Driving School

The regulations for a Commercial Driver's License vary slightly from state to state, but each state will issue a training manual that will help drivers pass the written/computerized section of the CDL exam. However, as far as passing the road test portion of the exam, there is no substitute for hands-on driving experience. The most common way to get the experience needed is to attend a driving school.

There are three main types of driving schools: private schools, public institutions and motor carrier training companies. Each type of school has pluses and minuses. A private school is an independent business dedicated to training drivers. They have an interest in making money, and they rely on providing quality instruction to develop a reputation for turning out well-trained drivers. This works in the student's favor for the most part. There are some schools that try to make money by cutting corners or scrimping on training. Fortunately, these schools quickly earn a bad reputation. Asking around in the trucking industry before deciding on a privatedriving school will help avoid those situations.

Publically-funded driving schools are operated and funded by state or local governments. Examples of these would be community colleges, state colleges or vocational-technical schools. Because the driving program is only one class in a curriculum of courses, public driving schools might not provide the same level of instruction as a private driving school; students might receive more thorough instruction at a private driving school. The advantage of a public driving school is often the cost. They might be subsidized in part by local and state governments, and thus be able to offer the program for a lower cost per student.

The third option is motor carrier training, or driving instruction offered through a company looking to then hire people for truck driver jobs. This is by far the worst option for anyone looking to gain thorough instruction. The company's interest in this case is to train drivers as quickly as they can in order to get more drivers on the road. This is not really a driving school; it is on the job training. The student will likely receive the bare minimum of instruction necessary to pass the CDL test.Then, the driver is turned out on the road with very little experience, accompanied by a driver-trainer who might be only slightly more experienced than the student.

Students should never sacrifice the quality of instruction or the amount of hands-on, behind the wheel training for the sake of cost or a shorter course.