Is commercial driver's license (CDL) worth it?

[Brooke]

My niece's boyfriend wants to get his CDL.  There's a class that costs $4400 and takes a month.  Is that worth it?  Is there much business for CDL drivers?

[KCDitto]

I have one and as it is required for my job I would say yes.

Have you looked into the classifieds for listings?

Is he a self motivated individual IE: can work unsupervised?

If he does I would encourage him to get with a big transport program and apply there FIRST. Like UPS or other transport companies may fund the school for him if they hire him on condition of graduating and getting the license.

Just some thoughts

[caldera]

Depends how old he is and how long he wants to drive.  I give it 20 years or less until robots are driving all commercial vehicles.

[FLOOB]

Is your niece's boyfriend a robot Booke?

[Brooke]

What we'd like to do is have a small business that does land services (small-scale excavation, grading, delivering gravel, clearing out brush, etc.) since we already have equipment (wanting to make more use of it).  To drive around a dump truck or haul a skid steer, he needs a CDL.

But I don't know if $4k for a CDL course is a good price or not, and I don't know if there is other work hauling around stuff in a dump truck and/or trailer in case there isn't much land-service work available.

[Skuzzy]

Companies are springing up all over the place hiring CDL drivers so they can contract with Amazon and Fed-X to make deliveries.

Seems to be a very fast growing business.

[TequilaChaser]

Brooke, their varying classes of CDL licenses then on top of the different types of CDL license their are like 6 to 8 (or maybe more these days) endorsements like Hazmat, doubles/triples trailers, tankers, etc....


$4400.00 seems a bit high to get training for getting CDL...

If y'all have access to a dump truck or semi and you are trying to get your CDL, all you really need to do is go to the DMV and get the manual to study for whichever type CDL he needs...he can tell them at the DMV what he is going to be driving/using/doing and they will tell him which type of CDL and/or endorsements he might need...most states will furnish a study guide/manual.....some might charge a small fee

Trying to type this as simple as possible.... But $4,400.00 is way to much, especially if y'all already have the dump truck or semi and trailer/equipment y'all will be working with....just get the study material and let DMV know what you will be doing and they will let you know what CDL type/class y'all need and any possible endorsements

1 other thing, probably going to need a DOT physical also, but that's pretty simple and easy

Hope this helps

TC

[KCDitto]

From scratch it is 5K here in Sacramento.  But yea if you have equipment then tell the school that and maybe you can get a reduced price and do all the skills testing with the truck he is going to drive. Here in Commifornia the DMV won't let you skills test without an endorsement from a school.

[TequilaChaser]

Heck Ditto, you could most likely be the same requirement in all the US, this day and time.....with the way the Trucking Industry has changed since the mid '90's....

I haven't kept up with it since I was put into retirement/disabled back in 09....

If one is going to go through a "Truck Driving School" to learn how to drive a Truck/Semi and then get their DOT physical and take the written exam and Driving test to get their CDL, then they will pay $3500+ upwards of 7k for it...

That school, instructor, maintaining the School's Trucks along with fuel costs and truck fees, etc don't come cheap...

There are ways around getting signed off on for endorsement / experience and what not.... Just got to know how to get around "red tape"

[Shuffler]

Watch firms that promise to put you in a rig and you make payments to own. They will give you plenty of work early to let you make most of the payments and then slow you down so you can't meet your payments. Take your truck when it is almost paid off.

[Volron]

My niece's boyfriend wants to get his CDL.

He'll VERY quickly find out if he wants to do keep doing it.  I know more than a few folks who got it, got behind the wheel, then "broke".  They just could NOT handle it.  There is a LOT more that needs to be accounted for.

There's a class that costs $4400 and takes a month.  Is that worth it?

That really depends on a few things.  Is it for a Class A or Class B?  What endorsements will he be getting along with the course, if any?

Is there much business for CDL drivers?

All you have to do is do a job search online for your/his area.  That will give you a rough indication of not only what types they are looking for, but roughly how many of each.  Just gotta dig a little.

He might want to look at applying for a company that will cover most, if not all, the stuff required.  I think most require you to pay for the DOT Physical however.  My company covered everything, the DOT Physical, test/license, etc.  I paid out of pocket, 1 dollar, which was the processing fee the DMV charges.  However, I drive buses, so it's only a Class B with the P endorsement.  Don't let that fool you though.   For a good while I was driving a 60' articulated bus.  They weigh a bit more than they look.

[SIM]

My job requires a CDL. I work for an electric utility. A CDL is not for use by trucking companies alone. Many construction and utility companies require a CDL in order to operate their vehicles. The gentleman should do his research, into whatever field he wishes to make a career, before making a decision regarding a CDL.

[Shuffler]

My job requires a CDL. I work for an electric utility. A CDL is not for use by trucking companies alone. Many construction and utility companies require a CDL in order to operate their vehicles. The gentleman should do his research, into whatever field he wishes to make a career, before making a decision regarding a CDL.

True... sometimes a CDL is just needed to pull your RV.

[Maverick]

True... sometimes a CDL is just needed to pull your RV.

Unless your state has some kind of ridiculous requirement, that is not the case. Unless you are using your RV as a money making enterprise or doing deliveries of RV's. In short the C of CDL stands for commercial and if you ain't makin money by driving, it ain't commercial. Even sedan operations can require a CDL if driven for work and or money, like taxis etc. I used to be a commercial vehicle and driver inspector to include haz mat. I also full time rv'ed using a Volvo 660 semi towing our 5th wheel for 13 years over most of the lower 48 and Mexico (briefly). The Volvo was converted to motorhome registration in Montana. My home state at the time (AZ) did not require anything other than an operators license to drive any RV including towed  RV's

Many states have different grades of licenses that are short of the CDL to include weight and at times category of equipment (ie air brakes). Those are still not the federally mandated CDL and do not require the same testing and physical exam.

As has been noted above there are various kinds of CDL categories and not all schools teach much of anything but over the road style trucking. The applicant needs to determine what requirements are pertinent to the job before signing up for any instruction course. They may just be wasting their time and money otherwise.

[Maverick]

Freaking thing started to quote itself during editing.