The knowledge and skills required to earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL) reflect the responsibility truckers assume when transporting large loads and sensitive materials. Although CDLs are available to anyone willing to undergo truck driver training and education, not everyone fancies themselves as a long-hail tractor-trailer operator.
The good news for everyday people interested in earning a good living behind that wheel is there are multiple options. After passing a knowledge test, eligible drivers can secure a learner’s permit, log practice hours, and pass the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) fitness requirement before taking the road test. Hard-working men and women will have an opportunity to secure a good-paying position with one of the three classes of CDLs.
What Can You Drive with a Class A CDL?
Earning a Class A allows qualified truckers to operate classic tractor-trailer rigs. Experienced Class A truckers have watched pay scales rise quickly in recent years, and some make six-figure salaries. Beyond Over-the-road opportunities, Class A CDL holders can work with gross weights that exceed 26,001 pounds and tow more than 10,000 pounds. Commercial motor vehicles that fall into the Class A group also include the following.
- Livestock Vehicles
- Tractor-Trailers (double and triple)
- Flatbeds
- Tankers
Some states may require large RV owners to possess a Class A or other CDL to operate the motor home.
What Can You Drive with a Class B CDL?
People who secure a Class B CDL routinely take jobs that involve local and regional routes. A Class B CDL allows qualified drivers to operate vehicles at or above 26,001 pounds. The primary distinction between this CDL and the Class A involves towing weights. A trailer cannot exceed 10,000 pounds under Class B regulations. Common commercial motor vehicles associated with a Class B include the following.
- Large Limousines
- School Buses
- Transit Buses
- Dump Trucks
- Boom Trucks
- Cement Mixers
People who earn their Class B driver’s license enter a jobs market that paid an average of $33,000 in 2020 and continues to rise. Experienced Class B drivers find positions that pay upward of $50,000 and enjoy 5-percent annual increases.
What Can You Drive with a Class C CDL?
Women and men who pass the Class C CDL requirements enjoy opportunities to earn a living working primarily local jobs. This license allows workers to operate a wide range of commercial motor vehicles under 26,001 pounds. These rank among the standard commercial vehicles professionally driven by Class C holders.
- Straight Trucks
- Passenger Buses
- Compact Buses
- Food Trucks
- Box Trucks
The average 2021 salary for Class C drivers runs approximately $33,000, with top earners seeing upwards of $41,000 annually, or $20 per hour.
The key takeaway is that people interested in earning a living as professional drivers do not necessarily have to spend weeks away from home transporting heavy loads. The occupations that correspond with Class A, B, and C, licenses could fit your lifestyle.
Source: ctctrucking.com, fmcsa.dot.gov
Leave a Comment