Classes of CDL

[pjjjjj]

Forgive me for not being able to find this, I'm having trouble with the search mechanism on here due to the number of characters..
Can someone point me to where it lists the different classes of CDL's?
Also, can someone tell me which USA CLD would be required for a C-Unit?
Thanks

 

[jaminjim]

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

Section 4506 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC)

Click HEREto Download the Ohio Commercial Driver Handbook in Adobe PDF format.
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Who Needs a CDL? – Ohio Revised Code, Section 4506.01 (D)


You need a CDL if you operate any of the following vehicles:

• Any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds;
• Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds;
• Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that either is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers including the driver;
• Any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver;
• Is transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is required under subpart F of 49 C.F.R. part 172;
• Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is designed to be operated and to travel on a public street or highway and is considered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to be a commercial motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, a motorized crane, a vehicle whose function is to pump cement, a rig for drilling wells, and a portable crane.

Classes of CDL licenses –Ohio Revised Code, Section 4506.12 (B)

The classes of CDL and the commercial motor vehicles that they authorize the operation of are as follows:

• Class A – any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds.
• Class B – any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds.
• Class C – any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that is not a Class A or Class B vehicle, but that is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is transporting hazardous materials in an amount requiring placarding, or any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.

The higher class CDL allows you to drive vehicles in any of the lower classes provided you have the correct endorsements. Occasional drivers are also required to apply for a CDL and all appropriate endorsements. For example: Mechanics or truck sales people who test drive on a public roadway.

In addition to a CDL, drivers may need special endorsements if they:

Link to Hazardous Materials Information
(1) H - authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous materials in an amount requiring placarding;
(2) K - restricts the driver to only intrastate operation;
(3) L - restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with air brakes;
(4) T - authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle configured with double or triple trailers that create more than one articulation point for the combination;
(5) P - authorizes the driver to drive vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver;
(6) P1 - authorizes the driver to drive class A vehicles designed for fewer than sixteen passengers, including the driver, and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the designed passenger capacity of the vehicle;
(7) P2 - authorizes the driver to drive class A or B vehicles designed for fewer than sixteen passengers, including the driver, and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the designed passenger capacity of the vehicle;
(8) P4 - Restricts the driver to driving class C school buses designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver;
(9) N - authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles;
(10) S - authorizes the driver to drive school buses transporting children;
(11) X - authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding;
(12) W - restricts the driver to the operation of commercial motor vehicles in accordance with a waiver for farm-related service industries issued under section 4506.24 of the Revised Code.
CDL Exemptions

The law exempts these categories from the CDL:

• A "Farm Truck"; ("Farm Truck" means a truck controlled and operated by a farmer for use in the transportation to or from a farm, for a distance of no more than one hundred fifty miles, of products of the farm, supplies for the farm, or other purposes connected with the operation of the farm. The truck must be operated in accordance with Ohio Revised Code, Section 4506.02(B2) and is not used in the operation of a motor transportation company or private motor carrier.)
• Fire equipment for a fire department, volunteer or non-volunteer fire company, fire district, or joint fire district;
• A public safety vehicle used to provide transportation or emergency medical service for ill or injured persons; ("Public safety vehicle" has the same meaning as in divisions (E)(1) and (3) of Ohio Revised Code, Section 4511.01 ORC)
• A recreational vehicle; ("Recreational vehicle" includes every vehicle that is defined as a recreational vehicle in Ohio Revised Code, Section 4501.01, and is used exclusively for purposes other than engaging in business or profit)
• A commercial motor vehicle within the boundaries of an eligible unit of local government*, if the person is employed by the eligible unit of local government and is operating the commercial motor vehicle for the purpose of removing snow or ice from a roadway by plowing, sanding, or salting, but only if either the employee who holds a commercial driver's license and ordinarily operates a commercial vehicle for these purposes is unable to operate the vehicle, or the employing eligible unit of local government determines that a snow or ice emergency exists that requires additional assistance.
• A vehicle operated for military purpose by any member or uniformed employee of the armed forces of the United States or their reserve components, including the Ohio National Guard. This exception does not apply to United States reserve technicians.
• A commercial motor vehicle that is operated for nonbusiness purposes. "Operated for nonbusiness purposes" means that the commercial motor vehicle is not used in commerce as "commerce" is defined in 48 C.F.R. 383.5 as amended, and is not regulated by the public utilities commission pursuant to Chapter 4919., 4821., or 4923.,of the Ohio Revised Code.
• A motor vehicle that is designed primarily for the transportation of goods and not persons while that motor vehicle is being used for the occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation and not in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise.

*Eligible unit of local government means a village, township, or county that has no population of not more than 3,000 persons according to the most recent federal census.

Procedures for Obtaining a CDL or CDL Instruction Permit

To get a CDL or CDL instruction permit (CDIP) you are required to be at least 18 years of age and have a valid Ohio State driver's license.

 

[pjjjjj]

Thank you.
So.. what would an OO of a 'C-Unit' be required to have, in the USA?

 

[are12]

You would need a "Class B"

 

[pjjjjj]

You would need a "Class B"

Thanks... so a C-Unit has a gvwr of over 26001Lbs?

 

[are12]

Thanks... so a C-Unit has a gvwr of over 26001Lbs?

Your welcome! And yes, to your question on the GVW - at least the ones I know of. Maybe someone can answer if there are any less than the 26000 lbs.

 

[RichM]

It really doesn't matter if your husbands C unit is under 26,000 because the major companies that we discussed the other night will want your husband to have a CDL. But a Canadian license might suffice as the regulations are different there,best to speak with the appropiate recruiter.

 

[pjjjjj]

It really doesn't matter if your husbands C unit is under 26,000 because the major companies that we discussed the other night will want your husband to have a CDL. But a Canadian license might suffice as the regulations are different there,best to speak with the appropiate recruiter.

If only we could get him on the phone!
Things are different between here and there.. here we don't require commercial license until over 11000Kg (24200Lbs), so he doesn't have a commercial license since ours has a gvwr of 11000Kg, and not over.
Here we don't have a special endorsement for hauling hazmat, must be trained and certified by current carrier; so when he leaves current carrier, he will no longer be certified to carry hazmat unless new carrier also trains and certifies.. except, in the USA, they get you to get an endorsement attached to your CDL.. and how do you get an endorsement if we don't have an American CDL, and in Canada, we don't have one.

 

[Paul56]

If he doesn't have it already, I would advise getting the Ontario class "A" with the "Z" endorsement:

Licence Types

That way he can operate anything he is tossed the keys to.

I have the equivalent in Quebec and can operate everything in our fleet from straight trucks to tractors pulling super "B" wood chip trailers. Quebec goes with numbers instead:

Classes of Driving Licence | Driver's Licence | SAAQ

 

[pjjjjj]

If he doesn't have it already, I would advise getting the Ontario class "A" with the "Z" endorsement:

That would make sense if he were a driver, but he has his own truck.. seems silly to have to get a license here, that is not required for what he is and will be driving; I thought you needed to be licensed in accordance with the land you are licensed in, but the carriers have their own requirements.

 

[Paul56]

That would make sense if he were a driver, but he has his own truck.. seems silly to have to get a license here, that is not required for what he is and will be driving; I thought you needed to be licensed in accordance with the land you are licensed in, but the carriers have their own requirements.

We need clarification of exactly what you are talking about here.

Is it the driver's licence? Even if he has his own truck he is still a driver.

 

[pjjjjj]

We need clarification of exactly what you are talking about here.

Is it the driver's licence? Even if he has his own truck he is still a driver.

If you're a driver for someone, and you might not be able to foresee who you might always be driving for, or what you would be driving, it makes sense to get the most versatile license.. but in our case, he owns his truck already, and here in the land in which he is licensed, he requires only a 'G', non-commercial license for the truck he owns. He is leased to a carrier here, and is driving commercially, no problems; If he changes carriers to lease with an American company, they require a CDL, even though, here where he is licensed, it is not required for his type of truck. And they require a hazmat endorsement, but here, we do not have them, they come with the company you're registered with. When he leaves that company, he'll no longer be certified for hazmat.
Hopefully this clarifies?

 

[redytrk]

In the USA no CDL is required to drive a vehicle with a GVW of less than 26,001, UNLESS carrying HAZMAT. Therefore all expedite carriers I know of require a minimum of a class "c" CDL W/Hazmat endorsement. Of course if the trk has air brakes, a air brake endorsement will also be required.

 

[pjjjjj]

In the USA no CDL is required to drive a vehicle with a GVW of less than 26,001, UNLESS carrying HAZMAT. Therefore all expedite carriers I know of require a minimum of a class "c" CDL W/Hazmat endorsement. Of course if the trk has air brakes, a air brake endorsement will also be required.

Yes, that's what I understood; however, 'here' we don't have the same licensing system; the company, as part of its qualifications procedures, might insist on an OO holding a CDL; no ifs, ands, or buts. This will allow the hauling of hazmat. Here, our particular truck size does not require a CDL; we can get one anyway, regardless of the need, however it still won't give us the certification to haul hazmat here. Here, the hazmat certificate, as I understand it, can only be issued by the carrier we're running for.

I guess what I'm saying is.. there is a catch22, in that, here we're good, but if we want to lease on with an American company who requires a CDL, we will have to get a CDL 'here' (not 'there'), which we don't need other than to meet a qualification of the carrier, and yet, we still won't have the hazmat endorsement (also required by the carrier), which here, must be issued by the carrier.

I wonder if Canadians are allowed to take the hazmat course 'there', and get some kind of certificate from the carriers, as opposed to an actual 'endorsement'.

Are there any Canadians here who are leased on with an American company?