CDL truck driving is one of the nation’s most enduring professions. If you think about it, virtually everything in your possession right now was on a truck at one time. Everything that is purchased at a point of sale must be manufactured and transported from the manufacturer to the retail outlet. That means that truckers are the backbone of society.

But don’t get a big head about it.

In order to be a valued member of the truck driving profession, you have to get trained and certified. The Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license) truck driver’s license is the most important credential you’ll ever earn.

The ATS CDL truck driver’s training is a good mix of classroom training and behind-the-wheel training.

Drivers who graduate from ATS training schools move on to very rewarding careers. Some become tankers. Others haul freight. We have former students in the mining industry, construction, transporting heavy equipment, delivering concrete and asphalt, and even driving dump trucks. No matter what profession you end up in, you can thank your ATS instructor for giving you the legs to get running. Your commercial driver’s license will become the most important thing in your wallet, and it will increase your pay too.

Start your career off with CDL truck driver training from the longest running school in the business.

The role of a heavy equipment operator has changed little over the years. They use their heavy equipment to move earth – in fact, in some circles, heavy equipment is referred to as either earth moving equipment or heavy earth moving equipment. Where there has been a change is in the requirements of some employers. It’s quite normal now to see employers asking for heavy equipment operators with CDL, a commercial drivers license. Employers are looking for operators who can truck the heavy equipment to a job site, unload, complete the task, then load up again and drive to the next job.

There are a number of reasons for the increase in demand for operators with a CDL. One is cost – why employ two people when one person can do both jobs. If employers hire both a truck driver and a heavy equipment operator, there is a risk that one will be sitting idle whilst waiting for the other to complete their role. One operator to do both jobs saves money – and in this day and age, that’s an important factor for any business. Another factor that has led to dual skill requirements is a lot simpler – there is a shortage of truck drivers and, in the past, employers have often struggled to find drivers to move heavy equipment.

Having complementary skills is also good for operators. It means they have several employment options. If it is quiet in the heavy equipment field, for example, during the winter months, then they can take on work as a truck driver as a fill-in until the demand for their skills returns – as it often does in the spring and summer.

For those considering entering the heavy equipment operating field, obtaining a CDL early can be a wise investment. Heavy equipment operator training only takes three weeks. If you are prepared to study at home, you can also gain a commercial drivers license with as little as three weeks of training. That’s a total of six weeks training to obtain dual skills that you will have for a lifetime and that you can use in a range of jobs. It certainly reduces the chances of long periods of unemployment.

Obtaining a Commercial Drivers License is not difficult. Many people can obtain their license inside of four weeks; for most people, a six to seven week period is the norm. If you have the time at home, you can get a hold of your state’s Commercial Drivers License handbook and study it cover to cover before taking your written tests. This can help to reduce the time period a little. For most people, the following are the general steps required, although you don’t necessarily need to complete them in this order.

1 – Check the requirements for a Commercial Drivers License in your state and determine if you are eligible.
2 – Find a truck driver training school that offers a complete service. This should include obtaining your permit, both classroom and hands-on training, assistance (including access to a truck) to complete the skills test, and assistance in obtaining employment post training.
3 – Learn the rules and regulations related to truck driving and any endorsements that you may seek for your drivers license.
4 – Obtain a truck driving permit. This is obtained after passing the knowledge tests in your state and allows you drive a truck (under supervision) on public roads.
5 – Undertake skills-based training to learn how to drive a truck. This should include reversing, public road driving (in traffic), and associated skills such as pre-trip inspections and coupling/un-coupling of trailers.
6 – Complete the skills component required to obtain a Commercial Drivers License.
7 – Undertake a medical assessment that confirms you are medically fit to drive a truck. This will include eye tests and a review of your current and previous health status.
8 – Receive your Commercial Drivers License – congratulations if you make it this far, you should now be ready for employment as a truck driver.

Naturally, there will be forms that need to be completed for some of these steps. A good quality truck driver training school will help you through every one of those steps, ensuring the process is as easy and as quick as possible. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools, we do as much as possible for you, including helping you to find employment once you have your Commercial Drivers License.

What’s the hardest truck to drive? Long distance semi-trailer drivers spend long hours behind the wheel whilst a local dump truck drivers could be getting in and out of the cab a dozen or more times a day. Are bigger trucks, then, technically harder to drive? Again, there is not a simple answer to this question. In most cases, a larger truck does involve more skills, however, don’t elect for a small truck because it sounds easier – some smaller trucks are technically harder to drive.

Like all professions, each type of truck has its own idiosyncrasies and levels of difficulty. There are some trucks that have large gear boxes – sometimes as many as 16 gears. There are other trucks that have nothing more than a straight-forward gearbox and drive more like a large van. Each type of truck has its own skill requirements, so it’s almost impossible to state that one truck is more difficult to drive than another.

Trucks carry different types of loads. For example, tankers, which generally carry liquids, require special skills to handle the movement of that liquid in the tanker. Flat bed trailers are often used to transport heavy equipment, and most drivers are expected to load and unload that heavy equipment – a different set of skills altogether. Drivers who transport large loads need to be aware of low bridges whilst those that transport wider loads may require special escorts to clear the way ahead. They often drive late at night to avoid heavy traffic.

When undertaking truck driver training, you need to select a school that can prepare you for the type of truck you intend driving. In most cases, you are expected to undertake your practical driving test (for your commercial drivers license) in a vehicle similar to that you intend driving. There are many skills that are common to all trucks, and the road rules and regulations are very similar for each truck type. You select your career path then undertake truck driver training to suit that career path.

No pun intended here when I say a commercial drivers license can take you a long way. Obviously, behind the wheel of a truck, you can go a ‘long way’. However, that’s not my meaning in today’s post. Rather, a commercial drivers license can be the start of a long career that has a wide range of opportunities. There are many truck drivers who are still in the industry, yet they are no longer ‘truck drivers’.

Almost every trucking company in the country was started by a truck driver. These are drivers who saw opportunities to buy their own trucks, and over time add more trucks to their fleet. Eventually they have so many trucks that, rather than driving for a living, they need to spend their time managing the fleet – and the work contracts that keeps the cash flowing in.

Owning your own business is not everyone’s dream of course, and there are other opportunities to be found in the industry. Large trucking companies rely on a team of individuals who plan loads and routes and who then allocate these loads to drivers. Logistics requires a lot of skill, and former truck drivers often excel in this area of transportation. Truck driving can also open the door to further training in fields such as mechanics and engineering.

It only takes a few weeks of truck driver training to gain the skills necessary to gain a commercial drivers license (CDL). With a CDL in hand, you can commence work as a truck driver gaining experience, perhaps seeing the country, and certainly gaining new friends – not to mention the skills and lucrative income. From there, you can control your future using your experience and skills to gain entry to many other transport-related careers. A CDL will take you a long way – both on the highway and in life.

Learning to become a truck driver is only a little harder than learning to drive a standard car. The rules and regulations are a lot broader, and a big rig can be tricky to maneuver. However, if you have ever reversed a car and trailer successfully, then you’ve probably got the basic skills set in place – if you haven’t, then you’re in for some fun.

You can go from complete novice to work ready as a truck driver in as little as five weeks through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. We will take you through all the rules and regulations in preparation for your theoretical tests that are required to attain a truck drivers permit. This permit allows students to drive trucks on open roads with a suitably licensed truck driver alongside them.

Once a student has completed their training, we will help them attain their commercial truck drivers license (CDL) and any endorsements required for their career path. With a CDL in hand, they are ready to commence work in their new profession. Although driving big rigs may appear daunting, once you have gained the skills and had some practice, you’ll be surprised at how easy they are drive. This is why women are increasingly turning to truck driving.

If you’re interested in a career as a truck driver, then contact us for more information on truck driver training programs, entry requirements, and course dates. Truck driving is a lucrative career once you have completed your training and gained a little experience.

Want to learn how to drive a truck? Almost any truck driver can teach you how to drive. However, that won’t make you a truck driver, and it probably won’t help you to achieve a commercial drivers license. Commercial truck drivers need a range of skills that go beyond just driving. Some of these skills include:

• Reversing with one or more trailers,
• Pre-trip inspections,
• Coupling and uncoupling trailers,
• Securing loads,
• Maintaining log books,
• Operating GPS equipment,
• Truck maintenance and basic breakdown repairs,
• Truck safety, including truck stop security and breakdown safety procedures

That is just a small sample. If you include endorsements like a HazMat endorsement, you will need to learn the requirements for transporting hazardous materials. Whilst that list may look complex, in practice, they are actions which most drivers learn to do by habit.

These are all important skills. Take maintaining a log book – get it wrong and your career could very quickly come to an end.

The truck driver training program at ATS covers all of these skills in both classroom-based and hands-on training. Once you have completed your training, you will be ready to not only drive a truck, but also obtain your commercial drivers license and become a truck driver.

Whilst undertaking truck driver training through ATS, you can access our Career Services department. They will help you refine your job seeking skills and help you to find employers that best match your work requirements. You will also have access to our job site where you’ll find job vacancies that have been listed by employers. Our aim is to help you to become a professional truck driver – we are not in the business of just teaching people to drive trucks – and there is a big difference between the two.

Long distance truck driving can be tough. You’re away from home for days, sometimes weeks at a time. This is changing as employers recognize the need for family life, more so since government regulations have limited the number of hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel each week. Whilst truck driving can be a tough life, it can certainly be an interesting and rewarding life.

Smart truck drivers plan their career. They work the long distance routes when they are young, earning the big dollars wherever possible, in order to buy their first home and to set themselves up for family life. Many of these drivers then seek regular local work that has them home each night to enjoy their family life. I say “many” since quite a few drivers find themselves really enjoying life as a long distance trucker.

What does it take to be a long distance truck driver? That’s a tough question since every person is different, and it’s hard to quantify the traits required. Truck driving is truck driving – long distance truck drivers spend hours on the road, in a cab, on their own. But then, so too do local drivers, it’s just the hours aren’t quite as long. Long distance and local truck drivers both require CDL’s, road sense, and an ability to work to a tight schedule.

Home time is the big difference. Can you survive in a job that takes you away from home for long periods? Truck driving is not the only career that has this requirement. The military, mining, oil platforms and the sea all have similar effects on home life. If you’re young, carefree (or just carefree), then life as a long distance truck driver could be perfect for you.

One of the attractions of truck driving for those who are single and free to roam is that they can get paid for doing just that. There are not that many jobs that pay you to see the nation. That’s the potential of truck driving, especially those who can handle long distance truck driving. If you don’t have a set central base, you can effectively take loads that enable you to see everywhere.

Coast-to-coast truck driving is the norm for many as is south to north, including into Canada (or reverse, north to south and into Mexico). Truck driving is also a little like the hospitality industry – drivers follow the work, often jumping from state to state to look for new challenges. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work for local drivers. There is. However, the shortage of good truck drivers means that businesses are often recruiting from outside the local area – more so for remote areas.

Whether you are looking for local work as a truck driver, intrastate work or long distance work, truck driving has opportunities everywhere. The training is almost the same for all drivers and it includes the acquisition of a commercial drivers license.

If you’re single and free to see the country, consider truck driving. You can start by driving long distance, earning good money, and perhaps even saying heaps. Once you are ready to settle down, you can take a closer look at local or near local driver job opportunities. We can help you gain your commercial drivers license, and we can work with you to gain that first job. If you want to see the nation (and perhaps even the world), then consider truck driving as a career. Your skills and license will be recognized right around the country.

Associated Training Services has been very successful in the training of students in different areas of study for years. Students can train to be a heavy equipment operator or even a truck driver. Obtaining a CDL in order to become a driver is something that can happen along with the training on safety.
The training program for truck driving at ATS is huge and has a lot of history. This course can take just 2 or 4 weeks to complete. It is a great course to consider because you end up working in no time. There is such a demand for good and qualified truck drivers that graduates have no problems getting a job.
.At ATS, we instruct students with the help of the machines. Hands on learning is the best way to help operators learn about all of the machines and so on. This goes for the same with the truck driver. Students are encouraged to get right into the driver’s seat and get familiar right away.
The truck driving industry is one of the highest paying jobs around. With all of the demand currently, it is job security. The program at ATS has classroom teaching as well. Learning all about safety precautions, regulations and preparing for the CDL test will all be completed.
If you are interested in becoming a truck driver, simply sign up for our program. You will be on the road before you know it and making a great income.