CDL, is it a pain to get?

[Glockster]

I don’t think this one has any chance of getting Covid or political related but who knows.
Does anyone currently have their CDL? I have no dreams about being an over the road trucker but was thinking about starting the process to get mine, really just to have it incase of a career change someday. Is it worth getting now if I have no plans of driving a commercial vehicle? Is it as much of a pain in the ass as people say?

 

[Mallardsx2]

Judging from the amount of incompetent morons behind the wheel that I encounter on a daily basis, I would say that if you have one single cell of brain in your skull you should have no issue getting a CDL.

 

[nontyp]

it’s pretty easy actually. I had never even been inside a semi before. I did 3 hours of training and did the drive test no problem. Not sure that it’s worth getting if you don’t have any plans to use it. I don’t use mine much, but it’s nice to have.

 

[DouglasR]

@Jasher
Thoughts?
Opinions?

 

[2rocky]

I think it is a good fall back certification if you are in an industry that depends on freight. Farming and Ranching being able to take a load of cows or grain to town comes in handy.

I work in a company with a fleet of trucks and while I don't have one, one of the other sales guys does and it helps when we need to service a truck and he can drive it to or from the mechanic.

 

[Dsnow9]

I have a class B (straight truck) and I didn’t take any classes or anything and passed the test. Most of the testing schools will allow you to do quick classes and things like that just to get comfortable behind the truck. I use it for my job daily but if you don’t have any plans of using it I would hold off. Technically you are held to lower bac content and more stringent ticketing rules. I believe it only applies when driving a cdl truck but If you don’t need it I would wait.

 

[NoWiser]

I've had my Class A for about 10 or 15 years. I've never driven as a job, but it's handy to have a few times a year if I need to run somewhere with the skid-loader at work. It really wasn't too difficult to get and I don't plan on ever letting it lapse. The only negatives are that it's a bit more complicated and expensive to renew your license, and I need to do a DOT physical every two years. Not a big deal. If I were in your shoes I'd probably just hold off until you need one.

 

[Addicting]

I have mine and drive weekly. I will say you don’t even have to know English to pass the test.

Just understand the basics of air brakes and be comfortable backing up and taking wide corners with a big trailer. When you get comfortable with that go take your test.

 

[Gellar]

I have a class B CDL with airbrakes and a passenger endorsement. I had to get it at a park I worked at in college to drive a bus for a canoe shuttle service. I do not use it anymore, but like stated its good to have. When my license expired and I had to get it renewed I opted to go with the intrastate CDL. That means I still have my CDL but am limited to driving in state. Because I switched mine to Intrastate I am exempt from having a DOT physical every few years. If I need to change my license to interstate I just have to present the drivers license facility with the completed DOT physical and pay the appropriate fees.

The written and the driving portion of the test were easy. The walkaround portion of the rig was easy if you studied and have a little bit of mechanical knowledge.

 

[Scarey]

I have one and have not driven commercially in 9 years. It's about as easy as getting you drivers license, just a little bit more info to remember. I still keep my DOT physical up to date as well. Never hurts to have.

 

[Huntkook]

As long as you can do this you'll have no problems.

 

[Durango Mike]

I have had a class A, with various endorsements, I drive a Freightliner to haul my big horse trailer, it is a big rig at 55,000. CO requires you to pass written, mechanical and driving test (if you fail one you have to start all over again), depending on your mechanical talent you have to be prepared to explain how to check everything mechanical on your rig for safety defects. Parallel parking and backing into a simulated 90 degree alley without hitting cones or making a limited number of corrections (over 10 misses and you fail, for example every pull forward correction is a -1 after 2, hitting a cone all count against you in the parking lot phase). The driving test was the easiest part as I have been hauling trailers for 30 years. When I have been traveling there seem to be ads for drivers at every truck stop so there is plenty of help wanted. I got a lower insurance rate by having a CDL, be aware that you need to be extra careful about having a beer as the DUI/DWI limits can be lower for a CDL holder (no matter what you are driving) and the penalties can be higher with a quick loss of driving privileges. Aside from going to a school it is hard to get a rig with air brakes to take to a test for most people.

 

[jdf]

I have Class A with airbrake for hauling equipment. Driving test easy part.
Know all your pressure rates for Pre trip testing.

 

[F250]

Always great employment insurance to have any type of special certifications in your pocket.

 

[hank4elk]

I just gave mine up and know most folks can't pass a background check nor are able to renew it easily.....but they seem to find a job.

 

[Old man bob]

I just retired from Driving 5 months ago.. To many Hours to make a fair Buck. 90% of the driver s now days are rookies or Women who don't know what the hell they are doing and have no driver ediquite. If You like to be lonely and away from Home have at it. Its not the great job it used to be ,,and a lot of Foreign Drivers too that don't know squat. GOOD LUCK.....................BOB!

 

[mdhunter]

I got a Class B CDL in college so I could deliver beer during the summers at the beach. That may of been the most fun job I ever had however at age 50 now, probably not so much.

Anyhow, I am in the petroleum business and can tell you with a CDL with a hazmat endorsement you can make good money. I have transport drivers that make up to $85k with OT.

 

[Jasher]

@Jasher
Thoughts?
Opinions?

I have been driving for 10 years. There's always a job available. There's lots of bad companies that just want a steering wheel holder. Keep you out forever to pick up loads that take longer for them to load on the trailer than for you to get it to where it needs to go. 99 percent of what a company tells you before you hire on is a lie. "Make this much a week and be home this much" fact is you don't ever see that much money a week and you don't get home that much. Most places consider a weekend get home Friday night and leave Sunday morning.
Getting a license isn't very difficult. As for the person who said it took them 3 hours is full of it though. 3 weeks is more like it. If you go to a school they teach you how to pass the test not how to drive a truck. That's why there's so many people driving trucks that shouldn't be.

When you first get started you will spend time with some crappy companies at the bottom. Keep your driving record straight and after a while you will find a really good company. The company I work for now pays 13 holidays, 4 weeks vacation, free health insurance for the driver $500 deductible. All time not driving is paid at $18 an hour, $.55 a mile paid hub mile. You won't find any of that at most companies. This year I will make about $94k. I leave Monday morning and I get back Friday night. Every other week I am home Tuesday and Wednesday night. I do put in a lot of hours each week. We are allowed 70 hours a week between driving and on duty not driving. I use up almost all of that time in 5 days.

 

[RoughCountry]

I’ve had a cdl for many years and have owned nice new Peterbilt trucks for just as long and after all the years I’ve spent trucking I sold the trucks and let my cdl go. Trucking is now one of the most disrespected jobs there is !! Drive all night to make your delivery only to sit waiting to unload all day for free, all the regulations and BIG fines, o respect from other drivers today, electronic log books, guys from all over the world driving in the US and no experience, little truck parking after about 5pm in most truck stops.Trucking companies of today train drivers to do it their way and their way is....stay on the road. I wouldn’t wish trucking today on my worst enemy !!

 

[nontyp]

I have been driving for 10 years. There's always a job available. There's lots of bad companies that just want a steering wheel holder. Keep you out forever to pick up loads that take longer for them to load on the trailer than for you to get it to where it needs to go. 99 percent of what a company tells you before you hire on is a lie. "Make this much a week and be home this much" fact is you don't ever see that much money a week and you don't get home that much. Most places consider a weekend get home Friday night and leave Sunday morning.
Getting a license isn't very difficult. As for the person who said it took them 3 hours is full of it though. 3 weeks is more like it. If you go to a school they teach you how to pass the test not how to drive a truck. That's why there's so many people driving trucks that shouldn't be.

When you first get started you will spend time with some crappy companies at the bottom. Keep your driving record straight and after a while you will find a really good company. The company I work for now pays 13 holidays, 4 weeks vacation, free health insurance for the driver $500 deductible. All time not driving is paid at $18 an hour, $.55 a mile paid hub mile. You won't find any of that at most companies. This year I will make about $94k. I leave Monday morning and I get back Friday night. Every other week I am home Tuesday and Wednesday night. I do put in a lot of hours each week. We are allowed 70 hours a week between driving and on duty not driving. I use up almost all of that time in 5 days.

Definitely not “full of it” but thank you. Now, you aren’t going to learn to be a professional driver in 3 hours, but you can practice inspection, practice the backing, and I actually drove the exact route with my trainer that I had to drive with the DOT. You can learn to pass the driving test in 3 hours. This is of course after you have passed your written exam so you have a base knowledge of inspections and how everything works on the truck.