How hard is it to get a CDL license? Do you think it's still worth it?

Re: Is it worth it.

Maybe.

I’m in my second year and on track to make 90k driving OTR. And for the record, I enjoy driving very much. I find it mostly stress free. The BS sucks at times, but that is part of life and happens everywhere.

But is it worth it? I’m struggling to with that question myself.

The health toll is real. Expect to eat garbage food constantly. It’s inevitable, you get hungry, are tired, and that’s all there is.

It’s incredibly dangerous. You live in a rolling vehicle in all weather conditions, surrounded by people that can’t drive, are aggressive, or even suicidal.

There are many legal liability pitfalls out here. Make a mistake and the lawyer vultures are coming for you.

You will have times when no showers or toilets are available. You find ways around that, but all drivers don’t. Be careful to not step on the bags they leave behind.

Honestly, I don’t know if it’s worth it. But I do enjoy it.

 

NOTHING IS FREE! Somebody is paying for it.

 

well
In this world there are “makers “ and there are “takers”

and everything is free for the “takers”

but it’s been that way for many years
When I went to vo tech school in the 80s for drafting and design , I was the ONLY person in the class that was paying out of pocket for the school

everyone else was on a free program of one kind or another.
Some people were on a program where the state paid for their tuition, and supplies and books ,
Paid for the baby sitters for their kids , paid fir their gas to and from school, paid for the lunch at school etc

I was the fool.
I was paying cash.
it was a work at your own pace class , finish one assignment , get a passing grade and move on to the next one .
And I finished the class in 9 months .
Everyone else took 2’1/2 years because it was a paid vacation for them .

 

First off, a CDL is NOT hard to get. It is exacting to get though! In fact, I think CDLs are too easy to get. Right now it is possible for someone with zero knowledge of this industry to go to school go out with a trainer and be out on their own within 6 months. Some trainers themselves have less than a year of experience. Just searching over the thread history in TTR bears me out. Thread after thread about MULTIPLE accidents/incidents can be found.

Right now I have no answers to this conundrum. I do know this! It makes me sick to my stomach to walk around in medium to large truckstop parking. It never fails if I look hard enough at least one truck in ten to twenty will have some kind of damage on the right side and/or busted fairings! OR sit in the morning and watch drivers leave with headlights out and every once in a while see a flat or grossly underinflated tire. No! I think it is way too easy to get a CDL!

 

Thanks for the info. I'm definitely thinking about all those aspects along with the good ones like salary, etc.. certainly sounds like it could be challenging at times for sure.

 

I think the test is hard enough. It’s all about accountability in the workplace. I’ve met some of the country’s most talented people and they cut corners like crazy.

Challenging is an understatement. The industry is cutthroat. Vultures everywhere