A class A driver, also referred to as a CDL driver, is the motorist of commercial trucks used for the transportation of goods. Although regulations regarding class A licenses vary by state, generally, they are required for vehicles that weigh above 26,001 lbs, such as trucking rigs, semitrailers, or motor trucks.
Training courses with qualified instructors are available for you if you have never worked as a CDL driver before and you do not have any military experience. You can extend a CDL license with additional certifications, allowing you to transport hazardous cargo or tow livestock, or tanker trailers.
As easy as it sounds, working as a CDL driver takes a toll on your life, having to spend long periods of time away from home. Demands on the position are increasing in alignment with the national average, though, so there will be no shortage of openings if you do decide to embark on this journey. Pun intended.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a class a driver. For example, did you know that they make an average of $28.64 an hour? That's $59,564 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 99,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many class a drivers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed hand-eye coordination, hearing ability and physical health.
If you're interested in becoming a class a driver, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 10.8% of class a drivers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.6% of class a drivers have master's degrees. Even though some class a drivers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a class a driver. When we researched the most common majors for a class a driver, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on class a driver resumes include diploma degrees or bachelor's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a class a driver. In fact, many class a driver jobs require experience in a role such as driver. Meanwhile, many class a drivers also have previous career experience in roles such as cdl class a driver or truck driver.