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The short answer is that yes, anyone can purchase a semi truck. But that’s a bit of a loophole for trucking company owners. The truth is many big rigs are too large or complex for anyone without a commercial drivers license to operate on public roads.

Semi trucks are the loudest, proudest rigs on most any road. So if you are dreaming of running a big rig as your daily driver, you’re not alone. They aren’t cheap to buy or to operate. But you can find them for sale on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

Jerry of the Big Time automotive channel has dreamed of owning a semi truck since he was a kid. When he set about buying a used big rig, he found the bottom end of the market was $30k to $40k. He ended up with a 1970s Kenworth for $10k, but it needed a ton of work.

Jerry also found that filling up the diesel tanks could run him $1,000. And with mpg in the single digits, that fuel won’t last long. Also, many components are more expensive than in a regular pickup truck. Jerry didn’t even discuss insurance or registration. The latter fee can be upwards of $1,000 in many states. But he did make a great video documenting his misadventures during his first few days of big rig ownership, which is embedded below:

Obviously Jerry is allowed to drive his truck on city streets in Los Angeles. Because he says Bud’s Six Pack is his first big rig, I’m assuming he doesn’t have a commercial driver’s license. My colleague Erik Sherman covered whether you can drive a semi truck as a personal vehicle and found that in any state you’ll need a CDL to drive a vehicle with a GVWR above 26,000 pounds. And that’s more than many semi truck tractors. But some states have stricter guidelines.

Obviously, Bud’s Six Pack ruled the roads back when semi trucks weighed considerably less. It’s also a single rear axle model, which makes it a lighter duty truck. This all contributed to it coming in below that all-important 26,000-pound GVWR.

That said, there are states where you couldn’t even drive Bud’s Six Pack without a CDL, because it has air brakes. Other states require a CDL for any vehicle with two rear axles. And in any location, you couldn’t drive even a small semi truck for a commercial operation without a CDL. So if you do buy and drive a semi truck, you’re sticking to grocery runs with it.

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.