Midlife Crisis To A Midlife Career Change Via A CDL Course
They say there's a point in your life when you start questioning what you're doing and want to make bold changes. It's called the midlife crisis. Typically, this is the age range when children have been raised to adulthood and leave the nest, resulting in empty nest syndrome which often turns into a midlife crisis.
For some, a midlife crisis results in a midlife career change. If you are established in your career and suddenly find yourself wanting to take to the road and become a trucker, you'll need to start off by taking CDL courses such as ALL - N - 1 CDL. Here's what you need to look for.
Commercial Learner's Permit
Just as with your regular driver's license, you'll need to take and pass a written exam to get a commercial learner's permit (CLP) as your first step towards getting your CDL. Some CDL courses will have this process included in the course while others may want you to already have a CLP before beginning their CDL courses. So, select the course you will take first so you'll know whether or not this test and expense are included so you don't end up paying for the CLP twice.
Practice Driving
Another thing you'll want to look into before signing up for a particular course is how much practice driving time is included in the course in addition to the driving instruction. Also, you'll want to see if they allow you to request additional practice time at any point during the course and, if so, if there are any additional fees for the extra time and how much those costs will be.
Road Testing
And just as you did when you got your regular driver's license, you'll need to take and pass a road test. Road tests are given at the state's Department of Motor Vehicle's testing sites and third-party testing sites, which are mostly CDL courses. However, not all CDL courses offer third-party testing, so this is another thing to consider when you are selecting your CDL course.
While you should definitely be ready to take and pass a test by either testing provider, the issue here will likely be that you would need to borrow a semi-truck to take the test through the DMV, as well as have someone who is licensed drive the semi to the DMV testing site. Since this can be a logistical nightmare, most CDL courses are third-party testing sites, but you'll want to be certain if you don't have access to a semi and the help of a licensed driver.