Why Do You Have To Have A CDL To Drive A Cargo Van With No Hazmat On Board ?

[purgoose10]

Merry Christmas.
Might have something to do with ease of lining freight up with trucks and ease of dispatch. If everyone is close to being on the same page the dispatcher doesn't have to take time to delve into drivers records to see if he's qualified to handle a load going to a certain part of the country. Then again it might be the fact that the company doesn't know much about a driver that has just a plain old drivers license. For that matter he might have two or three plain old drivers licenses, who knows. If you want to drive and make some pocket change while doing so than maybe a CDL will make you a professional more so than just a plain old driver.
Like Greg said might also have something to do with the score.

 

[MCGohio1985]

What state makes you get a hazmat endorsement to get any level of CDL? I've never heard of such a thing.



--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

Ohio

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[OntarioVanMan]

I applaud the day when straights and TT have to have speed limiters set at 65 mph a yellow flashing light on top of cab hooked to the limiter for all to see the driver is speeding, a 10 hour driving shift and EOBR for them all...carriers and independents..

 

[AMonger]

I applaud the day when straights and TT have to have speed limiters set at 65 mph a yellow flashing light on top of cab hooked to the limiter for all to see the driver is speeding, a 10 hour driving shift and EOBR for them all...carriers and independents..

Oh, what America has become...it ain't good.

Remember freedom? Me neither.

Used to be the land of the free and home of the brave. Now it's neither.

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

 

[AMonger]

A Class C CDL is a CDL with an endorsement of some kind, either passenger or HAZMAT, and is used for vehicles that do not require either a Class A or a Class B license.

So basically the idea is that the only reason for a class C to exist is the passenger and hazmat issues in vehicles that would otherwise not need them...?

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

 

[AMonger]

Ohio

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So i can have my class A in Ohio without the hazmat endorsement but if I go down to a Class C, then I have to have it? What about drivers of church buses in the Suckeye that are going to be transporting only passengers? They have to get the hazmat endorsement to get their class C?

I think you misunderstood what you read or were told. Even the Suckeye State isn't that retarded.

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

 

[MCGohio1985]

When I was looking at going with panther the recruiter told me that I needed a class C CDL. Called the DMV and if I rember right thay told me that I need a specialty like air brakes or haz-mat and sence vans don't have air brakes then it was haz-mat. I was going with the class B with air brake because I have been driveing fire trucks for years and my fire chief can sign off on the driving part of the test

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[Turtle]

So basically the idea is that the only reason for a class C to exist is the passenger and hazmat issues in vehicles that would otherwise not need them...?

Exactly. The only reason anyone needs a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) is to operate a CMV (Commercial Motor Vehicle). If the vehicle is not a CMV, you don't need a CDL to operate it. The Class of vehicle you drive determines the Class of CDL required to drive it.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Classes:

(Class A) Has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds), whichever is greater.

(Class B) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater.

(Class C) Is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver; or is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials (including Select Agents and Toxins).

So, according to the FMCSA, a Class C CDL doesn't exist unless it has the passenger or HM endorsement, because it is the endorsement to haul passengers or HM that makes the vehicle a CMV.

 

[AMonger]

When I was looking at going with panther the recruiter told me that I needed a class C CDL. Called the DMV and if I rember right thay told me that I need a specialty like air brakes or haz-mat and sence vans don't have air brakes then it was haz-mat. I was going with the class B with air brake because I have been driveing fire trucks for years and my fire chief can sign off on the driving part of the test

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OK, that's where I think you went wrong. They probably said you need either passenger or hazmat. See how that jibes with what Turtle posted? It's either the passengers or the hazmat that brings a class C into existence.

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

 

[Turtle]

According to that list, most of us vanners don't have any real use for a CDL unless it's required by the company.

Correct. I will say however, the knowledge gained by taking the CDL and HAZMAT test is knowledge well worth having (which is part of the reasons why a CDL C with a HAZMAT endorsement is required by some carriers).

Fact: I have no business hauling hazmat just on the general principle of the thing, with or without a CDL. I can see it for a straight truck, but not for a van where the cargo compartment is common with the driver's compartment.

This is a case where van drivers with the HM endorsement actually need to be more aware of the HM regulations than the straight truck drivers, because it's not something that straight truck drivers ever think about. There are many hazardous materials that can be hauled inside the cab of a truck, but no truck driver would ever consider doing it. Straight truck drivers simply load everything into the box of the truck. But it is precisely only those types of in-cab HAZMAT which can be hauled in a van.

For example, poisons and inhalation hazards are specifically designated as not being able to be placed into the cab of the truck. Therefore they cannot be hauled in a van, either, because the entire van is the cab of the truck. Vans are severely limited on the types of HM they can carry. It's usually paints and solvents, Class 9 stuff, a few others. But the vanner with a HM endorsement needs to know which types they can and cannot carry, as opposed to the straight truck which can carry nearly all of it without questioning the type.

Back to the knowledge aspect, if you read the HAZMAT section and at least take the online practice tests, you'll know things. You'll know how to react when involved in or come upon an accident where HAZMAT is present. You'll be more aware of those trucks around you with placards. You'll know the labeling and what it means, and hopefully know that package labeling alone doesn't determine whether or not it is HAZMAT. You'll know that if the load doesn't require placarding then it's not HAZMAT at all, regardless of individual package labeling. You'll know lots of things.

 

[MCGohio1985]

OK, that's where I think you went wrong. They probably said you need either passenger or hazmat. See how that jibes with what Turtle posted? It's either the passengers or the hazmat that brings a class C into existence.

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

You are most likely right has been a long 18 mo ago that I was looking I have also heard that panther dose not require a CDL now for van driver (truckstop talk ) also of I'm not mistaken some thing you would not thing of being haz-mat sugar burns and there is enough of it that is a jaz-mat call out for the fire dept so also I think heating and air repair tech should have a jaz-mat CDL but that's me sorry to get off subject . Anyway I'm home and done for the year everyone have a marry Christmas and a happy new year. See u all in 2012

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[UncleTed]

I possess a Class A CDL. In the past I have driven vans leased to carriers who require a CDL. I currently drive for a carrier who does not require one. The rates are nearly identical. I get all the freight I can handle. It is clearly not necessary.

 

[coppertone]

You want to know why?

Get into the insurance business and learn what actuaries do.

The insurance company tells the carrier if they want to lower their risks, they need to have CDL holders in every vehicle that they have in the fleet.

Risks equal costs.

It is the idea that the training to get a CDL, which is above that of a monkey getting a driver's license, shows that the person has a little more knowledge of how a vehicle operates than that monkey.

I feel strongly that no matter what you drive, if you are working in a commercial transportation job like this, you should have a minimal amount of knowledge of things - including how to check the oil and change alight bulb.

I imagine that one day soon there will be another FMCSA change, that CDL holders of all sorts will have to earn Continuing Education Credits as part of maintaining the license.

It is like the other issue that vanners seem to poo poo, CSA.

The CSA has nothing to do with the vehicle but everything to do with the driver. So even though you don't have a CDL, you can accumulate points for the company and not yourself - per FMCSA.

I can't understand why I can't get a discount on my car insurance because I hold a class A cdl, no accidents, no points,etc. My agent told us it doesn't matter how much driver's training I have or what license I hold. The rate is the same for everyone no matter your level experience. Just have one accident and see what happens!

 

[lir47942]

You are most likely right has been a long 18 mo ago that I was looking I have also heard that panther dose not require a CDL now for van driver (truckstop talk ) also of I'm not mistaken some thing you would not thing of being haz-mat sugar burns and there is enough of it that is a jaz-mat call out for the fire dept so also I think heating and air repair tech should have a jaz-mat CDL but that's me sorry to get off subject . Anyway I'm home and done for the year everyone have a marry Christmas and a happy new year. See u all in 2012

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As of last fall Panther removed the cdl requierment for a cv not truck stop talk either I have a cv on with them and my driver does not have a cdl

 

[Moot]

also of I'm not mistaken some thing you would not thing of being haz-mat sugar burns and there is enough of it that is a jaz-mat call out for the fire dept

You haven't spent much time in a kitchen. Sugar does burn and it ain't hazmat. The packaging on a case of Green Giant Niblets corn burns and it ain't hazmat either. Don't put out the jaz-mat call to the fire dept, they be cooking to a different beat.

 

[JohnMueller]

CDL without Hazmat required for a van?
CDL required and your vehicle is under 26,000 lbs. GVW?

The answer lies in "exposure to liability".

The carrier that you, the professional truck driver are leased onto, is responsible to the general public for any physical damage and bodily injuries that you cause while under the carrier dispatch. When you, the professional driver, have an accident while under dispatch, your Carrier is paying the claim (even though you are the one that made the mistake). Under dispatch always includes "the trip home" in most circumstances. When you, the professional driver have an accident which causes your Carrier's insurance company to pay the claim of the claimants, the claimants will demand big bucks - they know you are operating for a Carrier - who, in their eyes, has very, very deep pockets. These claimants win their cases based on two premises: the driver was not qualified; or the vehicle was not properly maintained, in addition to the negligence of the driver for causing the accident. Having a CDL strengthens the proof that the driver is qualified, along with all the documents you signed for your DQ file during orientation. Thus the reason Carriers like to see CDL's and the maintenance records you are required to submit to the Carrier.
Leasing onto a Carrier is very much like joining a club or any other organization - if you want to join, then you must follow the club's rules. If you don't like the rules, then join a club whose rules suit your particular liking.

Thanks,

 

[UncleTed]

A cdl has nothing to do with a professional attitude.

In many cases just the opposite. It can be used as a crutch to say "Hey, I am a professional" simply because they were able to pass the test on one given day.

 

[tumbleweeds]

What state makes you get a hazmat endorsement to get any level of CDL? I've never heard of such a thing.



--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.

Missouri for one. My wife got her Class C but they made her get her Hazmat before they would issue it.

 

[tumbleweeds]

According to that list, most of us vanners don't have any real use for a CDL unless it's required by the company. Fact: I have no business hauling hazmat just on the general principle of the thing, with or without a CDL. I can see it for a straight truck, but not for a van where the cargo compartment is common with the driver's compartment.

This is the reason we choose not to haul HazMat. In the last 7-8 months we have only picked up one load. The company was desperate and we did it as a favor. I'm not going to placard this van at all. (unless they raise the rate high enough I can't say no)