Truck Driving Schools in South Dakota
Having a Commercial Driver’s License or CDL is crucial in starting a career as a truck driver in South Dakota. Without a CDL, you won’t be able to engage in either intrastate or interstate truck driving work. To ensure the safety of all those who are on the road, newer regulations have been made and must be met by all applicants to get a CDL. Compared to other careers, getting a CDL is relatively easy if you know what to do. First of all, you must be of the proper age before you start considering a career in this industry. You must be at least 18 years old to drive within South Dakota. Applicants must be 21 years or older if they wish to drive interstate. Next, applicants must be able to get a medical certificate issued by a DOT certified physician to prove that they are physically fit to drive for possibly long periods of time.
Next, you should get a copy of the South Dakota CDL Manual from either the DMV office or the internet. The manual will contain important information that is needed to pass both the written and skills tests that will be conducted by the DWV. The manual will teach applicants about the areas where they will be tested on, especially in the second part of the exam. Before one can take the General Knowledge Test, applicants must first be able to pass the vision test. Additional tests will be given to applicants who wish to add endorsements to their CDL. Having an additional endorsement will let you perform additional duties. Applicants must get at least 80% in order to pass the written test and receive a temporary license permit.
This license permit will only be issued upon passing the General Knowledge Test. The permit will allow the CDL applicants to drive a commercial vehicle while being supervised by a licensed driver. When you feel that you are ready, go to the nearest DMV office and schedule a day for the road test. Please remember that the permit is only valid for a few months and that applicants must take the road test before their permit expires.
The road test is divided into three parts and will cover a variety of topics, such as vehicle inspection, control testing, and an actual on-road testing. All parts of the road test must be passed using the vehicle the applicant plans to drive after obtaining a CDL. Having a truck driving career in South Dakota is actually nice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of South Dakota commercial truck drivers is around $34,100 per year. This can vary depending on various conditions such as the industry one is working, the company, and seniority. The BLS expects that there would be an increase of 21% in job demand by the end of 2020.
List of Truck Driving Schools in SD
Rapid City
Western Dakota Tech Institute
800 Mickleson Drive,
Rapid City, SD 57703
Phone: (605) 394-4034
Sioux Falls
MCT Transportation Inc.
P.O. Box 5233
Sioux Falls, SD 57117
(888) 310-1854
Southeast Technical Institute
2301 Career Place
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
(605) 367-7619
Yankton
American Truck Driving Academy
904 W. 23rd Street, Suite 105
Yankton, SD 57078
(866) 308-7755
To submit a CDL school to this page you can use our contact form. To enter a submission, please send the business name, address, and company phone number to be considered.