until the driver passes a road test and gets a certificate of driver's road test (49 CFR 391.31). A carrier may accept an equivalent instead (49 CFR 391.33 and 391.11(b)(7))
- The motor carrier, or a person it names, gives the test. A driver who is a motor carrier must be tested by someone other than himself or herself (391.31(b))
- The test must be long enough to judge the driver's skill. At a minimum it covers eight skills, shown in the table below, in the type of vehicle the carrier will assign (391.31(c))
- The carrier provides a road test form. The tester rates the driver on each part and signs it. If the driver passes, the tester fills out a certificate of driver's road test (391.31(d) and (e))
- The driver gets a copy of the certificate. The carrier keeps the original signed road test form and the original, or a copy, of the certificate in the driver qualification file (391.31(g))
- A carrier may accept a valid CDL instead, if the State issued it after a road test in the type of vehicle the driver will be assigned. A copy of a road test certificate issued in the last 3 years also works. The carrier keeps a legible copy in the file (391.33)
- A carrier may still require a road test from a driver who presents an equivalent (391.33(c))
- The road test record stays in the file for as long as the driver works for the carrier and 3 years after (391.51(c))
The eight things a company road test must cover (49 CFR 391.31(c))
| What the examiner checks | |
|---|---|
| 1. Pre-trip inspection | The pre-trip inspection required by 49 CFR 392.7 |
| 2. Coupling and uncoupling | Coupling and uncoupling of combination units, if the equipment the driver may drive includes combination units |
| 3. Putting the vehicle in operation | Placing the commercial motor vehicle in operation |
| 4. Controls and emergency equipment | Use of the vehicle's controls and emergency equipment |
| 5. Traffic and passing | Operating the vehicle in traffic and while passing other motor vehicles |
| 6. Turning | Turning the commercial motor vehicle |
| 7. Braking and slowing | Braking, and slowing the vehicle by means other than braking |
| 8. Backing and parking | Backing and parking the commercial motor vehicle |
Who needs a company road test?
Every driver of a commercial motor vehicle who is covered by Part 391. Section 391.11(b)(7) lists the road test, or an accepted equivalent, as a basic qualification. Section 391.31(a) says a person may not drive a commercial motor vehicle until the person has passed a road test and been issued a certificate. Subpart G excuses a few groups. One group is drivers who have worked for the same carrier, as single-employer drivers, since before January 1, 1971 (391.61). Another is farm vehicle drivers who are 18 or older and drive an articulated vehicle (391.67). A third is certain drivers of private motor carriers of passengers (business) who held that job on July 1, 1994 (391.69).
Who gives the road test, and can an owner-operator test himself?
The motor carrier gives it, or a person the carrier designates. The tester must be competent to judge whether the driver can run the vehicle and equipment the carrier plans to assign. A driver who is a motor carrier must be given the test by someone other than himself or herself (49 CFR 391.31(b)). That matters for an owner-operator who runs under his or her own authority. The rule does not name who the other person must be. It only says the tester must be competent and must be someone else.
What does the road test cover, and how long is it?
The rule sets no number of miles or minutes. It says the test must be long enough for the tester to judge the driver's skill with the vehicle and equipment the carrier plans to assign. At a minimum, the driver is tested on eight skills while driving that type of vehicle. They are the pre-trip inspection, coupling and uncoupling of combination units, putting the vehicle in operation, using the controls and emergency equipment, driving in traffic and passing, turning, braking and slowing, and backing and parking (49 CFR 391.31(c)). The certificate form asks for the number of miles of driving, shown as approximately.
What paperwork does a road test create?
There are two documents. The first is the road test form. The carrier must provide it. The tester rates the driver on each part of the test and signs it. The second is the certificate of driver's road test. The tester fills it out if the driver passes. It must be substantially in the form shown in 391.31(f). It gives the driver's name, the type of power unit and trailers, the date and the approximate miles driven. It also gives the tester's opinion that the driver has enough skill to operate the vehicle safely. The tester signs it and adds a title, the organization and its address. The driver gets a copy. The carrier keeps the original road test form and the original, or a copy, of the certificate in the driver qualification file (391.31(d) to (g)).
Can a CDL or an old certificate replace the road test?
Yes, if the carrier accepts it (49 CFR 391.33). There are two ways. One is a valid CDL. The State must have issued it to operate specific categories of vehicles, after a successful road test in a vehicle of the type the carrier plans to assign. The rule says this does not include the double and triple trailer or tank vehicle endorsements. The other way is a copy of a valid road test certificate that was issued to the driver within the preceding 3 years. If the carrier accepts either one, it keeps a legible copy in the driver qualification file. The carrier does not have to accept it. It may require any driver to take a road test or another driving skill test as a condition of employment (391.33(c)).
Do leased, multiple-employer and borrowed drivers need a road test?
Mostly yes. A multiple-employer driver is one who works for more than one carrier. A carrier that employs one must follow all of Part 391. It does not need an application, the investigations and inquiries, or the annual record inquiry and review (49 CFR 391.63). The road test is not on that list, so it still applies. A carrier may also use a single-employer driver of another carrier without keeping the usual driver qualification file. The other carrier must certify in writing that the driver is fully qualified. The certificate may not run longer than 2 years, or past the driver's medical certificate if that comes first. The carrier that uses the driver must check that the certificate is valid and keep a copy for 3 years (391.65).
How is the company road test different from the CDL skills test?
They are two separate tests. The CDL skills test is given by a State, or by a third party it approves, under Part 383. It covers pre-trip inspection skills, basic vehicle control skills and driving on the road, as listed in 49 CFR 383.113. A State must put those items in the skills test it gives (383.110). The company road test is the carrier's own check, under Part 391, that this driver can handle the vehicle and equipment the carrier will assign. Passing the CDL test does not by itself finish the company road test. Under 391.33, though, a carrier may accept the CDL as an equivalent when the State issued it after a road test in the same type of vehicle.
How long must the carrier keep the road test record?
For as long as the driver works for the carrier, and for 3 years after (49 CFR 391.51(c)). The road test certificate, or the license or certificate the carrier accepted in its place, is one of the items the driver qualification file must hold (391.51(b)(3)). It is not on the short list of records that may be removed from the file 3 years after they were made (391.51(d)). See our driver qualification file guide for the rest of the file.
Related Free Tools
DOT Audit Readiness Checklist
An interactive compliance checklist to get ready for a DOT compliance review.
Driver Hiring and Onboarding Checklist
Every step a motor carrier takes to hire a CDL driver, in order, with the deadline and the federal rule for each one.
Pre-Trip / Post-Trip DVIR Checklist
A 49 CFR 396.11 compliant Driver Vehicle Inspection Report with defect tracking.
CDL & Compliance Deadline Tracker
Track all compliance deadlines in one place with color-coded alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DOT road test?+
It is the driving test a motor carrier must give a new driver, or accept an equivalent for, before the driver operates a commercial motor vehicle for the carrier (49 CFR 391.31). It is not the State CDL skills test. The carrier or a person it names gives it, and the driver is tested in the type of vehicle the carrier will assign.
What are the DOT road test requirements?+
The test must be long enough to judge the driver's skill. It must cover the pre-trip inspection, coupling and uncoupling if the equipment includes combination units, putting the vehicle in operation, using the controls and emergency equipment, driving in traffic and passing, turning, braking and slowing, and backing and parking (49 CFR 391.31(c)).
Is there an official DOT road test form?+
The rule gives the wording of the certificate of driver's road test, which must be substantially in that form (49 CFR 391.31(f)). It does not give a fixed form for the road test itself. The carrier must provide a road test form on which the tester rates the driver on each part of the test and then signs it (391.31(d)).
Do I need a road test if I already have a CDL?+
Not always. A carrier may accept a valid CDL as an equivalent if the State issued it after a road test in the type of vehicle the carrier plans to assign (49 CFR 391.33). The carrier can also require a road test anyway.
How long is a road test certificate good for?+
As an equivalent for a new employer, a copy of a certificate counts if it was issued to the driver within the preceding 3 years (49 CFR 391.33(a)(2)). The carrier that gets it is not required to accept it.
Who can give a company road test?+
The motor carrier or a person it designates, as long as that person is competent to judge whether the driver can operate the vehicle and equipment the carrier plans to assign. A driver who is a motor carrier must be tested by someone else (49 CFR 391.31(b)).
How many miles does a company road test have to be?+
The rule sets no minimum miles or time. It says the test must be of sufficient duration to judge the driver's skill. The certificate records approximately how many miles of driving the test took (49 CFR 391.31(c) and (f)).
Where does the carrier keep the road test record?+
In the driver qualification file. That means the original signed road test form and the original, or a copy, of the certificate, or a copy of the license or certificate the carrier accepted instead (49 CFR 391.31(g), 391.33(b) and 391.51(b)(3)).
Do owner-operators leased to a carrier need a road test?+
The carrier that uses a driver must meet Part 391, including the road test or an accepted equivalent. A multiple-employer driver is excused from the application, the investigations and the annual record check, but not from the road test (49 CFR 391.63). When the driver is a single-employer driver of another carrier, that carrier's written certificate can stand in for the file, under the conditions in 391.65.
More federal trucking rules
- Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers
- ELD Mandate: Who Needs an ELD
- DOT Roadside Inspection Levels Explained
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules
- Driver Qualification File Requirements
- DVIR and Vehicle Maintenance Rules
- New Entrant Safety Audit Requirements
- Hours of Service Exceptions and Exemptions
- Motor Carrier Insurance Requirements
- CDL Classes, Endorsements and ELDT Training
- DOT Physical and Medical Card Requirements
- Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Requirements
- Cargo Securement Rules for Trucks
- Hazmat Basics for Truck Drivers and Carriers
- USDOT Number and Biennial Update Requirements
- Safety Ratings, Compliance Reviews and DataQs
- Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits
- California Clean Truck Check (HD I/M)
- Truth-in-Leasing Rules for Owner-Operators
- Form 2290 Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax
- Truck Driver Phone, Texting and Seat Belt Rules
- Railroad Crossing Rules for Truck Drivers
- Truck Emergency Equipment and Warning Triangle Rules
- Truck Windshield, Dash Cam and Mirror Rules
- CDL Disqualification: Major and Serious Offenses
- Truck Tire Rules: Tread Depth, Retreads and Pressure
- Trailer Reflective Tape (Conspicuity) Rules
- Truck Brake Rules: Pushrod Stroke, Lining Thickness and ABS
- Driver Conduct Rules: Alcohol, Drugs, Fatigue, Passengers and Pre-Trip Checks
- English Language Proficiency for Truck Drivers: The 391.11(b)(2) Rule
- Weigh Station Rules: Who Must Stop and What Happens If You Skip
- Truck Lighting Rules: Required Lamps and Reflectors (49 CFR 393)
Related terms and pages
Sources
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This is a plain-language summary for reference, not legal advice. Check the official rule text before you rely on any detail. Ask a compliance professional about your own operation.