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Truck Driving Schools in Louisiana

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Anyone who wants to work as a truck driver in Louisiana must receive a commercial driver’s license. Obtaining a CDL is relatively easy. Applicants will have to obtain a Department of Transportation (DOT) medical certificate and a valid driver’s license. Applicants must be at least 18 years old to apply for a CDL, and 21 years old to drive interstate.

All applicants are required to first take a General Knowledge Test. There will be additional tests for air brakes, Class A combination vehicles, tankers, doubles/triples, hazardous materials, or passenger transport. Applicants who pass the written exam will receive a CDL Learner’s Permit, which is valid for up to 60 days. If an applicant needs more practice time with a licensed driver, he or she can request for an extension. Applicants who fail to take obtain a CDL within 6 months after receiving their Learner’s Permit must start over from the beginning.

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The driving portion is the last test in obtaining a CDL. The applicants will a given a three-part skills test that consists of pre-trip inspection, on-road driving, and basic controls. This test is administered by a Third Party Tester site; they will present the test results in a sealed envelope to the Driver License office. A CDL in Louisiana is valid for up to four (4) years. The state does not offer a grace period expiration and considers driving without a valid license to be a serious crime. Driving with an expired license may jeopardize your career in the truck driving industry.

Truck Driving Schools in LA Listed By City

Alexandria

Coastal Truck Driving School
7516 Coliseum Boulevard,
Alexandria, LA 71303
Phone: (800) 443-3780

Bastrop

Louisiana Tech Truck Driver Training
P.O. Box 1120
Bastrop, LA 71221

Baton Rouge

Coastal Truck Driving School
2064 North Flannery Road,
Baton Rouge, LA 70815
Phone: (800) 286-8066

Diesel Driving Academy
8067 Airline Hwy.
Baton Rouge, LA 70815
Phone: (800) 551-8900

Diesel Driving Academy has been training and placing both men and women in exciting, high paying jobs in this industry since its establishment in 1972. Today, Diesel Driving Academy is one of the leading CDL training schools in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas.

Calhoun

Coastal Truck Driving School
450 Hwy 151 North
Calhoun, LA 71225
Phone: (800) 255-5533

Crowley

Acadiana Technical College
1933 West Hutchinson Avenue
Crowley, LA 70526
Phone: (337) 788-7526

Franklin

Thomas Training & Development Center
259 Dixie Road,
Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: (337) 413-0234

Hammond

Coastal College Truck Driver Training
42014 Yokum Road,
Hammond, LA 70403

Lafayette

Acadiana Technical College
101 Bertrand Drive,
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 262-5962

Lake Charles

Coastal Truck Driving School
4030 Goodman Lane
Lake Charles, LA 70615
Phone: (888) 332-0075

Lake Charles Driver Institute
3501 5th Avenue,
Lake Charles, LA 70605

Monroe

Louisiana Tech Driver Training
609 Vocational Parkway West
Monroe, LA 71292

Morgan City

South Central Louisiana Technical College – Young Memorial Campus
900 Young Roads,
Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: (985) 380-2957

New Orleans

Coastal Truck Driving School
4016 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 486-3639

Opelousas

Coastal Truck Driving School
2419 I-49 South
Opelousas, LA 70570
Phone: (800) 982-8455

Shreveport

Career Technical College
1227 Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy
Shreveport, LA 71105
Phone: (888) 292-2794

Diesel Driving Academy
3523 Greenwood Rd
Shreveport, LA 71109
Phone: (800) 551-8900

Sunset

Coastal Truck Driving School
24919 I49 Service Road South,
Sunset, LA 70584
Phone: (337) 662-7156

You can use our contact form if you would like to send in a truck driving school that is not shown on the list above. Submissions must be complete and include the name, address, and phone contact details in order to be accepted.

Louisiana CDL

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For those who want to acquire a Louisiana CDL, you will have to know what the requirements are first before you apply.  They include taking several exams as well as being physically fit to handle the job.  You will be able to prepare for the whole process by reading the Louisiana CDL Manual first before applying for any of the said tests.  Aside from this, you also need to have a clean driving background and even a criminal background especially if you are planning to have a Hazardous Materials endorsement on your license.

The state and federal regulations today now requires truck drivers to only have one license.  It means that if are planning to transfer your place of residence to the state of Louisiana, you cannot apply for a new one in this state.  You will need to surrender your current license and apply for reciprocity in order to get a valid license here.  Aside from this, you also have to be at least 18 or 21 years old in order to apply for the license.  If you are 18 years old, you will be allowed to drive trucks only inside the state, whereas if you are already 21 years old and above, you can have an interstate permit.

driving-truck-on-freewayTo apply for the license, you will have to pass a DOT medical certification as well as a visual exam.  You can request for this form at your local OMV or they can be available from a DOT certified physician.  You also need to undergo a visual exam and to have at least a 20/40 visual acuity.  You can apply for the license even if you need to wear corrective lenses or if you have a particular medical condition.  The certification as well as other documents such as your current driver’s license, social security card and other valid IDs will be required in order to apply for the written exam.

Together with the said documents, you will also need to pay for the exam fees.  You will then be given a general exam about truck driving skills and road signs as well as other exams if you are seeking an endorsement for your license.  Available endorsements in the state of Louisiana are for Doubles/Triples, Tank, Hazardous Materials, Tank, and Passenger.  You have to pass the exam successfully in order to acquire the temporary permit that will let you practice driving a truck as long as you are with a licensed individual.

Before the permit expires, you should have already applied for a road test where you will be tested on various driving skills and knowledge in an actual setting.  It includes a pre-trip inspection, basic driving skills, and driving in actual traffic conditions in order to determine your fitness for a Louisiana CDL.  You can apply for the road test by visiting your local OMV office and paying the corresponding fees.  When you get the license, it will be valid for a fee years and you will need to renew it regularly.

If you need further assistance learning the skills required to pass the exams you can visit this page for the latest truck driving schools in LA. Below is the information regarding the DMV.

Louisiana DMV
Mailing Address:
Office of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 64886
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
Phone: 225-925-6146
Website: http://omv.dps.state.la.us/expresslane.html
Louisiana Commercial Driver’s License Manual

Truck Driving Schools in Los Angeles

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Truck driving schools in Los Angeles provide the basic and important training that you would need in order to gain a commercial driver’s license. Truck driving is now one of the most in-demand jobs in the market due to the growth and expansion of business activities.  So if you are looking for a career which would suit your background and which has a stable career opportunity in the future, then becoming a truck driver could be one of your best options. There are a variety of truck driving schools in Los Angeles that you can choose from in order to gain your training.

Truck driving schools in Los Angeles usually have a classroom and an actual driving component in their training.  These two are both important aspects of the training so that you can successfully pass your CDL examinations.  The classroom training includes lectures for a variety of subjects such as trip planning, vehicle inspection, backing, air brakes, and defensive driving.  They are all given by an experienced truck driving instructor who can teach you the in’s and out’s when it comes to truck driving. Sometimes the school will be the one to provide you with additional learning materials such as textbooks, manuals and even electronic resources for such subjects.  The school can also offer review classes for a particular class if you have not yet fully comprehended the topic.  The second aspect of the training is the actual driving behind the wheel.  Different schools and programs would offer different number of hours for such driving so you have to be careful in choosing the particular program that you are going to take.  It should be able to provide you with sufficient actual driving experience in order to learn truck driving fully.

There are three different truck driving schools that can offer you the best training in Los Angeles.  You can select from GSF Truck Driving School, Universal Truck Driving School, and TORO School of Truck Driving. These schools offer different training hours and truck driving programs for those who would like to learn.  GSF has Commercial Vehicle Pre-Trip Inspection Training, Professional CDL A  and B Truck Driver Training, Bus Driver Training, and training for additional endorsements in truck driving such as Double and Triple, Passenger, Tank, Hazardous and Combinations.  They also offer Advanced Truck driving classes for those who would like additional and more advanced truck driving techniques. Universal Truck Driving School and TORO School of Truck Driving also offer Class A and Class B CDL training for those who would like to become truck drivers.  Their courses will prepare students in acquiring their CDLs even providing truck vehicles without additional fees for their exams.

GSF is located at 2900 East Lugo St., Los Angeles; Universal Truck Driving School at 1600 S. Hill St.; and TORO School of Truck Driving is in 321 W. 135th St.  You may visit these addresses in order to know more about their offered truck driving courses in the Los Angeles area.