If you’ve been driving a truck for a company and you’re hungry for more money and freedom, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard the term owner-operator thrown around. But what does it actually mean? And is it the right move for you? Here at Driving Academy, we’ve helped over 10,000 students get their CDL […]
One of the questions we hear all the time is whether you need a high school diploma to get your CDL and start training. NO, you don’t need a high school diploma or GED to get a CDL. The requirements to get a CDL license is based on age, licensing, medical qualification, training and passing
Getting a CDL in Pennsylvania can feel like a lot to take on, especially when you start looking into everything PennDOT requires: the permit tests, training hours, skills test, it adds up fast. Most people don’t know where to begin, and that’s completely normal. The good news? You don’t have to figure it all out
Getting a Hazmat endorsement can open the door to better trucking jobs, but you do have to do it the right way. It is not only about passing a test. You also have to complete the required training and clear the TSA background process before the endorsement can be added to your CDL. That may
GCWR stands for Gross Combined Weight Rating. In the trucking industry, the GCWR is the absolute maximum allowable weight of your entire rig combined. This means the total weight of your towing vehicle (the truck) PLUS the total weight of your loaded trailer. Your GCWR includes absolutely everything rolling down the highway: The weight of
Hey future trucker! Today, we’re gonna dive deep into a topic that has the whole industry talking: hot shot trucking. This is a “hot” topic for a lot of people (pun intended!), but there’s also a lot of mystery surrounding it. Most people don’t fully know what they’re getting themselves into before they actually get
When you hear that you’ve got to take a road test to get your CDL license, most people think that driving the truck or bus is going to be the hardest part of the CDL exams. However, for most students, the pre-trip inspection is the hardest part of the test. One part of the CDL
Are you a someone who doesn’t mind getting a little dirty whose looking for a career that offers incredible job security, great pay and gets you home every single night? Well driving a garbage truck can be one of the best moves you can make. The most common question we get from students looking to
Hey future trucker! In today’s guide, we’re going to give you the exact explanation of what a CDL Class B vehicle is. Now, “CDL” stands for Commercial Driver’s License. Commercial means that you can make money being a driver. Once you get a CDL, you are officially considered a professional driver and can make a
If you are thinking about getting your CDL, you might have one question holding you back: Will I ever get to see my family if I drive a truck? There’s a good chance you want to support your family with a good paying trucking job, but does that mean you won’t get to spend time
It can be confusing to figure out whether you need a CDL or if a regular driver’s license is enough. Some box trucks can be driven without a CDL, while others require a Class B license because of their weight or how they are used. The good news is that you do not have to
Earning a CDL is a life-changing investment. Paying for truck driving school can seem confusing. Tuition rates vary wildly, and if you aren’t careful, hidden fees can sneak up on you. Let’s make it easy. Here is a simple guide to how much is CDL school going to costs in 2026, the extra fees you
Let’s be completely honest, no one likes stepping into a clinic or hospital. When your entire trucking career is riding on a doctor’s sign-off, that anxiety hits a whole different level. You are not alone! Every single week at Driving Academy, we meet students battling this exact same fear. They panic about stuff like blood
So you know you want to become a professional truck driver? In order to do that, you’re going to need to get a commercial driver’s license. Now, for us here at Driving Academy, we always recommend students get a Class A Commercial Drivers license. And in response it’s not uncommon to get asked the question
Can Someone With Diabetes Get A CDL License? If you have diabetes and you’re thinking about getting a CDL to become a truck driver, the answer is not always a simple yes or no. The real issue is whether you can meet the medical rules for commercial driving. FMCSA’s current rules definitely allow drivers with
