Truck driving is no child’s play, hence, the reason why the US government makes it mandatory for every truck driver to possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) before plying the highways.
While a CDL is obtained after you go to a driving school, learn and then proceed to take the examinations which you must pass, you can also get your CDL without necessarily going to driving school. In this process, you will be bypassing the stage of going to driving school by preparing yourself for the tests and taking them in order to get your CDL.
Read on to learn more about how you can get your CDL and whether or not going to driving school first is the best idea for you.
How to Obtain Your CDL
You need a good driving record, you must at least 21 years old in most States, and you can join a driving school in order to learn more about truck driving and prepare yourself for the CDL exams. The exams test knowledge, evaluate road skills, vision, and road appropriateness.
- You need to have clean driving records: a history of Driving Under Influence (DUI), reckless driving and other road misconducts can jeopardize your chances of getting a CDL.
- A good driving school: The right driving school has ways of giving your career a boost or jumpstarting it the right way. You will spend ranging from $2,000-$5,000 to register at a driving school to get all the information you need to excel as a truck driver. Selecting a good program which will offer maximum knowledge on the workings of the profession is of the essence as this will thus prepare you adequately for the CDL examinations and the job itself.
- Enrolling in an online program as the alternative for a driving school, or garnering truck driving knowledge yourself by personal experience, military experience or practice.
Obtaining your CDL Without Going to School
Attending a driving school is not the only way to get a CDL, it is one of the ways or the most talked about. Indeed you can get your CDL without going to driving school if you have prior experience, you have military training with truck driving, or if you are being economical as regards your CDL acquisition process. You might be considering how to get your CDL without spending the extra funds and the long hours at a driving school to gain the same knowledge you can access yourself.
Truck driving has the thrill of being independent and in control. All you need do to get the license is to pass the tests which you can prepare for in other ways besides going to a driving school.
- You can pay for online lessons to get all the knowledge a driving/trucking school will give you.
- In preparation for the test, you will need to pay for practice time and space, to enable you acquaint yourself with truck driving and thus prepare for the exams.
- You will also need to secure a truck similar or exactly like what you wish to drive when you obtain your license.
More Facts about Driving School for Truckers
For those who have knowledge of truck driving by virtue of their military experience, a Military Skills Test Waiver is another way to obtain a CDL without going to driving school. It is an initiative approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. You only need to meet the eligibility requirements which state that:
- You must have been honorably discharged from the Military or are still in active service with at least two years of experience in driving heavy duty vehicles.
Notwithstanding, avoiding driving school may seem like a wise move when you consider how much you did not spend on driving school, but eventually, it is not always a suitable career move as most companies end up only employing drivers with training from a driving school.
If you intend to frequent the roads, get hired by companies offering good wages, and remain eligible for the job market, then you must have proof that you attended a driving school before you got your CDL. Passing the final test is just one aspect of the process; lives and property are going to be on the roads so most States take the driving school even more serious than the final certificate sometimes.
- You will be required to give up any other driver’s license you have in order to get CDL without a driving school certification
- You will in most cases, provide proof of residency and accompanying documents
- There will be a 14-day waiting period from the time you get your Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) to taking the CDL exams and then eventually succeeding to ace the multi-step CDL exams.
Conclusion
Your Commercial Drivers License is your ticket to getting a decent, well-paying, and fulfilling job. You do not have to go to school to prepare yourself for the requirements of getting a CDL; the internet has simplified learning so you can access all the necessary information, take your tests, emerge in flying colors and receive your CDL.
