Commercial Driver?s License For Flatbed Truck Driving Jobs

Posted by martin zuri on May 16th, 2017

Commercial transportation is one of the most vital aspects of a nation’s transportation system. Required to haul heavy amounts of goods over short and long distances, commercial drivers play a crucial role in fulfilling the needs of the citizens by delivering goods that are essential for survival.

Another factor that makes it so important is the fact that it is much more affordable and feasible as compared to air and sea transport systems. But before a driver can work as a commercial driver, he/she needs a commercial driver's license to operate large or heavy vehicles. A commercial driver’s license is divided into several classes depending upon the weight of the vehicle in use or the passenger capacity of a vehicle. Here’s a look at the Class A, B and C of commercial driver’s license in the U.S.

Class A: A class A driver’s license is required for driving heavy vehicles which have a gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more with an inclusive towed unit(s) and a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds.

Class B: It is required for heavy and tractor-trailer truck driving and bus driving. Technically, it is required for any single vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more.

Class C: It is required to drive any single vehicle which is different from class A and/or Class B but can transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous.

Out of the three categories, the maximum number of requirements are, generally, of class B truck driving jobs and the vacancies are often available given the high demand. The pay is promising too.

In the trucking industry, flatbed truck driving is considered to be the toughest of all. Due to the heavy weight of the goods transported through it, it requires a Class A driver’s license to drive a flatbed truck. Typically, flatbed drivers unload their own trucks and therefore, loading and unloading makes a substantial part of the job. Also, this makes flatbed truck driving a physically demanding job as compared to other trucking jobs.

According to a popular estimate, in the U.S, an 11% increase is expected in the tractor-trailer truck driver job openings till 2022. This includes flatbed truck driving jobs and therefore, there is good news for all the truck drivers in the states.

Author’s Bio: The author is an avid writer. This article is about different types of commercial driver’s license and truck driving jobs.