CDL Careers

What do CDL careers require?
If you want to be a bus or truck driver, a commercial driver's license (CDL) is the first stop on your career route. Federal regulations require drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles that exceed 26,000 pounds, or are designed to carry 16 or more people, to get a CDL with the appropriate endorsements from the state in which they live.

How can I get into CDL careers?
To qualify for CDL careers, you'll need to pass a written test on rules and regulations, and then demonstrate that you can operate a bus or commercial truck safely. You'll need to maintain a good driving record, too. A national databank records all driving violations incurred by commercial driver's license holders, and a state may not issue a CDL to someone who has already had a license suspended or revoked in another state. Since you can't hold more than one driver's license at a time, you'll have to surrender any other licenses when you get a CDL.

Do I need to take any courses to get a CDL?
Some states require prospective truck drivers to complete a training course in basic truck driving before being issued a commercial driver's license. The Professional Truck Driver Institute certifies driver training courses at truck driver training schools that meet industry standards and Federal Highway Administration guidelines for training tractor-trailer drivers.

How many CDL careers are available?
Once you get a CDL, you're on the road to a fleet of driving opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, bus drivers held about 653,000 jobs in 2004; about 71 percent of these were school bus drivers. While employment of bus drivers overall is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014, employment growth for local-transit bus drivers is expected to be faster than the average. Truck drivers held about 2.8 million jobs in 2004, and overall employment of truck drivers and driver/sales workers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014.

How much can I earn with CDL careers?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median hourly earnings of transit and intercity bus drivers were $14.30 in May 2004, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $23.53. Median hourly earnings of school bus drivers were $11.18, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $16.81. And median hourly earnings of heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers were $16.11, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $24.07.

Test-drive CDL careers, and choose your own professional destination.

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