Are you wondering what the difference between Class A and Class B CDL Licenses are?
Commercial driving is a great job to have in the transportation industry. Whether you drive an eighteen-wheeler, a flatbed, a large vehicle that carries hazardous materials, a school bus, or a public bus, you can count on your salary to be steady and reliable. In fact truck drivers are highly sought across the United States and Canada and it’s been stated that there is a shortage of drivers and a very high demand as most older drivers are retiring and the industry is expected to double as cited in this Bloomberg article. Most jobs in commercial driving are through significantly large companies or city-ran businesses, so it is unlikely that you will ever be out of a job.
If commercial driving sounds interesting to you, there are a couple of steps you must take first. The most important action you should take is to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License, otherwise known as a CDL. However, there is more than one type of CDL; you can choose to earn either a Class A, Class B, or Class C Commercial Driver’s License. So, how do you know which one you need?
The difference in the three classes of commercial driver’s licenses is important. Class A and Class B licenses will seem similar (even though they are not the same), but Class C licenses are much different. After reading through this full comparison of Class A and Class B CDL, you should know the difference between Classes A and B, and also which type of CDL you need for the kind of job you want.
How Classes of CDLs are Defined
When determining the type of CDL that will work best for you and the job you are seeking, look at the type of vehicle you want to drive. CDL classification is according to size, weight, and function of a large commercial vehicle. Classes A and B, the classifications we are comparing, are the most common CDLs for new truck drivers.
Technical Definitions of CDL Classifications
Here are the legal definitions/requirements of Class A and Class B Commercial Driver’s Licenses. These may sound confusing and very similar, but we will break it down for you as you keep reading.
Click here to see the source of these definitions; they are the exact descriptions given by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
Class A
Class B
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Difference Between Class A and Class B CDL Licenses
The type of Commercial Driver’s license you train for and receive will determine the kind of Commercial Motor Vehicles you are allowed to drive. With Classes A and B, think of large trucks that transport items across state or country.
To get a general sense of the differences in the two classifications, read the following: The primary types of commercial vehicles you can drive with a Class A CDL are tractor-trailers, truck and trailer combinations, tanker vehicles, livestock carriers, flatbeds, and tractor-trailer buses.
For a Class B CDL, you can drive straight trucks, large passenger buses, garbage trucks, box trucks, dump trucks with small trailers, cement mixers, food trucks, and segmented buses.
Now, let’s go into more detail, and by the way if you wanted our full comparison you can visit the article we wrote on the difference between Classes A, B and C here…
Class A
When you have a Class A Commercial Driver’s License, you can generally drive most commercial-sized vehicles; so, semi-trucks and tractor-trailers, but also anything smaller, including the vehicles listed under a Class B CDL.
Class A is the most common CDL that people choose to receive. It also has one of the most expensive training courses compared to the other classes, since it encompasses both the Class A and Class B commercial vehicles.
Typically, if you know you will be mainly driving a semi-truck, then you should stick with a class A CDL; if you plan on driving multiple types of commercial vehicles, also choose a Class A license.
In the definitions above, for class A, it is saying that you would be certified to drive a commercial vehicle that has 26,001 lbs or more for the weight rating of the axles (overall weight limit), plus you can use the vehicle to tow anything, including a trailer with a payload of over 10,000 lbs.
Class B
You may have noticed that the definitions for each class look similar; however, for Class B, you can only carry a payload of 10,001 lbs or lighter. So, with a Class B CDL, you cannot drive a large semi-truck, but you can drive other slightly smaller commercial vehicles, such as straight trucks and passenger buses.
If you plan on driving a food truck or a straight truck, especially, then you want a Class B Commercial Driver’s License. There is a lot less training involved with earning a Class B commercial license compared to a Class A.
Class B CDLs are better suited if you are going to drive locally or within the state; Class A CDLs are for much longer distances and cross-country shipping. It all depends on what type of truck you want to drive.
Other Commercial Vehicle Types
For hazmat vehicles, shuttle buses, or small combination vehicles, you need a Class C Commercial Driver’s License. Class C licenses are the least common. Usually, if you see any large shipping or passenger vehicles, then you know the driver has a Class A or a Class B CDL.
If you are still unsure which classification of Commercial Driver’s License will be best, then your safest option is a Class A CDL; especially if you do not know what size or type of truck you will be driving. If you are going to drive multiple kinds of commercial vehicles, also choose with a Class A. It is better to overcompensate than waste your money on training for a Class B, and it is not enough.
If you need a training program to join for your Commercial Driver’s License, click here to view Americas Driving Force, a certified training facility that prepares you for the CDL tests and helps you with a job after.