Function

A CDL Class C license is required for CMVs that carry 16 or more passengers including the driver or a vehicle designated to transport hazardous materials.

History

The CDL program was created by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 in order to regulate Interstate commercial vehicles. The Act was written to set national safety standards for drivers of CMVs that individual states must meet in their motor vehicle licensing programs.

Significance

Prior to the creation of the CDL program, any driver that was licensed to drive a car was also legally licensed to operate much larger vehicles like buses and tractor trailers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the program was designed to improve highway safety by ensuring that commercial drivers are qualified in the proper operation of their vehicles.

Considerations

To obtain a Class C CDL, a person must pass a written and skills tests that demonstrate knowledge in laws, driving safely, transporting cargo safely, hazardous materials, pre-trip inspection test and on-road drive test.

Warning

The legal blood alcohol concentration for operating any CDL class vehicle is 0.04 percent as opposed to 0.08 percent for non-commercial motor vehicles.

Source:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Driving Rules.net