What Is A Cdl License And How Do I Get One?
its a Commercial Driver’s License
like the other one said you get one by going to a trucking school or getting it through a trucking company but you’ll have to stay with them for a certain period of time, if you don’t they send you the bill, some companies will also reimburse your school tuition if you went to a school but same rules you have stay there long enough to pay the tuition off and if you don’t they send you the bill
now i also didn’t have the facts straight at first, i thought Class A could haul more weight than Class B but thats not how it is, Class A is “combination” meaning the truck AND trailer, Class B is just the truck without a trailer, now this is when it gets interesting, an 18 wheeler truck bob-tailing (the truck without a trailer) all you actually need is a Class B for that because its no trailer, also if your driving a straight truck (like a dump truck) all you need is Class B which will also let you tow a trailer up to 10,000 lbs BUT if your driving a straight truck with a trailer that weighs 10,001 lbs or more you need a Class A, so really there is no actual weight limit on a Class B just what you drive in a way
so your best bet would be to get a Class A so you can drive almost anything
now th endorsements, its best to have as many as you can because its more type of jobs you can get in case trucking doesn’t work out, all of them you just take a simple written test to get EXCEPT HazMat and passenger, those 2 you have to do extra to get, some states also have a school bus endorsement to add to the passenger but mine doesn’t just the passenger, the passenger you have to drive a bus or anything that requires a CDL with the passenger endorsement on a driving test, i think its just backing up, basically maneuvering, the HazMat you have to get finger printed where they tell you and then take the test at the DMV, but when you get finger printed you pay $100 (how much it was here in NC), also for HazMat you have to be 21 years old while the other endorsements you only have to be 18, just like you only have to be 18 to get a CDL but you can’t drive a commercial truck that requires a CDL out of the state that your licensed in until your 21
i went to a trucking school and got a class A CDL, tried out trucking 3 separate times, 2 times with US Xpress back when i was 21 and the 3rd time was with Swift just a couple months ago (im 24 now), just didn’t like it, the driving i can do fine and the trucker life style i could do fine but its A LOT more to it than you think, i knew it was more than driving but its just too much you have to deal with and too much to have to pre plan, you just stay stressed and i didn’t think it was worth it to me, you can be on a laod and get sent a pre plan for your next laod, you have to figure out if you’ll even have enough time in the driving week to even do it, and when you leave on a new load you have to send in around what time you think you’ll get to the destination, at least thats all you do if your with a company that has Qualcomm in the trucks which pretty much all big companies do, good thing about a CDL if you don’t like trucking you can find a local CDL driving job like i did between my 2nd and 3rd time trucking out trucking, drove straight trucks, so you can still drive straight trucks with a Class A, then you always have a CDL in case you need it if you don’t have a CDL driving job, but only draw back is that a CDL will cost a lot more $ to renew than a regular license especially if you don’t use the CDL, i know i have to renew mine by May of next year in 2010 and it will cost $120 PLUS an additional little fee for each endorsement but it will lasy 8 years
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Trucking Jobs | cdlbjobs January 24, 2010
3 Comments to “What Is A Cdl License And How Do I Get One?”
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By ChevyPri, January 25, 2010 @ 3:34 am
Hi Jimbob. I went to a truck drivivg school on weekends to get a cdl license, but now I know that that is an expensive way to get a cdl which is what you need if you want to become a truck driver.
A good alternative to the truck driving school approach is to call around to trucking companies and ask them if they will help you get a cdl in exchange for your promise to drive for them for however many years your contract with them specifies that you drive for them in return for them helping you get started in that career. Also, whenever you go into a truck stop look around for pamphlets from trucking companies who advertise that sort of deal. Another idea is to look on the backs of 18 wheelers at truck stops or going down the road for signs saying to call the number on the sign and that they will train you and help you get a cdl if you want to drive for them. I used to see those signs on the backs of JB Hunt (like job-hunt) trucks and other trucks. Talk with truckers at truck-stops and tell them that you want to drive; sometimes they’re paid a bonus for recruiting good drivers into their companies.
By damon, January 25, 2010 @ 4:29 am
Commercial Driver’s License
You get one by either:
A) attending a truck driving school in your area or
B) work for a vending company (such as beer or soda) and get your CDL thru them.
Your CDL can have different weight classes. The “Class A” CDL is the heavy-weight. Get this license and you can pretty much haul a planet if you wanted to. “Class B” means you can’t drive a vehicle weighing more than such and such tons.
Your CDL can also have various endorsements. For example, if you want to haul explosives, flammable, or hazardous materials (hazmat) – you need the hazmat endorsement. If you want to put up with little runts runnin they mouff on the cheese wagon – you need a passenger endorsement. If you want to drive a semi-truck with two trailers attached (wiggle wagon) you need what’s called a “doubles” endorsement. If you want to drive tanker trucks, you need the “tanker” endorsement. Catch my drift? For each endorsement, you are required to take a 25 or so question test at the DMV. Good luck. Btw, trucking sucks and you can’t trust what anybody says. It’s a career overloaded with BS.
By ShawnK, January 25, 2010 @ 10:05 am
BY US Federal Law, and in all states:
A Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL-B) is required to drive a straight truck weighing more than 26,000 lbs, or to carry more than 14 passengers (School bus), or drive any vehicle with air brakes or carrying hazardous materials.
A Class A CDL is required to drive any combination of vehicles (Tractor/trailer) where the trailer is rated to carry more than 10,000 pounds. A Class A CDL includes all the restrictions found in a class B license.
The minimum age for a CDL is 18, but you will be restricted to INTRASTATE driving only. You must be at least 21 years old to drive a commercial vehicle outside your home state.