How to Decide Whether to Get a
Commercial Driver's License

(2/13) You always have the option to get a commercial driver's license, sometimes abbreviated as a CDL. Getting one might seem like a smart move. Not everyone will find it worth it, but many individuals will.

A commercial driver's license gives you several career options, and that's probably the main reason you'd want to consider it. In this article, we'll talk about how to decide whether you should pursue one.

What Can You Do with a Commercial Driver's License?

First, let's discuss what you might do with a commercial driver's license if you obtain one. You can become a professional commercial truck driver.

Commercial truck drivers can make a pretty decent living. You get a chance to travel. You can also work all over the country. If you decide that you want to move somewhere out of state, if you have a CDL, you should not find locating work very difficult, even if you don't have a great deal of prior experience.

You can also get a CDL that will allow you to transport hazardous materials. That's a little risky, but if you feel confident that you have what it takes, you can make even more money that way. It stands to reason that if you're hauling toxic waste across the country, that will pay considerably better than if you're hauling furniture or oranges.

Do You Want to Go to College?

You should also think about whether or not you want to go to college. Maybe you didn't like academia, and you barely passed high school. Perhaps you're highly intelligent, but you just didn't enjoy the rigidity of the classroom setting.

If so, then getting a CDL might work. You can get your license and start making money almost immediately after high school.

You won't have to come up with the funds for tuition. Some commercial trucking companies or similar industries where you need a CDL like it if you have a college education, but most of them don't require it.

You should also keep in mind that even if you don't go to college, and you get into an industry where you need a CDL, you can always go back to school later if you change your mind. Some people take a few years off before going back to school. Perhaps you find that you're in this category.

What Kind of a Career Do You Want?

You should also think about what kind of a career you want for yourself when trying to determine whether it's worth it for you to get your CDL. Maybe you like to drive. That's usually one of the major determining factors when trying to decide on a career path involving this special kind of driver's license.

If you like the idea of driving a big truck and don't ever want to work in an office, this choice presents an excellent alternative. You can travel around the country and visit many different states.

You can tell anyone you date that you have been to many different regions. You've tried the food at dozens of different truck stops and met interesting people.

It is an adventurous lifestyle, and an unconventional one. If dressing in business-casual attire every day and sitting in front of a computer sounds like the opposite of what you want to do, then getting a CDL might emerge as the best choice for someone without a college degree.

Also, keep in mind that the money you can make will easily rival what you'll pull in yearly with several different college degrees. You can begin saving money to purchase a house at a very young age.

By the time most people graduate from college, you will have multiple years of hands-on experience under your belt that should serve you well as you move up the ranks. It is even possible that you might start your own trucking company if that's something that appeals.

Do You Feel Like You Have the Necessary Skill Set?

You will need the necessary skill set to get your CDL, though. You will have to study and pass the written test, but you also need the physical skills to operate a large and cumbersome vehicle.