Regs for Air Brakes under 26,000 GVWR

I owned a 26 footer box truck with air brakes so if I go to DMV I can prepare for and class B license

 

If there is any question it's best to call you State's DOT. I'm not sure that every state would give you the same answer.

I can only tell you that here in Pennsylvania I have a truck that is under 26000 pounds but has air brakes. A few years back I was considering putting it on the road and putting someone in it. So I called Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

It's been quite a few years now so I really can't remember exactly what they said. But definitely under no circumstances in Pennsylvania can someone with a regular drivers license run that truck. However it was they told me there has to be an air brake endorsement. He made absolutely certain to tell me that. I would have a problem with someone with a regular drivers license driving it and I would have a problem as the owner.

Here's the next part of regulations that seems confusing. How about a truck that is under 10,000 pounds the pulls a 16 thousand pound trailer? I have read many places that is allowed and it does not require a CDL even though the trailer is over 10000 pounds. I think that as long as the truck that is Towing it is under 10,000 lb and is rated to pull that much weight, I believe that does not require a CDL. Now if the trailer has air brakes...

 

Sure, just prohibited from driving manual trucks, which takes all the joy out of the Collective.

And you will not get a airbrake, because fluidbased brakes don't have it.

 

Here is my text from my local NY state police DOT inspector that I asked the question of.
I wouldn’t of believed it but it’s true.
You could literally send a 16 year old kid who received his driver license yesterday down a mountain pass with air brakes on a 26,000# vehicle and it’s completely legal
Crazy...

 

That's what I mean. Pa DOT told me the opposite.