We often talk about working as a truck driver, and to do so, obtaining a commercial drivers license, also known as CDL. But what exactly is a CDL? As the name suggests, it is a drivers license that is required by those who wish to driver commercial vehicles. I know that sounds a little lame – however, it’s the definition of a commercial vehicle that should be of interest.

A commercial drivers license is generally available in three classes – A, B, and C. The Class A Commercial Drivers License allows the holder to drive any size truck. A commercial drivers license is obtained by passing a written test related to road rules, highway safety, and the different parts of a truck, and by passing a series of driving maneuvers in a vehicle similar in size to the one you intend operating. The Class B CDL has size restrictions while a Class C is for vehicles that are not covered by the A or B classes. In some cases, CDL holders are required to obtain special endorsements. These endorsements require a driver to pass further written tests, however, if successful, will allow them to operate vehicles related to that endorsement. Endorsements cover passenger buses, hazardous materials, and for double or triple semi-trailers.

Now that you know what a CDL is, and what vehicles are covered, the question related to why you should obtain one is almost self explanatory. If you want to work as a truck driver, for example, then you will need to obtain a CDL. If you want to drive interstate double semi-trailers, then you will need the endorsement related to double semis (T endorsement). Unless you have experience driving large trucks, know the road rules as they apply to trucks, and can describe the various parts of a truck, you are going to require truck driver training prior to attempting the required tests. Truck driver training – now that’s an area we can definitely help you with.

A sad fact in today’s employment market is that employers are always looking for ways to cut costs. That can work to your advantage if you are prepared to take a few extra steps. Combining several related skills can make an individual a far more attractive employment option compared to someone with only the one skill. If you were to combine heavy equipment operations with a commercial drivers license, you are in effect opening options up for your employer.

An example of this a small business that only has a handful of equipment. They may have been asked to perform a task that will only take an hour or two to complete. Rather than sending out the heavy equipment with an operator and a truck with a driver, an operator with a CDL can take the equipment out, complete the job, and bring the equipment back (or on to the next job), thus saving the employer from paying for two people for the one job.

We live in an era where companies are forever competing with each other for work. This is often done via quotation or tendering process. If an employer knows he can reduce employee costs, then they can submit a lower tender or quote, and increase their chances of securing the work. The more work they can acquire, the bigger they will grow, and the more machinery and operators they will require.

ATS conducts both heavy equipment training programs and truck driver training programs. It is quite easy to complete one training program and to then move on to the second so that, within six weeks or so, you will have graduated from both training programs with skill sets that will make you far more employable. Provide employers with that complete package, and you will be surprised at how much easier it is to build a sustainable career.

Truck driving has been one of those careers that have remained relatively stable no matter what the economy is doing. There is one real fact about life – we need to eat, and because most of us know little about how to grow our own food, our supermarkets thrive. Truck drivers are the link between your supermarket and the producers of that food so the more we eat, the more truck drivers we need.

So how do you get a start as a truck driver? There are two basic requirements – a commercial drivers license (CDL) and truck driver training. In fact, you need the truck driver training to get a commercial drivers license. They are the basic requirements – however, both of those will never guarantee you a job since you lack the one component that most businesses require – experience. Of course, if you know someone who’s in the business, you maybe able to get them to help gain a foothold – you could always try.

What you may not know is that you already know someone who has the ear of the trucking industry. We do. We have a database of over 10,000 trucking companies from all around the nation. They know that we deliver thorough training and that graduates walk out of doors ready, willing, and very able to work in the transport industry. This is not a reputation that was built overnight, this is a reputation that has stood the test of almost 50 years – and that means we have sent a lot of drivers out into the workplace.

How do you get a start as a truck driver? Your first step is to call us to discuss your training options. From there we will do everything possible to get you licensed, and to then help you find that first job. Who are we? We’re Associated Training Services and we have have been training prospective truck drivers since 1963 – can we help you join that list of successful truck drivers?

There have been interesting images from around the world this week. In the UK and Europe, heavy snow has closed roads, airports, and even main highways. In Australia, heavy rain has flooded thousands of acres closing highways and railways. In recent months there have been images from China of highways blocked with traffic traveling at speeds measured in feet per hour. The one image that stands out from those three regions has been the rows of trucks all brought to a standstill. We are fortunate here. In most states, the highways remain open and the traffic flows smoothly, especially the trucks.

What the world has in common is that their economies are very much based on their ability to transport goods from one area to another. We are no different in that regard so that makes the role of a truck driver fairly important. In our modern society, if the trucks didn’t get the food through, we would all starve since most of us have no idea how to grow our own food. In the major cities, there’s hardly a square foot of ground suitable for growing food as it is.

Truck drivers can be undervalued by society, however, truck drivers do know how important their roles are so they endeavor to do everything possible to get their loads delivered. It takes a lot of skill to handle a large truck when roads are icy or wet, skill that starts with good quality truck driver training followed up by hours of in-the-drivers seat experience. ATS are one of the nation’s leaders when it comes to truck driver training. We highly respected within the trucking community. Our graduates, once they obtain their commercial drivers licenses, are well considered when applying for truck driving vacancies.

If truck driving is a career that appeals to you, then contact us here at ATS. We can discuss your truck driver training options, including where you can undertake your training, and when the next training courses commence. It doesn’t matter the weather, ATS truck drivers keep on moving.

What are some of the most common reasons for a person to choose a particular profession? Interest is normally the starting point; that’s why you study in particular areas as you go through high school and college. Other factors include stability, income, community standing and family expectations. The latter is one of the most common reasons, and one that have so many people making career changes in their mid to late twenties – they finally break away from those family expectations. Here are eight good reasons to consider training for a Class A commercial drivers license (CDL):

• Well paid – truck drivers are well paid in comparison to many other jobs.
• In Demand – trucks are the life blood of our economy. For this reason, good drivers are always in demand.
• Stable employment – because good drivers are in demand, employers are not going to let you go.
• There are drivers around that have spent 30-40 years working for one employer.
• Work location – you can elect to just drive locally or you can elect to drive the big interstate rigs. The choice is up to you.
• Flexibility – one of the forgotten components to holding a CDL is that you’re not restricted to driving trucks. The CDL may make you employable as a heavy equipment operator, for example, (if you’re trained) simply because your license means you can cart the equipment out to a job yourself.
• Training – it only takes three weeks to learn to drive a truck. Pass your test and you’re ready to start.
• Variety – you never know what you’re going to cart from one day to the next. You may also find you are driving to different locations every day.
• Freedom – the biggest bonus of them all when it comes to truck driving. There’s nothing like the freedom of the open road.

A commercial drivers license opens a door to a career that’s busy and never boring. There are few careers that offer as many options as truck driving does so if you’re interested, contact ATS, the nation’s most experienced truck driver training organization in the country.

No matter the season, no matter the weather, the trucks always find a way to get through. They have to since these trucks are often carrying the staples we need to survive. A commercial drivers license can open the door to a wide range of truck driving jobs, even in the middle of winter. In today’s society, we expect vehicles to get through, especially trucks. So, transport companies don’t hang up their keys just because it’s winter; they keep going.

There’s no doubt that some truck driving jobs can be more interesting than others. Interstate truck driving can be the most challenging of them all. You are driving over different road conditions and often away from home for days at a time. Because of the need to move freight quickly, the hours can also be long. However, once behind the wheel, you are your own boss and the open highways are yours to conquer. And the pay can be great too.

Interstate truck driving isn’t for everyone, but once you get a taste of the open road, it can be hard to walk away. Learning to drive a truck is not as difficult as many people imagine. Three weeks of intensive behind-the-wheel and in-the-classroom training and you’re ready to undertake your commercial drivers license assessment. Pass that test and you’re ready to claim the highways. Interested? Contact the oldest truck driver training organization in the country for details on our next commercial drivers license training program.

Obtaining a commercial drivers license (CDL) opens the door to a wide variety of truck driving careers. That one license covers drivers for many different types of trucks ranging from the humble dump truck to the large interstate rigs you see on the highways. Truck driving careers range from local deliveries to working on long haul interstate trucks, even cross country trucks. You can also find truck drivers crossing borders between the US and Canada and the US and Mexico.

Truck driving work includes driving:

• tankers filled with anything from milk to fuel oil
• mining trucks filled with mineral bearing ore
• flatbeds loaded with heavy equipment
• dump trucks filled with sand or gravel
• trucks transporting general freight

Of course, that list only touches the surface. Every single product, including water, gets delivered by truck at some point in its journey to your home – you could also add the building materials that went into building your home. The only food items that aren’t affected by a truck in some way is what you grow yourself.

There is more to learning to drive a truck than just sitting in the driver’s seat. To complete the CDL test requirements you will need knowledge of Department of Transportation rules, safety and safe operation of equipment, and CDL regulations. You will also need more than just basic driving skills. You will need to demonstrate your ability to drive safely in public, reverse (not an easy task when driving articulated vehicles), and couple and uncouple your vehicle.

Training is important and should be undertaken by competent and qualified truck driving instructors. It also helps if you undertake your training through an organization that has a history of great performance and is well respected in the industry. ATS Truck Driver Training Schools fulfills all of those attributes – and you can complete your training is as little as three weeks. Truck driver training – it opens up a world full of opportunities.

Truck driving careers offer a lot for employees who enjoy working in an environment where they are almost totally in control. The only outside influence on your career is the where, what and when – where you need to load and unload, what you are loading and unloading, and when the items need picking up and dropping off. It sounds like a lot, but you’re in control of the how and that is really is the major component of the job, especially when it comes to interstate truck driving.

Having a commercial drivers license opens the door to a wide range of truck driving jobs. When we say flexibility, we really mean it. You could be driving dump trucks, perhaps local delivery trucks, or flatbeds transporting heavy equipment, and that’s just for starters. Take a moment at some time and just watch the main roads. In most areas, you will see trucks of many different shapes and sizes delivering everything from water through petroleum and gas products; fresh food from farms through to manufactured foods; in fact, any item you can buy has a truck’s involvement somewhere. You can even see homes, or parts of homes, being trucked across the country.

It takes all of three weeks to train to become a truck driver. Gaining your commercial drivers license will depend on how quickly you can pass the local requirements for that license. When it comes to employment, like most industries, the hardest part is getting your foot through the door. If you are a competent driver then you find that the industry is fairly stable – even in poor economic climates (we still eat and drink and we still drive).

ATS Truck Driving Schools have a number of locations across the country. We have almost 50 years of continuous service teaching students in fields such as truck driving, crane operations and heavy equipment operations. With that experience, and strong reputation amongst employers for graduating quality drivers, the only thing holding you back from a truck driving career is you yourself.

If you’re a heavy equipment operator then you may be starting to notice that employers are now preferring to employ operators that have their commercial drivers license. In today’s tight markets, employers are looking to cut costs and if they can have operators that can also take their equipment out to a work site then they have saved the cost of a dedicated truck driver. This is especially true of business owners that only have a handful of equipment in use at any one time. A dedicated truck driver would most likely sit idle for several hours a day, and that’s wasted money in today’s economic climate.

For heavy equipment operators, it makes sense. Armed with the right training and a CDL, you can truck your equipment to a work site, perform the tasks required, then truck your equipment onto the next job. There is no waiting around for a truck to arrive and transport your equipment – you are in complete control of your work space. For businesses, as we mentioned, the cost factor is of utmost importance.

If you are a heavy equipment operator looking to add a commercial drivers license to your range of skills, you only require three weeks of truck driver training and to then pass the necessary tests to be licensed. That three weeks is a sound investment in your future as it not only provides you with a skill and license that employers are looking for, it also opens the door for further employment options such as dump truck driving or general truck driving.

Employers are looking to employ individuals who can offer a range of skills. This makes those employees versatile and available for work where and when needed. Are you versatile? Do you have a range of skills that make you more valuable than the next operator? That could be the key to increasing your employment opportunities – and your value to employers.

With all the turmoil that has occurred in recent years, individuals are now looking around for careers that offer a little stability. Truck driving is one career that does have a degree of stability. Let’s face it, no matter how tough the economy is, we still need food; we still need to transport goods like farm produce, raw materials and finished goods to markets and retail outlets. To achieve that, we need competent truck drivers and the first step to a career as a truck driver is to obtain a commercial drivers license.

Like a standard car license, prospective truck drivers have to pass both a written and practical test before they are issued with their commercial drivers license. The best way to ensure a pass in these tests is by undertaking training from professionals with a proven track record. How does a proven track record of almost fifty years sound? To stay in business, and to maintain a good reputation for that period of time says plenty about Associated Training Services. There’s good reason for that too – check out what is offered in their commercial drivers license training:

• Hands on behind-the-wheel training including road driving and backing exercises;
• Pre-trip inspection training;
• Coupling and uncoupling;
• Department of Transportation rules;
• Safety and safe operation of equipment;
• CDL regulations

This comprehensive training program is undertaken over three weeks and prepares students well for their commercial drivers license. On completion of training and after gaining their CDL, students are ready for any entry level position in the trucking industry. Truck driving offers competitive rates of pay, good conditions, and a variety of work types including long distance, local and intrastate. Truck drivers could be driving tankers, flat bed trailers with heavy equipment, or small local delivery trucks. What is most important to note is that you have the choice.

Looking for a stable career? Consider truck driving.