CDL Classes Explained: Class A, Class B and Class C
Weight and cargo decide which commercial license you need. Here is how the three classes differ.
Key takeaways
- Class A covers heavy combination vehicles, Class B covers heavy single vehicles, and Class C covers smaller vehicles with many passengers or hazardous materials.
- Endorsements add privileges such as hazmat, tank, passenger or school bus.
- You start with a commercial learner's permit.
Weight decides the class
A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required to drive certain large or special-purpose vehicles. Which class you need depends mostly on the weight rating of the vehicle and what it carries. Federal rules set the standards, and each state issues the license.
Class A
Class A covers combination vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, when the towed unit is heavier than 10,000 pounds. Tractor-trailers are the typical example. A Class A license usually also covers what a Class B or Class C license allows, if you hold the right endorsements.
Class B
Class B covers a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, and one towing a unit of 10,000 pounds or less. Straight trucks, large buses and dump trucks are typical.
Class C
Class C covers vehicles that do not fall into A or B but carry 16 or more people, including the driver, or carry hazardous materials that require placards. Small buses and hazmat vans are typical.
Endorsements
Endorsements add special privileges: H for hazardous materials, N for tank vehicles, P for passengers, S for school buses and T for doubles and triples. Each has its own knowledge test, and some also need a skills test.
Your first step
You start with a commercial learner’s permit, which requires a vision exam and knowledge tests for your class and endorsements. Take our CDL practice test for your state to see what those tests look like. Choose your state on the CDL practice test page.
Choosing a class
Decide what you want to drive first. If your goal is a tractor-trailer, you need Class A. If it is a straight truck or a city bus, Class B is the fit. If it is a small passenger van that carries 16 or more people or a placarded hazmat load, look at Class C.
Then check which endorsements you need. A tank endorsement, for example, is needed for liquid loads, and a passenger endorsement is needed for buses.
What the tests look like
Commercial knowledge tests include general knowledge, and often air brakes and combination vehicles. Each is multiple choice. Our CDL practice pages give you four quizzes for each state: classes and permit rules, safe driving, air brakes and inspection, and a mock exam.
Next steps
The bottom line: match the class to the vehicle and cargo you plan to drive, then add the endorsements you need. Check your state’s tests with the CDL quizzes on the CDL practice test page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a pickup truck?
Usually not, unless the combination weight rating or the cargo puts you into a commercial class.
Which class pays more?
Pay depends on the job, region and experience, so we do not compare it here.
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