Have The CDL Permit, But Need To Get Experience To Pass The Road Skills Test?
Topic 20957 | Page 1
Hello TerryLynn and welcome to Trucking Truth. So you got your CDL permit in your own? Good! You certainly can practice and pass your skills test if you have a semi truck-trailer to use.
But here's the bad news: generally no one will hardly even talk to you about a job without taking a school course. These things officially include 160 hours of classroom and road training. Even your city won't go for a fresh newbie, ink hardly dry yet on their license, try out one of their big trucks.
TerryLynn, if you are set on driving for the city, you may need to talk to a local driving school. Some community colleges have the course.
At Trucking Truth we talk with people interested in an Over The Road career. That means school (either commercial or company sponsored). Then any company that hires you so out you through more training.
If your city can train you, that might be the way to go. But being a city government, I doubt they have the ability.
Bring up any other questions here, we'll try to help.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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I'm a city employee in a dead-end job looking to make a career change and my city is always posting jobs for CDL drivers. So, 45 days ago I started studying for my CDL and I took the CDL exam a week ago. I passed all the required sections: General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and Combination Vehicles. I also passed the endorsement exams for Tankers, HazMat , Passengers and School Bus (I didn't pass Doubles and Triples, I'm working on that). So, here I am, with a Class A CDL permit and no resource to aid me in gaining the skills needed to actually operate a big Rig and prepare for the Skills Road Test. Any suggestions about where I might go for this instruction? Thanks, Terrylynn
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.