How do you know you’re a truck driver? Is it because you are employed by a trucking company, or that you have gone through Houston CDL training? Are you a truck driver because you have a CDL?
Who knows the answer to this question? It’s almost too philosophical to even worry about. Consider this: you’re a truck driver because you know you are. You have the skills, the knowledge, the ability, the character traits, and, yes, the commercial driver’s license to prove it.
You may or may not be employed by a trucking company, but that’s okay. Let’s talk about your Houston CDL training first. This is the first thing a truck driver needs, and while you’re not a truck driver just because you have one, you can’t call yourself a truck driver unless you have a CDL.
So how do you get the CDL? You of course need to go through Houston CDL training. These comprehensive programs usually run between 6 and 12 weeks, with the variance depending on how quickly the course’s materials are covered and how often your classes meet. That’s something that is done optionally many times so that students who need additional time for whatever reason can get it.
Houston CDL training is nothing to sneeze at, either. You are learning foundational skills—how to drive a truck, and do it well enough that you can do it for a living. Of course, this is no ordinary truck that Houston CDL training is preparing you to drive. These are big semi trucks—tractor trailers as they’re often referred to. This is no joke.
After you have gone through your training program, you are ready for the next step in your Houston CDL training: the CDL exam. This is a comprehensive test administered by your state’s department of motor vehicles, and will help the government decide whether you are ready to be deemed fit to drive a big truck (or any other commercial vehicle for that matter).
The CDL exam has both a written and a driving portion, and you must pass both if you hope to pass the exam as a whole. The good news is, once you pass, you are ready to roll. You can seek employment opportunities and you are prepared and ready to strike out on your own as a truck driver.
But are you yet a truck driver? Let’s see. You have finished Houston CDL training. You have the CDL. But you should probably at least have an experience driving a truck before you call yourself a truck driver.
Once you get a job in the industry driving a truck, you can truly say your Houston CDL training is complete and that you are indeed a truck driver. You are at that point a professional—one who is paid to perform a certain duty or task.
And what, at that point, will you think? Will the whole thing be worth it Will the Houston CDL training you went through be enough to ensure you are the great driver you hope to be? Will you be able to follow the traffic laws, enact the safety protocols, and generally follow the rules?
That is up to you, but know the consequences of not following those rules, or of ignoring the safety guidelines. Being a good truck driver means you don’t endanger the lives of others, and you know how to take care of your own ride.
So you’re still there, at that point, ready to dig into your Houston CDL training and see what becoming a truck driver is all about. Are you sure this is the path you want to take? If so, then the time to begin is right now. Employment opportunities exist, and people who aren’t trained cannot go after them.
However, those with the Houston CDL training and the CDL are ready to begin a new career in the trucking industry. So get to that point. Be that person who is starting his first day of trucking school so that you can soon be that person who is starting his first day at his new job. That’s a truck driver.