Vehicle combination weights & keeping it under the Non CDL weight

Your CDL in the pocket issued by the State DMV (Or Revenuer etc) is proof that you have acquired the necessary knowledge to the satisfaction of the State that issue it. It does not matter if it is Uncle Jed over the hollow in the Duke Farm or the most fancy accredited trucking school.

I still have the diploma from my school and frankly no one ever cared to asked about it all my life. The CDL is the proof you need for this industry.

 

The whichever is greater line is talking about actual weight vs. weight rating. It's not talking about simply trailer weight.

Here is the FMCSA guideline, and again all states I've found mirror it.
Here is the OK flowchart, it's a little better...


From FMCSA... eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations
§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:

(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).

Now look at what it says. It states that both 26k and 10k have to be true,.

 

I know 100% for a fact you do not need automatically need a CDL if your trailer is over 10k. We have several over 10k driven by non CDL drivers and they go through roadside inspections, scales, and even our audit and never an issue. The 10k thing just determines if you need class A if your combo is over 26k.

 

Thank you for this flow chart. The one from Washington and what I shared were slightly contradictory. I wasn't arguing with you, I was just trying to get the flow of the chart. The way I understand it is if your tow vehicle has a gcrw under 26,000 and your trailer is over 10,000 but your actual weight is over 26,000, not only would you get a ticket for overweight, but you would get one for not having a cdl A, is that the takeaway?

 

The average person getting their CDL has no idea what is needed or what to do so they see CDL school and figure that is what is needed. I will say though that nearly all major companies won’t hire a new CDL holder without some kind of accredited training. I got my CDL on my own in 2015 and it was super easy. I read the dmv book one night, passed all the tests the next morning and then rented a truck for the road test and passed it first try. I had never driven a semi prior to renting that truck for the test. Frankly I think the whole process is too easy. It should be more difficult to get a license to drive an 80,000lb missle on the highways.

 

You would get a ticket for no class A for sure and it wouldn’t just be a ticket it would be park it and it isn’t moving until a properly licensed driver moves it. I doubt you would get an over weight ticket. Most states only enforce registered weight, axle weight, and tire weights for determining if you are overweight. I have never seen them enforce GCVWR or even GVWR as long as you were adequately registered and not over individual axle or tire ratings.

 

More than likely you would be overweight because if you adequately registered, it wouldn't be under cdl then!

 

What you register it for has no bearing on the need for a CDL. It is the GVWR or actual weight whichever is greater. You can tell the people at the registration office any weight you want but yes you would get a overweight ticket if over your registered weight but you could get a no cdl ticket with an empty trailer and not be overweight.