The economy is starting to improve and, as it does, we are becoming freer with our dollars and starting to spend. While the economy in general benefits, customers spending more through retailers means more work for truck drivers. As a result, truck driving careers are starting to rebound and over the next 12-18 months, the demand for experienced drivers is going to increase.

Truck driving has been a popular career in the past and for good reasons too. The job pays reasonably well and you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder all the time. In fact, once you’re in the driver’s seat, you’re effectively the boss. Add to this, fairly good work conditions – let’s face it, modern trucks are air-conditioned, come fitted with CD/radios and, often, two-way radios. Power steering and much easier to handle gear boxes and clutches makes driving almost a breeze. The hardest part of a truck driving career is probably obtaining your commercial drivers license or CDL.

Of course, if you’re smart you’ll undertake training through a well recognized truck driver training school. If they are well recognized then they obviously have a good reputation for training drivers to industry standards, and for achieving high pass rates when it comes to undertaking the commercial drivers license assessments. The most important part of any truck driver training program is the hands-on training you receive. Reversing maneuvers, driving in traffic and general driving skills are all important if you want to pass your license tests, and if you want to be a successful truck driver.

If you’re looking at truck driver training options – give ATS Truck Driver Training Schools a call – or send us an email. Our training program can prepare you for a commercial drivers license test in as little as three weeks and when it comes to reputations – we have one of the best in the business.

There are always two ways to get things done – the easy way and the hard way. When looking to obtain your commercial drivers license, the same is true. The hard way – try to teach yourself, or be trained by a driver who has bad driving habits and isn’t up to date with the road rules, or the easy way – through a truck driver training school with 40 years experience training drivers. I know what my preference is – what’s yours?

Being trained by skilled truck driver trainers ensures you don’t pick up bad habits right from day one. Bad habits are one of the biggest problems in any occupation because once developed they are extremely hard to break. They say that it takes five days to develop a habit, and five weeks of conscious effort to break them. If you start with good habits, you will have a lifetime of good driving skills. Learning to drive a truck and then acquiring your commercial drivers license goes well beyond habits, however. You need good skills, particularly in some of the trickier aspects like reversing a tractor and trailer – it’s not as easy as it looks.

Highway driving, particularly in traffic, is another skill that needs to be developed. Some of these bigger rigs require a lot of road space to stop, even in an emergency. Learning these skills is essential if you are to have a long and happy career as a truck driver. Your commercial drivers license is simply a test (perhaps simple is the wrong word) that a well trained driver should pass with ease. It does come back to that basic truck driver training.

ATS Truck Driver Training Schools have the experience, the skilled trainers and the industry respect when it comes to producing well trained truck drivers. If you’re driving down the highway and you meet a truck coming the other way, who do you want behind the wheel of that truck, a well trained driver or one that has learned a lot of bad habits? I hope its an ATS trained driver!

One of the big changes that has taken place over the last twenty years has been in the number of women that have taken on truck driving as a career. When you think about a truck driver, most people imagine beer swilling, foul mouthed men in singlets and shorts – nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, many businesses now provide their truck drivers with a uniform of sorts, even if it’s just a monogrammed shirt.

Women entering the truck driving ranks has become easier over the years and most employers now don’t balk at hiring a woman driver. The reality is that today’s trucks don’t require brute strength; they have power steering and gear boxes that almost change up or down on their own. Truck drivers are rarely required to load or unload their cargo – that is left to specialized equipment like forklifts or overhead cranes.

Like all careers, the learning curve for women is no different to that of men. Truck driver training schools like ATS Truck Driving School can have a student ready to sit for their commercial drivers license in as little as three weeks. That is three weeks of solid behind the wheel training together with in class theoretical knowledge building.

If you are woman looking for a different type of career – why not consider taking on truck driving. The work is interesting, the pay good and the opportunities there. Women and truck driving have been a successful mix for many years now and you can be a part of it too.

Acquiring a commercial drivers license and gaining a little experience driving trucks can add a number of benefits to your employment opportunities into the future. If you’re a heavy equipment operator, then being able to also transport your equipment to a job has obvious benefits. However, heavy equipment is not the only occupation that can benefit from a commercial drivers license.

Logging, mining and agriculture are areas where the possession of commercial drivers license can be of benefit. If an employer knows that you are licensed, and that you have some experience, you become an asset to the business; someone they can call on to drive a truck should they be short of drivers. This is known as multi-skilling and many employers are now recognizing the benefits of having multi-skilled workers in their work force.

Other areas where a commercial drivers license could be an asset include warehousing, bulk terminals, ports and certain manufacturing industries. Acquiring a commercial drivers license also adds another dimension to your current career. If employment options become limited in your field of employment, you can always fall back to truck driving until employment situation improves.

If you are interested in adding a commercial drivers license to your skills base you can do so in as little as three weeks. ATS Truck Driver Schools can provide you with all the driving skills required to first, pass the commercial truck drivers licensing test, and secondly, to work in the industry. Truck driving is a career with many options in itself and can be well paid when compared to many other career options. In fact, if you compare training time to income, a commercial truck driver training course comes out well in front. Interested? Contact us today for more information.

A commercial drivers license (CDL) enables the holder to operate vehicles of a commercial nature. This includes trucks, tankers and buses. It is the class of license together with any endorsements that determines what size vehicle and what sort of goods the holder can transport. Generally speaking, the classes and endorsements are common across the nation even though each state manages their own licensing. This often means that, although you hold a particular license in one state, if you move to another state you will need to transfer your license to that new state.

Using Florida’s licensing system as an example, the classes of commercial drivers license fall into the following three categories:

• Class A: Trucks or a truck combination that has gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 lbs. or more, provided towed vehicle is more than 10,000 lbs.
• Class B: Straight trucks weighing 26,001 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating or more
• Class C: Vehicles transporting placardable amounts of hazardous materials, or vehicles designed to transport more than 15 persons including the driver with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 lbs.

Endorsements are additions, or special components to a license, that allow the operator to move certain goods. The Endorsement comes in the form of a letter; for example, an A class CDL with H endorsement. The endorsements are (for Florida):

• H. Any vehicle used to transport hazardous materials in placardable amounts.
• N. A tank vehicle designed to transport any liquid or gaseous material with designed capacity of 1,000 gallons or more.
• P. Any vehicle, public or private, designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver
• S. A commercial motor vehicle (requires CDL) used to transport pre-primary, primary or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home or to and from school-sponsored events. Does not include a bus used as a common carrier.
• T. Combination vehicles with double/triple trailers
• X. Any tank vehicle used to transport placardable amounts of hazardous material

To obtain a commercial drivers license, you will need to meet certain requirements such as age (18), pass an eye test and undertake (and pass) written and practical tests. There are also Federal requirements that need to be meet (for example, if you are wanting a H – hazardous materials – endorsement then you will need TSA finger print clearance) and a DOT physical examination.

ATS Truck Driver Schools can help prepare you for the tests that are required to obtain your commercial drivers license. This includes both in-class and behind-the-wheel training. Truck drivers are in high demand and although the process to obtain a CDL may seem protracted, it can be achieved quite quickly. A Class A commercial drivers license can certainly open the door to a whole new career.

Is truck driver training difficult? It can be but it shouldn’t be. If you can drive a car then taking the next step to driving a truck is really no big deal. There are certainly a few more road rules you need to learn and some driving techniques do require a little practice. However, truck driver training should be and is easy when you have experts training you.

I once overheard a truck driver telling a student that the hardest part of driving a truck was getting into the rig. Once in, the rest became easy. For some people it’s true too. If you enjoy driving and enjoy being on the road then you’re halfway there. If you can maintain a high level of concentration then you’re almost there. All you need are the skills themselves and they come with practice. Apart from getting into the truck, the hardest part of driving a truck it realizing its size. You can’t perform the same zippy movements that you can in a car, and the bigger the truck the more important size becomes.

If you take a big rig traveling at sixty miles per hour down the highway, how quickly could it stop in an emergency? You would be surprised but, invariably, it’s never enough and you always run the risk of jack-knifing if you’re driving a tractor-trailer setup. Yet these are all basic skills that can be taught, and learned, in only three weeks. Truck driver training that puts you behind the wheel for as many hours as possible is the key to becoming a good truck driver. Practicing reversing, practicing turning tight corners, and practicing driving in traffic are the only way to develop skills – so long as there is a skilled trainer alongside you correcting mistakes and offering tips and sound advice.

If you are looking to become a truck driver, undertake your training with skilled professionals through a business that has over 40 years experience in truck driver training. Let’s face it, to survive that long means they must be doing something right – and they are, they are producing skilled drivers ready to walk into a career as a professional truck driver. Are you ready for truck driver training that’s been made easy?

A CDL is simply an acronym for a commercial drivers license yet we come across many job advertisements for heavy equipment operators that use terms like “possessing a CDL would be beneficial”. What the employer is looking for is a heavy equipment operator who has commercial drivers license so they can transport the equipment to the job. It’s a pity sometime that they didn’t just ask for a truck drivers license since the term CDL can be confusing.

Your commercial drivers license may well be labeled as a Class A CDL, or Class A commercial drivers license. They mean the same thing. State transport departments issue truck driving licenses so you will need to check on requirements in your state. Generally speaking, a Class A CDL entitles you to drive any vehicle apart from those that require special endorsements. Dangerous goods is one example of special endorsement. To gain a CDL, most states require the following:

• Possess or qualify for a non-commercial Class C driver license;
• Complete a Commercial Driver License Application;
• Provide proof of your full legal name, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your Social Security Number, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your residence address in that state, each time you apply;
• Pass a CDL General Knowledge Test;
• Pass a CDL Combination Knowledge Test;
• Pass a behind-the-wheel Drive Test in a Class A commercial vehicle;
• Pass a Pre-Trip Inspection Test
• Present a valid DOT Medical Certificate with waivers or exemptions as required; and
• Pay the appropriate fees

Some states will differ slightly from this list so, again, check with the requirements in your state. How do you put yourself in a position to be able to successfully complete that list? Easy. Call us at ATS Truck Driving Schools. We are the leader in the nation in truck driver training, with 40 years experience in the business. We prepare you well for your tests with a thorough behind-the-wheel training schedule that includes tricky components like reversing maneuvers and negotiating highway traffic. You can complete the training and obtain your commercial drivers license (Class A CDL) in as little as three weeks.

One of the benefits of a truck driving career is that you get to choose the type of trucks you want to drive and where you want drive. This is important to many people who don’t want to wander too far from home each day. However, local truck driving jobs are not restricted to just local deliveries of goods. There are other options. Likewise, distance driving doesn’t have to mean interstate, you can also drive intrastate, that is, from one city or county to the next. Here is a list of the types of jobs and trucks you could be driving:

Local – deliveries, parcels and packages, food items, building materials. Trucks used include refrigerated trucks, specialist trucks, large vans and open trucks.

Regional – grain handling, heavy equipment, furniture, building materials and cement. Trucks used include specialist trucks, flat beds, large vans and dump trucks.

Intrastate – grain handling, petroleum products, furniture and produce and may involve specialist trucks, tractor trailers, large flat bed trucks and large delivery vans.

Interstate – petroleum products, motor vehicles, furniture, produce. This work traditionally involves large tractor trailer rigs although specialist trucks, flat beds and large vans are also used.

There is a large cross-over of trucks used and materials carried. I have really only touched the surface since every single product used has to be transported at some stage. That is one of the great things about truck driving as a career – the type of work and the type of vehicles available is so varied you will always find something that suits your interests.

You can start a truck driving career with as little as three weeks training that readies you for both the workplace and the mandatory licensing processes. Call ATS Truck Driving School for more information on truck driver training programs.

A commercial drivers license is like having a license for a lifetime career – so long as you keep renewing it. The next time you are out on the road, check out the truck drivers around you. If you are observant you will notice a couple of things. The drivers range in age from early twenties right through the late fifties and early sixties (at least, they look it). They also come from a variety of backgrounds and, if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of the rare (but growing in numbers) female truck driver.

Trucks of today are a little like our modern cars. They come with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, cd/radios, you name it. They have the latest in modern conveniences. Check inside a big rig and you will see a mini-apartment complete with bed, television, refrigeration and microwave oven.

Of course, those are the modern trucks. There are still plenty of the older style trucks around but very few of the old dinosaurs that require muscles the size of Hulk Hogan’s to steer – thankfully. You can gain your commercial truck drivers license at virtually any age (so long as you meet the various state driving requirements) and gain employment in trucks ranging from the smaller local delivery trucks up to the large interstate transporters.

Believe it or not, it all starts with a basic three week training program that prepares you for your commercial drivers license (CDL) testing. ATS has a truck driving school that has over 40 years experience in the field of truck driver training. Our course prepares students for the CDL test using both in class and behind the wheel training. Important maneuvers like reversing and driving in traffic are also well practiced. Looking for a lifelong career opportunity? Consider obtaining your commercial drivers license – it only takes three weeks yet it opens up a lifetime of opportunities.

A truck driving career offers one thing that many other careers can’t match – constant change. At least, a constant change in scenery. Truck driving covers a broad spectrum of jobs ranging from your local delivery driver to tractor-trailer drivers that transport heavy equipment and on to interstate transport drivers. You can find a career that really suits your personal situation.

For many family oriented people, being home each night to help tuck the kids into bed is important. Local delivery drivers often start early in the morning and finish early in the afternoon. You’re not only in time to tuck the kids into bed, you’re home in time to spend some quality time with them. Local delivery truck drivers transport everything. You could be driving a refrigerated truck carrying frozen foods, perhaps carrying timber to building sites, or delivering parcels from the local freight depot.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who are single, or whose children have grown up, or who feel the need to escape the bedlam at home. They drive the interstate transport trucks and can be away from home for several days at a time. Like local truck drivers, interstate drivers carry a wide range of products. You name a product and you can almost guarantee a truck has been involved with it somewhere along the line.

All these truck drivers have one thing in common – they had to undertake training in order to obtain their truck driving licenses. ATS Truck Driving Schools has been a leader in the field for over forty years, having trained thousands of drivers during that time. Our truck driver training program is comprehensive and includes both behind the wheel on the road training and classroom based training.

If you feel your career is going nowhere, why not consider a truck driving career? You can be sure it will take you somewhere.