What Disqualifies a CDL Driver

To drive a commercial motor vehicle, you should first have a valid CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). As a commercial vehicle driver, you are held to a much higher standard while you’re driving. You can’t expect a career as a professional driver if you are a menace on the road. That’s why commercial drivers need to be informed of the actions that lead to a suspension or a disqualification.

Having your CDL suspended or disqualified can be financially disastrous. Therefore, avoiding road violations should be one of the top priorities for a truck driver. It’s also vital to be aware of the difference between a suspension and disqualification.

A suspension prohibits a driver from operating a vehicle of any kind. On the other hand, a disqualification still permits a CDL driver to use vehicles but not commercial ones. With that being said, let’s look at which violations disqualify your license.

Exceeding the Speed Limit

Driving a CMV (Commercial Motor Vehicle) beyond the speed limit of 24.1kmph will get your license disqualified. Consequences for overspeeding using a CMV are much more severe than non-commercial drivers. Also, these convictions stay on the driver’s record longer.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Driving a CMV under the influence of alcohol will get a CDL disqualified. If your blood alcohol level reaches at least 0.04%, you can easily get your commercial license disqualified. Refusal to take a blood alcohol test also disqualifies a CDL. If you decline to take the test, then you are considered positive for alcohol.

Erratic Lane Changes

For you to keep your license, you should observe traffic rules. Failing to use signal lights, weaving through traffic, and passing lanes where trucks aren’t allowed are some examples of erratic lane change violations drivers should be mindful of.

Avoiding Disqualifications and Suspensions

The best way to avoid a disqualification or suspension of your license is to be mindful of the rules and follow traffic protocols. An excellent truck driving school is pivotal to become a professional and licensed truck driver.

Custom Diesel Drivers Training in Omaha, Nebraska will help you achieve those goals. We offer classroom and field training courses to better educate our students on the rules of the road. Call us today and start your truck driving career!

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What Should Every Truck Driver Have?

Truck driver

Being a truck driver is not easy. Unpredictable things can happen on the road, like a tire blowout, bad weather conditions, and collisions. These are just some things you might encounter on your trip. Your health, safety, and comfort should come first in preparing for a trip.

Whether you’re a new truck driver or a seasoned veteran, there are a few things that you should always have. We have listed a few truck driver essentials that might help you during your road trip.

Emergency Kit

An emergency kit should have batteries, a flashlight, a knife, bottled water, canned food, a first aid kit, and a matchbox or lighter. Tools such as emergency flares and jumper cables are necessary as well.

The items in your kit should help you survive for at least 72 hours. When preparing for a trip, you should always expect the worst.

Basic Hygiene Essentials

Every driver should always have a personal hygiene pack filled with travel-size toiletries for long trips. You should also bring extra clothes for jobs that require you to get down and dirty, like changing your tires on a muddy road.

A Good Pair of Gloves

Any truck driver will tell you that a good pair of gloves is essential when you go on a trip. They keep your hands protected from the cold weather and blisters while driving long hours. They also provide truckers a secure grip on the steering wheel.

Tire Gauge

When you’re traveling, it’s crucial to check the tire pressure now and then. A handy tire gauge can help you with that. This small tool helps prevent big accidents caused by tire pressure issues.

Portable Cooking Appliances

When you go on long trips, you don’t want your diet to only consist of restaurant and junk food. Using portable cooking appliances can help you save money and add variety to your diet because of the different food you can cook. Appliances like portable gas stoves, electric skillets, and portable roasters are handy when you have long trips.

Why Prepare These Essentials

While you’re on the road, you never know what could happen. You might encounter crowded roads, experience fatigue from driving long hours, or displace your cargo because of uneven roads. In such circumstances, these truck driver essentials will help you.

Custom Diesel Drivers Training in Omaha, Nebraska can help you become a better truck driver. We offer truck driving lessons, Commercial Driver’s License or CDL training, as well as classroom lessons to further educate our students on the rules of the road. So, don’t hesitate to call us today and start your truck driving career!

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Is Truck Driving a Good Career?

If you love the open road, traveling, flexibility, and independence, then truck driving might be the perfect job for you. It’s one of the most fulfilling jobs that are always in demand, and it can never be outsourced. Life on the road isn’t for everybody, but truck driving can be a great career if you don’t want to be in an office from 9:00 – 5:00.

You don’t need a degree when pursuing a truck driving career but it requires excellent driving skills and effective time management. Although truck driving seems like fun, it also requires a lot of licensing and training. Anyone interested in pursuing this career should enroll in a truck driving school.

These driving schools will help you with pre-trip inspections, the rules of the road, defensive driving skills, and how to handle your truck. Some schools even offer a job at their facility once you pass the licensing test.

The Truck Driver Lifestyle

For some truck drivers, truck driving is not a profession; it’s a lifestyle. It will allow you to see different parts of the country or even different countries on some occasions. Although all of this may seem exciting, you will have to spend almost a year on the road. If you have a family, this might be a difficult sacrifice, especially during your first few years.

One benefit of a truck driver lifestyle is having more flexibility in your work hours and schedule. Although you will have deadlines and stops to make and may drive for more than 11 hours, you still have the freedom to set your own routes and schedules.

Becoming a Truck Driver

It takes about 7 weeks to finish the CDL (commercial driving lessons) training course, plus an extra week for studying and preparing for the exam. After you have passed your CDL exam, you will be given an interim license until your official copy comes out after three months.

Before you become a successful truck driver, you need a good truck driving school to help you hone your skills. Custom Diesel Drivers Training in Omaha, Nebraska can help you with that. You will spend majority of your time in the classroom and in the field while we hone your truck driving skills. So, call us today to start your truck driving career!

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