CDL License Requirements

If you are planning on having a career as a commercial driver, then you are going to need to get your CDL. Getting a commercial driver’s license is not as easy as getting a regular Class C driver’s license by any stretch of the imagination. You can go in and take a written test and then a driver’s test to get a Class C, but to obtain your CDL you are going to need to have much more training before you are able to take your driving test.


Even after all of this training you will only be able to drive the most basic of commercial vehicles. If you are looking to get in with a freight company that halls a wide variety of cargo, then you will need to train and test for the different endorsements as well. This will include endorsements such as those needed by anyone hauling hazardous materials, tankers, dual and triple trailers, and even passengers in a commercial vehicle. All of these will require you to take extra courses and be able to pass the written and driving tests as well. This isn’t something that you can do in one day, so keep that in mind.

Each state has a different set of basic requirements in order to get a CDL. You can contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles to find out what the requirements are in your state and what you will need to bring with you in order to get your instruction permit. An instruction permit is needed in order to go through the vehicle training so that you can take your final CDL test. If you are incapable of getting your instruction permit, then you will not be allowed to take your training or the tests for your CDL.

You will have to pass a background check in order to be able to be certified for a CDL. It is a good idea to get your driving record yourself to make sure that there is nothing on it that will keep you from getting your CDL. Once you are cleared through your background check, you will be able to start taking your training courses.

These courses will require you to spend a certain amount of time in classroom training and behind the wheel driving an actual truck. The testing that you will be engaging in will determine the skills that you possess as it is related to handling a large commercial vehicle and the rules that you need to follow on the road.
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