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The commercial classes of license are federally mandated and for the most part uniform. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) describe three vehicle groups for commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) purposes.
This regulation applies to all people who operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce.
CDL classes are determined by the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR), or the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross combination weight (GCW). The CDL classes are as follows:
CDL class | Description |
---|---|
Class A | Any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds. |
Class B | Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR. |
Class C | Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that meets neither the definition of Class A nor that of Class B, but that either:
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