They have transported gnomes and yachts, chandeliers, and bucking broncos. The shippers competing on A&E’s Shipping Wars are many things, but one thing many of them are not: they are not commercial drivers. To be a commercial driver in the Commonwealth of Virginia, you have to be in a class by yourself, literally. You have to possess a Class A, B, or C Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and give up your regular Virginia (or out of state) driver’s license. You may want to do that if you enjoy driving the open road, meeting new people, and making a solid living helping keep America moving.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles regulates CDLs for the state. Commercial driving is safe operation of a commercial vehicle, which the DMV says is:
Commercial truck drivers could be over-the-road (OTR), livestock carriers, refrigerated van drivers, or drivers carrying milk, wine, gasoline, or other liquids.
Virginia DMV has several classes of CDL. Here is a brief review:
Your classification of CDL allows you to also operate anything beneath that class, so a Class A operator can also drive Class B and C vehicles if you have necessary endorsements.
Endorsements allow you to specialize. If you have your heart set on driving tank trucks filled with delicious Virginia wines, you need a tank truck endorsement, N. Endorsement H permits you, with a Class C CDL, to drive hazardous materials like oxygen or propane tanks, corrosive chemicals, or fireworks.
An old saying in the trucking industry is, “If you bought it, a truck brought it.” Even with efficient freight rail systems, ships and barges, commercial trucks are the backbone of American industry. The driving public trusts CDL drivers to know their profession.
Formal education helps drivers to appreciate the risks. Road practice and classroom preparation help a driver be prepared with the many daily challenges:
Today’s reality, reflected in an honest response from a real commercial driver at Indeed.com, is that you cannot even step up into the cab of a commercial truck without going through a truck driving school.
How long is a typical commercial tractor-trailer rig? What tire pressure is desirable on an 18-wheeler? Most folks holding personal driver’s licenses in Virginia will not know any of those answers. A CDL commercial driver needs to know all that, and more.
A qualified training program offers new drivers complete instruction in all aspects of commercial driving:
Go through a tightly controlled training program and you will know what to expect from the 20-foot cab pulling a 53-foot trailer. You will know tire pressure is between 85 and 110 psi, far higher than 32 psi for most personal vehicles.
A good commercial driving school also gives you plenty of road practice, through range and road operations. You learn to back up, turn safely, avoid jackknifing, and more.
At Advanced Technology Institute, you can acquire the skills to earn your CDL in as little as eight weeks. You can test with Virginia’s DMV and be ready to start an entry-level position with any of the dozens of motor freight companies and shippers operating in the Old Dominion. Contact ATI today to learn more.