What Are The Requirements To Become A Truck Driver?

I Am 20 Years Old, No Tickets, Thinking Of Becoming A Truck Driver, And Hopefully Down The Road Open My Own Trucking Business. Any Information On Getting The License Or Schooling Will Help. Also What Are Good Companies To Apply To And How Would I Go About It. Thank You.

Answer:
Check out P.A.M. motor freight. (perhaps check Google). They hire new drivers and will even pay for them to go to school to be truck drivers but the drivers make a commitment to work so many months after graduation from truck driving school.

ANother option might be to check your local phone directory to see ifthere are any truck driving companies in the area. Perhaps you can set up a time to meet with a person there to find out the requirements.

In terms of requirements, I don't know them all, but some of them include
The ability to pass a random drug screen (DOT panel 5) at any time.
A good driving record
The temperament to handle long hauls (possibly being away from home for several days at a time)
Good visual skills to handle backing a rig into a narrow loading dock.
The ability to drive a rig, hitch it up to a trailer, and know how to safey load the trailer (the forklift drivers will load it, but you want to know where in the trailer a partial load should be safely stored to avoid tipping or jackknifing the trailer).
The ability to handle written paperwork effectively

Just my thoughts from meeting a lot of truck drivers.
You would need to get a special license for the type / load size that you are looking to haul, there are TONS of school in the U.S. that will teach you all you need to know.

I am not sure how much this helps, but it is a good place to start with a Yahoo! search for "Trucking School".
Go to truck driving school and get your CDL.
Organizational skills, a class 1 or A lisence (semi, tractor trailor combo) good eyesight, able to pass a drug test and probably a basic security clearance from your employer.

Check the yellowpages under "Driver education" and look at all the ones that offer courses, the government 9/10 will fully pay for it also.

Other then that, a good attitude helps, and a background in machinery, mechanics, etc would help a bit to.
I was a trucker @ 14.Chicago > New York > Chicago!
The answers not at the keyboard. You're way late for a truckstop!

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