CDL Classes, Endorsements, and Route Types
How CDL Classes A, B and C are defined, what each endorsement lets you do, and how over-the-road, regional, dedicated, local and team routes differ.
Table of contents
Before you pay for training, you need to know what you want to drive and where you want to drive it. Your license class sets the size of vehicle you can operate. Endorsements add types of cargo or passengers. Your route type sets how you will live. Pick these together, because a choice in one limits the others.
What You Will Be Able to Do
- Choose the CDL class that fits the vehicle you want to drive.
- Say what each endorsement allows and what it takes to get it.
- Compare the main route types.
- Explain what your safety record means when you apply for a job.
The Three License Classes
Federal rule 49 CFR 383.91 defines the classes by weight. Two terms come up here. Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the most a single vehicle is built to weigh when loaded. Gross combination weight rating (GCWR) is the same thing for a truck and whatever it tows.
| Class | Definition | Common vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| A | Combination with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more, towing a unit rated over 10,000 pounds | Tractor-trailers, flatbeds, tankers, livestock haulers |
| B | Single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more, towing no more than 10,000 pounds | Dump trucks, straight trucks, city buses, concrete mixers |
| C | Below A and B, but built to carry 16 or more people including the driver, or hauling placarded hazardous materials | Small buses, small hazmat vehicles |
A higher class usually covers the lower ones, as long as you have the right endorsements. A Class A holder can usually drive Class B and C vehicles.
Worked example. A dump truck rated 33,000 pounds pulls a trailer rated 8,000 pounds. The single truck is over 26,000 pounds, and the trailer is not over 10,000 pounds. That is Class B. Hook the same truck to a trailer rated 14,000 pounds and it needs Class A.
Class A gives you the widest choice of jobs. If you are not sure, it is usually the one to get. If you want a local job driving a dump truck or a bus, Class B can be quicker and cheaper.
Endorsements
Endorsements add to your license. Each needs a knowledge test, and some need more.
| Code | Lets you drive | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| H | Placarded hazardous materials | Needs a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security threat assessment and required training |
| N | Tank vehicles | For liquids or gases in bulk. Sloshing cargo changes how the truck handles |
| X | Combined hazmat and tank | Common in fuel hauling |
| P | Passenger vehicles | Needs a skills test in a passenger vehicle |
| S | School buses | Needs the P as well, plus a background check |
| T | Double or triple trailers | Common in LTL work. Triples are legal only in some states |
Hazmat loads bring extra duties. You must have placards on the vehicle, keep shipping papers within reach, and know the emergency steps for what you carry. Many drivers use the Emergency Response Guidebook.
Do not chase every endorsement at once. Get the ones the jobs you want ask for. Check job ads in your area first.
Restrictions
A restriction takes away part of what your class allows. Test in an automatic and you may not be able to drive a manual. Test in a vehicle without air brakes and you may not be able to drive one that has them. Test in a Class A vehicle that is not a tractor-trailer and you may not be able to drive a tractor-trailer. Check which restrictions a test vehicle will put on your license.
Other Credentials
The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is a federal card for entering secure areas at ports and some other sites. Many port and container jobs need one. It is not an endorsement. You apply for it separately.
Route Types
| Route type | What it means | Home time | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over the road (OTR) | Long trips across many states, and you sleep in the cab | Often 2 to 4 weeks out at a time | Most miles and most time away |
| Regional | Runs within a few states | Usually home on weekends | Fewer long hauls, more routine |
| Dedicated | The same customer or lanes again and again | Often predictable | Steady, but can be repetitive |
| Local | Short routes around one area | Usually home every night | Fewer miles and more physical work |
| Team | Two drivers share a truck, and one sleeps while one drives | Varies | Most miles, but very little privacy |
Some carriers run schedules such as 5 days out and 2 home, or 7 and 3. Ask exactly what home time means before you sign. "Home weekly" can mean something different at each carrier.
Most new drivers start with OTR or regional work, because those are the jobs carriers will give to people without experience. Local and specialty jobs often want a year or two on your record. Ask what the carrier requires.
Your Record Follows You
Federal hours-of-service limits apply to almost all of these jobs, and your electronic logging device records your driving time. Violations, crashes and inspections go on your record.
The Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) gives carriers a report on a driver, with your consent. It covers up to five years of crashes and three years of roadside inspections. You can request your own. New carriers also check your motor vehicle record and the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. A clean record opens doors for years, and a poor one can close them.
What Can Hurt You on Day One
Your class and route change the hazards you face first.
| If you start in | Watch for |
|---|---|
| Tractor-trailers | Falls from the cab or deck, backing, and uncoupling |
| Tankers | Liquid surge pushing the truck in stops and turns, and the risk of rollover |
| Flatbeds | Falls from the deck, and injury from chains, binders and tarps |
| Local delivery | Strains, slips and backing in tight spaces |
| Buses | Passenger falls, blind spots and people near the bus |
| Hazmat | Leaks, fire and exposure. Know your emergency steps before you leave |
Try It
Find five job ads in your area that you would want. Write down the class, endorsements, route type and experience each one asks for. Whichever comes up the most is what to aim for first. Then take a free practice test for general knowledge and air brakes, and note the sections you struggle with.
Check Your Understanding
A straight truck rated 28,000 pounds tows a trailer rated 12,000 pounds. Which class do you need?
Class A. The combination is over 26,000 pounds, and the trailer is rated over 10,000 pounds.
You want to haul gasoline. What do you need?
A Class A or B license that matches the truck, plus an X endorsement (or both H and N).
You take your skills test in an automatic to make it easier. What could that cost you?
A restriction that bars you from driving a manual. If the jobs you want use manual transmissions, that shrinks your options.
A recruiter says the job is "home weekly". What do you ask?
Which days you are home, for how many hours, how often that has happened over recent months, and what happens if a load runs late.
Key Takeaways
- Class A covers combinations, B covers heavy single vehicles, and C covers smaller hazmat and passenger vehicles.
- Endorsements add cargo or passenger types. H needs a TSA check, and S also needs P.
- Your test vehicle can add restrictions.
- Route type sets your home time and your daily life.
- Your safety record follows you between carriers.