Uk Cdl Driver

hi there I am cdl driver from uk and I want to move to USA but can any one tell me if there is company in US that hire uk driver or do I have to move there and take the whole test again ,pls help guys ,, thank you

Kaiwan, Welcome to the forum!

I'm afraid it is a little more difficult than just a matter of taking the test again. You will have to have "lawful presence" and for you that will probably mean a green card so that you can work here, plus you are required to have a U.S. social security card. It's not impossible for you to do this, but you need to have a plan where you can earn a living with another trade here for about a year while you get all the documents in order. I also think that you are required in most states to hold a regular drivers license for one year before applying for the commercial license (I hope Brett can get on here and help us on this, because I'm not exactly sure about this and hopefully he can clarify this for us).

Another thing that trips people up coming from other countries is the verification of their employment history. You will be required to provide verifiable employment records for anywhere from 3 - 10 years. This is not a requirement of getting the license, but of getting hired onto a job as a commercial driver. I wish you the best in your endeavor and hope you will come back in the forum if we can help you any further.

You won't be able to drive here immediately. Most, if not all, companies require that you have your class c license for a certain amount of time before you can even get a CDL license. I'm sorry but I forgot exactly how long you need to have your class c license for. Someone else will comment and have the answer I'm sure.

You'll also need to do the permit testing again as well as your actual exam. You'll literally be starting all over as if you never drove a truck before, except you'll have the advantage of having experience.

Hi Kiawan, I'm from the UK. I married an American girl over there so no problems for me getting my green card. You will need to be driving on a normal licence for at least a year in the USA. I've also had back ground checks done, medical done privately and paid for my own CDL. I had to show my employment history for the past three years with references. So basically you have some hoops to jump through before you can drive a truck. Having HGV 1 won't cut it over here I'm afraid.

I'm working for a company called Swift and like most haulage companies they are desperate for drivers. I've been over here now for nearly three years and love it. I'm also 56 years old (I started a new career late in life) I wish you all the best and if I can answer any questions I will be more than happy too

Sheffield Mick

Hi Kiawan, I'm from the UK. I married an American girl over there so no problems for me getting my green card. You will need to be driving on a normal licence for at least a year in the USA. I've also had back ground checks done, medical done privately and paid for my own CDL. I had to show my employment history for the past three years with references. So basically you have some hoops to jump through before you can drive a truck. Having HGV 1 won't cut it over here I'm afraid.

I'm working for a company called Swift and like most haulage companies they are desperate for drivers. I've been over here now for nearly three years and love it. I'm also 56 years old (I started a new career late in life) I wish you all the best and if I can answer any questions I will be more than happy too

Sheffield Mick

thank you for ur kind advice so as u saying I have no chance of getting job over there unless I can get my green card first . and i heard in every state is different rules so u think if i try different state will i find a company who will get my license or not ,, and what do u think about Canada

The rule will apply in all states. You will definitely need a Green Card and a U.S. driver's license for at least one year before anyone will consider hiring you.

I don't know anything about Canada myself.

I don't know about Canada either.....you would have to enquiry through agency's I would think