Size Really Does Matter When Choosing Drivers

      While all makers offer major enhancements in driver comfort from Class 4 through the bottom of Class 8, they all bracket the weight class break at Class 6 and 7. Trucks rated below the top of Class 6 at 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight can be driven by anyone with a car driver's license. From 26,001 pounds and up, the driver must have a commercial driver's license (CDL).
      In some jurisdictions, this is blurred by the issue of air brakes. California, for instance, says that a truck with air brakes requires a driver with an air-brake endorsement — and that requires a CDL as the basis. The same is true for any company hauling hazmat in the trucks — the drivers must have the hazmat endorsement and hence, the full CDL.
      In most cases, trucks under 26,000 pounds with hydraulic brakes will not require a CDL driver. Heavier than that, chances are the truck will have air brakes since a CDL is required anyway. The need for a CDL driver can complicate matters for a business. For one, you have to find the qualified driver or someone prepared to study for and pass the test. That's fine most of the time.
      But when the driver doesn't show for work, or if the truck needs moving from one place to another — to the dealer for service, for instance — trying to find another CDL holder to stand in can be a real problem.

Return to main story