CDL Training

The Commercial Driver's License (CDL) program has been in place since 1986 to ensure that drivers of large trucks and buses are qualified to operate those vehicles safely. A CDL is issued by each state, but there are established minimum national standards set by the federal government. Basically, the Department of Transportation is in charge of CDL licenses, but you'll visit your local BMV to actually get it.

Drivers need a CDL if they drive a Class A, Class B, or Class C commercial motor vehicle.

• A Class A vehicle is a combination vehicle, your typical truck and trailer, that weighs more than 26,000 pounds. The kind you see out on the highway.
• A Class B vehicle is a single vehicle that weighs more than 26,000 pounds.
• A Class C vehicle is a single or combination vehicle that doesn’t meet the definitions of a Class A or Class B, but is designed to transport 16 or more passengers or is able to carry hazardous materials.

To receive a CDL, you have to pass knowledge and skills tests administered by your state. To pass the knowledge test, you must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions. To pass the skills test, you much successfully perform all required skills for the type of vehicle you expect to operate.

The minimum age to hold a CDL is 18 years old. However, federal law says you must be 21 to drive across state lines, transport hazardous materials, or transport interstate freight within the state. That means since most truck driving jobs you can get after driving school are OTR jobs (i.e. across state lines), you'll have a tough time getting one if you're under the age of 21.

When you attend a CDL truck driving school, you'll earn a CDL Permit during your first week. To get one, you'll need to pass the CDL general knowledge exam, as well as any other exams, such as air brakes & combination vehicles, for the vehicle(s) you want to drive. You'll learn how to do that at any truck driver training school.

Driver Solutions & their network of trucking companies have begun using online learning tools to help the students that go through their programs study for and pass the CDL permit exams. eGears, an online interactive learning resource, is used by all Driver Solutions students before they attend the CDL training school, and the results have been amazing! More students are graduating than ever before thanks to the use of the eGears products. eGears is just a simple tool to help students prepare for truck driver training by learning all the basic knowledge that's needed to succeed in a truck driving career. To learn more about eGears & their CDL learning tools, check out their website!