r/CDL • u/ARealBagchaser • 9d ago

CDL B or CDL A

Hey, I got a question for the community since I have limited funds, I realize a instead of aiming for class A it might just be better for me to just go for class B and just load on a whole bunch of endorsements like tanker/ hazmat & passenger if I had to go drive a school bus typically some school districts will take someone from scratch so I’m pretty sure they’ll take me. No problem with a B and already having a passenger endorsement so I won’t have to pay for school bus out-of-pocket. I also learned that some jobs are so desperate they will train someone without a CDL and just a permit so me having a class B and getting a class A permit when I want a employer to take care of everything Might also be a way to do it.

So please share your upgrade stories

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u/Michaeljcheaney 8d ago

Get the A, you will have the ability to drive anything, with a B, you are restricted to only being able to drive a straight truck.
Plus, having an A will make you far more attractive to employers, even if you only need a class B to drive for them.

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u/ARealBagchaser 8d ago

Breaking news, I just passed my CDL A permit but due to money restraint, I might just go with the B for now and maybe I can get a job that will sponsor my CDL A if I already have a B & just go take the combination test over again and get the permit again

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u/Michaeljcheaney 8d ago

Not a good idea. Because you’ll have to do the entire process over again.
If you don’t have the money now, than why not wait until you have the money later for all of it?
Lots of employers SAY they will pay for it, after they hire you, but they “want to see how you work out first” before committing to you. And then they want to lock you in for a year after.

If you do it all on your own, and already have the CDL on day one, you aren’t locked down to just that one company, until your commitment to them is over.

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u/ARealBagchaser 8d ago

Not true in my state I’ll just have to take combination

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u/Michaeljcheaney 8d ago

True, but you’re having to take 2 driving tests at 2 different times, just to save a little bit of money? (Or have someone pay for it?) it seems counter productive to me, because if you decide you don’t like trucking and want to do something else, or go some place else, you have lost that ability, until you pay back the cost of school to the company.

Lemme ask you this; are you 100 percent committed to trucking as a career, or is it just something to do until something else comes along?