Trucking: CDL, gross vehicle weight, legal proof

Question
If I am pulling household goods for hire and I am resident out of Texas. I am pulling intra & inter state do I need a CDL? My truck, trailer & goods combined total weight will never exceed more than 26K; but the combined total weight will be more than 10K. I have received two complete opposite answers from people considered to be professionals in this field. Can someone please give me the correct information with some legal proof to back up their answer? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Tim and thank you for the question.....

First of all, the CDL requirement is based on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and/or Combined GVWR of the truck & trailer......not the actual or scaled weight.  Actual scaled weight or loaded weight is different and is what your combined vehicles actually weigh on the scales.  

In summary, if the total combined GVWR of your truck & trailer is less than 26,000 lbs, under federal regulations you would not be required to have a CDL..... if you're NOT transporting passengers or materials requiring placarding, and your power unit has less than three axles.

Some states do require a CDL if the trailer GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs even if the CGVWR is less than 26,000 lbs.  The GVWR of the truck is usually found on a decal on the driver's side door jamb and the GVWR of the trailer is found on or near the VIN decal on the trailer.

Federal regulations concerning CDL classes and requirements may be found at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration-licensing/cdl/cdl.htm
....
Classes of License:

The Federal standard requires States to issue a CDL to drivers according to the following license classifications:

Class A -- Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds 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 or more pounds, 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 does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

Endorsements and Restrictions:

Drivers who operate special types of CMVs also need to pass additional tests to obtain any of the following endorsements on their CDL:


T - Double/Triple Trailers (Knowledge test only)

P - Passenger (Knowledge and Skills Tests)

N - Tank Vehicle (Knowledge Test only)

H - Hazardous Materials (Knowledge Test only)

X - Combination of Tank Vehicle and Hazardous Materials

 

The Texas requirement can be found in the Texas CDL Handbook and many other places.  The Texas CDL Handbook can be down loaded from website url http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/CDLhandbook.pdf

Texas requirements are:

When do I need a Texas CDL instead of my regular Texas Drivers License?

A Texas CDL is required if you operate any of the following CMV's . . .
1. A vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 lbs.
2. A vehicle towing a unit with a manufacturer's GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. when the GCWR exceeds 26,000 lbs.
3. A vehicle used to carry 16 or more passengers (including the driver).
4. A vehicle carrying hazardous materials in amounts requiring placarding.

Transporting of Household Goods (HHG) interstate requires a special FMCSA motor carrier authority.  FMCSA regulations Part 375: (Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations) contains regulations specific to interstate HHG transporting and can be found at:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguidedetail...

Thanks for your question and please feel free to ask other specific questions you may have.  Thanks again.

..Don
SEMO Motor Transport Service
stopillegaltrucking.com