Truckers and Travelers

A Commercial Driver’s License, also known as a “CDL”,  is required in all 50 States in order to operate any type of vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lb (11,793 kg) or over including (but not limited to) tow trucks, tractor trailers and buses, is designed to transport 16 or more people including the operator. All necessary training may be obtained by completing a qualified CDL training program through a truck driving school.

When the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 was signed into law it was done so to improve highway safety by ensuring that truck drivers and drivers of tractor trailers and buses are qualified to drive Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs), and to remove drivers that are unsafe and unqualified from the highways. The Act continued to give states the right to issue CDLs, but the national government established minimum requirements that must be met when issuing a CDL.