If you’re looking into getting your CDL, you may have no idea where to start. While it can be daunting to try to figure it all out on your own, maybe my experience can make your search a little easier.
There are three basic ways to get your CDL training:
- Do it completely on your own
- Through a local college
- Through a trucking school
Paying for it may be a completely different matter though.
Each method does have advantages and disadvantages and some may not be feasible for you. I will try to outline each method so you can make a more informed decision.
What is Involved in CDL Training
Before we can talk about all the ways you can get your CDL training, let’s talk a little about what CDL training involves.
So let’s look at the basic steps involved in getting training for your CDL.
- Physical and Medical Certificate
- Passing the written tests
- Commercial Learner’s Permit or CLP
- Learning the skills to pass the state tests
- Actually passing the state tests
- Obtaining your CDL
First is the physical, which you need in order to get your permit so that you can train. Any Department of Transportation (DOT) approved doctor can perform the physical and give you your medical certificate. The doctor can grant either a one year or two year certificate, depending on if they discover any potential health issues. The most common issue is blood pressure.
Once the medical certificate is in hand, now you can get to the DMV and take the tests to get your permit. These tests include:
- General Knowledge
- Air Brakes
- Combination
- Some states require a fourth test such as Special Requirements
The costs of taking the tests and getting your CLP vary state to state so you will need to check your local DMV for fees.
You must pass the General Knowledge written test before you can even try to take any of the other tests. The number of times you can fail each section is determined by state. Some states limit retakes to three times, other states don’t have a limit and it can be anywhere in between. If a test is failed enough times the state may even block an applicant from retaking it for a number of months, up to a year in some states.
Once you pass your written tests and you have your permit, then the hard part starts, but it is also the fun part as well. To pass the skills portion of the state test to get your CDL, you need to be able to perform, with adequate proficiency, the following skills:
- Pretrip Inspection
- Highway driving
- Yard maneuvers
You have to pass the pre trip inspection portion of the skills test before you can go onto the other parts of the test. The pre trip is relatively easy, just a lot of remembering. So if you have a good memory, this part would be extra easy. The inspector just wants to know what you are looking at and what you are looking for.
A good example would be the tires. You would want to check the following:
- Tread depth (4/32 for steer tires, 2/32 for all other tires)
- Tire pressure
- Rims (cracks or welds on the rims)
- Lugs (things like rust)
Once you get to the yard maneuvers portion of the test, you would need to perform the following skills for the examiner:
- Straight line back
- Sight sided (driver’s side) parallel park
- Blind sided (passenger side) parallel park
- Off set backing (moving over a dock) or
- Alley Dock (trying to dock around a 90 degree corner)
Once you are able to pass these tests, you can get your CDL and start your trucking career. So let’s look at the different ways to get your CDL training.
On Your Own
Training to get your CDL on your own means trying to get it without the assistance of a school and is definitely the hardest way to do it. If you have a family member who has a CDL and owns their own truck (this is important because most companies will not allow this in a company truck), then you may be able to ride along for a few months after you get your permit. Amount of time you can have a permit also varies state to state.
This may be the longest route to go as well since typically you would be riding along while they are trying to deliver loads too. You can drive as long as they are in the jump seat (passenger seat) but not while they are sleeping in the bunk. Once you feel proficient enough with your skills, then you would have to use their truck to take the state exams as well.
At a College
Depending on your situation, this may or may not be a viable option. It would require the following to be able to go to a college to get your CDL training:
- A local college that offers the classes
- Transportation to the college for up to a month
- A way to pay for it such as loans or a Welfare to Work program
The upside of getting your CDL at a college would be that you typically (but not always) would get more personal attention and help if you are having issues understanding something. It is not normally a “sink or swim” situation but a situation where your instructors would take the extra time to be sure you could learn.
The biggest issue with attending a local college would be how to pay for it. Though there are students loan options or different programs that could help, it could still take a toll on your bank account. The biggest advantage is that you would be able to work part or full time while attending training.
At a Trucking School
This is actually the most popular option for getting CDL training since usually you can get sponsored by a trucking company in exchange for a contract to work for them for a certain amount of time. Some trucking companies even run their own trucking schools.
This type of situation can have its own downsides as well:
- A potentially long bus ride to get there, up to three days travel time
- You may be rooming with a stranger in a hotel for a month
- Most are “sink or swim” schools, if you don’t get it, oh well
- Not all expenses may be paid, like your food for a month or the bus ride
- You can’t work while getting your unpaid schooling
For someone who is broke and this is their last shot to get out of the financial hole they are in, this might be a preferred option, depending on the company.
When Looking into a Company or Trucking School
There are a few questions to keep in mind when you are looking into companies that would sponsor or pay for your school in exchange for a contract:
- How long is the contract?
- What are you responsible for paying?
- What is the teacher to student ratio?
- Percentage for the company?
- Do they teach how to drive manual transmissions?
Paid Training?
As we discovered, most, but not all, companies do not offer paid CDL training. If you look hard enough, you may find one or two that do. This would mean getting a paycheck while you are trying to get your CDL, not just after as most places do. Though these companies may also require you to pay more of your own expense.
All companies will pay you once you are on the trainer truck getting to know the ropes of the trucking industry and getting a little experience with most aspects of driving truck.
The Contract
Almost all companies require a contract as well, but again, not all. Some companies offer contracts as short as six months to pay for your CDL training, though some require more than two years dedicated to their company.
If you don’t complete the contract you may be responsible for paying some or all of your schooling, but at least you would have your CDL to help you work to do that.
Finding out what you are responsible for paying for can help you be more prepared and may factor into making a decision into what company you may ultimately decide to contract with.
Expenses, Whose Responsible?
From finding your own way to the school to paying for your hotel room, some of those expenses can really start to add up, so this is something to keep in mind while you work your way through dozens of companies that may be willing to help you pay for your CDL training. Not many companies will pay for absolutely everything, but there are a few out there that are national carriers that will cover all of your expenses until you get on the trainer truck.
Teacher/Student Ratio
Teacher to student ratio can make a big difference on your chances of passing the classes if you have any type of learning disabilities or have issues with test taking. Some companies or schools will go as far as doing a one on one ratio to ensure you the best chance to pass. Other companies may have one instruction to a dozen students and this will reduce the amount of time you have to practice the skills you are trying to learn.
Load Percentages
Another thing to keep in mind when looking for companies is their percentages in regards to their loads. This would include things like drop and hook, which means dropping off a full trailer and hooking up to an empty one. This would reduce your sitting time at a receiver and enable you to get back on the road as quickly as possible, increasing your paycheck at the end of the week.
Along the lines of percentages, you may also want to look into their hands off or no touch percentages as well. This would have to do with your likelihood of loading or unloading a trailer. The best option, obviously, would be 100% no touch freight, which means that you would not have anything to do with the loads. As my brother used to say, “I don’t have a lumper endorsement on my license.” Meaning it wasn’t his job to touch the freight, just to transport it.
Manual Vs Automatic Transmission
Lastly one of the things you want to check on at a company sponsored school is if they teach manual transmissions. While this was not an issue 15 years ago when I got my CDL, with so many companies switching over to automatic transmissions, they are not concerned with their drivers knowing how to drive a manual. While they may not be concerned, you should be. If you don’t know how to drive a manual transmission it will put a restriction on your CDL and may make finding a good job later on harder.
Once you Find the Company You Want to Work For
This is where things can start to get interesting, and there are a number of steps that can get you sent home without your CDL in hand. So let’s look at what can get you sent home so you are able to attempt to avoid them:
- Failing the physical
- Failing your written tests
- Failing the skills tests
- Failing a drug test
- Damaging school property
- Not passing in time
Some of these you can prepare for, others are a matter of hard work. Let’s look at the ones that you can prepare for to ensure that you pass them
Failing the drug test can be a big one and can cost you more than your place at a single school. This is one that could end your truck driving career before it even starts. While the obvious answer would be just not do drugs, in a country where marijuana is legal recreationally in some states and medicinally in even more, this may not be an issue that is cut and dry.
Failing the physical is another issue that gets many students sent home, but is also an issue that is, for the most part, pretty preventable. The best way to ensure you pass on this one is to go see your family physician before you head to the school. Most times it is high blood pressure that gets students sent home. So ensure that your blood pressure is in the normal range to keep from getting sent home on this issue.
Failing your written tests is another big one that will cut a class in half. By spending a little extra time studying before you even go to the school, you can ensure that you will pass with flying colors the first time you take those tests. There are even study aides in the Google Play store that you can use to prepare plus tons of sites online that offer practice tests as well.
There is not much that you can do to ensure you pass your skills tests, other than choosing a school that is willing to work with you to make sure you pass.
Damaging school property may seem like a duh, but I have seen and heard of too many students getting sent home for just that reason. Do your best to ensure you are a safe driver both on the road and in the yard.
If you have any concerns that you may come close to hitting something, then follow the biggest trucking rule there is. G.O.A.L. Get Out And Look. Ask an instructor or another student to help guide, if this is permitted. Try to always make sure you are aware of what is around you at all times.
Finally, let’s talk about not passing in time. This is where the sink or swim comes into play when it comes to schools. This refers to if a trucking school will take the time to make sure you know exactly what you are doing and are willing to make sure you have the knowledge you need to pass the tests or are only willing to help those who can learn in their fast paced environment.
After Graduation
This is where the real work and the fun begins. You get a chance to be a real trucker and start earning a paycheck. You will need to learn about shippers and receivers and how to map directions from one to the other. Don’t worry, no company will take a brand new CDL holder and put them, by themselves, in a company truck and say “Good luck.”
You will spend the next month or two in a confined space with a complete stranger, though it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Most trainers remember what it was like to finally get the chance to drive an either to ten hour shift, to deal with customers for the first time and starting life on the road.
You probably won’t get much hometime, if any, during your time on the trainer truck, but after you complete this last step in your CDL training, you will be fully prepared for your new career as a professional truck driver.
