A commercial driver's license (CDL) is required to operate a commercial vehicle like a truck, a tractor-trailer or a school bus. It is not mandatory to complete a commercial driver's education course in order to get your commercial driver's license (CDL) in New Hampshire. Although not technically mandatory, commercial driver's education is really necessary to get the knowledge and experience that you need to have in order to get a CDL and to drive a commercial vehicle successfully.

FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVING

Federal regulations for commercial driving are the same for all states in the US. The regulations are laid out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and are designed for the safety of the drivers and that of the general public.

STATE REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVING

The state of New Hampshire requires you to successfully complete certain tests to obtain your CDL before you can legally drive a commercial vehicle. These tests depend on the type of CDL and the number and type of endorsements on it. The tests that you need to clear to conform to state regulations are the written knowledge test, the Air Brake Inspection test, and the road test. Apart from these driver tests, the test vehicle also has to pass inspection of the examiner. See here for the testing and application requirements for obtaining a CDL.

New Hampshire has also adopted the U.S. Division of Motor Vehicles Hazardous Materials Regulations which involves the mandatory training and testing of commercial drivers who transport hazardous materials.

Drivers who apply for a CDL in order to drive school buses need to have an additional school bus endorsement on their CDL which should mention that they are authorized to drive 15 or more people beside themselves. The school bus endorsement requires drivers to clear a special knowledge test based on driving safety, passengers and school buses. The knowledge test must also include an air brakes section if there are air brakes on the school bus. The driver must also clear the skills test required to drive the school bus.

CERTIFIED TRUCK DRIVING COURSES IN THE US

In The US, truck driving courses are certified by a single organization, The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) in Alexandria, Virginia. Though PTDI certification is not mandatory, it indicates that the school maintains good training standards for truck drivers, since PTDI certification is based on the driving skills that the school teaches the driver, the theoretical knowledge about truck driving that they offer, and their curriculum.

There are three types of training schools for truck driving:

1. There are the private schools which are run by privately owned establishments like corporate houses. Their main aim is to train people to join the truck driving industry which has a high level of demand. Their programs are typically of a good standard.
2. There are public schools run by the government which offer training through classes in specific colleges or institutes at lower cost.
3. The third type is on the job training offered by carriers themselves with an aim to get the trainees to work for them. These training programs are usually not the best and only impart enough knowledge and skills to get a CDL.

If a school is PTDI certified, it has to meet the PTDI standards. This includes providing 44 hours of driving experience and a standard curriculum that not only gives the basic training for getting a CDL, but also includes a variety of other topics that the trainee should know about in order to safely and successfully get his CDL as well as to operate a truck.

HOW TO PICK A GOOD TRAINING SCHOOL FOR TRUCK DRIVING

You can pick a good school on the basis of the information that you receive from the school catalogue or brochure. A good school should be informative about themselves and the training they offer. The catalogue should inform you about:

• the school and its involvement with truck driving training - how it will help you with the licensing and eventual recruitment assistance.
• the facilities it offers and the codes of conduct that it follows.
• the courses that are offered and the process for admission to the school.
• the cost of the course as well as costs associated with getting the CDL.
• the refund policy in the event that you drop out of the course or are asked to leave.
• the school's expectations from the student in terms of successful completion of the course, how the students will be evaluated, how they will be graded and what they need to do to graduate from the course.

DURATION OF TRAINING

The length of commercial education courses offered by different schools varies as there are no set standards for the same. A good school will mention the duration in details on their brochure, clearly detailing how many hours would be spent in actual driving and how many in the class. The training given behind the wheels is the most important aspect of this training program. As per PTDI standards, each student should get at least 44 hours of actual driving experience and 104 hours of classroom and laboratory training to be able to drive a truck safely and competently. Any course which comes close to this standard is a good course and is worth enrolling for. As per expert opinions, to be able to drive a truck safely, it is important for the trainee to complete at least 4-6 weeks of training everyday. Good schools have longer courses to enable students to get more personal attention and more driving experience behind the wheels, rather than observing other students driving.

GRADUATION AND PLACEMENT AFTER TRAINING PROGRAM

Private training programs and public training programs typically offer a diploma or certificate at the end of the program. When carriers and trucking companies hire new drivers, they almost always prefer students who have such a certificate/diploma since that is proof of the students having completed the basic hours of training. This proof is also required by their insurance providers as part of the new hire processes. Training programs offered by motor carriers do not offer such a diploma or certificate and that training cannot be used as proof of completing the program during recruitment. Hence, students from these schools have to take positions with the motor carriers themselves. Good schools help their students to find good jobs at the end of their training program. They usually have placement services on campus which arrange recruiting events with prospective employers to come and make presentations to the students and interview them. A good school will mention its placement rate on its brochure and will have the infrastructure to help its students secure a good position once the training is over, through their network of prospective employers as well as their commitment to students in helping them prepare for interviews and with preparing their resumes. Some top schools in the US are also known to provide lifetime assistance in finding placement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Since training schools are evaluated on the basis of their placement rates, it is important to complete a commercial driver's education program from a good school before you apply for a CDL. This ensures that you become a safe driver and are also able to get a good job.
• See CDL Basics and How to Renew a CDL.