Remember when we were kids, how excited we’d be if a truck driver honked his horn when we asked?

What if you could deliver that amount of excitement to children every day? You could if you started commercial truck driving.

You need some education but not a college degree. It’s easy to get started. Learn about the truck driver requirements in the post below.

Why Become a Truck Driver?

If you’re looking into becoming a truck driver, you’re attracted to it for one reason or another. Is it independence? The money? Here are some reasons to get that cdl license below.

You Want to Work Independently

There aren’t a lot of jobs in the world where you almost never see your boss. In most jobs, they’re usually lurking around the corner and seem to walk by JUST as you open Facebook.

That won’t happen as a truck driver. You’ll talk to your boss on the phone, but otherwise, you’re on your own on the road. As long as you arrive on time and don’t run into any issues on the road, there’s no reason for them to call.

You Want to See the Country

Another benefit of truck driving is that you can see all the different parts of the country, through your truck window. Truck drivers can go through two or three states a day, depending on the state.

That means you can collect a truck-stop souvenir at every truck stop you fill up at to send to someone at home.

Within your first few years of driving, you’ll absolutely be able to check all 48 continental US states off your list. Bucket list checked off!

You Like Music or Audio Books

When you’re on the road you have a lot of time to yourself. You can read the equivalent of three or so books a week if you listen to audio books. That’s a lot of education that you’re basically getting paid to do.

The same holds true for music or listening to new albums. You can have music on whenever you’re driving, so you can listen to full discographies with ease.

You Like Money

Truck driving is a unique profession in that you sleep on/in the job. Instead of having to stop and pay for a hotel, your rig has a bed so you can just pull over and sleep.

That leaves your living costs down to food only on the road. Some truckers work so much that they get away with not paying rent, staying with their relatives when they’re home.

But that’s not to say you won’t earn enough money to pay rent as a truck driver – you will, and more. Walmart just announced that they’re paying some of their truck drivers a 90,000 a year.

Now that’s high, but go for it if you can! The national average is around $42,480 a year. That breaks down to $20 an hour if you were wondering.

You Don’t Have a Lot of Family Demands

Yes, there are plenty of truck drivers that have kids and a partner at home, but it’s hard for all involved. The kids don’t see their parent for long stretches while they’re on the road.

The partner at home can feel like a single parent, even though your salary is helping them. If you can make it work, great! But keep in mind how long you’ll be away from those you love.

Learning the Truck Driver Requirements

Each state has slightly different truck driver requirements than the other, but you need a CDL driving license in all of them. CDL is an endorsement on your license like you’d get for a motorcycle.

The test and process for getting the CDL (Commercial driving license) are different than it is for driving a regular car. You need to study different facts and driving strategies.

It makes sense, right? Driving a semi-truck is much different than driving a mini-van down the highway.

You can find out what your state requires by googling your state and “CDL requirements”.

Truck Driving School

In almost all states, you’ll need to go to a truck driving school or program. It’s not as complex as a degree. It’s even shorter than going to massage school.

You can spend three months in a program or three weeks. It depends on the intensity and speed of the program you find.

Just like any other trade school, it costs money to attend. But there are payment plans and scholarships you can access, depending on the school. If cost is an issue for you, call the financial aid or admissions department to talk to them about your options BEFORE you apply.

Take the State Exam

Finally, after you’re done with your program and you’ve studied on your own, you’ll need to take the CDL license exam. You should schedule this ahead with your DMV if they allow it.

This final step is like getting your license for the first time all over again. Expect to be nervous and know that it’ll take a good half day inside.

If you fail the exam, you can take it again, the office will specify when and how to go about it.

Becoming a Truck Driver

So, is truck driving for you? Do you think you could swing the truck driver requirements? If so, cool! You’re about to see more of the U.S. than you ever dreamed.

If not, that’s alright too. Maybe you should take a road trip instead of making it a life-long career. You know yourself best.

Need some interesting places to put on that road trip list? Click here.