There are hundreds of truck driving schools in the United States, making it difficult to choose the school that’s right for you. Driving schools are a great option, but you can also learn to drive a truck from an individual who has truck driving experience or from a company who trains new drivers and offers them jobs. You can use any of these options to get your CDL and start driving, but you have to figure out which is the best choice for you.
Individual Training
If you know someone who is a truck driver it is best to learn from them. They probably won’t charge you very much for their time and individual instruction is a great way to learn. The downside is that the person you are learning from will probably not have any experience teaching and they will probably forget a few of the things that you need to know. Make sure that you study the drivers manual carefully and go over the non-driving parts of the job, such as trip planning and completing a logbook. Learning from a friend or family member is inexpensive, but it is better to leave truck driver training to the professionals.
Truck Driving Schools
Schools that teach people how to drive commercial vehicles have become popular over the past few years. These schools usually charge hefty tuition fees and are in business to make money. Some schools offer high-interest loans to prospective drivers so they can pay tuition. Sometimes drivers pay thousands to be trained at a school and are unable to find a job in the trucking industry after they have graduated. Trucking companies are required to conduct background checks and follow federal hiring regulations. Getting your CDL is a step on the road to working as a truck driver, but there is more to getting a job than graduating from an expensive school.
Paid Training Through Companies
Several large trucking companies are prepared to cover most of the tuition costs for a prospective driver to attend a driving school that they have approved in exchange for a commitment to work for them after graduation. Most of these driver training programs last about three weeks before you graduate and are allowed to finish learning on the job. Not every prospective driver qualifies for these programs, but they can be a win-win situation. You are committed to working for that company, but they are also guaranteeing you a job after you graduate from a training program. This is considered to be one of the best ways to get your start as a truck driver because the instructors at a truck driving school are likely to teach you more than an individual that you know, but you get a big break on tuition fees because the company you’re working for is subsidizing the cost of your training.
Preparing Yourself for Driver Training
After you have decided to begin a career as a driver, you should take a little time to prepare yourself before beginning a training course. Get a CDL manual for the state you will be getting your license in and study it throughly.
Department of Transportation Physical
Before you can even get a permit to begin training for your CDL license you are required to pass a DOT physical. Many schools that specialize in truck driver training administer a DOT physical as a routine part of beginning their training course. Drivers are required to have a certain level of physical fitness before they are allowed to get behind the wheel of a big rig.
Your vision in each eye must be correctable to 20/40. Contact lenses or glasses are allowed as long as you wear them at all times while you are driving. CDL drivers cannot be dependent on injectable insulin to regulate their blood sugar. Diabetic drivers can get a CDL if their condition is controlled by oral medication or diet. You are allowed to take medication to control your blood pressure, but it must not be over 160/90. Drivers may not be cleared by the DOT if you have a hernia, back injury, sleep apnea or recent major surgery. Your doctor should be able to tell you if you aren’t healthy enough to pass the physical.