Class A Endorsements: What’s Required for CDL Class A?

A Commercial Driver’s License come in three different classes based on the different types of vehicles and gross vehicle weight rating of your commercial vehicle.

Truckers carry a CDL Class A license which permits operation for the following:

• Tractor Trailers
• Flatbeds
• Tanks
• Truck and trailer combinations
• Tractor-trailer buses
• Semi-truck with a flatbed trailer
• etc.

What Are The Class A CDL Endorsements?

Endorsements are special permissions for CDL holders so they can operate in specific vehicles and circumstances.

• T endorsement (Double and Triples)
• N endorsement (Tanker Vehicles)
• H endorsement (Hazardous Materials)
• X endorsement (Shorthand for holding both H and N endorsements)
• P endorsement (Passenger Vehicles)
• S endorsement (School Bus Transport)

You can acquire Double and Triples (T) and Tanker (N) endorsements through additional written tests when you are taking your Commercial Driver Permit tests.

The School Bus Transport (S) and Passenger Vehicles (P) endorsements require you to test in the vehicle class you are going to be operating.

The Hazardous Materials (H) endorsement, or “HazMat”, requires a separate class and test.

What Endorsements Are Required For CDL Class A?

There are no endorsements required for you to get your CDL Class A. However, the reason why people get a CDL is because they are looking for gainful employment and income.

This means that you are better off getting some endorsements on your CDL. The best time to acquire these endorsements are at the same time you take your Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) written tests.

During your CLP written tests, you are limited to the following endorsements:

• Tanker (N)
• Double and Triples (T)
• Passenger (P)
• School Bus (S)

Once you are a permit holder, your endorsements are limited until you get your full-fledged CDL license.

This means that you can only utilize the special permissions these endorsements grant you with the supervision of a CDL holder, test examiner, federal/state auditors and inspectors—other passengers are not allowed.

You also can’t operate a commercial vehicle that has a tank containing hazardous material. The tank must be purged of all hazardous material prior to use.

Since you want to maximize your opportunities, you also want to obtain a permit that allows for interstate operation. By selecting intrastate operations, you are restricting yourself to working within your state and limiting your opportunities.

This is essential to consider since most newcomer truckers start OTR, or “Over-the-Road”, meaning they are driving crossing state borders across the country for work. These are the easiest trucking jobs to acquire when you are new to the industry.