I can definitely help here; I recently obtained my NON-commercial Class A with air brakes endorsement.
I assume you've downloaded & thoroughly read the
Nevada Class A/B Non-Commercial Study Guide? If not, start there, and memorize it. If you're getting a true CDL, then you'll need to download the
Commercial Driver's License Study Guide. With a non-commercial license, you don't need to get a DOT physical, you don't need to know manifesting & placarding, etc...but you will need to know how to properly permit your vehicle for overlength/overwidth/overweight situations, as well as proper cargo securing, etc...
Your Class C NV DL covers all combination of vehicles (GVW & GCW) up to 26K pounds...so a Deuce is covered by your standard Class C license. A 5-ton is in non-commercial or CDL territory. Will you be using your license for commercial/work purposes? If not, and you'll only use your 5-ton for personal reasons, then you don't need a CDL, just a non-commercial license. A CDL is a big deal; a non-commercial Class A/B not so big of a deal to obtain.
You
CANNOT use a rented/leased vehicle for the drive test in Nevada; you can borrow a truck (but names on registration & insurance MUST match!) and rent/lease a trailer, but the truck used for the Class A/B drive test
CANNOT be rented/leased...only exception is if you are going for your CDL through a driving school, and the truck/trailer are rented/leased to that school. The most important part of the drive test will be your walk-around with your DMV grader/tester. Tires & brakes will be the biggest focus of the safety-oriented walk-around prior to driving; know how to test your vehicle's brakes (slack adjusters, brake shoe clearances, and the air brakes leak-down test are very important). Also make sure there are no rocks/screws/nails/bolts/etc. in your vehicle's tires, and there is no obvious cracking in the sidewalls..make sure you air up beforehand as well.
The vehicle used on the drive test MUST have a legible GVW plate, stating the GVW of the vehicle as well as the usual FMVSS info (such as "This vehicle complies with all motor vehicle safety laws at the time of manufacture," yada yada yada or something similar). This includes trailers, ASK ME HOW I KNOW!! If you need info on GVW (aka data) plates, PM me.
NO LEAKS can be visible on the vehicle; fix any leaks you might have and thoroughly clean up any residue. Make sure all of your mirrors & window glass are CLEAN. Make sure your grader puts on their seat belts when they get in the cab, and while driving they may raise their arm & clipboard to obscure your view of passenger-side mirrors; ask them to lower their arm/body part so you can see. Make sure you check your mirrors & your space cushion around your vehicle frequently as you drive.
Remember in Nevada that heavy vehicles must maintain their lane of travel: if you make a left-hand turn (and there will be plenty, as you'll be testing out of the Motor Carrier office near Craig/I-15), you will turn into the lane closest to your path and then make your way safely into the right-most lane ONE LANE AT A TIME, signalling & checking first, etc...DO NOT GO DIRECTLY INTO THE RIGHT-MOST LANE IF YOU ARE TURNING ONTO A MULT-LANE ROAD.
Some of these tips aren't emphasized enough in the study guides, but the graders will really be keen on checking for them.
If you use a vehicle for the drive test with an automatic tranny, you will receive an "E" restriction on your license: auto trannies only for vehicles over 26K-lbs. If you want to drive vehicles over 26K-lbs with manual trannies, then use one for your drive test.
I'll be PM-ing you some more info as well; let me know if I can help with anything else. Good luck!
