To get a Georgia commercial truck driving license, you will have to comply with several state and federal requirements. This means that you will not only need the approval of your state in order to get a license, you will also have to obey the guidelines set by the federal government for acquiring this type of license. This is to protect the safety of drivers on the road as well as to ensure national security. You are also required to exhibit the skills and know-how of driving a truck in local and interstate settings.
Almost all states require applicants for a truck driving license to be at least 18 years old if you will be driving inside the state and 21 years old, if interstate. This is also true in the state of Georgia. You should be at least at these ages when you apply for the license permit. The next thing that you have to qualify for is the physical and visual capacities. An applicant for this license must pass a DOT medical certificate before he can be given a permit. He or she also has to have a visual acuity of 20/40 in order to drive.
Aside from this, the applicant must also read the Georgia CDL Manual which is available in any local DMV office. The manual contains basic explanations about the skills and tasks that a truck driver has to perform well on the job. It also contains some of the basic information about road signs and driving skills in which the applicant will be tested on in the road test. One must therefore read this manual carefully if they are to pass both the written and practical tests that shall be administered. One has to master not just his driving skills, but the ideas about driving as well.
In order to get a learner’s permit for truck driving, the applicant must first secure a DOT medical form from the DMV office as well as pass a criminal background check from the TSA if he is seeking a Hazmat endorsement. After this, he has to submit to a visual exam and then submit these documents together with a valid ID, social security card or number, a recent photo, birth certificate, and a valid driver’s license to the DMV office. He then has to take the written exam and if he passes it, he will be given a learner’s permit.
Once the applicant has passed the written test, he will be given a few months in order to train in actual driving. The applicant must practice driving with a licensed individual. The applicant may then apply for a road test before or at the expiration of his learner’s permit. He has to pass several tests such as pre-trip inspection, basic driving skills, and road driving. The road test fee is $50 and this has to be paid before the exam. If the applicant successfully passes the driving exam, he will then be issued a Georgia truck driving license.
If you are in need of training to prepare for the exams, you can find the latest truck driving schools in GA on this page. For more information about receiving a Georgia Commercial Truck Driver’s License Requirements contact:
Georgia Department of Driver Services
2206 East View Parkway
Conyers, Georgia 30013
Phone: 1 (866) 754-3687 (Outside Atlanta Metro Area)
(404) 657-9300
Website: http://www.dds.ga.gov/commercial/rules.aspx
Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00am – 5:15pm
Mailing Address:
Department of Driver Services
Post Office Box 80447
Conyers, Georgia 30013
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