| Residents of Florida over 18 years old qualify for | | | | also recognized by the Council for Higher Education |
| training in Florida truck driving schools. Truck drivers | | | | Accreditation (CHEA) and licensed by the Department |
| who plan to apply for positions that would entail the | | | | of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. One of the |
| operation of vehicles over 26,000 lbs or which | | | | unique features of NTI is their training of eligible |
| transport hazardous materials are required to be | | | | applicants under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) |
| specially trained and to obtain a commercial driver's | | | | as well as Vocational Rehabilitation Participants. At its |
| license or CDL. This means one must pass a written | | | | training complex in Green Cove Springs, Diesel Semi |
| and driving exam designed to determine a person's | | | | Tractor Trailer Driver Programs students benefit from |
| capability to operate a truck safely within the state or | | | | three weeks of training (160 hours) on extensive |
| between states. State-based truck driver training | | | | training grounds on well-maintained late-model training |
| facilities should ensure that their students pass the | | | | vehicles that range from 300 HP to 450 HP engine |
| physical exams as well as vision, hearing and drug | | | | power, up to 13 speed transmission and up to 48 foot |
| tests every two years. | | | | trailers. NTI also provides job placement assistance. |
| Before one can apply for a CDL, however one needs | | | | SAGE Truck Driving Schools also purports to provide |
| to enroll under a certified truck driver training program. | | | | quality professional truck driver training and have been |
| Choosing from among the many Florida truck driving | | | | doing so for two decades. The SAGE programs are |
| schools can be confusing as persuasive marketing and | | | | certified with the Professional Truck Driver Institute |
| attractive offers obscure the fact that some schools | | | | (PTDI) as they should be and are considered one of |
| promise more than they can deliver. A student must | | | | the best trucking school programs in the US. In-depth |
| choose one that is certified or accredited by a | | | | commercial truck driver training and instruction as well |
| reputable organization, and offers truck driver training | | | | as extensive hands-on truck driving experience is part |
| that provides substantial actual driving time (at least 44 | | | | of the standard curriculum whether at their facilities at |
| hours). Many good private driving schools may take a | | | | Indian River Community College at Riviera Beach or |
| hefty chunk of money as tuition but considering a truck | | | | Lake City Community College in Lake City. Truck |
| driver in Florida earns about $35,000 annually, while a | | | | driver training programs are patterned for the |
| tractor-trailer driver earns about $43,000, the | | | | Proposed Minimum Standards for Training Tractor |
| investment may be well worth it. One of the few | | | | Trailer Drivers of the Department of Transportation. |
| nationally accredited Florida schools is the National | | | | The most popular program is the TTD150, which is |
| Truck Drivers School, which has been providing truck | | | | considered the basic program for entry-level |
| driver training since 1978. The school's programs are | | | | over-the-road truck driver. It involves a total of 150 |
| accredited with the Distance Education and Training | | | | hours of instruction, including 44 hours of actual driving |
| Council (DETC), recognized by the U.S. Department of | | | | over 5 weeks. Refresher courses are also available. |
| Education. Their Florida campus is in Orange Park and | | | | These are various types of Florida truck driving |
| offers the CDL Prepared Independent Trucker | | | | schools. For more information, search online for the |
| programs as well as the Commercial Driver's License | | | | best program to suit your needs. And remember, the |
| Preparation program. | | | | cheapest are almost never the best. When in a hurry, |
| National Training, Inc. (NTI) is also one of the accredited | | | | enroll in the transport company-organized training. My |
| by the DETC, Florida-based truck driving schools. It is | | | | personal tip for a trouble-free CDL ticket. |