Hey Gang,

I've been away a while and have a question I figure you all would know the answer to right off. I took a job for a distribution company a while back that operates mainly non-cdl vehicles, many of them our "second division vehicles" that require a C Class license to operate. No CDL required as they are 26,000 gcvwr or less. BUT here's the rub, some of these vehicles have air brakes. Yet the guys assigned to these trucks do not have CDL's or ANY airbrake qualification on their licenses. SO here is my question, is this legal? Can these guys lawfully operate these airbrake yet non cdl weight rated trucks without an airbrake endorsement and/or a CDL?



It is a non-issue for me as I have had a CDL A for years, but I am concerned for my freinds/co-workers that may get into trouble over this.

Btw this is in Illinois as this may vary from state to state.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Everywhere I've heard of requires a class B cdl with airbrake endorsement irregardless of weight.Go to your states' website or go to the DMV and get the handbook..

§383.95 Air Brake Restrictions

Question 1: A driver has a Group B or C CDL valid for airbrake- equipped vehicles. He or she later upgrades to a Group A license by testing in a vehicle that is not equipped with airbrakes. Must the State restrict the upgraded license to nonairbrake-equipped vehicles?
Guidance: No, because the airbrake systems on combination versus single vehicles do not differ significantly.
Question 2: May a driver who has an air brake restriction as defined in §383.95 operate a CMV equipped with an air-over- hydraulic brake system?
Guidance: No. Under §383.95(b), the term "air brakes" includes any braking system operating fully or partially on the air brake principle. Air-over-hydraulic brake systems operate partially on the air brake principle and are therefore air brakes for purposes of the CDL regulations. The NHTSA also considers "air over hydraulic" brakes to be air brakes under FMVSS 121.
Question 3: May a State issue a restriction to a driver who passes the air brake knowledge test and the skills test in a vehicle equipped with an air-over-hydraulic brake system that limits the driver to operate only vehicles equipped with an air-over-hydraulic air brake system?
Guidance: Yes. A State may issue the additional restriction, provided it is fully explained on the CDL. This would give a State the option to allow a driver who tests in a vehicle equipped with an air- over-hydraulic brake system (rather than a full air brake system) to operate a vehicle equipped with either a hydraulic or air-over- hydraulic brake system, while restricting them from operating vehicles equipped with a full air brake system.
Question 4: May a driver with an air brake restriction on his or her CDL operate a CMV equipped with a hydraulic braking system that has an air-assisted parking brake release?
Guidance: Yes. The air brake restriction applies only to the principal braking system used to stop the vehicle. §383.95(b) is not applicable to an air-assisted mechanism to release the parking brake.

If I read this correctly, you can have a group C license with air brake endorsement. You need to check with your state. YOU do need a air brake endorsement with any type of license you hold. See next post

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Subpart F — Vehicle Groups and Endorsements
§383.91 Commercial motor vehicle groups.

(a) Vehicle group descriptions. Each driver applicant must possess and be tested on his/her knowledge and skills, described in subpart G of this part, for the commercial motor vehicle group(s) for which he/she desires a CDL. The commercial motor vehicle groups are as follows:
(a)(1) Combination vehicle (Group A) — Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).
(a)(2) Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B) — Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) GVWR.
(a)(3) Small Vehicle (Group C) — Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that meets neither the definition of Group A nor that of Group B as contained in this section, but that either is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or is used in the transportation of materials found to be hazardous for the purposes of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and which require the motor vehicle to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR part 172, subpart F).
(b) Representative vehicle. For purposes of taking the driving test in accordance with §383.113, a representative vehicle for a given vehicle group contained in §383.91(a), is any commercial motor vehicle which meets the definition of that vehicle group.
(c) Relation between vehicle groups. Each driver applicant who desires to operate in a different commercial motor vehicle group from the one which his/her CDL authorizes shall be required to retake and pass all related tests, except the following:
(c)(1) A driver who has passed the knowledge and skills tests for a combination vehicle (Group A) may operate a heavy straight vehicle (Group B) or a small vehicle (Group C), provided that he/she possesses the requisite endorsement(s); and
(c)(2) A driver who has passed the knowledge and skills tests for a heavy straight vehicle (Group B) may operate any small vehicle (Group C), provided that he/she possesses the requisite endorsement(s).
(d) Vehicle group illustration. Figure 1 illustrates typical vehicles within each of the vehicle groups defined in this section

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I live in New york state.The laws in your state may be different.Obtaining a CDL will be similar because for the most part it is regulated by the federal goverment,FMCSA.Airbrakes?It's not an endorsement.It will just show on your CDL as a restriction if on the written test you failed to pass the knowledge part or took your road test in a vehicle without airbrakes.If the drivers in your company did obtain their CDL from your states DMV and it shows no restrictions for airbrakes and they did take their road test in a truck that was equipped with airbrakes,their legal.You can check their licenses to see if there are any restrictions.Go to your DMV website and search under driver license class.It will show both a list for endorsements and restrictions in a letter code.Don't go by the notion of the weight of the vehicle.This only restricts the driver to a vehicle within a certain GVWR,not the braking system.Your fellow drivers most show no restrictions in regards to airbrakes.Although just class C ,it's still a CDL.