|
|
| GYL® Licensing and Certification Directory |
| Get your license through the GYL® Licensing and Certification Resource Directory,
an extensive research and reference tool leading to licensure and certification services. Get involved here.
|
Commercial Driver Licensing
The Federal Government Occupational handbook clearly recognizes the trend
that the need for trained drivers for light and heavy trucks is growing
nationwide. It is due to the use of trucks by distribution companies and
the spacious development of the inland distribution market. Thus the job
security is continuingly being more and more assured. The rising potential
of the market will create a never-ending demand curve, for truck drivers.
However, since the passage of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of
1986, it has become a requirement that all drivers for commercial motor vehicles with a
gross weight of more than 26,001 lbs or 11,739 kg, to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Commercial drivers of tow trucks, track trailers, most trucks and
buses, in an attempt to improve highway safety, need a CDL. The federal government
dictates the minimum requirements for passing the CDL tests and the
standards can be quite high. To improve the chances of being given a CDL,
many drivers opt to go to a CDL driving school.
The skills expected from the drivers to obtain a CDL are elevated, as
imposed by the Federal Government. To qualify for a CDL and simultaneously
add to their credit, drivers prefer to approach an accredited CDL driving
school. It is imperative to understand the specialization of the CDL
driving schools before opting to join one.
A private CDL trucking school trains truck drivers to
make a profit. Such a CDL driving school will tend to have higher training
standards because the success of their training will ensure the continuity
of the business. Poor truck driving training results will give the school
a bad reputation, and eventually nobody will waste their money training
with a school like that. Private CDL schools are usually licensed and
regulated by the state to ensure that the laws and regulations are being
met.
State-funded or local government funded CDL driving schools are usually
based in community colleges or vocational schools, which do not normally
specialize in just CDL training programs. Chances are, it is only one of
the many skills training programs offered, and the Poor truck driving
training may not be as comprehensive or thorough as desired. It is also
probably less flexible when it comes to class hours than a full-pay
school. However, they don’t come with good accommodation for special needs than
the privately owned ones. Public funded driving school programs also
last longer with the same number of sessions they offer as the private
ones. Accordingly they have some unfavorable class timings compared to the
fine time settings of the private CDL driving schools.
Motor carrier training is motivated by churning out the most drivers in
the shortest period of time as possible, and is more an on-the-job
training than a truck driving school. It focuses on providing the truck
driver training that will actually put a driver behind the wheels of a
truck and not much else, just enough to pass the CDL test. Such training
can be very risky because it does not thoroughly prepare a driver for the
many factors that makes heavy vehicle operation riskier than lighter
vehicles.
Anyone looking for the best CDL driving school should investigate if the
program offered by the school is certified by PTDI (Professional Truck
Driver Institution). PTDI certification states that the driving school
formulates high standards and facilitates extensive training to the
students. One such specification is that at least 44 hours of training
must be provided during the training program. This may be one of the
requirements when a better job is expected with a standard company. The
choice of the best CDL driving school is to be determined only after
careful evaluation of these factors.
A driver's license is perhaps the most requested and most popular license of all time.
Almost the entire adult population ends up with one. A driver's license not only allows
one to operate a motor vehicle on public highways and roads, but it also serves as a primary form of identification (Government Issued ID), in which
photos are updated regularly and copy-proof and tamper proof security measures have been gradually increasing within the license itself.
Driver testing is usually a one-time event unless the driver gets a marked driving record with too many violations.
Licensing for most states is through the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or equivalent.
A driver's license is issued for a set term and must be renewed according to the each State's requirements.
In many states driver's licenses are issued to applicants as young as age 15. A driver's license
should not be confused with a vehicle registration, which documents the vehicle identification number
(VIN) that every automaker must provide. A vehicle registration also must be periodically renewed.
Driving without a license or on a suspended license can create nightmares with the law.
Just look at what happened to Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan! But we all know that driver's licenses are more
than just an "ID" and having the
right types of endorsements on your license can lead to substantial income and exciting opportunities to travel
the country while getting paid to do so.
There are many kinds of different licenses and they are called by many names across the regulating agencies that
issue and maintain records on individual drivers across the country. many people are often confused in thinking that driving is a Right in the United States
of America. Nothing could be further from the actual Truth however: Driving is a privilege!
With that privilege comes a high degree of responsibility for drivers to maintain safe driving conditions for themselves
and for the safety of all drivers who share the roads with us. Not just drivers who have the education and experience to operate a car or truck but also those
in other types of vehicles, some of which may not require licenses at all. Think bicycles!
Commercial Drivers have perhaps the highest level of responsibility for safety on America's highways than operators of smaller vehicles for the obvious reasons: A huge
Semi-truck or tractor trailer driver is behind the wheel of a machine that can weigh over 40 tons and can be very difficult to control even in perfect conditions.
It's because of this that there are much higher standards in place for those that operate commercial trucks and trailers than those that drive to and from work or school every day.
Commercial Truck drivers go through rigorous training at Commercial Driving Schools to learn how to handle the single, double or even triple trailer towing rigs
that they operate. There are Federal guidelines and restrictions on who can have and qualify for a commercial driver's permit. Limitations include how many hours
a driver is allowed to spend behind the wheel and in many states there are tighter and stricter laws regulation driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. In California
for example, a driver who is licensed to operate a passenger vehicle can legally drive with a blood alcohol content of less than .08 but for commercial
drivers that limit is halved to .04 even if the driver is not behind the wheel as a trucker but in his or her personal car or other legal motor vehicle.
For those interested in obtaining licenses and certifications to driver commercially (Drive a "Big Rig Tracker-Trailer" and the education needed to obtain enhanced permits for hauling hazardous materials in trucks and trailers,
you should check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles and talk with trained CDL career school consultants who specialize in knowing all of the laws
concerning the many types of permits available to truck drivers and students wishing to become licensed to operate a "Big Rig!" Remeber to keep those 18 Wheelers safe!
|
Get Your Commercial Driver's License!
AK AL AR AZ
CA
CO CT DE DC FL GA HA IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY
OH OK OR PA RI SC
SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WV
WI WY 
