What are the Different Classes of Commercial Driver’s Licenses?

To drive a commercial vehicle, you must obtain a commercial driver’s licenses (CDL). The process of obtaining this license is more difficult compared to securing a non-commercial driver’s license.

You’ll be put through background checks, intense training, and health screening, and you must display high driving knowledge and skills. There are three classes of commercial driver’s licenses individuals can receive. In this article, we’ll examine these classes of CDL, revealing the important facts you need to know about them.

The Different Classes of Commercial Driver’s License

Class A

As you might have guessed, this is the highest class available. With this license, you can drive a vehicle whose Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) exceeds 26,000 pounds. The towed vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) can be more than 10,000 pounds. What this means is that you can drive heavy-weight vehicles such as livestock carriers, tanker trucks, flatbed trucks, and semi-tractor trailers.

Class B

Owners of this license are permitted to drive one or more combined vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that exceeds 26,000 pounds. The pulled or towed vehicle’s GVWR cannot be more than 10,000 pounds. Vehicles you can drive with this license include large passenger buses, city buses, tractor-trailers, box trucks, and other vehicle sizes.

Class C

Once you get this license, you can drive one or more combined vehicles, 16-seater vehicles, or more hazardous materials transporting vehicles. In other words, you can drive passenger vans, small HAZMAT trucks, and every other vehicle that doesn’t fall under the previous classes discussed. You can learn how to become a HAZMAT truck driver.

CDL Endorsements

Now that we’ve reviewed the three classes of commercial driver’s licenses, we must discuss the endorsement that certain cargo or vehicle types require. In other words, if you will be transporting a certain type of cargo or driving a certain type of vehicle, you will need to undergo special training or meet certain requirements. Let’s quickly run through the common commercial driver’s license endorsements out there:

H: This is assigned to drivers who will be transporting hazardous materials. In addition to the class CCDL, you’ll need to pass a TSA Criminal Background Check and the HAZMAT Endorsement Knowledge Test. You must take and pass a TSA Criminal Background Check every five years. Failure to do so will nullify your endorsement.

N: You get this endorsement for driving a tank vehicle that transports gas or liquid. If you’re wondering why they assigned this endorsement to the letter “N,” we’re wondering the same thing.

P: The letter represents “passenger,” and the endorsement is needed to operate passenger-carrying vehicles for at least 16 individuals, which includes the driver. Apart from obtaining a class B or C CDL, you’ll need to pass the Passenger Endorsement Knowledge Test to obtain this endorsement.

S: If you guessed this stands for “school bus,” then you guessed right. Obtaining this endorsement requires you to pass the passenger and school bus knowledge tests. You’ll also need to pass a skills test while driving a school bus. You are also required to complete 15 hours of ODE’s behind-the-wheel training. You’ll also undergo ODE driving and criminal record checks. All this must be done to ensure the safety of the kids you’ll be driving. You need to have obtained Class B or C CDL before going through all these tests and checks.

T: Trailer drivers, whether it’s a double trailer or a triple trailer, are the ones who need this endorsement. To obtain it, you need to pass the doubles and triples endorsement knowledge test. Depending on the size of the trailer, you might need a class A or class CDL before obtaining this endorsement.