A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required to operate large, heavy, or hazardous materials vehicles, including tractor-trailers, buses, delivery trucks, and tankers, while a non-commercial license is used for personal vehicles, motorcycles, and small trucks. There are three classes of CDL licenses.
A Class A CDL is for vehicles weighing more than 26,001 pounds, like flatbeds, tractor-trailers, and livestock carriers. A Class B CDL is also for vehicles weighing more than 26,001 pounds, but is primarily for school buses, trailers, and dump trucks. A Class C CDL is for any vehicle that does not fit in either a Class A or Class B license category but carries more than 16 passengers or is designated as hazmat.
There are approximately 1,198,085 CDL Class A drivers who are currently employed; 93.2 percent of these drivers are males and 6.8 percent are females. There are more than 661,446 Class B CDL drivers, with 90 percent male and 10 percent female. Class B CDL drivers are the highest-paid drivers in the construction industry. CDL license holders are held to higher standards, including 0.04 percent BAC rather than 0.08 percent BAC where DUI charges are concerned.