CDL in S.D.

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
As if anyone would care but I know some of you's are info nuts so heres one. They say one should try to learn one new thing a day!

Ya know I am Canadian so I'll convert this the best I can in U.S. terms.
I have a CDL D (your terms) without air endorsement and I wanted a simular SD licence when I am legal here so I got thier CDL handbook...and guess what? Ha...Law here is you DON'T need a CDL unless the GVWR is 26,000 lbs! Iam needing to know what your state is?
However the wifey is very happy she doesn't have to take a test as she has only a car licence.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
OVM,
I had to get a CDL for my van with FedEx and many companies require a CDL for insurance purposes.
 

arkjarhead

Veteran Expediter
OVM,
In arkansas a class d is a non commercial licsense you know to drive the family car. a class c is for the cargo vans and what not under 26,000 lbs. to get the c in arkansas all one has to do is pass the general knowledge part of the cdl test.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Some states have different definitions and applications for Class D and Class C licenses. In some states, a Class D is like a teenage driver's license, and when they become 18 (or 21) they get a real, Class C license. Some states use Class E for the teenage license. But in North Dakota, and every other state, a Commercial Class C driver's license is any vehicle with a GVW of more than 10,000 pounds and less than 26,001 pounds. Those are the DOT regs. If the vehicle is placarded for HAZMAT, or carries 15 or more passengers, including the driver (or 9 or more including the driver if for-hire) then a Class C with either a HAZMAT or Passenger Endorsement is required.

However, because any vehicle carrying any amount of HAZMAT material, placardable or not, must have a HAZMAT endorsement, most carriers require their van drivers to have a Class C with the endorsement.

In Kentucky, they follow the FMSCA rules so tightly that a Class C without either a passenger or HAZMAT endorsement doesn't even exist, and your regular Class D operator license is all that is needed to operate a less-than 10,001 pound cargo van, provided that you never carry any HAZMAT cargo that would otherwise be placarded at 1000 pounds.

In South Dakota (and maybe North Dakota, too, I'm not sure), you can get your driver's license when you are 14 years of age. You are restricted to driving between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM only when a parent or legal guardian is in the seat right beside the driver, but between 6 AM and 10 PM, to drive by yourself all you need is your parent or legal guardian's permission.

Fas as I know, there are no states that will allow a 14 year old to transfer their license to a state that doesn't allow driving until you are 16, tho.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
gregg...I understand BUT if my home state where the van is plated doesn't require it...you know where I am going with this?

Also any size vehicle that does hazmat the driver must have a CDL
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
>gregg...I understand BUT if my home state where the van is
>plated doesn't require it...you know where I am going with
>this?
>
>Also any size vehicle that does hazmat the driver must have
>a CDL

I understand what you are saying but the misconception that the state is the one who is actually causing you to get a CDL in the first place seems to be going around. It is the insurance company that the carrier uses that dictates this.
 

arkjarhead

Veteran Expediter
when did the hazmat rule change? i thought you could haul hazmat that didn't require a placard without hazmat endorsement. when i first started driving i didn't have my haz and i'd haul small amounts of agri chemicals in on a delivery all over the place without hazmat and didn't have any problems.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
"Why would the insurance company require it?"

Well Insurance companies actually operate under the need to reduce risk, risk I might add is figured out by people called an Actuary. They are professionals who deal with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty and determine what is a good risk and what is not and come up with policies to reduce the risk for the insurance company.

One policy that an actuary may come up with is in order to reduce the risk of a liablity, all drivers insured through or contracted to a company must have a proof of professional standards of some sort, hence the need to get a commercial drivers license.

Hope this long explination helps.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
arkjarhead:
The rules haven't really changed, but there are a few exceptions to them, agri-chemicals being one of the exceptions. Several types of consumer-packaged products that would otherwise be classified as HAZMAT are also an exception (depending on the amounts carried, and in some cases, depending on some specific combinations thereof). Interestingly, one of the other exceptions to the rules are 1.3G Explosives, in that you can carry up to 500 pounds of those without having to have a HAZMAT endorsement. 1.3G Explosives are generally fireworks, but many items in the pyrotechnic industry apply. (not all states have this particular exception, however)
 
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