CDL classes and endorsements

By the end of this topic you can

• You can tell the difference between a Class A, B and C vehicle using weight ratings and passenger numbers.
• You can name the main CDL endorsements and what each one allows.
• You can explain how the vehicle you test in can add restrictions to your license.
• You can choose the class and endorsements that match the job you want.

What you need to know and understand

• Weight classes use the manufacturer's weight rating (GVWR or GCWR), not what the vehicle happens to weigh on the day.
• Class A covers combinations with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more where the towed unit is rated over 10,000 pounds.
• Class B covers a single vehicle rated 26,001 pounds or more, which may tow a unit rated 10,000 pounds or less.
• Class C covers smaller vehicles designed to carry 16 or more people including the driver, or placarded hazardous materials.
• Only the passenger (P) and school bus (S) endorsements need a skills test as well as a knowledge test.
• Under federal rules you must be at least 21 to drive a commercial vehicle across state lines; many states allow 18 for driving within the state only (varies by state).

Reading the weight labels

GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is the maximum loaded weight the maker says a single vehicle can carry. GCWR (gross combination weight rating) is the same idea for a power unit plus its trailer or trailers. You will find these on the door-post label of the truck and on the trailer plate.

The magic number in all three classes is 26,001 pounds. Above that, a single vehicle needs at least Class B. Add a trailer rated over 10,000 pounds and the combination moves to Class A.

• Class A examples: tractor-trailers, truck and trailer combinations, some livestock and tanker combinations.
• Class B examples: straight trucks, large city buses, dump trucks, box trucks rated over 26,000 pounds.
• Class C examples: smaller passenger vans built for 16 or more people, small hazmat vehicles that do not meet Class A or B.

The endorsement letters

Endorsements are add-ons printed on your CDL. Each one needs its own knowledge test, and some need more.

• T: double and triple trailers (knowledge test).
• P: passenger vehicles (knowledge and skills test).
• N: tank vehicles (knowledge test).
• H: hazardous materials (knowledge test plus a federal TSA security threat assessment).
• X: a combined tank and hazmat endorsement offered by most states.
• S: school bus (knowledge and skills test, and you must also qualify for P).

How restrictions get added

Restrictions limit what you can drive, and they usually come from the vehicle you test in. Your state prints them as codes on the license, and the letters can differ between states, so check your state CDL manual.

• Test in a vehicle without air brakes, or fail the air brake knowledge test, and you cannot drive any vehicle with air brakes.
• Test in an automatic and you cannot drive a manual-transmission commercial vehicle.
• Test a Class A combination using a pintle hook instead of a fifth wheel and you cannot drive fifth-wheel tractor-trailers.
• Take the passenger skills test in a smaller class of bus and you are limited to that class of passenger vehicle.

Common mistakes

• Judging the class by how heavy a load looks. Always read the GVWR and GCWR plates.
• Testing in whatever truck is cheapest to rent, then finding the job needs a manual or air brakes. Test in the vehicle you plan to drive.
• Forgetting that a bus can need a CDL because of its seating, even when it is light enough for a regular license.
• Assuming the hazmat endorsement is just a written test. It also needs a TSA background check, so start early.

Test yourself: CDL classes and endorsements

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.