We recently got the question if La Boit can build a five-bed, two-interview room bloodmobile that won’t require a CDL for the driver.

The answer is YES!

A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required for individuals who drive certain types of commercial vehicles. For single vehicles such as a bloodmobile, medical clinic, or veterinary clinic, the vehicle requires a CDL if it is over 26,001 lbs.

CDL requirements are set at the federal level through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and are administered separately through each state’s department of motor vehicles.

Some states offer lower-cost and easier scheduling of the training courses required to earn a CDL. In other states, the process may be more time-consuming and expensive. For specialty vehicle clients, finding a licensed CDL driver they can trust, or sending their existing staff through CDL training, can lead to additional delays and hassle in deploying their vehicles.

That’s why most La Boit’s drivable vehicles don’t require a CDL by design. All of our coaches are commercially-built from the chassis up, so we control all aspects of construction. We use sturdy, lightweight materials, such as aluminum box tube framing for the walls and ceiling. We never purchase existing RVs, buses, or box trucks to use in our build process, which can lead to bulky, unneeded weight.

We have built hundreds of vehicles, and 99% of the time, no CDL is required. We’ve built large bloodmobiles, coaches with multiple hearing booths, or coaches with mammography machines or multiple x-rays that did not put the vehicle over weight limits. During our consultative design process, we work with each client on “weight management,” to insure no surprises at the final vehicle weigh-in.

There are of course exceptions when the client requires a lot of unique, specialized equipment that will significantly increase the weight. But that is very rare.

There also can be exceptions when it comes to pull-behind trailers. Trailers may require a CDL if the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer in combination with the towing vehicle exceeds 26,001 lbs. This is particularly true for large trailers that require large vehicles to tow them. While most trailers won’t require a CDL, we cannot determine that upfront without knowing the exact tow vehicle, trailer size, and on-board equipment.

If you are looking for a bloodmobile, medical, veterinary, or command vehicle, we invite you to tour our facility and learn more about our unique build process. Contact us today!

About La Boit Specialty Vehicles

La Boit Specialty Vehicles president Gil Blais first started La Boit in his garage in 1981, where he hand-made organizational boxes for traveling veterinarians. Fast forward to today, La Boit Specialty Vehicles is now a leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing for the Veterinary, Spay/Neuter/Adoption, Dental, Medical, Command, and Bloodmobile industries.

La Boit Specialty Vehicles offers a variety of vehicles to suit your needs, from 18ft pull-behind trailers to 40ft drivable coaches, none of which require a CDL to drive. Best of all, our vehicles are commercially-built from the chassis up for your specific needs, and are never converted RVs.

Mission Statement

Helping professionals around the world confidently deliver a higher level of service to their local markets by providing the highest quality custom mobile units in the industry!

We welcome your feedback and questions. Please contact us anytime or leave a comment below.