§383.91 establishes the three CDL classes by vehicle group: Class A for combination vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001+ lb and a towed unit over 10,000 lb; Class B for single vehicles 26,001+ lb (or any such combination where the towed unit does not exceed 10,000 lb); Class C for vehicles below the A/B thresholds that carry 16+ passengers (including the driver) or transport placardable quantities of hazardous materials. The carrier may not knowingly allow a driver to operate a vehicle outside the driver's class.
Severity weight
Severity weight 3 in the Driver Fitness BASIC. Wrong-class operation is also a §383.37 prohibition for the carrier — letting a Class B driver operate a Class A combination is a §390.5 carrier-side citation with separate exposure.
Common findings
- Class B holder pulling a trailer that crosses the 10,000 lb mark, requiring Class A.
- Class A or B without the §383.93 passenger endorsement on a CMV designed for 16+ passengers.
- Non-CDL driver assigned to a CMV that requires a CDL after a fleet change — §391.11 disqualifies on its face.
How to prevent it
- Match the driver's CDL class to the actual vehicle in dispatch — not just the typical vehicle.
- When the fleet adds a heavier vehicle, re-check every driver's class before assignment.
- Track endorsements separately (see §383.93); a CDL class is necessary but not always sufficient.
How Roadworthy HQ helps
The driver profile stores CDL class, endorsements, and expiration, with reminders 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before the CDL expires and an alert once it has. The CDL copy is one of the required items on the driver's DQF tab. Class and endorsements are fields you read, not rules the app applies: it does not compare them with the vehicle or the load. Roadworthy HQ has no dispatch system, so nothing in it can stop a driver or a vehicle from being assigned a load.