CDL confusion
I would like to start off with I’m one of the ones who find the CDL rules confusing. Here in NY it is not cut and dry in my mind. Every year for the past 5 years I have gotten a copy of the CDL drivers manual and every year things change. Changes I can handle if it is clear, the book isn’t clearly written and contradicts itself in several parts. Maybe it’s just me, but some parts of it seem grey. Below are a few of the items that have changed in the past 5 years. Below that is the current NYDMV web guide, the book has more detailed info.
1) Air brakes in NY is now a restriction, not and endorsement. In one of the books it states any vehicle with air brakes unless the vehicle is exempt. Under 26001 lbs is not listed under exempt situations, class d license has no restrictions, and is good up to 26000 lbs. I have a friend with a dump truck with a gross of 25900, with air brakes. I asked 3 different enforcement officers if I needed a CDL to drive it I got 3 different answers, yes, no, maybe.
2) It use to be 10000lbs for a trailer here, now its only if the GCWR is greater than 26001lbs, below is from the NYDMV. So you can now in NY legally pull a trailer with a 1 ton truck up to about 18000 lbs.
3)You also use to (I don’t know if this still applies) needed a CDL if the vehicle was used for commercial proposes in some situations. I have a friend that uses a truck to deliver campers and he had to have a CDL and keep a log book for his 1 ton pick up. None of his trailers were over 10000 lbs that he delivered. Again a grey area in NY not really explained.
4) They also had non CDL class C. This was for vehicles between 18000 and 26000 lbs. (this may be why my friend needed a CDL) This one they dropped 3-4 years ago.
NYDMV site below:
You need a CDL to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), which is defined as:
A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
A trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds if the gross combination weight rating is 26,001 pounds or more
A vehicle designed to transport 16 or more occupants, including the driver, or a vehicle defined as a bus
Any vehicle that requires hazardous materials placards
You can obtain a Class A, Class B, or Class C commercial license, depending on the type of vehicle you will be driving. If you drive a CMV without a commercial license, you could go to jail or incur a court fine of $5,000.
When am I exempt from needing a CDL?
Not all large vehicles require a commercial license. Generally, RVs driven for personal or family recreation, military vehicles driven by the military, farm vehicles driven on farms by farmers, and emergency vehicles driven by emergency personnel are exempt (see section 1 of the New York State Commercial Driver's Manual for specifics).