Does the owner of a garbage truck with air breaks need a cdl to drive it?

Whether the vehicle has air brakes, air-over-hydraulic brakes, or hydraulic brakes does not determine whether or not the vehicle requires a CDL.

Are your employees who operate the vehicle regularly required to have a CDL? If the answer is yes, then so are you.

If the vehicle has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 26,000 lbs. or less, a CDL is not required unless it's either a bus designed to transport more than 15 persons (including the driver) or else it's carrying quantities of hazardous materials which require the display of placards.

If the vehicle has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of more than 26,000 lbs., or it's a combination of vehicles (truck + trailer) with a Gross Combination Weight Rating of more than 26,000 lbs., and the weight rating of the vehicle in tow is 10,000 lbs. or less, then a Class B CDL is required.

If it is a combination vehicle (truck + trailer) with a Gross Combination Weight Rating of more than 26,000 lbs, and the vehicle in tow is rated at more than 10,000 lbs., a Class A CDL is required.