What year did states require a CDL license?

Good topic, Steve. Here is a link.
It started in 1986.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerc...er%27s_license

If you were already employed as a commercial driver then the Feds mandated that you had to have what they called the CDL by midnight on December 31st, 1991. Prior to that you could drive commercially with what was known as a chauffeurs license.

Because I was employed as a commercial driver at the time I was "grandfathered" in and only had to take the written tests for the CDL, my employed signed the waiver for the driving test.

right SCOE-When I first started driving my state issued a C2 License which was needed to drive truck.

That's interesting. The reason I ask is because there are a lot of people who drive big construction vehicles where I park and many do not have a CDL. They say they are grandfathered in but don't have the endorsement on there license.

being "Grandfathered" in doesn't mean you don't have to have your CDL. All it means is that you didn't have to go through road tests and other things that a New driver has to do.
You still have to have your CDL with endorsements you want.

The reason the Feds went to to the CDL was there were way too many drivers maxing out their state license with points and then going to another state to get another license.

Right, Yoopr. The family that I used to work for every summer on harvest, got their CDL grandfathered.

I was grandfathered too-Thank God.
Back in the Day I knew guys that had about 5 State Licenses
People pissed and moaned about it but all in all it was a good thing.

Wasn't the main thing not having to study up for the stupid pre-trip test? I mean look, I pre-trip. I found an extremely serious problem today, and got it fixed, and didn't cause a catastrophe, but if you ask me to take the CDL pre-trip test after 10 years behind the wheel, I'll probably fail the thing on some stupid technicality that only applies to obsolete trucks from the '80s.

I remember on the test I did take, I lost points for not pointing to the "spacers" on a set of Budd wheels. The CDL examiner also gave me a lecture on why light, steady pressure was always the correct answer, because truck brake drums have cooling fins. Cooling fins? Uh, whatever dude, just gimmie the plastic and let me get to work please.

Maybe you misunderstood me. By road tests I meant that when you were grandfathered you didn't have to take the Road tests and everything else involved with it.