Do I need my cdl?!?!

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Driftwood1990, Jan 2, 2018.

  1. Driftwood1990

    Driftwood1990 Bobtail Member

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    So for one I need to go class A so I can pull a trailer, for 2 if I want to haul let’s say 10,000 pounds than I need a trailer that has a higher GVWR so it has 10,000 left after curb weight? Just trying to make sure I know what I’m going in to do before I go In next week to do my cdl permit at the dmv
     
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  3. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    A trailer that has a 10,000 lb GVWR can weigh 10,000 fully loaded, no more. Said trailer would typically weigh say 4,000 pounds (I dunno real number, just pulling an example from my backside), so you would be able to haul 6,000 lbs worth of freight.

    Let's take a typical STAA truck and trailer. It is registered and has a GVCWR for 80,000 lbs. It weighs 35,000 lbs. That means the average load of 45,000 is max. Of course those number are just a rule of thumb, and all tractors and trailers will be different.

    I'd suggest gettign a class A if you want to drive truck. It means a bit more money now, but you'll actually be able to get a job that makes a living wage.
     
  4. Driftwood1990

    Driftwood1990 Bobtail Member

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    Jan 2, 2018
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    Well I’m going to be running a dually and we’re running under our own authority and such but I do want to pull a trailer so I will be going onto the dmv to do class a licenses then. I’m not going to school, my father in law has nearly 25 professional and safe years under his belt so I’m not paying for something he can teach me.
     
  5. The Crossword Trucker

    The Crossword Trucker Road Train Member

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    To get a class A I believe you need to test in a vehicle with air brakes . The tests you take at the DMV are easy as pie but that road test and pre trip inspection test ... most truckers could not go back after 3 years on the road and pass it again without going back to school. Depending on how its proctored its a real bear. I doubt anyone who has had a CDL for 25 years is going to be any help preparing for the test.
     
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  6. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

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    Be careful with this. A commercial Vehicle is defined 2 ways. For a CDL it is anything over 26,001 GVRW or ANYTHING loaded with hazmat requiring a placard. However it is defined at 10,001 or over for the purposes of holding a medical card and maintaining a log book if OTR.
     
  7. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

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    12k truck and 8k trailer you're OK with a class C. Don't have to worry about class A or B until you're over 26k. With your dually, if you're over 26k, you'll need a class A because the trailer cannot be more than 10k with a class B license.
     
  8. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

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    He can take the test in a pickup w/ trailer, provided the GCWR exceeds 26k. If the vehicle is not equipped with air brakes, he'll have an air brake restriction. If the vehicle is an automatic, he'll have an "automatic only" restriction. With the pickup & trailer combination, he'll also have a restriction stating no T/T's.

    It would be in his best interest, though, if he has someone who can teach him and access to a truck & trailer to take the test, to do the DMV test in an actual semi t/t with a manual transmission and air brakes. That way, even if he never PLANS on driving anything bigger than his pickup, if the situation changes and he acquires a larger truck to pull bigger loads, he won't have to go BACK to the DMV.
     
  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    OK I am wondering maybe buying one of them Freightliner Sport trucks with a manual transmission and a fifth wheel flat behind it could be lucrative business to get into?

    It has to meet the air brake/weight class but no one said what kind of truck it has to be other than representing the type a driver will drive.
     
  10. ChaoSS

    ChaoSS Road Train Member

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    He says 8k empty trailer. If a trailer weighs that empty it's going to have a gvwr over 10k.
     
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  11. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

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    He's also talking with a dually pickup. You aren't going to get over 26k without a trailer that's over 10k. I don't think he quite grasps the notion that actual weight has nothing to do with the required license class needed, but rather the manufacturer's rating. You can have a 2k empty weight with a 14k rating, and if you're pulling it behind a pickup that weighs 9k empty but has a 12.5k rating, you'd need a class A license to pull that combination interstate commercially...even empty, despite only being 11k actual weight the gcwr is 26.5k.
     
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