What It Means
Federal CDL rules are found in 49 CFR part 383. Their stated purpose is “to help reduce or prevent truck and bus accidents, fatalities, and injuries” by requiring drivers to have a single commercial license and by disqualifying drivers who operate commercial vehicles unsafely (49 CFR 383.1).
Key requirements include:
- Testing. No one may operate a commercial motor vehicle without passing knowledge and skills tests and holding a valid CDL from their state of domicile (49 CFR 383.23).
- Classes. Class A covers combinations of 26,001 pounds or more where the towed unit is over 10,000 pounds, such as tractor-trailers. Class B covers single vehicles of 26,001 pounds or more. Class C covers smaller vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or that carry hazardous materials (49 CFR 383.91).
- Endorsements. Extra tests are required for double/triple trailers, passenger vehicles, tank vehicles, hazardous materials, and school buses (49 CFR 383.93).
- Disqualification. Offenses such as driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash, or repeated serious traffic violations can cost a driver the right to drive a commercial vehicle (49 CFR 383.51).
Why It Matters in a Truck Accident Case
An employer may not use a driver it knows or should reasonably know lacks a valid CDL with the proper class or endorsements, or is disqualified (49 CFR 383.37). A driver’s licensing and violation history, and whether the company checked it, can support a claim against the company as well as the driver.
