If you love spending long hours driving on the open road, you might be cut out for professional truck driving. But before you can gear up and start hauling freight, you’ll need to make sure you understand how to avoid accidents and obtain the proper license. Here’s everything you need to know about the process.
What Is a Commercial Driver’s License?
As is true of most other states, Missouri requires you to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate large commercial vehicles.
The thing is, simply asking, “What is a CDL?” involves an answer that’s a bit more complex than you might think, especially when you consider the necessary qualifications. There are different classes, each with its own set of requirements and restrictions, depending on what wheel you intend to get behind.
Class A CDL
You can consider Class A to be the “big leagues” for CDLs. If you have one of these, you’re qualified to operate any vehicle that has a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, so long as the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of either the truck itself or what you’re towing is more than 10,000 pounds.
Big rigs, tractor-trailers, and massive 18-wheelers all fall into Class A, so if you need to transport big, heavy loads across state lines, a Class A CDL is what you need.
Class B CDL
Having a Class B CDL in Missouri means you can operate a vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more.
That actually covers a wide range of vehicles, including:
- Straight trucks, like delivery trucks, dump trucks, and box trucks
- Buses
- Segmented buses
You can also drive a truck towing another vehicle as long as the two do not have a combined weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
Class C CDL
You’ll need a Class C license if you’re operating a vehicle or combination of vehicles that doesn’t meet the criteria for the previous two classes but can still hold 16 or more passengers (yourself included) or be used to transport hazardous materials.
As such, Class C primarily consists of:
- Smaller passenger vans
- HAZMAT vehicles
If you plan to drive a van for a tour company or transport flammables and explosives, a Class C CDL can get you on your way.
CDL Endorsements
Some jobs require more than a basic commercial driver’s license. Adding endorsements to your license expands your driving privileges.
Some of the most common endorsements in Missouri are as follows:
- H Endorsement: For transporting hazardous materials
- N Endorsement: For tank vehicles transporting liquids or gases
- P Endorsement: For transporting passengers
- S Endorsement: For school buses
- T Endorsement: For double/triple trailers
Getting approvals like these requires some additional testing and knowledge, but the result is gaining access to a much wider range of job opportunities.
Safety and Compliance on Missouri Roads
Understanding Missouri’s CDLs and endorsements (and working to obtain the proper ones) is a crucial part of making sure you’re on the right side of the law. Driving a commercial vehicle without the appropriate license can result in serious penalties, including fines, license suspension, and even jail time.
But more than that, driving what is still a dangerous vehicle on some of the state’s most hazardous roads without the proper qualifications and training puts you, and everyone else on the road, at serious risk of a catastrophic truck accident.
Licensing regulations are strict and might, at times, seem like a lot of red tape, but they’re there to keep everyone safe. Do your research, learn your requirements, and get the necessary training to ensure you’re prepared to hit the road.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers Today
For more information, contact the attorneys at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers we proudly serve all throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County, and we have offices in St. Louis, Chesterfield, Clayton, and Creve Coeur.
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – St. Louis Office
1010 Market Street, Suite 1605
St. Louis, Missouri
(636) 519-0085
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Chesterfield Office
400 Chesterfield Center Suite 400
Chesterfield, MO 63017
(636) 999-9587
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Creve Coeur Office
11628 Old Ballas Rd, Suite 320
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314) 557-2869
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Clayton Office
7733 Forsyth Blvd, Suite 1100
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 804-4569
