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What are things you need to know to get a CDL?

Im wanting to know this because it is required at that position at Alabama Power. All i know is that you have to be 21.

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Maurice’s Answer

Prior to Covid-19 I was an independent driver for Uber in my own car (2019 Kia Rio) in the Portland, Oregon area, taking people to wherever they needed to be: work site, home, PDX airport, etc. I have given rides to many CDL drivers in all different circumstances. Driving truck is NOT an easy job, but overall most of the drivers I had contact with (male & female) liked driving big rigs. Depending on what part of the US/Canada you may drive in, you can encounter serious weather, or traffic in big cities and each trucking company has their own way of doing the work and dealing with drivers. I've seen drivers that have been fired for doing something wrong, or having an accident of some type. I've met drivers that have not been home in 6-9 months, some that were married & now are not (long-haul truckers have a tough time keeping a family life) and some truckers who love the life out on the road! All of the information provided above by Bonney is right on, so follow it closely. The big question is do you really want to be a truck driver for your career? Or is this a stepping stone for you to get to another job or position, either in the trucking field or a different line of business? If your parents are/were both truckers, then you have intimate knowledge of what that life is like. You can drive truck for 5 - 10 years and then make a change, perhaps get into management in a trucking company, or start your own business, the sky is the limit! I wish you the best in whatever decision you make & have fun doing it!!
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Bonney’s Answer

Hi Luke,

Both my parents had CDLs and were drivers for much of their lives. My mom was a bus driver and my dad drove long-haul tractor trailers. Each state has different requirements, but typically you need to get you CLP (Commercial Learners Permit) before getting your CDL. I have linked to the requirements for the state of Alabama below.

Trucking companies will typically pay for you to train and get your CDL if you agree to work for them, but be sure to review any contracts you are signing VERY carefully. If they are paying for your training and certification, they will be expecting a period of contracted work from you in return. Make sure any commitments you are making to them are reasonable given what they are providing you. If you don't fulfill the terms of these contracts, you can be charged with the cost of training (sometimes a few thousand dollars + interest!) There is a good book written by a former driver who talks about the different pitfalls that can befall new drivers coming into the industry which I cite below.

Good luck!

Bonney recommends the following next steps:

Check out the types of trucking jobs to see if this career is for you and what type of job you would ideally have: https://greatcdltraining.com/truck-driving-jobs/types-of-truck-driving-jobs
Review requirements for the Alabama CDL: https://www.truckercountry.com/cdl-training/cdl-requirements/alabama/
Consider reading: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Rig-Trucking-Decline-American-ebook-dp-B01DBJTETE/dp/B01DBJTETE/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= Maybe you can check it out from the library? or better yet, check out a presentation by the author on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW17i7DRQz0
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