If you are remotely interested in the trucking industry then you are probably familiar with the idea of a CDL, which stands for Commercial Driver’s License.
There are several types of CDL licenses. Here are the three classes described:
Class A CDL
Class A – Any combination of vehicles that has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
Class B CDL
Class B – Any single vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight that does not exceed 10,000 pounds.
Class C CDL
Class C – Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172 or is transporting any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73.
Obviously there are several different types of large or heavy vehicles used in everyday life, from buses to semis hauling trailers… So depending on which kind of vehicle or vehicles you plan to drive, you’ll want to make sure you have the necessary CDL license so you won’t be fined. Driving without a CDL, or suspended CDL, incurs a civil penalty of up to $2,500, or, in aggravated cases, criminal penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and/or up to 90 days in prison.
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