# Commercial Driver's License



## Primo109 (May 17, 2017)

Hey all,

I am a 20 year old Theatre Technology & Design student. I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on getting a commercial driver's license; is it worth having? Even if I'm not planning on solely driving trucks, is it something that would be useful in my line of work? 

Thanks in advance!


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## Scarrgo (May 17, 2017)

It could be, if you start out at a shop and you have a license, it could mean you get the gig over the next guy....

Sean


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## icewolf08 (May 17, 2017)

Unless you actually WANT to drive commercial vehicles (or need to for a job, in which case your employer should foot the bill), then there is no benefit to having one. If you want to be a driver, go for it, but otherwise, it will just make you "the guy" to go to when someone needs a driver.


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## josh88 (May 18, 2017)

Agreed with Alex ^ plus you can still drive up to a 26 foot truck on a regular license. My company does a lot of fabrication and shipping and we have a bunch of smaller trucks but still just call somebody up and get trucks for the larger shows.


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## gafftaper (May 18, 2017)

While it never hurts to have more skills, it's not a skill that is likely to get you a lot more work in this industry. On the other hand I paid for a lot of college driving tour buses in the summer. So you may want to consider it for additional employment between gigs.


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## MNicolai (May 18, 2017)

Buddy of mine had good luck with this. He would get paid to drive the truck plus his day rate for shows.

Takes a special relationship with the production company though to make that work so you can grow beyond just being the guy who gets things from Point A to Point B.


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## egilson1 (May 18, 2017)

Think of it this way. With a CDL and a Captains license you can drive a duck tour! (Amphibious tour bus)


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## Footer (May 19, 2017)

On the list of stuff to have... it is pretty low on there. Most production houses own 24'/26' single axel trucks that you can drive with a standard license. If you are looking for something to get, aim for ETCP cert... that will do much more for you. No one expects you to have this. Also, if you tour... you don't want this. You want to be sleeping in a bus or flying and sleeping in hotels.. NOT spending the 10 hours you have between venues driving.


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## RonHebbard (May 19, 2017)

Footer said:


> On the list of stuff to have... it is pretty low on there. Most production houses own 24'/26' single axel trucks that you can drive with a standard license. If you are looking for something to get, aim for ETCP cert... that will do much more for you. No one expects you to have this. Also, if you tour... you don't want this. You want to be sleeping in a bus or flying and sleeping in hotels.. NOT spending the 10 hours you have between venues driving.


Spoken like someone who knows from experience. You've got my vote. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.


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## Jeff Lelko (May 19, 2017)

Everything mentioned so far is spot on, but since it hasn't been brought up yet I'll also throw in that there are three different classes of CDLs plus numerous endorsements and restrictions that you may or may not need depending on what you need to haul. Nearly everything needs some sort of knowledge test, skills test, or both. Hazmat needs an additional background check / threat assessment. On top of that, the skills testing requires you to test in a vehicle fitting the tested skill...so you'll need access to such a vehicle to practice and test in. So yes, you really need to know what you plan on driving and hauling before getting started. It can get expensive too if you plan on just doing this yourself - wait for an employer to pay for it!


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## Clint Eastwood (Jun 3, 2017)

I won't hurt to have it. You don't need to tell the person who schedules trucking that you can drive. To expand on what other have mentioned. 
-Without a CDL you can usually drive some form of truck, typically 26,000 GVW. There is usually not any size restriction, but this varies state-to-state. You will see up to 26' moving trucks in this category. 26,000 does not allow for much gear though. Check with your state, some have other restrictions or require a chauffeur's license to drive for a business. Usually just a written test.
-Class C....I think it's for passenger vehicles like buses, but I'm not really sure; It's not useful for driving trucks .
-Class B Will allow you to drive Vehicles OVER 26,000, towing less than 10,000. This included everything from a Heavy duty version of that single drive axle moving truck, to bobtailing a tractor. You will need to take the Air Brake portion of the written test as well. (because everything has airbrakes these days)
-Class A lets you drive a vehicle OVER 26,000 towing OVER 10,000. So 18 wheelers and such. There is usually not a lot of need for extra endorsements, but even things like towing double trailers are just written tests. 


Like mentioned above, while it may be useful, you still do need to take a skills test in that particular class of vehicle. You can study the book, and get ready for the pre-trip inspection portion of the test. It's a bunch of parts you have to identify and check that they are not broken. You can get your permit with just a written test, then let a company pay you to drive around and learn. Being ahead on the pre-trip knowledge will certainly help.


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## soundlight (Jun 3, 2017)

I have been driving up to 26' box trucks for production companies for years, no need for a CDL. Most companies I know that own/lease semi trailers have dedicated drivers for them. So I'd go for other certs before something like a CDL, as others have mentioned.


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## Pie4Weebl (Jun 4, 2017)

I know some regional companies that like their guys to have CDLs, if they are off doing festivals over the summer it easier when one of their guys can drive the truck.


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## TimMc (Jun 4, 2017)

If you work the show you won't be able to drive after, at least not legally. Before you undertake driving and working as a technician you need to have a full understanding of "hours of service". Realize that many non-national employers will want you to load in, set up and run the show, pack it out and then drive again. When you inevitably get caught with 2 or more log books or have a wreck the responsibility is 100% on YOU, not your employer. You will be fired and left to fend for your self in all the legal aspects.


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## Jeff Lelko (Jun 4, 2017)

Clint Eastwood said:


> -Class C....I think it's for passenger vehicles like buses, but I'm not really sure; It's not useful for driving trucks .



Class C is meant for drivers needing to operate vehicles that do not meet the classifications of Class A and Class B but need to carry 16+ passengers or a placarded (Hazmat) load. In my case it's the latter, pertaining to Class B pyrotechnics - the display fireworks you see on the Fourth of July. Any amount of that product must be driven with placards, even if it's just a few cases in a properly-equipped van or box truck (hence the Class C w/ Hazmat). This is why it generally helps to know what you need to drive and haul before getting started. While a Class A CDL would let me do the same thing in this case, the time and expense involved in getting that would be massive overkill compared to a simple Class C with the necessary endorsements in either case.


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## jhochb (Jun 7, 2017)

Good Morning

Amen to all the above posts.

The one thing I should have learned is to drive a fork lift.
the looks I get these days because I don't......


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## avkid (Oct 3, 2017)

I've had one for 10 years, never actually needed it.
I occasionally get paid more for being a better qualified driver but that's it.
If you intend to drive trucks you definitely need to have a DOT physical card.


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## avkid (Oct 3, 2017)

TimMc said:


> When you inevitably get caught with 2 or more log books


I know several companies that will be in big trouble when electronic logs are law for everyone.


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## cbrandt (Oct 3, 2017)

All my drivers are chauffer's and med carded. That keeps insurance happy, and lets me at least pretend that they are a cut above your average driver. I'm more likely to hire you as shop help if you have a chauffer's, but it doesn't mean much for my onsite guys. I bend over backwards to make sure that my onsite guys aren't driving the trucks except on the easiest and shortest of gigs. Too many places for there to be accidents or errors in judgement.


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## Blacksheep0317 (Dec 22, 2017)

I will 100% say that having my NYS CDL-A has gotten me a ton of gigs, even more so now that the laws are quickly finally starting to catch up to us. Running under the concept of "regional" drivers not needing to maintain logs, or Big Yellow trucks that "I didn't know had to roll the scales", and the ever growing market of regional companies doing national tours, has all started to come to a head.

While I do agree with almost every one here in that I would have never gone out and spent the several thousand dollars and my own time to go to a CDL school, if anyone ever looks at you and says that they will put you through, say yes! Even if this is one of those things that you literally use once a year, its enough to justify the extra renewal fees. And most companies will never flinch if you ask for them to pay for a DOT med appointment if you drive for them. Out of the three production houses in my area, one has a policy of all full time techs need to maintain a minimum CDL-B w/ air brake, but most end up going A since they own a few Stagelines as well. The second has only CDL trucks, B and A, and drivers get first R.O.R. on any gigs as well as an extra stipend. The third is primarily non-CDL straight trucks that are of questionable weights, and one poor soul who drives the semi far too much.

Keep in mind, this is a perishable skill though. If you do intend to make money with a license, make sure you find a couple gigs here and there if nothing else to just drive. Also not sure about outside NY, but I hear that now driving manual is an endorsement on a CDL. If possible...make sure you test manual so you can drive manual. Most companies either lease trucks or buy used for the sake of cost, and most of the older trucks out there in these fleets are manual. 

That said, if nothing else I have certainly had a lot of people like the fact that there is a CDL on my resume simply because they know I am in the drug screen pool. Employers may not say it, but it makes a difference.


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## TimMc (Dec 23, 2017)

Now that electronic driver logs will be mandatory in all trucks we're reassessing the situation. Updating our trucks with electronics will cost us a bunch of $$ that we'll simply have to absorb. Our biz is down 15% this year so the expense represents a major spend - on something we can't recover from clients.

My question for Blacksheep and others - how do you legitimately let someone drive who's already worked a 12-18 hour day? That's a violation of hours of service and the driver's only option is to lie about it when making his/her logbook entries. After the inevitable wreck this duplicity will be exposed and *maybe* the production company as well as the driver will be liable.

Right now, if you work a 16 hour day and refuse to drive your employer can fire you and you won't get unemployment. Refusing to violate the law is seen as refusal to perform a legitimate job duty owed to an employer. This is why, further up-thread, that I said driving should be it's own employment category. I don't care if the boss pays you more, you're still driving after working a full production day, you're NOT going to be in compliance and unless an investigation shows the employer required you to drive, the DRIVER is 100% liable for all deaths, injuries and property losses. Think about that for a minute. The only reason a plaintiff's lawyer will put the production company in the list of defendants is because the company has more insurance and assets.

If you're driving after an 8 hour gig and it's 2 hours back to the shop it's one thing - to drive 12 hours to the next gig after working 16 hours... that's potentially criminal if you cause a wreck.


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## Blacksheep0317 (Dec 23, 2017)

TimMc said:


> Now that electronic driver logs will be mandatory in all trucks we're reassessing the situation. Updating our trucks with electronics will cost us a bunch of $$ that we'll simply have to absorb. Our biz is down 15% this year so the expense represents a major spend - on something we can't recover from clients.
> 
> My question for Blacksheep and others - how do you legitimately let someone drive who's already worked a 12-18 hour day? That's a violation of hours of service and the driver's only option is to lie about it when making his/her logbook entries. After the inevitable wreck this duplicity will be exposed and *maybe* the production company as well as the driver will be liable.
> 
> ...




I have a system that works for me, but it is certainly something that everyone needs to be able to think about on their own, as every situation will be different.

My rule of thumb is that if I am driving, I will not take a role that requires I be present during the performance if I am driving immediatly before the in and after the out. Esp with local vendors, its fairly easy to be the systems tech and drive. I can get onsite, fly the PA, make noise, and turn it over to the A2 to babysit the tour. Ergo, if I have a 9a tour load in, I always want to have my rig set by 8. That way, even if I do have to come and mix a support act, I can still get 10 hours of bunk time to reset my clock and be back by 6 for a sound check and 7p doors

If its something where I know it is going to be a day where it will be a solid work day (festivals, etc.), its a no brainer. Depending on the drive, you do a travel and in/out day on either side of the gig. Talk it out. 

Moral of the story, I don't know everyones limits. I know mine, and I keep within them. Sometimes my limits may be beyond what the DOT thinks it is, some times its not. Remember to, its not just about day to day hours either technically. You also have you 10 day time outs and driver resets that make it even more convoluted. In theory I would have been illegial to drive since August since I have broke 70 hours on the clock every week, even though none of them have had anything to do with driving. And certainly have not had a 72 hour turn around.

Be smart out there. Between driving semis across the country and working on ambulances in years past, I have seen some nasty wrecks. Some from weather, some from other drivers, and some from drivers falling asleep, etc. If a boss can't respect that you know your limits and care about you and your (most likely sleeping) passengers, they aren't working for. GTFO and go somewhere better (As long as you were tactful in your refusal to drive).


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