If you are an outdoor person, who likes sitting behind the steering wheels then you can choose driving as a career. It is a great way to earn income and enjoy the countryside. If you are a lonely type of person, then a driving career offers abundant alone time. It even enables you to meet with myriads of new people everywhere you travel.
Any kind of driving besides driving farm vehicles on the farm or racing cars on tracks will need Commercial Learner Permit [CLP] to start practicing until you acquire a full commercial driver’s license [CDL]. Visit this site for your CDL test practice. First, determine the kind of commercial vehicle you desire to drive because the driving license requirements differ.
Types of CDL classes
Class-A CDL
This type of license allows you to operate multiple vehicles with GVW [Gross Vehicle Weight] of more than 26,001 pounds provided the towing vehicle is heavy than 10,000 pounds. GVM defines the maximum recommended weight after it is loaded.
With Class-A CDL you can drive the following:
- Tractor-trailer
- Tank vehicles
- Truck & trailer combinations
- Flatbeds
- Livestock carriers
Proper endorsement allows the CDL Class-A license-holder to drive some Class-B & C vehicles.
Class-B CDL
With this kind of license, the driver can operate a single vehicle with 26,001+ pounds of GVM or haul a vehicle not more than 10,000 pounds.
With Class-B CDL you can drive the following:
- Large passenger buses
- Straight trucks
- Segmented buses
- Tractor + trailers
- Dump trucks towing small trailers
- Box trucks
Proper endorsement allows the CDL Class-B license-holder to drive certain Class-C vehicles.
Class-C CDL
With this type of license, the driver can drive a vehicle designed for transporting 16+ passengers [including the driver] or HazMat [Hazardous Materials] transportation.
With Class-B CDL you can drive the following:
- Passenger vans
- Small HazMat vehicles
- Combination vehicles that Class-A & B don’t cover
If you desire to start a career on the road rather than in an office behind the desk or some industry operating machines then you will need a Commercial Driving License. The career opportunities you can enjoy with a CDL driving license are –
- Courier
- Driving instructor
- Taxi/uber driver
- Chauffeur
- Limousine driver
- Truck driver
- Forklift truck driver
- Armored vehicle driver
- Bus driver
- Dump truck driver
- Hazmat or tanker hauls
- Over the road [OTR] trucking
- Over hauls
- Oversized truck loads
- Ice road trucking
The list is endless. Every kind of CDL trucking career is different, so its requirements and may also differ. Determine the kind of haul you desire to take and apply for the kind of license. Receiving CDL needs you to be a minimum of 21 years because trucking companies hire drivers over this age limit, so they can cross state lines.
For practice first gain access to a CLP and then to acquire a full-CDL you will need to attend truck driving school. The course or programs can last for 3 to 6 weeks. The knowledge-test is online and the skill-test is based on basic controls, vehicle inspection, and practical road tests. You will also need to check the CDL requirement in your state. Now, you are well-equipped with basic CDL requirements and pursue your driving career.
