Federal law requires truck drivers possess a special license to drive a commercial truck. See what the various designations mean.

Glance at a truck driver’s license, and you may be confused by the shorthand designations showing the driver’s qualifications.

How’s a truck-illiterate person supposed to know whether the driver who has caused their Maryland truck accident injury has the right endorsements?

First of all, you should know that federal standards require three separate classes of commercial driver’s licenses, or CDL:

Class A – The driver can transport a combination of vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds, as long as the second vehicle being towed weighs at least 10,000 pounds.

Class B – The driver can drive a vehicle that weighs at least 26,000 pounds and can tow a second vehicle that weighs less than 10,000 pounds.

Class C – In this case, the driver’s vehicle does not necessarily fall under categories A or B, but the driver is legally allowed to transport passengers and/or hazardous or toxic materials.

In addition, there are several types of endorsements that qualify a commercial driver to transport specific types of cargo, such as:

T – A double or triple trailer

P – Passengers

S – School bus

N – Tank vehicle

H – Hazardous materials

X – Tank vehicle with hazardous materials

These endorsements typically appear at the end of the Class designation. If you are still unsure whether the truck driver who caused your accident was driving with the correct license endorsements, consider consulting with a skilled Frederick truck accident attorney today.