Tanker endorsement for vehicles under 26000 gvwr ?

Under 26,000 lbs GVW would require a class B CDL. There are many drivers who have even smaller trucks pulling a trailer over 10,000 lbs that also need a class B CDL.
They are engaged in commerce, that is why they need the Commercial Drivers License.

 

Wrong on both counts.
Class a is a trailer over 10,000 pounds.
Class b is a tractor over 26,000 pounds and trailer under 10,000 pounds.

As for the op, I'd suggest calling a scale house and asking. All I'm finding in research is that any cmv over 119 gallons or 1000 pounds requires a tank endorsement. But, while the vehicle is a cmv, it's not large enough to require a cdl....

 

My numbers are wrong, you are correct.

This is why I thought a CDL would be required:

Class C: Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172 or is transporting any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73.

 

26000 lbs GVW OR GVWR. Big difference. If it had a 2000 gal tank that full of water by itself will weigh 16,000 lbs. Under 26000 GVWR/GVW no endorsement. Over by either GVW or GVWR endorsement required.

 

I'm fairly certain that if the sewage your hauling is placarded (hazmat) then your drivers need a class B regardless of gvwr. There's actually no such thing (at least in my state) as a class C commercial license.

 

Being engaged in commerce has nothing to do with needing a CDL. Weight it what matters. Pizza delivery guys are engaged in commerce and they don’t need CDLs.

If you are under 26k GVWR and not hauling hazmat you don’t need a CDL period.

 

OK, be sure you are looking at the GVWR weight RATING on the truck, not the actual weight. Although, if it was weighing over 26,000# it would be the same.
Over 10,000# in commerce (even private carrier) makes it a CMV. Any tank with a capacity over 1,000 gal for the transportation of liquids or gases requires a tank endorsement.
As long as GVWR and actual wt are 26,000# or under, all that would be required is a Class C license with a tank endorsement.
As long as no Haz Mat is involved, no HM endorsement is necessary.

 

Not meaning to be difficult but a Class C (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 hazardous materials as defined in §383.5.

In other words you cannot even get a Class C without either a P or an H endorsement.

 

First - Raw sewage is not hazmat. So no hazmat endorsement is required.
If the actual weight OR the GVWR exceeds 26000 lbs, you would need a class B license and a tanker endorsement.
If the actual weight and the GVWR are 26000 or under, you would not need a class B license or tanker endorsement. You would need whatever license is required in CA to drive in commerce. Various states have various rules on this.

Here's how you get that:
First look at the definition of a tank vehicle:
Tank vehicle means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank or tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis. A commercial motor vehicle transporting an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer is not considered a tank vehicle.

Notice that a tank endorsement applies to someone driving a "commercial motor vehicle."

Now look at the definition of a commercial motor vehicle:

Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle is a—
Code of Federal Regulations484
(1) Combination Vehicle (Group A)— having 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; or
Code of Federal Regulations484
(2) Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B)—having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or
Code of Federal Regulations484
(3) Small Vehicle (Group C) that does not meet Group A or B requirements but that either—(i) Is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver; or
Code of Federal Regulations484
(ii) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section
Code of Federal Regulations484
(iii) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section.

So if your truck GVWR OR actual weight is 26000 lbs or under, you do not fall under these federal regulations as a commercial vehicle. So no tank endorsement and no CDL required.

Having said that, I'm going to bet that even if your truck does not have a GVWR of over 26000 lbs, or weigh 26000 lbs EMPTY, it does weigh over 26000 lbs FULL. So technically, you would not need a class B or tank endorsement when you are empty, but would need one when you are full.

So.....the bottom line is this: To be able to operate this vehicle at all times, empty and full, you WOULD need a class B CDL and a tanker endorsement.