Montana CDL Endorsements
Endorsements are add-ons to your Montana CDL that authorize specific vehicle types or cargo. Each requires a separate knowledge test, taken through Montana Motor Vehicle Division, and the endorsement codes are federal, so a Montana endorsement is recognized in every state. With mining and aggregate, lumber and timber, oil and gas shaping Montana freight, the examples under each endorsement show where that endorsement pays off locally.
Not all endorsements apply to every CDL class. Use the CDL Selector to find what you need.
When It's Required
Required to transport any quantity of hazardous materials that require placarding under federal HazMat regulations.
What to Study
Study shipping papers, placard and label selection, safe loading and segregation, emergency response procedures, and security-awareness requirements under federal law.
Hazardous Materials in Montana
- Mining and aggregate: blasting agents and mine chemicals moving under placards
- Lumber and timber: roofing, coatings, and compressed-gas deliveries to job sites
- Oil and gas: fuel, propane, and oilfield chemical deliveries that require placards (X endorsement with Tank)
- Agriculture and grain: anhydrous ammonia and crop chemicals under placards
When It's Required
Required for vehicles designed to transport liquids or gases in a tank permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle, with individual tank capacity of more than 119 gallons.
What to Study
Study liquid surge and baffled tanks, outage allowances, inspections, high-center-of-gravity handling, and rollover prevention strategies.
Tank Vehicles in Montana
- Oil and gas: crude, condensate, and fuel tankers serving the oil and gas fields
- Agriculture and grain: liquid fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia tanks for the growing season
When It's Required
Required for commercial vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver: charter buses, transit coaches, and similar vehicles.
What to Study
Study passenger safety protocols, controlled loading and unloading, emergency door operation, on-road passenger management, and distracted-driving rules.
Passenger in Montana
- Transit agencies, charter companies, and church or community buses across Montana
When It's Required
Required for any driver transporting school-age students in a vehicle classified as a school bus under federal or state law.
What to Study
Study student loading zones, stop-signal arm procedures, railroad crossing rules, mirror adjustment, emergency evacuation drills, and state-specific school bus regulations.
School Bus in Montana
- Montana school districts and their contractors: every route driver needs S plus P
- Activity and athletics trips, which use the same S-endorsed drivers
When It's Required
Required to pull double or triple trailers where permitted by state law. Common in regional and long-haul freight operations.
What to Study
Study coupling and uncoupling double and triple combinations, pull-out stability, off-tracking behavior, full combination inspections, and safe following distance.
Doubles & Triples in Montana
- Mining and aggregate: double-trailer bulk sets hauling coal, aggregate, and ore where permitted
- Agriculture and grain: double grain hoppers at harvest where the state allows them
When It's Required
Required for any vehicle equipped with an air brake system, which covers most Class A tractor-trailers and many Class B straight trucks.
What to Study
Study air brake components, dual-circuit systems, inspection procedures, warning devices, pressure gauges, and stopping distance at highway speeds.
Air Brakes in Montana
- Mining and aggregate: every heavy-haul and bulk truck on the mine roads
- Lumber and timber: dump trucks, mixers, and flatbed tractors on construction routes
- Oil and gas: nearly every oilfield truck runs air brakes
- Almost every Class A and Class B vehicle in Montana; skip this test and your CDL carries an L restriction
When It's Required
Essential for Class A drivers operating tractor-trailers, lowboys, and other multi-unit combinations over federal weight thresholds.
What to Study
Study coupling and uncoupling procedures, air line connections, trailer handling characteristics, off-tracking, and full combination vehicle inspections.
Combination Vehicles in Montana
- Mining and aggregate: lowboys and heavy-haul combinations moving mining equipment
- Lumber and timber: flatbed and step-deck loads of steel, lumber, and building materials
- Oil and gas: tractor-trailer rigs hauling pipe, rig equipment, and frac sand
- Agriculture and grain: grain hoppers from elevators to processors and terminals
Not sure which endorsements you need?
Answer a few questions about your vehicle and operation, and the CDL Selector pinpoints your required endorsements.