CDL Classes A, B & C and Endorsements
A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required to drive large trucks, buses and placarded hazmat vehicles. The class of CDL depends on the weight ratings of what you drive, and endorsements add permission for special vehicles and loads. Driving without the right license can mean fines, a lost job and no insurance coverage after a crash.
- Truck drivers
- Bus drivers
- Construction
The three classes
| Class | What it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A | Combination vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, when the towed vehicle is rated over 10,000 pounds | Tractor-trailers, truck and equipment trailer (lowboy) combinations, many hot shot rigs |
| B | Single vehicles rated 26,001 pounds or more, or such a vehicle towing a trailer rated 10,000 pounds or less | Dump trucks, straight trucks, concrete mixers, large box trucks, city buses |
| C | Vehicles that don’t meet A or B but are designed to carry 16 or more people (including the driver), or carry placarded hazardous materials | Small buses and vans, smaller hazmat trucks |
A higher class lets you drive lower classes (with the right endorsements). Ratings on the door plates count, not what the truck happens to weigh today.
Endorsements
| Code | Allows | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| H | Placarded hazardous materials | Requires a TSA security threat assessment and fingerprints |
| N | Tank vehicles | For trucks carrying liquids or gases in large tanks |
| X | Combination of H and N | Common for fuel haulers |
| P | Passenger vehicles | Buses and vans carrying 16 or more people |
| S | School buses | Also needs P; extra background checks |
| T | Double and triple trailers | Class A only |
Common restrictions
- No full air brakes: if you test in a vehicle without full air brakes.
- Automatic transmission only: if you test in an automatic.
- No tractor-trailer: if you test for Class A in a combination that isn’t a tractor-trailer.
- Intrastate only: if you’re under 21 or medically qualified only under your state’s rules.
Restriction letters vary slightly by state. Check the back of your license.
Getting a CDL
- Get a DOT medical card. See DOT Physicals.
- Pass the knowledge tests and get a commercial learner’s permit (CLP).
- Complete Entry-Level Driver Training with a registered provider, if required.
- Hold the CLP for at least 14 days, then pass the skills test: vehicle inspection, basic control and road test.
Age
You must be at least 21 to drive a CMV across state lines (interstate) or carry hazmat requiring placards. Most states allow drivers 18 to 20 to drive within the state only.
Keeping your CDL
- Serious violations (like excessive speeding or texting) and major offenses (like DUI, even in your personal car) can disqualify you.
- Drug and alcohol violations go into the federal Clearinghouse and can lead to your CDL being downgraded. See Drug & Alcohol Testing.
- You can hold a CDL from only one state at a time.
- Tell your employer about traffic convictions as your state and company require.
Standards & references
- FMCSA: Commercial driver’s license program
- 49 CFR Part 383: CDL standards
- See also: DOT Rules for Work Trucks
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