CDL Class B In Michigan Questions
Topic 21904 | Page 1
You will need air brakes as well as general knowledge.
There are a couple of ways to pay for school to get a class A CDL without going the company sponsored route. Check in with your local unemployment office and ask about WIOA funding (a grant that doesn't have to be repaid) or attending a longer course at a local community college that could possibly qualify for a Pell Grant.
Also, depending on where you live, you might also get free CDL training by a dock to driver type of program that UPS tends to offer.
I understand with a newborn, you wouldn't care to do the company sponsored schools/OTR and that's perfectly understandable, but with a class A, you could drive anything and wouldn't be as limited. Just something to think about.
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.
OTR:
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.
WIOA:
WIOA - Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (aka WIA)
Formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the WIOA was established in 1998 to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for entry and reentry into the workforce. WIOA training funds are designed to serve laid-off individuals, older youth and adults who are in need of training to enter or reenter the labor market. A lot of truck drivers get funding for their CDL training through WIOA.
Thanks so much.. I want to get my CDL A, But right now for me I think B will be best for the time being, Dock to driver I would lose much too much hourly currently.... At Least it'll get me started and out of my current position. I've been driving a switcher truck, and delivering for Amazon so I kind of want to stay in that range (lots of CDL b jobs for chemical tankers, Box truck delivery and dump positions near me) I was reading about the Hazmat test.. Do I have to go get my fingerprints ECT done BEFORE taking the test correct? Or, did i read that wrong? Ill be reading on general, and air brakes for my CDL, as well as tanker, and haz for endorsements (anyone know the added cost per test?)
There are a couple of ways to pay for school to get a class A CDL without going the company sponsored route. Check in with your local unemployment office and ask about WIOA funding (a grant that doesn't have to be repaid) or attending a longer course at a local community college that could possibly qualify for a Pell Grant.
Also, depending on where you live, you might also get free CDL training by a dock to driver type of program that UPS tends to offer.
I understand with a newborn, you wouldn't care to do the company sponsored schools/OTR and that's perfectly understandable, but with a class A, you could drive anything and wouldn't be as limited. Just something to think about.
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.
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
OTR:
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.
WIOA:
WIOA - Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (aka WIA)
Formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the WIOA was established in 1998 to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for entry and reentry into the workforce. WIOA training funds are designed to serve laid-off individuals, older youth and adults who are in need of training to enter or reenter the labor market. A lot of truck drivers get funding for their CDL training through WIOA.
Also how are the written tests? I was ALWAYS terrible at tests in school.. I knew the stuff but never went ONTO paper the same.. I did a random "practice test" online somewhere (not here) and without ANY reading or such, I finished with 13-14 wrong out of the 50 questions.. So hoping that with reading ill do better lol... but i dont think thats horrible for no reading, seemed like a lot of "common sense" stuff.
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Looking into getting my class B license to help with some job placements. I was looking into a class A, but i have no chance at school [money] or a paid training due to newborn... I have drove a yard switcher for the last 7 years and looking to improve on that with a class B. I was wondering if just the normal airbreak section is what i need to study? I may look at driving dump truck or what not or doing something with chemical tankers so ill be studying tank vehicles and haz. Any thoughts?