Commercial Driver’s License Facts You Should Know

If you want to drive a vehicle legally, you probably know that you need a driver’s license. You can get one by taking classes and passing a written test. At that point, you’ll get a temporary license. You won’t get a permanent one until you can pass a driving test as well.

You can drive a car with a regular driver’s license, but you can’t operate a commercial vehicle. Commercial conveyances include eighteen-wheeler trucks and certain other large vehicles you’d typically drive for work purposes.

We’ll talk about commercial driver’s licenses right now.

You Can Get More than One Commercial Driver’s License Type

Various types of commercial driver’s licenses exist, and many of them can help your career. For instance, you might get a certain commercial driver’s license if you want to drive trucks from state to state. These jobs often come with health insurance and a competitive salary.

You will need another commercial driver’s license type to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous waste. Another allows you to drive a vehicle with livestock in it.

Let’s break down some specific commercial driver’s license types.

What Can You Do with a Class A Commercial Driver’s License?

You might try to earn a Class A commercial driver’s license. If you get one, you can use it to drive a truck with a trailer attached. You can use one to drive a tanker vehicle or one with livestock in it.

You can also use a Class A commercial driver’s license to drive a flatbed truck. You can use one to drive a tractor-trailer. You often see these vehicles on the highway. Some stay within one state, while some travel from one side of the country to the other.

The Class A license lets you drive a vehicle that meets or exceeds 26,001 pounds if the tow vehicle weighs over 10,000 pounds. You can drive any Class A vehicle with this license, but not a Class B or C vehicle. You need an entirely separate license for those.

What Can You Do with a Class B Commercial Driver’s License?

With a Class B commercial driver’s license, you can drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more. However, the tow vehicle should weigh no more than 10,000 pounds. That’s how the Class B license differs from the Class A one.

With a Class B license, you can drive a dump truck or a tractor-trailer. You can drive a city bus or a passenger bus. You can drive tourist buses too if you live in a city that has frequent visitors who like to ride around and see the sights. You can drive a straight truck or a box truck with this license type as well.

Some people who get a Class A license also get a Class B one. That allows them to look for work in multiple fields if they choose. Now, let’s look at the Class C license.

What Can You Do with a Class C Commercial Driver’s License?

A Class C commercial driver’s license lets you drive a large vehicle that can either transport hazardous materials or one that can carry 16 or more passengers. You might get this license if you want to operate a hazardous materials vehicle for the government or a private company. These jobs carry some risks, but they pay well if you don’t mind hauling waste, sewage, and similar freight.

What Are Endorsements?

As you learn more about the different commercial vehicle driver’s license classifications, you might also encounter the “endorsement” concept. Basically, an endorsement in this context means the driver has additional privileges if they have one or more than one on their license.

For instance, you might start by getting a Class C license, but then you need to take additional tests to get some endorsements on the license to let you haul some particular freight varieties that you can’t carry with the Class C license alone. Some endorsements are relatively easy to get, while others require more study. You’ll need to pass a written and driving test to get most endorsements.

For example, you might get an endorsement to drive a school bus. You can get one to drive a tank or a double or triple trailer that brings horses or other livestock across the country.

You might consider getting some of these licenses or endorsements. Doing so can open up doors for you and allow you to advance in your career.