Episode 125: Getting Your CDL: Where to Start and What Every New Driver Should Know

Becoming a truck driver starts long before your first load, and getting your CDL can feel overwhelming with so many schools, recruiters, training programs, and opinions pointing you in different directions. In this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi breaks down what the process looks like today, including Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT), the different ways to pay for CDL school, company-sponsored training, reimbursement programs, and contracts. He explains the advantages and tradeoffs of each option while encouraging future drivers to look beyond the sales pitch and understand exactly what they're committing to before they sign.

Tyler also shares why your first trucking job shouldn't be about chasing the highest pay or biggest sign-on bonus. Instead, he explains why building experience, finding strong mentors, staying coachable, and developing good habits behind the wheel will create more opportunities throughout your career. Every experienced driver started somewhere, and this episode offers honest, practical advice to help new drivers build a strong foundation and take their first steps into an industry that has supported families and communities for generations.

Transcript

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Welcome to Keep Trucking Personal. I'm Tyler TV, a third generation trucker. My purpose is simple. Make sure the definition of trucking doesn't get lost in the culture this industry is driven toward. This podcast is about real stories, the hard lessons, and the standards that built this business long before apps and algorithms. If you believe trucking is more than freight and it's responsibility, you're in the right place. Let's get into it. Hey guys, welcome to Keep Trucking Personal. My name is Tyler, and I'm your host. Today, I want to talk a little bit about another question I keep getting asked. And it's not about drivers that are already in the market. It's about drivers asking how to get into the market. And it's my runner-up question, right? My first one, which was an episode last week, is do you hire SAP drivers? And I wanted to cover that and talk about what it is. And now it's how do I get my CDL? Or will you help me get my CDL? Or where would you recommend that I get my CDL and how? Those are the things that I hear a lot. And so obviously, you know, you're thinking about becoming a truck driver. And there are some that are already in CDL school, and there are some that have just received their license, but many are just saying, where do I even begin? Like, where do I start? And you know it can feel overwhelming. And those drivers are asking questions. There are so many schools, there are companies out there that offer things, there are contracts, there are recruiters, there are a hundred opinions online. And so today I want to simplify the process and help you understand what getting your first CDL job looks like. Okay. And so first we have to go a little bit backwards, right? We have to look in the rearview mirror and understand that some things have changed over the last few years. And if you're getting your CDL today, you're required to complete the entry-level driver training. Okay, and that's the ELDT. And so before this became a law or into effect, you could go and test, take your permit, and just take your road test at your own liberty. You would figure out how to source your own training, right? So in my case, I was able to learn in our shop how to back trucks. I was able to ride with my older brother Derek and get that hands-on experience. It wasn't regulated, okay? And so before anyone can just sign up to take their permit or road test, you have to complete that training, okay? And that training could be three to six weeks, right? So a typical school could be three to six weeks, eight weeks, maybe, depending on how the training goes. But it you will take this training, right? So you have to go to a certified entry-level driver training location. And there are now lists of these schools that are approved. They have to be approved. The regulations have gotten tighter, but the goal is simple here with this process. It's to raise the baseline. It's to make sure new drivers receive both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training before getting behind the wheel professionally. They want to make sure that you know what you're doing and that you're safe. But there isn't just one way to get your CDL, right? Like there's many that you can attend. There's several. One option is paying for private CDL school yourself. And that could be cash, that could be cash and financing the tuition. Many schools already are partnered with a lender that's prepared to help, right? But so all cash or partial cash, you know, money down, and then you finance the rest, or grants, veteran benefits. There's many things that help go towards your tuition. Another path is finding a trucking company that offers a school through either themselves or a trucking company sponsors the school. And there's a few benefits to that, and that's kind of the one I recommend. Some of these trucking companies still require you to pay for the schooling up front. And so they want that commitment. You can see why they want that. They don't want you to sign on a line and it's free, let's say, as long as you sign it to your contract. They want you committed, they want you invested. So you pay for this schooling that's their school, and then once you're finished, you can get a reimbursement program. So they'll reimburse you weekly, monthly, biannually, however it works, but you get reimbursed. So you can technically get your school free. There are some schools that will do everything from minimal out of pocket, even pay you to attend it, and then you're under contract for a certain duration, right? And if you void that contract or you leave that company, then you could be held responsible for the cost of school plus penalties. Okay? And so there's a few different ways to look at it, right? You can source and pay yourself, you can attend a school that you still pay for yourself, but you get reimbursed from a trucking company that sponsors that school, or there are some companies that will pay for it in full, but you have a contract that you have to fulfill, or you owe all that back plus penalties, right? And so neither option is automatically right or wrong. But the important thing is understanding what you're signing. So make sure you read the agreement, ask the questions, and know your commitment before you commit. Like I said, I always often recommend find a trucking school that's sponsored by a trucking company, and make sure you work that in tandem. You want to leave this school with a job. Now, whether it's completely free and you sign a contract for two years or it's a reimbursement program, which means if you stay there for a year, you get reimbursed for that year, but then you're able to leave at leisure. Like there's a few options, and it depends on where you live geographically and what the commodity is and what it is, and if it's OTR or local, like you can see there's a lot of parts to it, it's not just one simple answer. But there's something I wish every driver knew when they're brand new. Your first job doesn't have to be your forever job, okay? Its purpose is to help you build experience. And so every experienced driver was once a rookie, right? We've had episodes on this before, rookie drivers. But everybody starts there, myself included. The first year is about learning. And so make sure, even if you're questioning the company, you should focus on getting the experience, getting the time backing in, getting the trip planning time, understanding and learning the weather, learning customers, and learning how to manage your clock on your hours of service. So time management, learning how to be a professional truck driver. Don't worry about finding the perfect job on day one, or don't get lured into clickbait on social media. Focus on building the experience. Okay? That's what's most important is you want to get that experience that helps you become a better driver long term. I see so many drivers that sometimes also get in like autopilot. They're not taking it for what it is. Focus on the planning, focus on where you are, focus on remembering the truck stops and your preferred areas. Focus on taking all that in and absorbing it because you want to build that experience that all the companies in the future are going to ask for. Will you hire a six-month-year CDL driver? Well, if you have a current job, you should run that for a year. You should get that experience when you're brand new. Because a lot of companies that want experience also look at your job patterns. So if you come into your two years finally, right? Many companies require that, and you've got six jobs, you're really hopping around, and people do take that into question. They want serious commitments. We want you to have a serious job and be successful, but you have to commit to. And so, nonetheless, insurance requires experience of certain companies, or they charge more, or maybe they don't cover that driver at all and they deny it. And so that's why carriers establish minimum requirements. It's not because we don't want to hire new drivers, it's simply we just can't get the insurance company behind it. There's too much risk. Do not get discouraged if you hear not yet. Like you don't have enough experience currently, but please reach back out in six months, eight months. If there's a company you're pursuing, don't let up. Just keep building your experience. And so another important thing is your reputation starts on day one when you get that first load solo and you have to start showing up on time. You have to be coachable and you have to ask questions, and you should be taking notes, mental notes, taking it on your phone, voice memos. Find ways to make sure you have a way to build dialogue and something you can reference. Communicate and communicate often. Nobody wants you as a brand new driver or expects you to know everything. They want you to build on it, they want effort. That's what they're looking for. They're looking for honesty. They don't want somebody that's misleading them. They expect you to learn. You have to be coachable. Those qualities will take you farther than pretending you have all the answers. And I can speak from experience when I see people that they almost act like they know everything. And that's hard to follow. That's hard to get behind. You don't have to know everything. You just have to be willing to learn. And so make sure you're not just following, like I said earlier, that clickbait or the biggest advertisement, the highest pay, the biggest sign-on bonus, the flashiest truck. Ask yourself, who's going to teach me? You should be asking yourself that. Who is going to teach me? Who is going to invest in me to be a better driver? Who's going to help me become a better professional? Money does matter, without a doubt, but experience is an investment. And the better foundation you build, the more opportunities you'll have. And your first few months for sure are going to feel uncomfortable. I've spoken to a lot of drivers that started out in maybe the deep end of the pool, going straight into OTR and they weren't comfortable yet. And it's intimidating. I know that. I acknowledge that when I speak with drivers that have never crossed state lines or they're working locally and they're getting ready to stretch their legs and see what's out there. It can be uncomfortable, but it's okay. That's why at our company we bring you in with a mentor, one of our seasoned drivers. We want you successful and we want you to have options, not just in the office, but real drivers doing the real job next to you to give you options, to give you suggestions, to give you recommendations, or just to listen. Maybe you have a concern how you're securing your load, just listen. But they'll hear you out. Every driver's been there, okay? Don't quit on yourself. It's intimidating out there, but it is a great profession and is nothing better than getting to see the countryside and travel and learn. And keep asking questions. I love when I get these questions. That's why I'm focused on these certain topics because they're real. These are real questions. These are questions that drivers are curious about the industry, but they're just not sure what to do. Okay, so just keep showing up. Find a trucking company sponsored school, speak with trucking companies, make sure you work it in tandem. It depends on your financial situation, how you start. Everything comes into decision making, but now you kind of get the gist of how it works, how it plays together. And so if you're thinking about getting your CDL, I just really want to encourage you. This industry has so much to offer. It's incredible. And it has careers that it's built, and it's supported so many families, including my own, and built communities for generations. But success doesn't happen overnight. You have to learn the craft, you have to protect your CDL, find good companies, find companies with mentors. And your first job isn't about proving you've made it. It's about building that foundation that people will see and recognize and helps you build the career you're going to have. So thank you for listening to Keep Trucking Personal and be safe out there. Appreciate you tuning in. If you got value out of this, subscribe and send it to someone who takes pride in the job. We're not just moving freight, we're shaping the culture. Catch you on the next one.