CDL Class A vs B vs C Explained: What You Can Drive, Earn and How to Get Each

Picking the wrong CDL class is one of the most expensive mistakes a new driver can make. Test in the wrong vehicle and you either cap your earning potential or end up paying for a second round of training and testing to upgrade. Most of the confusion comes down to two numbers in the CDL Manual: 26,001 lb and 10,000 lb.

Here is how each class works, what it lets you drive, what drivers actually earn, and the exact path to getting one.

The three CDL classes at a glance

Remember: The weight test in Section 1 of the CDL Manual uses Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR), not what the truck happens to weigh today. An empty 33,000 lb GVWR straight truck still needs a Class B.

Class A: the widest range of opportunities

Class A is the “drive almost anything” license. Under 49 CFR 383.91, it covers any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 lb or more, as long as the towed vehicle is over 10,000 lb. That is your standard tractor-trailer, and with the right endorsements it also opens up tankers, doubles and triples, and hazmat loads.

Most Class A drivers land in the $65,000–$90,000 range. Specialized freight such as heavy haul, oversize or hazmat tanker work can go well over six figures, which is why Class A gives you the highest ceiling of any license.

How to get a Class A CDL

1. Earn your CLP (Commercial Learner’s Permit) by passing three written tests: General Knowledge, Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles.
2. Complete ELDT (Entry-Level Driver Training) with an FMCSA-registered provider. This is federal law under 49 CFR Part 380 for anyone seeking a first Class A.
3. Pass the skills test in a Class A vehicle: pre-trip inspection, basic control (backing), and the on-road drive.

The written tests are where most people stall. General Knowledge alone is usually 50 questions, and the Combination Vehicles test drills coupling, off-tracking and the trailer air supply system. Our guide to combination vehicles for the CDL exam walks through every topic that test pulls from.

Tip: Study Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles together. The combination test assumes you already understand the air system, and questions about the trailer hand valve, glad hands and tractor protection valve overlap both sections.

The restriction trap most new drivers never hear about

Your Class A is only as good as the vehicle you tested in. The examiner records restriction codes based on the equipment you use:

The O restriction is the one that bites. Test with a pintle hitch and you technically hold a Class A, but you cannot legally pull a semi until you retest in a fifth-wheel combination. If a school offers a cheaper Class A program, ask which truck you will test in before you sign anything.

Class B: the local and construction workhorse

Class B covers any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 lb or more, or that same vehicle towing a unit of 10,000 lb or less. Think straight trucks, dump trucks, cement mixers, garbage trucks, and transit or airport buses.

Pay typically runs $40,000–$60,000, with city, municipal and union jobs often paying more and offering the kind of benefits and home-every-night schedule that many OTR drivers give up. If you are weighing the two, our comparison of Class A vs Class B and which one to get breaks down the trade-offs in detail.

How to get a Class B CDL

1. Earn your CLP by passing the General Knowledge test, plus the Air Brakes test if your vehicle has them (most Class B trucks do).
2. Complete ELDT with a registered provider. Class B requires it just like Class A.
3. Pass the skills test in a Class B vehicle.

Did you know? The Class B skills test still includes the full pre-trip inspection and a backing exercise. The blind-side parallel park in a straight truck is the maneuver that fails the most Class B candidates, and there is a formula for it in our Class B parallel parking guide.

Class C: passengers and placarded hazmat

Class C is the license for vehicles that fall below the Class A and B weight lines but still count as commercial motor vehicles because of what they carry:

• 16 or more passengers, including the driver (requires the P endorsement, plus S for school buses)
• Hazardous materials in placarded quantities (requires the H endorsement and a TSA background check)

Examples include hotel and airport shuttles, small church buses, and hazmat delivery vans under 26,000 lb. Pay lands around $35,000–$50,000 depending on the employer.

Class C candidates still need a CLP and the General Knowledge test, plus the written test for their endorsement. Passenger and school bus applicants, and anyone adding hazmat, also fall under the ELDT rule, so plan on registered training before you test.

What you can drive without a CDL

You do not need a CDL to start earning behind the wheel. Plenty of companies hire on a clean driving record and train on the job:

• Amazon and FedEx delivery service partner vans
• Local courier and medical supply delivery
• Box trucks with a GVWR under 26,001 lb
• Utility and service vehicles
• Food service vans

These are solid stepping stones if you are saving for CDL school or simply want predictable local work. One caution: some states require a commercial or chauffeur endorsement on a regular license even for non-CDL commercial vehicles. Check your state DMV before you assume you are covered.

Which class should you get?

If you are still unsure, start with the bigger license. A Class A holder can legally drive Class B and Class C vehicles with the right endorsements, but it never works the other way around. For a deeper look at the weight rules and edge cases, see our CDL classes A, B and C guide.

Pass the written tests first

Whatever class you choose, the road starts at the same place: the General Knowledge test, followed by Air Brakes and (for Class A) Combination Vehicles. Every question on those tests traces back to a numbered section of your state’s CDL Manual, and the fastest way through is realistic practice with explanations that point you back to the manual.

The CDL Test app covers the General Knowledge test and every endorsement, so it works for Class A, B and C candidates alike. It is part of our suite of 1200+ questions across 3 focused apps, alongside the Air Brakes and HazMat apps for when you add those endorsements.

Start with a free quiz right now: pick a topic →