After evaluating your situation, your next step in order to become an owner-operator is to obtain your commercial driver’s license – or, in short, CDL. While getting a standard license is a fairly easy thing to do, it takes a lot more effort to obtain a CDL.
There are several requirements to earn a CDL, but for most states, the steps are the following:
> be at least 21 years old;
> get a driver’s license;
> get your CDL permit;
> take a CDL training program and;
> pass a road skills test.
In order to take a CDL training program, you can either attend a private truck driving school or, some trucking companies have their own training programs or may sponsor you to attend a CDL school. In reality, many drivers who eventually become owner-operators will join the business by serving as company drivers for a few years beforehand.
Depending on your experience in this industry, you may already have a CDL, but you need to make sure that you have the correct class of CDL for your intended cargo. Thus, you’ll need to determine what type of freight you’ll be hauling. For instance, if you plan to transport hazardous material, you need a hazmat endorsement on your license.
Apart from these, you will also need to pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination, which is mandatory to make sure you are eligible to hold a commercial license.
