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Maryland CDL operating rules and trip records

These four study sets are not a separate MVA exam. Follow the applicable state and federal operating rules. IRP concerns vehicle registration; IFTA concerns fuel-tax reporting. The recordkeeping questions cover a Maryland IFTA licensee, not every vehicle or business. A CDL exclusion or military skills-test waiver does not waive every licensing, medical or operating requirement. Medication and alcohol rules concern fitness for duty, not just conviction thresholds. Separate general crossing duties from special mandatory-stop rules. Keep the trip and fuel evidence needed to support your carrier’s returns.

Maryland CDL operating rules and trip records

Practice mode
Question 1 of 64
  1. 1. An over-the-counter medicine leaves a CMV driver too drowsy to drive safely. Does buying it without a prescription make on-duty use acceptable?
  2. 2. For the medication exception in 49 CFR 392.4(c), what must the licensed medical practitioner have advised the driver?
  3. 3. A driver proposes taking an amphetamine obtained from a friend to stay awake for a CMV shift. Does the federal rule permit this?
  4. 4. A CMV carries properly manifested pharmaceutical cargo. Under 49 CFR 392.4(d), does carrying that shipment itself count as the driver’s prohibited drug possession?
  5. 5. A driver drank alcohol two hours ago and is about to begin a CMV shift. What minimum pre-duty interval does 49 CFR 392.5 specify?
  6. 6. A CMV driver has a measured alcohol concentration below 0.04 while on duty. Does that alone make the condition acceptable under 49 CFR 392.5?
  7. 7. An on-duty truck driver keeps personal unopened beer in the cab for after work. It is not manifested cargo. What does 49 CFR 392.5 say?
  8. 8. A truck’s freight includes beer documented on the shipping manifest. Does 49 CFR 392.5’s driver-possession restriction prohibit that shipment merely because it contains beer?
  9. 9. A driver receives an out-of-service order for violating 49 CFR 392.5’s alcohol prohibition. When does its 24-hour period begin?
  10. 10. After receiving an alcohol-related out-of-service order under 49 CFR 392.5, how soon must the driver report its issuance to the employer?
  11. 11. A CMV has a seat belt installed at the driver’s seat. Under 49 CFR 392.16, what is required before operating it?
  12. 12. A helper rides in a freight truck’s passenger seat, which has an installed seat belt. What does 49 CFR 392.16(b) require during operation?
  13. 13. An ordinary freight CMV approaches a Maryland rail crossing where no separate mandatory-stop rule applies. What initial action does §21-703.1 require?
  14. 14. A dispatcher has substantiating evidence that a driver used alcohol within the last four hours. May the carrier let that driver begin a CMV shift?
  15. 15. A church-operated bus carries adult passengers at a Maryland rail crossing. No §21-703(g) exception applies. Does the state’s special railroad-stop rule cover it?
  16. 16. A vehicle carries a flammable liquid as cargo in Maryland, in a quantity not requiring placards. No §21-703(g) exception applies. Does lack of placards remove the state’s special rail-stop requirement?
  17. 17. What is the main purpose of the International Registration Plan used by Maryland carriers?
  18. 18. A three-axle power unit transports property between Maryland and another IRP jurisdiction. Does being below 26,001 pounds alone remove it from Maryland’s IRP qualifying criteria?
  19. 19. A two-axle freight power unit weighs exactly 26,000 pounds and meets no other mandatory IRP weight or axle criterion. What does Maryland’s guidance say about apportioned registration?
  20. 20. A qualifying interstate freight combination exceeds 26,000 pounds, although its power unit alone does not. Which IRP criterion should the carrier consider?
  21. 21. An IFTA-qualified vehicle makes both interstate trips and trips entirely within Maryland. Which mileage records must the licensee retain?
  22. 22. An IFTA trip report shows 420 total miles through three states but no state-by-state distances. What required detail is missing?
  23. 23. A driver fills out an IFTA trip report after a multiday journey. Which date and location entries meet the listed trip-report requirements?
  24. 24. A fleet wants to rely on GPS records for IFTA distance reporting. Which record set supports that choice?
  25. 25. A Maryland IFTA fleet buys diesel and gasoline. How should fuel totals be kept and reported?
  26. 26. A fuel stop receipt includes diesel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Should DEF gallons be added to total fuel gallons on the IFTA quarterly return?
  27. 27. Two trucks use a fleet’s card-lock fueling system. What must its records allow the IFTA auditor to identify?
  28. 28. A driver has a prepaid receipt but no receipt for the fuel actually dispensed. What does Maryland’s IFTA guidance say about the prepaid receipt?
  29. 29. A driver erases the gallon amount on a fuel receipt and writes a different number. Is that altered receipt acceptable under Maryland’s IFTA guidance?
  30. 30. A tax-paid bulk tank fuels several qualified trucks. Which withdrawal record helps support the carrier’s IFTA claim?
  31. 31. A quarterly IFTA return is filed after its due date. From which date does Maryland’s Chapter 10(D) measure the four-year record-retention period?
  32. 32. An IFTA licensee cannot produce adequate mileage and fuel records during an audit. What can follow under Maryland’s guidance?
  33. 33. A farmer controls and operates a truck to carry farm supplies to the farm within 150 miles, outside common or contract carrier operations. Which Maryland CDL-definition exclusion describes this use?
  34. 34. A contract motor carrier hauls a farmer’s supplies within 50 miles of the farm. Does the cargo and short distance alone satisfy Maryland’s farmer CDL exclusion?
  35. 35. Under the specific farmer exclusion in Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(i), what distance limit applies to the vehicle’s use?
  36. 36. A vehicle has lights and a siren but is not operated by a member or employee of a volunteer or paid fire or rescue organization. Do lights and a siren alone meet Maryland’s emergency-vehicle CDL exclusion?
  37. 37. A National Guard member operates a Department of Defense vehicle during part-time training. Which Maryland CDL-definition provision should be checked?
  38. 38. A veteran accepts a civilian job driving a privately owned freight truck that otherwise requires a CDL. Does past military service alone make that truck exempt under Maryland’s military-vehicle provision?
  39. 39. A Maryland resident drives a single 30,000-pound-GVWR motor home for recreation, with no other licensing exception. Does its exclusion from the CDL definition mean a noncommercial Class C license is sufficient?
  40. 40. A fire-department member has a valid noncommercial Class C license. Under Maryland §16-102(a)(12), what else is needed to use its emergency-vehicle licensing exception?
  41. 41. Which commercial license classes does the MVA’s military skills-test waiver program cover?
  42. 42. May a qualifying applicant transfer Passenger or School Bus endorsements through the MVA’s military skills-test waiver program?
  43. 43. What military driving experience does the MVA list for its Class A/B skills-test waiver?
  44. 44. Who must certify the service member’s years of military vehicle operation and the vehicle type for the MVA skills-test waiver?
  45. 45. A service member has been discharged and wants to use the MVA’s published military skills-test waiver program. Within what period after discharge must the waiver form be presented?
  46. 46. A military waiver applicant has a Maryland provisional Class C license. Does that satisfy the license prerequisite listed by the MVA?
  47. 47. An applicant qualifies for Maryland’s military skills-test waiver. What happens to the required CDL knowledge tests?
  48. 48. Does approval of the MVA military skills-test waiver remove its listed medical and self-certification requirements?
  49. 49. A three-axle freight power unit weighs 24,000 pounds and operates between Maryland and another IFTA jurisdiction. Does its weight alone exclude it from IFTA’s qualified-vehicle definition?
  50. 50. A two-axle interstate freight vehicle currently weighs 25,000 pounds but has a registered gross weight of 28,000 pounds. Can registered weight make it an IFTA-qualified vehicle?
  51. 51. A freight power unit and trailer together exceed 26,000 pounds registered gross weight. Does the IFTA definition look only at the power unit by itself?
  52. 52. A bus converted to a motor home is used exclusively by an individual for personal holidays, with no business use. How does Maryland’s IFTA definition treat a qualifying recreational vehicle?
  53. 53. A carrier uses a motor home in connection with its business and claims an IFTA RV exclusion because it has beds. What fact defeats that stated RV-use condition?
  54. 54. For IFTA, a carrier proposes a base jurisdiction where its fleet vehicles are registered. What additional conditions does Maryland’s definition describe?
  55. 55. A Maryland-tagged fleet vehicle operates only within Maryland. Under the Comptroller’s IFTA program guidance, does that intrastate-only vehicle need IFTA decals before it begins interstate travel?
  56. 56. A Maryland IFTA carrier is planning travel through the District of Columbia. Do its IFTA credentials replace the District’s applicable fuel-tax procedures?
  57. 57. A carrier qualifies for IFTA but chooses not to participate. What alternative does Maryland’s program guidance describe for travel through member jurisdictions?
  58. 58. For an ordinary licensed IFTA freight power unit, where must its two annual decals be displayed?
  59. 59. For how long is the temporary decal permit described in Maryland’s IFTA definitions valid?
  60. 60. A Maryland IFTA licensee asks whether the required returns are annual or quarterly. What does the Comptroller’s program guidance require?
  61. 61. In Maryland’s IFTA definitions, which dates make up the second calendar-quarter reporting period?
  62. 62. A licensed fleet has taxable and nontaxable distance during a reporting period. Does the IFTA definition of total distance omit every nontaxable mile?
  63. 63. A truck buys taxed fuel in one jurisdiction and uses part of it in another. Which IFTA definition describes gallons put into its propulsion tank on which purchase-jurisdiction tax was paid?
  64. 64. Another state has suspended a carrier’s IFTA decals. May the carrier obtain Maryland decals without addressing that suspension?
Review all 64 questions with answers

  1. An over-the-counter medicine leaves a CMV driver too drowsy to drive safely. Does buying it without a prescription make on-duty use acceptable?

    Correct answer: No. A substance that prevents safe operation is prohibited.

    Section 392.4(a)(4) covers substances that make the driver incapable of safe operation, not just illegal drugs. Do not drive while affected; check the medicine and your driving duties with a qualified medical practitioner.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.4(a)(4), (b)–(c); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  2. For the medication exception in 49 CFR 392.4(c), what must the licensed medical practitioner have advised the driver?

    Correct answer: The substance will not affect the ability to operate safely.

    The exception requires administration by or under the instructions of a licensed medical practitioner who gives the stated safety advice. It applies to paragraphs (a)(2)–(4), not the Schedule I prohibition in (a)(1). A prescription alone is not that advice.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.4(c); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  3. A driver proposes taking an amphetamine obtained from a friend to stay awake for a CMV shift. Does the federal rule permit this?

    Correct answer: No. The proposed use does not meet the medical exception.

    Amphetamines are included in 392.4(a)(2). A friend’s prescription or an employer’s approval does not satisfy the driver-specific licensed-practitioner exception. Stimulants are not permission to drive while unfit.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.4(a)(2), (b)–(c); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  4. A CMV carries properly manifested pharmaceutical cargo. Under 49 CFR 392.4(d), does carrying that shipment itself count as the driver’s prohibited drug possession?

    Correct answer: No. The definition excludes substances manifested and transported as a shipment.

    Paragraph (d) excludes manifested shipment cargo from this possession definition. It does not permit personal use or remove other cargo, security or operating requirements.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.4(d); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  5. A driver drank alcohol two hours ago and is about to begin a CMV shift. What minimum pre-duty interval does 49 CFR 392.5 specify?

    Correct answer: Four hours without alcohol before duty or CMV operation.

    The rule prohibits alcohol use or being under its influence within four hours before going on duty, operating or having physical control of a CMV. Four hours is not a promise that alcohol has cleared; the on-duty prohibition still applies.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(a)(1)–(2); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  6. A CMV driver has a measured alcohol concentration below 0.04 while on duty. Does that alone make the condition acceptable under 49 CFR 392.5?

    Correct answer: No. This operating rule prohibits any measured concentration on duty.

    Section 392.5(a)(2) prohibits any measured alcohol concentration or detected presence while on duty or operating a CMV. Do not confuse that operating prohibition with the separate 0.04 disqualification threshold.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(a)(2); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  7. An on-duty truck driver keeps personal unopened beer in the cab for after work. It is not manifested cargo. What does 49 CFR 392.5 say?

    Correct answer: The personal beer is prohibited even though its containers are sealed.

    The federal possession restriction is not limited to open containers. Its listed exceptions concern manifested shipments and bus passengers, not an on-duty truck driver’s personal beer.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(a)(3); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  8. A truck’s freight includes beer documented on the shipping manifest. Does 49 CFR 392.5’s driver-possession restriction prohibit that shipment merely because it contains beer?

    Correct answer: No. Manifested shipment cargo falls within a stated exception.

    Paragraph (a)(3)(i) excepts alcohol manifested and transported as a shipment. This cargo exception does not relax the separate ban on the driver’s drinking, impairment or detected alcohol.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(a)(1)–(3)(i); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  9. A driver receives an out-of-service order for violating 49 CFR 392.5’s alcohol prohibition. When does its 24-hour period begin?

    Correct answer: When the out-of-service order is issued.

    The required 24-hour period starts on issuance of the order. A delivery deadline or a later zero reading does not authorize violating it, and other applicable return-to-duty requirements may remain.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(c)(1)–(2); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  10. After receiving an alcohol-related out-of-service order under 49 CFR 392.5, how soon must the driver report its issuance to the employer?

    Correct answer: Within 24 hours.

    Paragraph (d)(1) requires the employer report within 24 hours. The separate reporting provision for the licensing-state official does not extend the employer deadline.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(d)(1)–(2); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  11. A CMV has a seat belt installed at the driver’s seat. Under 49 CFR 392.16, what is required before operating it?

    Correct answer: The driver must be properly restrained by the belt.

    Paragraph (a) requires proper use of the installed driver’s belt. It also prohibits a carrier from requiring or permitting operation without that restraint.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.16(a); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  12. A helper rides in a freight truck’s passenger seat, which has an installed seat belt. What does 49 CFR 392.16(b) require during operation?

    Correct answer: The helper must be properly restrained by that belt.

    For a property-carrying CMV with belts installed at other occupants’ seats, those occupants must be properly restrained. The driver and carrier must not permit operation contrary to this requirement.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.16(b); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  13. An ordinary freight CMV approaches a Maryland rail crossing where no separate mandatory-stop rule applies. What initial action does §21-703.1 require?

    Correct answer: Slow down and check for an approaching train.

    Maryland’s general CMV rule requires slowing and checking. Stop if the tracks are not clear. This is not a blanket stop at every crossing for every truck; special state and federal stop rules may apply to the vehicle or cargo.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §21-703.1(1)–(2); introductory qualification; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  14. A dispatcher has substantiating evidence that a driver used alcohol within the last four hours. May the carrier let that driver begin a CMV shift?

    Correct answer: No. The carrier must not permit the driver to start that duty.

    Section 392.5(b)(2) prohibits the carrier from permitting duty or operation when appearance, conduct or other substantiating evidence indicates alcohol use within the preceding four hours. A driver’s promise does not transfer that responsibility.

    Source: 49 CFR 392.5(b)(2); eCFR current through September 11, 2026; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  15. A church-operated bus carries adult passengers at a Maryland rail crossing. No §21-703(g) exception applies. Does the state’s special railroad-stop rule cover it?

    Correct answer: Yes. A church-operated bus carrying any passenger is covered.

    Section 21-703(a)(3) covers a church-owned or church-operated bus with any passenger. With no applicable exception, it must stop 15–50 feet from the nearest rail, look and listen, and proceed safely under the specified gear rules.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §21-703(a)(3), (b)–(g); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  16. A vehicle carries a flammable liquid as cargo in Maryland, in a quantity not requiring placards. No §21-703(g) exception applies. Does lack of placards remove the state’s special rail-stop requirement?

    Correct answer: No. The statute separately covers flammable-liquid cargo.

    Paragraph (a)(4) covers flammable-liquid or explosive cargo separately from the placarding category in (a)(5). Read the state exceptions and any independently applicable federal rules; do not decide the requirement from placards alone.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §21-703(a)(4)–(5), (b)–(g); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  17. What is the main purpose of the International Registration Plan used by Maryland carriers?

    Correct answer: Apportion commercial-vehicle registration among participating jurisdictions.

    IRP concerns apportioned vehicle registration based on mileage for qualifying interstate operations. It is different from driver licensing, fuel-tax reporting and permission to exceed road or vehicle limits.

    Source: MVA International Registration Program: About the International Registration Program; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  18. A three-axle power unit transports property between Maryland and another IRP jurisdiction. Does being below 26,001 pounds alone remove it from Maryland’s IRP qualifying criteria?

    Correct answer: No. A power unit with three or more axles meets an independent criterion.

    For the stated interstate property operation, the MVA lists a power unit with three or more axles regardless of weight. The over-26,000-pound threshold is not the sole qualifying route.

    Source: MVA International Registration Program: Qualifying vehicles, three-or-more-axle power unit; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  19. A two-axle freight power unit weighs exactly 26,000 pounds and meets no other mandatory IRP weight or axle criterion. What does Maryland’s guidance say about apportioned registration?

    Correct answer: It may be issued at the registrant’s option.

    The two-axle threshold is weight in excess of 26,000 pounds. Maryland allows optional apportioned registration for two-axle vehicles or combinations at 26,000 pounds or less; that does not settle separate fuel-tax obligations.

    Source: MVA International Registration Program: Qualifying vehicles, two-axle threshold and optional registration; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  20. A qualifying interstate freight combination exceeds 26,000 pounds, although its power unit alone does not. Which IRP criterion should the carrier consider?

    Correct answer: The weight of the combination, not just the power unit.

    Maryland’s listed criteria include use in a combination whose gross weight exceeds 26,000 pounds. Assess the complete stated operation instead of treating the solo power-unit weight as decisive.

    Source: MVA International Registration Program: Qualifying vehicles, combination criterion; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  21. An IFTA-qualified vehicle makes both interstate trips and trips entirely within Maryland. Which mileage records must the licensee retain?

    Correct answer: Records of both the interstate and intrastate operations.

    Maryland’s IFTA recordkeeping guidance covers all inter-jurisdictional and intrastate operations of qualified vehicles. A trip within the base state is not a reason to omit its distance.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(A), Mileage Records; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  22. An IFTA trip report shows 420 total miles through three states but no state-by-state distances. What required detail is missing?

    Correct answer: Mileage traveled in each jurisdiction.

    A total trip distance does not provide the required jurisdiction breakdown. Record the actual trip information, including routes and beginning and ending odometer readings, so the return can be supported.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(A), trip-report fields; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  23. A driver fills out an IFTA trip report after a multiday journey. Which date and location entries meet the listed trip-report requirements?

    Correct answer: Start and end dates, with origin and destination city and state.

    The required entries include both starting and ending dates and an origin and destination identified by city and state. Billing or payroll summaries alone do not establish that trip information.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(A), dates and origin/destination; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  24. A fleet wants to rely on GPS records for IFTA distance reporting. Which record set supports that choice?

    Correct answer: Original dated location readings plus the required route and distance records.

    The guidance permits tracking systems when they retain the required information: original locations, dates and times at adequate intervals, meter readings, calculated distances, routes, jurisdiction totals and vehicle identification. A map image alone is not that record set.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(A), vehicle tracking systems; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  25. A Maryland IFTA fleet buys diesel and gasoline. How should fuel totals be kept and reported?

    Correct answer: Separately for each fuel type.

    Complete purchase records and separate totals are required for each fuel type. Mixing diesel and gasoline into one total loses information required for the quarterly return.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(B), Fuel Receipts; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  26. A fuel stop receipt includes diesel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Should DEF gallons be added to total fuel gallons on the IFTA quarterly return?

    Correct answer: No. Exclude DEF gallons from that fuel total.

    The Comptroller expressly says not to include DEF gallons in total gallons reported on the IFTA quarterly return. Retain a record that distinguishes the products and quantities.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(B), DEF exclusion; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  27. Two trucks use a fleet’s card-lock fueling system. What must its records allow the IFTA auditor to identify?

    Correct answer: The qualified vehicle that received each fuel purchase.

    The records must identify the IFTA-qualified vehicle fueled. The guidance recommends vehicle-specific cards identified by unit number; a fleet-wide payment total without vehicle identification is insufficient.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(B), card-lock systems and unit number; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  28. A driver has a prepaid receipt but no receipt for the fuel actually dispensed. What does Maryland’s IFTA guidance say about the prepaid receipt?

    Correct answer: It is not recognized as the fuel-purchase receipt.

    The guidance does not recognize prepaid receipts for vehicle fuel purchases or refund requests. Obtain the completed transaction record with the required purchase and vehicle details.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(B), prepaid receipts; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  29. A driver erases the gallon amount on a fuel receipt and writes a different number. Is that altered receipt acceptable under Maryland’s IFTA guidance?

    Correct answer: No. Receipts containing alterations or erasures are not accepted.

    Receipts with alterations or erasures are not accepted. Seek a verifiable corrected transaction record from the seller rather than changing the original evidence yourself.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(B), acceptable receipts; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  30. A tax-paid bulk tank fuels several qualified trucks. Which withdrawal record helps support the carrier’s IFTA claim?

    Correct answer: Withdrawal date, quantity, fuel type and receiving vehicle’s unit number.

    The bulk-storage guidance requires withdrawal details including date, amount, fuel type and vehicle unit number, along with purchase records supporting tax-paid fuel. A storage capacity or purchase total alone does not trace fuel to a qualified vehicle.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(C), Bulk Fuel Storage; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  31. A quarterly IFTA return is filed after its due date. From which date does Maryland’s Chapter 10(D) measure the four-year record-retention period?

    Correct answer: The filing date, because it is later than the due date.

    Keep the supporting records for four years from the due date or filing date, whichever is later. Failure to provide records demanded for audit can extend the statute of limitations; four years is not permission to destroy records needed for an unresolved audit.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(D), Record Retention Period; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  32. An IFTA licensee cannot produce adequate mileage and fuel records during an audit. What can follow under Maryland’s guidance?

    Correct answer: An estimated liability and disallowance of unsupported tax-paid fuel claims.

    The Comptroller may determine liability from available evidence and use the stated estimation methods when records are inadequate. Unsupported tax-paid fuel can be disallowed; the licensee bears the burden of supporting its records and statements.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 10(E), inadequate records and audit estimates; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  33. A farmer controls and operates a truck to carry farm supplies to the farm within 150 miles, outside common or contract carrier operations. Which Maryland CDL-definition exclusion describes this use?

    Correct answer: The farmer exclusion, with all its listed conditions met.

    Section 16-803(c)(2)(i) combines farmer control and operation, specified farm-related transport, the 150-mile limit and no common or contract carrier use. This CDL-definition exclusion does not waive every other licensing or operating requirement.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(i)1–4; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  34. A contract motor carrier hauls a farmer’s supplies within 50 miles of the farm. Does the cargo and short distance alone satisfy Maryland’s farmer CDL exclusion?

    Correct answer: No. Common or contract carrier operation is outside that exclusion.

    The exclusion requires the vehicle not to be used in common or contract motor carrier operations, in addition to the farmer-control and farm-transport conditions. Agricultural cargo by itself is not enough.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(i); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  35. Under the specific farmer exclusion in Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(i), what distance limit applies to the vehicle’s use?

    Correct answer: Within 150 miles of the person’s farm.

    The statute specifies 150 miles of the person’s farm. Its other conditions still apply. This question concerns that Maryland CDL-definition exclusion, not a different federal farm-vehicle or hours-of-service exception.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(i)4; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  36. A vehicle has lights and a siren but is not operated by a member or employee of a volunteer or paid fire or rescue organization. Do lights and a siren alone meet Maryland’s emergency-vehicle CDL exclusion?

    Correct answer: No. The stated operator-organization condition must also be met.

    Section 16-803(c)(2)(ii) requires both an emergency vehicle equipped with audible and visual signals and operation by a member or employee of the specified fire or rescue organization. Equipment alone is insufficient.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(ii)1–2; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  37. A National Guard member operates a Department of Defense vehicle during part-time training. Which Maryland CDL-definition provision should be checked?

    Correct answer: The military-vehicle exclusion expressly includes that training category.

    Section 16-803(c)(2)(iii) lists specified operators of a vehicle owned or operated by the Department of Defense, including Guard and reserve personnel on the stated duty or training. Separate authority to operate the actual military vehicle remains necessary.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(iii); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  38. A veteran accepts a civilian job driving a privately owned freight truck that otherwise requires a CDL. Does past military service alone make that truck exempt under Maryland’s military-vehicle provision?

    Correct answer: No. Past service does not turn a civilian freight job into the listed military operation.

    The statutory exclusion concerns a Department of Defense vehicle controlled and operated by listed military personnel, not every vehicle driven by a veteran. An available skills-test waiver is a separate licensing process, not automatic civilian driving authority.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-803(c)(2)(iii); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  39. A Maryland resident drives a single 30,000-pound-GVWR motor home for recreation, with no other licensing exception. Does its exclusion from the CDL definition mean a noncommercial Class C license is sufficient?

    Correct answer: No. The appropriate noncommercial class is still required.

    The RV exclusion in §16-803(c)(2)(iv) does not enlarge a Class C license. Section 16-104.1(b) covers qualifying noncommercial vehicles rated at 26,001 pounds or more; Class C in (c) is limited to less than 26,001 pounds. For this single motor home, the appropriate noncommercial Class B or higher authority is needed.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-104.1(b)–(c); CDL exclusion in §16-803(c)(2)(iv); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  40. A fire-department member has a valid noncommercial Class C license. Under Maryland §16-102(a)(12), what else is needed to use its emergency-vehicle licensing exception?

    Correct answer: Authorization by the political subdivision for that vehicle type and driving on official duties.

    The exception requires the valid Class C license, the stated political-subdivision authorization and operation in performance of official duties. Subsection (b) requires training and testing before that authorization; membership alone does not qualify the driver.

    Source: Maryland Transportation §16-102(a)(12), (b)(1); reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  41. Which commercial license classes does the MVA’s military skills-test waiver program cover?

    Correct answer: Class A or Class B, subject to the program’s eligibility requirements.

    The MVA describes a skills-test waiver for qualifying Class A or B applicants. Eligibility must be established; the program is not a waiver of every civilian licensing requirement.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: eligibility and covered classes; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  42. May a qualifying applicant transfer Passenger or School Bus endorsements through the MVA’s military skills-test waiver program?

    Correct answer: No. The program expressly excludes transfer of P and S endorsements.

    The MVA specifically prohibits transfer of Passenger and School Bus endorsements under this program. Applicants needing those endorsements must meet the applicable separate requirements.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: Passenger/School Bus endorsement note; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  43. What military driving experience does the MVA list for its Class A/B skills-test waiver?

    Correct answer: Two years in a military vehicle representative of the CMV the applicant expects to operate.

    The applicant must have two years operating a military motor vehicle as part of the job, and that vehicle must represent the intended commercial vehicle. Time in service by itself is not qualifying driving experience.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: Applicants must, experience requirement; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  44. Who must certify the service member’s years of military vehicle operation and the vehicle type for the MVA skills-test waiver?

    Correct answer: The applicant’s Commanding Officer.

    The MVA requires the Commanding Officer’s certification of both the years of operation and the type of vehicle. The waiver application is completed by the applicant and the Commanding Officer.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: certification and waiver application; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  45. A service member has been discharged and wants to use the MVA’s published military skills-test waiver program. Within what period after discharge must the waiver form be presented?

    Correct answer: Within 12 months after discharge.

    The MVA requires the form within 12 months of discharge for a discharged applicant. Current active-duty applicants have their own qualifying route; the other eligibility conditions still apply.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: eligibility and How to get a CDL Skills Test Waiver; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  46. A military waiver applicant has a Maryland provisional Class C license. Does that satisfy the license prerequisite listed by the MVA?

    Correct answer: No. The listed Class C prerequisite is non-provisional.

    The MVA lists a valid Maryland non-provisional, noncommercial Class C license or higher. Meeting the military experience requirement does not remove this prerequisite.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: Applicants must, existing-license requirement; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  47. An applicant qualifies for Maryland’s military skills-test waiver. What happens to the required CDL knowledge tests?

    Correct answer: The applicant must still pass the required knowledge tests.

    This program waives the qualifying skills test, not the required knowledge tests. The MVA lists passing the knowledge tests as an applicant requirement and part of the application process.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: Applicants must and customer-agent procedure; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  48. Does approval of the MVA military skills-test waiver remove its listed medical and self-certification requirements?

    Correct answer: No. The required medical certificate, any needed waiver and commerce self-certification remain.

    The MVA still requires a valid medical certificate, any applicable medical waiver or exemption and a self-certification category. A skills-test waiver is not a medical exemption.

    Source: MVA Commercial Driver’s License Skills Waiver: Applicants must, medical and self-certification requirements; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  49. A three-axle freight power unit weighs 24,000 pounds and operates between Maryland and another IFTA jurisdiction. Does its weight alone exclude it from IFTA’s qualified-vehicle definition?

    Correct answer: No. Three or more axles is an independent qualifying criterion.

    The IFTA definition includes a vehicle with three or more axles regardless of weight. This is a fuel-tax definition, separate from CDL class and IRP registration. The stated interstate operation must meet the applicable credential requirements.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Qualified motor vehicle; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  50. A two-axle interstate freight vehicle currently weighs 25,000 pounds but has a registered gross weight of 28,000 pounds. Can registered weight make it an IFTA-qualified vehicle?

    Correct answer: Yes. The definition also uses registered gross weight exceeding 26,000 pounds.

    For a two-axle vehicle, the definition uses gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight above 26,000 pounds. Running below that weight on a particular trip does not by itself establish an exemption.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Qualified motor vehicle, two-axle criterion; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  51. A freight power unit and trailer together exceed 26,000 pounds registered gross weight. Does the IFTA definition look only at the power unit by itself?

    Correct answer: No. Its combination criterion includes the qualifying combined weight.

    The definition includes use in a combination exceeding 26,000 pounds gross or registered gross weight. Evaluate the stated combination and operation rather than the solo power unit alone.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Qualified motor vehicle, combination criterion; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  52. A bus converted to a motor home is used exclusively by an individual for personal holidays, with no business use. How does Maryland’s IFTA definition treat a qualifying recreational vehicle?

    Correct answer: It is excluded from the qualified-motor-vehicle definition.

    The qualified-vehicle definition excludes recreational vehicles. Chapter 2 describes RV use as exclusively personal pleasure and not connected with a business endeavor; a vehicle’s sleeping facilities alone do not establish that use.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Qualified motor vehicle and Recreational vehicles; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  53. A carrier uses a motor home in connection with its business and claims an IFTA RV exclusion because it has beds. What fact defeats that stated RV-use condition?

    Correct answer: The connection with a business endeavor.

    Chapter 2’s recreational-vehicle definition requires exclusive personal pleasure and no business connection. A business-connected vehicle must be assessed under the actual IFTA rules; this does not mean every business vehicle automatically meets the weight or axle criteria.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Recreational vehicles; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  54. For IFTA, a carrier proposes a base jurisdiction where its fleet vehicles are registered. What additional conditions does Maryland’s definition describe?

    Correct answer: Operational control and records there or available there, with some fleet travel there.

    The base-jurisdiction definition links registration with operational control, records maintained or available there, and some travel accrued by qualified fleet vehicles. It is not simply a choice based on fuel prices or a convenient postal address.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Base jurisdiction; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  55. A Maryland-tagged fleet vehicle operates only within Maryland. Under the Comptroller’s IFTA program guidance, does that intrastate-only vehicle need IFTA decals before it begins interstate travel?

    Correct answer: No. The guidance allows the carrier not to obtain decals for that intrastate-only vehicle.

    The program says Maryland-tagged intrastate-only vehicles need no decals unless they begin interstate travel. That does not erase other taxes or change recordkeeping duties for an IFTA-qualified fleet vehicle whose operations are reportable.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, II. Program: intrastate-only vehicles; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  56. A Maryland IFTA carrier is planning travel through the District of Columbia. Do its IFTA credentials replace the District’s applicable fuel-tax procedures?

    Correct answer: No. Follow the applicable procedures of that non-IFTA jurisdiction.

    The Comptroller identifies the District of Columbia as a non-IFTA jurisdiction. Carriers traveling in a nonmember jurisdiction must comply with that jurisdiction’s applicable procedures and reporting requirements.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, II. Program: non-IFTA jurisdictions; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  57. A carrier qualifies for IFTA but chooses not to participate. What alternative does Maryland’s program guidance describe for travel through member jurisdictions?

    Correct answer: Obtain the required fuel-tax trip permits under each jurisdiction’s rules.

    The program describes trip permits as the alternative for a qualifying carrier that does not participate in IFTA. Follow the regulations and fees of each jurisdiction, including Maryland where applicable; avoiding IFTA is not permission to omit required fuel-tax credentials.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, II. Program: nonparticipating carriers and trip permits; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  58. For an ordinary licensed IFTA freight power unit, where must its two annual decals be displayed?

    Correct answer: On the power unit’s exterior, one on each side.

    The Comptroller requires two decals, one on each exterior side of the power unit. Its separate temporary-display provision for transporters, manufacturers, dealers and drive-away operations is not the ordinary freight-unit rule in this question.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, II. Program: decal display; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  59. For how long is the temporary decal permit described in Maryland’s IFTA definitions valid?

    Correct answer: 30 days, to allow time to attach the annual permanent decals.

    Chapter 2 describes a 30-day temporary decal permit issued by the base jurisdiction or its agent and carried in place of displayed annual decals. It is not the same thing as a fuel-tax trip permit.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Temporary Decal Permit; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  60. A Maryland IFTA licensee asks whether the required returns are annual or quarterly. What does the Comptroller’s program guidance require?

    Correct answer: Quarterly returns.

    The program requires all IFTA licensees to file quarterly returns. Follow the current return instructions for the reporting period and any required payment rather than substituting an annual report.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, I. Policy: quarterly returns; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  61. In Maryland’s IFTA definitions, which dates make up the second calendar-quarter reporting period?

    Correct answer: April 1 through June 30.

    IFTA reporting periods follow calendar quarters: January–March, April–June, July–September and October–December. The reporting period is distinct from the return’s filing deadline.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Quarterly Tax Reporting period; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  62. A licensed fleet has taxable and nontaxable distance during a reporting period. Does the IFTA definition of total distance omit every nontaxable mile?

    Correct answer: No. Total distance includes both taxable and nontaxable travel by the qualified fleet vehicles.

    Chapter 2 defines total distance as all miles or kilometers traveled by qualified vehicles in the licensee’s fleet during the period, whether a jurisdiction considers the distance taxable or nontaxable. Use the correct separate reporting categories.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Total distance; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  63. A truck buys taxed fuel in one jurisdiction and uses part of it in another. Which IFTA definition describes gallons put into its propulsion tank on which purchase-jurisdiction tax was paid?

    Correct answer: Tax-paid gallons.

    Tax-paid gallons refer to the taxed fuel placed into qualified vehicles’ propulsion tanks. Taxable gallons are a separate calculation for fuel used in each jurisdiction; the purchase location does not by itself allocate all fuel use there.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller IFTA Compliance Manual, Chapter 2: Tax-paid gallons and Taxable gallons; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

  64. Another state has suspended a carrier’s IFTA decals. May the carrier obtain Maryland decals without addressing that suspension?

    Correct answer: No. Maryland requires a written release from the other jurisdiction.

    The Comptroller says Maryland will not issue decals after another state or Canadian province has suspended or denied them without a written release from that jurisdiction. A new application does not bypass the unresolved action.

    Source: Maryland Comptroller, 2303 IFTA, I. Policy: suspension or denial by another jurisdiction; reviewed September 15, 2026. ↗

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Maryland CDL operating rules and trip records

64 questions on operating duties, medication and alcohol, restraints, Maryland rail stops, CDL exclusions, military skills waivers and IRP/IFTA records and credentials.

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Operating duties and auditable trip records

Original study scenarios, not official exam questions or a substitute for vehicle-specific instruction. Emergency practice does not qualify you to handle a fire or failed vehicle without appropriate training. Each answer includes an explanation.