I grew up driving trucks. I have a Peterbilt 387 with spread axle flatbed that I've driven for several years and I have a spiffy new Reitnouer beavertail coming next week. I want to get my CDL so that I am safer and have some more options. I don't have 160 hours to invest in a school, though.
I'm in Indiana and I've looked at the CDL requirements. They don't seem too daunting but I prefer to work through them efficiently.
For my pilot certificates, I did attend schools but I also used online courses, weekend written exam workshops, and private instructors. I expected that there would be similar CDL resources but I'm not finding them. I did find a couple online courses but not specific to Indiana. There are plenty of YouTube videos on various CDL subjects but the only Indiana-specific series I found was a horrible computer-generated one. I'm looking for something similar to what King Schools does for pilots that will efficiently walk me through what I need to know.
Then I need to find a private instructor to ensure that I'm ready for the skills test, especially the pretrip inspection for my truck. (Maybe I'm making the test out to be a bigger deal than it is. I also thought the motorcycle skills test would be tricky!) Are there places I can go for hourly instruction? Or hire someone to come to me?
Any pointers?
P.S. I'm going to buy CDL AudioLearn. Even though it's not Indiana-specific, I like Audible. I'll report on it.
getting a CDL "on my own"...with good help?
Discussion in 'Trucking Schools and CDL Training Forum' started by KylerLaird, Oct 13, 2018.
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Rideandrepair and KylerLaird Thank this.
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This is a joke, right? What a waste of time reading this garbage.
FozzyNOK, Cam Roberts and Puppage Thank this. -
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Kind of a confusing situation -
x1Heavy and Cam Roberts Thank this.
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You've been driving a Peterbilt 387 for "several years", and you decided to finally get a CDL to make you "safer"?
So, you've been driving your Pete and spread axle with NO CDL for "several years", or am I missing the point of your post?
I wish you every success.......austinmike Thanks this. -
lol i guess i wasted my time getting that pesky cdl
x1Heavy and homeskillet Thank this. -
I'm guessing you are currently agriculturally exempt from the CDL requirements? I was the same for many years, when I decided to get my licence I just got the book from the DMV and studied it for about a week. Then googled "(state) CDL practice tests" and did a few of them. Next day I went and took the written tests for licence and all my endorsements. I passed them all and I scheduled my drive test and used one of the farm trucks to take it. Passed everything first shot. Then went and got my medical card. Grand total it cost me $239.00 that my boss at the time reimbursed to me... That was about 6 or 7 years ago.
austinmike, Rideandrepair, KylerLaird and 2 others Thank this.
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