Qualifying as a Commercial Truck Driver : No Longer an Easy Feat

In the past, tow truck drivers didn’t need formal training to be considered for a professional truck driving job, just as long as they know how to drive a truck. However federal laws introduced changes to ensure road safety and reduce road hazards, which made landing a professional job as a truck driver more complicated. Although there is no particular educational attainment required, most trucking, including tow trucking companies prefer to hire those who have at least completed high school education and have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

What is a Commercial Driver’s License

A Commercial Driver’s License or CDL is a special license that an individual driver must have before he is allowed to drive huge commercial type vehicles for business purposes, particularly trucks that weighs 26,001 pounds or more. Commercial-types include single vehicles like a truck, tanker trucks, tractors and tractor-trailers to which the trailer part weighs more than 10,000 pounds. Large vehicles that carry more than 15 passengers like school buses or coasters, or vans used used for transporting hazardous materials that need proper labeling, also have to be driven by a driver with a CDL.

A CDL is classified into three classes: A, B, and C with each class dependent on the kind of vehicle the license applicant can drive as determined by a licensing test. including. Furthermore, professional licenced drivers still need a CDL when they have to work as a diesel mechanic or even driving a passenger van for churches.

Still, the first step to applying for a CDL is to apply for a CDL Instruction Permit.

What is a CDL Instruction Permit?

CDL instruction (CDL-IPs) permits drivers looking to drive commercial trucks as part of his training to become a commercial vehicle driver with CDL as credential. Even with a CDL-IP, it’s important that when practice-driving a truck or any other large vehicle type, a fully licensed driver must ride along during training sessions.

Not a few drivers aspiring to obtain a CDL, took formal training lessons from trucking schools. Actually, state laws vary in the U.S. as some mandates getting training from truck driving schools outright as a prerequisite to taking a CDL. Some states even prescribe a duration of time before the holder of CDL instruction permit for a duration of time before they can take a CDL test, as it involves actual driving.

What is a CDL Skills Testing

Applicants for a CDL are required by the federal government to familiarize themselves with the particular vehicle they intend to drive before they take a CDL skills driving test. During the CDL skills test, an accredited tester will be observing the CDL applicant’s actual driving skills as a way to determine the driver’s fitness to operate and rive a specific commercial vehicle.

While completing and passing the CDL skills test will enable an applicant-driver to receive a CDL, it does not mean that the CDL holder will instantly qualify for a professional trucking job; not unless there is prior agreement between an employer and the truck driver.

Generally, California trucking firms including operators that maintain trucks for towing san jose vehicles for recovery, repossession or for impounding are not too keen on hiring rookie drivers as such firms want to stay on the side of caution. Nonetheless, don’t lose hope as there are companies who take risks by gradually letting rookie truck drivers take their trucks on the road, for as long as they have passed the CDL test skills.

After all, there are now towing technologies that allow firms to monitor and observe how truck drivers apply their skills while still under probationary employment period. Besides, seasoned truck drivers have learned skills that can only be acquired when actually performing work as a commercial vehicle truck driver.

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