Category: Blog

Before you can begin a career as a truck driver, you must first obtain your CDL. Attending a qualified CDL school is the fastest and easiest way to ensure you will pass the CDL exam to start on the road to the job you want. When choosing the right truck driving school for your needs, there are several factors you should keep in mind to help you find a school that will provide the right support for your future career.

Comprehensive Training

Unless you are just looking for a refresher course, chances are that you’ve never handled a truck before. Truck driving isn’t something you can pick up without personal experience, so you’ll want to find a truck driving school that includes both classroom and hands-on instruction. Training with a real truck means you’ll learn everything you need to know to successfully pass both the inspection and driving portions of the CDL exam, allowing you to immediately pursue a career in trucking without feeling overwhelmed or nervous about handling your truck.

Reputation

With the large number of CDL programs available, you’ll want to select one with a good reputation. A nationally-recognized truck driving school can give you a leg up on the competition, as you’ll be able to pursue employment opportunities anywhere, whether you want to start locally or are planning to move to a new home before seeking a job. Additionally, reputable schools are able to recruit more experienced and talented drivers for training purposes, meaning you’ll get a thorough education and the support you need to succeed.

At HDS Truck Driving Institute, you’ll find the instruction and tools you need to excel in the trucking industry. Our nationally-recognized CDL training programs in Tucson begin every Monday and include day and night classes to fit your schedule. We also hold regular open house events so you can meet our staff and learn more about the training we offer—check out our website or give us a call at (877) 205-2141 to learn about admissions, financial aid, and your future career opportunities.

Earning your CDL offers you a number of opportunities when pursuing your dream career. While many CDL holders go on to become truck drivers, many others enjoy rewarding careers as bus drivers. If you’re interested in using your CDL to become a bus driver, keep reading to learn more about the career opportunities that await you.

Urban Transit Systems

City transit systems frequently use buses as part of a comprehensive public transportation solution. Bus drivers are an integral part of these systems, handling regularly-scheduled buses that may have several stops between final destinations. As a public transportation driver, you may drive the same routes every day or switch off between varying destinations, depending on your employer and your preferences.

Charter Bus Companies

Charter bus companies employ a large number of bus drivers in the United States. One of the most popular charter bus careers is site-to-site transportation, such as on ticketed buses. Charter bus drivers may also provide private group travel for sports teams, businesses, families, and other groups. Alternatively, charter bus drivers may serve as both driver and tour guide for companies specializing in sightseeing, and tourism. Charter bus companies may serve only a small local area or carry passengers across the country on long-distance trips.

School Bus Companies

School buses provide daily transportation for students during the school year; school bus drivers typically handle several routes per day for students of every age. In addition to driving students to and from school on a daily basis, school bus drivers are also called upon for special activities such as field trips, sports meets, academic competitions, and team-building trips.
Driving a bus can be an exciting, ever-changing, and rewarding career. HDS Truck Driving Institute is pleased to offer specialized CDL bus training and testing in Tucson to help you achieve your goals, as well as lifetime job placement assistance for every graduate. We invite you to call us at (877) 205-2141 or click through our website to learn more about the benefits of earning your CDL with our truck driving school.

After you complete truck driving school in Tucson and obtain your Arizona CDL, you will be much closer to the rewarding trucking career you’ve been dreaming of. Although one of the things you will learn during your time at HDS Truck Driving Institute is how to share the road with other drivers, it’s never too early to introduce you to some of the unwritten etiquette rules that will make you a safe, professional, and courteous truck driver.

Stay to the Right

It’s good trucking etiquette to stay outside of the left lane except when passing slow moving traffic. If you find yourself stuck behind slow traffic and a driver slows down in the left lane to allow you to merge, get over to the right as soon as it is safe to do so. This is a nice way of showing thanks to the driver for allowing you to get ahead of traffic.

Remember Your High Beams

As a truck driver, you may sometimes find yourself in the middle of a long trip late at night in the middle of nowhere. You should use your truck’s high beams whenever it is appropriate to illuminate the road ahead, but remember to turn them off when oncoming traffic is approaching or when a car merges in front of you. You don’t realize it behind the wheel, but your truck’s high beams are very bright and can be quite distracting for other drivers.

Move Over for Stopped Vehicles

As an exception to the first rule we discussed, move over to the left whenever you approach a vehicle that is pulled over on the shoulder and flashing hazard lights. If it is not safe to pull over, slow down as you approach the vehicle. Large trucks create a lot of turbulence and “blow by” when passing stationary objects and vehicles, so moving over and/or slowing down will minimize the disturbance your truck causes on the people inside or working on the vehicle.
HDS Truck Driving Institute can teach you all the skills you need to be a professional truck driver. Call us at 877-205-2141 to learn more about our Tucson CDL programs and the resources we provide our current students and graduates. Financial aid is available for those who qualify and have an urge to attend truck driving school in Arizona.

The best way to obtain your Tucson CDL is by attending truck driving school, and one of the best truck driving schools in the Old Pueblo is HDS Truck Driving Institute. Since 1991, HDS Truck Driving Institute has provided men and women with the training and resources necessary to pass the Arizona CDL exam and become the professional drivers that the top companies seek. Our approach to truck driver training is why many of our graduates are employed by some of the nation’s top OTR carriers. If you’re interested in obtaining your CDL, make sure you meet our admission requirements and then call us to set up an appointment.

Age Requirement

Applicants must be 21 years of age by the time the program is completed to obtain an interstate CDL license. You may obtain an intrastate CDL license if you are at least 18 years of age by the program’s completion date.

Language Requirement

Applicants must be able to read and speak English at a conversational level. Applicants are also required to understand highway traffic signs and signals in English and how to make entries in English on reports and records.

Driver’s License and Driving Experience

Applicants must have an active Arizona driver’s license and proof of at least one consecutive year of driving experience with a standard operator’s license. A copy of your driving record can be obtained at your local DMV.

High School Diploma/GED

Applicants must possess either a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent, such as a GED. In some cases, we may choose to enroll applicants who do not possess either a high school diploma or recognized equivalent if they demonstrate the ability to benefit from training and a high likelihood of being employed after graduation.
For additional information about our admission requirements, or to begin the admissions process, call HDS Truck Driving Institute at 877-205-2141. If you are worried about the cost of attending truck driving school in Tucson, call us for additional information about financial aid, tuition reimbursement, paid training, and other forms of financial assistance. We look forward to welcoming you into the next class at Tucson’s best truck driving school.

A lot of individuals and businesses are thankful for the service and sacrifice of our country’s armed forces, but few are in a position to give back to the men and women who gave so much for our country. That’s why HDS Truck Driving Institute is proud to help veterans obtain their CDL in Tucson and other necessary qualifications and certifications for quality employment opportunities in the transportation industry. Here’s a look at some of the benefits we offer qualified veterans looking to attend a Tucson truck driving school.

GI Bill

HDS Truck Driving Institute students who qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill can receive tuition assistance and a monthly subsistence payment while attending truck driving school. The Post-9/11 GI Bill may be transferred to a spouse or children if you meet specific requirements.

Military Spouse Program

Eligible military spouses may receive up to $4,000 of financial assistance through MyCAA, the Military Spouse Program. This financial assistance can help eligible military spouses pursue education, training, and licenses leading to a career in the transportation industry.

Chapter 35 Educational Assistance Program

Under the Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35), spouses and dependent children between the ages of 18 and 26 of deceased or 100 percent disabled veterans are eligible for educational assistance if the veteran’s death or disability was service related.

Paid Training/Externships

HDS Truck Driving Institute also provide paid on-the-job training and/or externships for veterans who qualify. One of our admissions representatives can discuss the possibility of earning money while pursuing your Arizona CDL.
For additional information on our programs and admission requirements, call us at 877-205-2141. When you call, one of our representatives will walk you through the process of obtaining your Arizona CDL and how HDS Truck Driving Institute can help you find employment in the transportation industry after graduation.

As a truck driver, your rig is your livelihood. Because most professional drivers get paid by the mile or by the delivery, any setbacks or issues with your truck can end up costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you enroll in a Tucson truck driving school, you’ll learn how to keep your truck safe and functional. In the meantime, start thinking about these important truck maintenance tips as you gear up to take your Arizona CDL exam.

Make Sure Your Truck is Road Worthy

Before you hit the road, it’s important that you perform a thorough pre-trip inspection of your truck and trailer. It can take between 30 and 45 minutes to complete a thorough pre-trip inspection, but it’s far less time consuming than sitting on the side of the road waiting for a repair truck. A good pre-trip inspection will also ensure that your vehicle is safe to operate, which is important for your own safety and the safety of everyone else on the road.

Look, Listen, and Feel for Problems

Just because you graduate from truck driving school doesn’t mean you will be qualified to work on your own rigs. But after all the hours you spend behind the wheel, you will definitely know how to spot when something is wrong with your truck. If you ever notice a problem or suspect that something isn’t right, have it checked out as soon as possible. Most times it might be nothing, but the one time you choose to ignore a problem it may result in a timely (and costly) breakdown or worse.
If you have the desire for a new career, HDS Truck Driving Institute can help. We provide comprehensive CDL prep and driver training at our Tucson truck driving school. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. We invite you and your family to one of our open house events to meet our instructors, tour our facilities, and learn why we are the premier Tucson CDL school. For additional information, please call us at  877-205-2141

The trucking industry is known for providing men and women with lucrative and exciting careers. But while the earning potential for truck drivers is exceptional, the job comes with its own physical demands and challenges. Sitting and driving for long periods of time doesn’t leave much time for exercise, and it can be hard to eat healthy on the road. However, if you want to maximize your earning potential by having a long, productive career, you need to take health and fitness serious. Truck driving school in Tucson will teach you how to maintain your rig, and this article will teach you how to maintain your body as a truck driver.

Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

The tendency for most truck drivers is to eat what’s available on the road. Unfortunately, this typically means lots of fast food and processed truck stop snacks. To keep hunger at bay, stock up on health snacks before you hit the road. Fruits, nuts, and veggies are excellent to have on hand, but there hundreds of other healthy snacks you can find at the market.

Exercise When and Where You Can

With the exception of staying in a motel or hotel with an onsite gym, you won’t have access to professional exercise equipment while you’re on the road. Fortunately, you don’t need a gym to stay active. Aim to exercise for at least 15 minutes every day, and try to work multiple muscle groups simultaneously to maximize your results. Maybe that means push-ups and squats in a truck stop parking lot or jumping jacks and lunges at a rest stop.

Stretch Before and After a Long Haul

As a truck driver, one of the most important things you can for your physical health and wellbeing is to stretch. Give yourself 10 or 15 minutes to completely stretch out your muscles and tendons before and after a long trip. Stretching will reduce sitting discomfort and can even help prevent some of the lower back injuries that truck drivers often complain about.
HDS Truck Driving Institute is committed to producing the very best truck drivers. We do this by providing our students with comprehensive training, resources, and support. If you’re looking for the best truck driving school in Tucson, HDS Truck Driving Institute would like to meet you. Call us at  877-205-2141 to learn more about our Tucson truck driving school

It was only a matter of time before CDL training programs began recruiting female drivers, as women are known for driving less aggressively and being more cautious. In theory, these skills mean that women drivers are less likely to be involved in accidents. Now that an increasing number of women are enrolling in Tucson CDL school, their involvement is shaping the trucking landscape.

Challenges

Women who pursue trucking as a career face advantages and disadvantages. Similar to male truckers, there are bound to be some female truckers with similar experiences in the industry. While some female truckers may find their gender is a plus, others may find it creates challenges. On the one hand, other drivers are anxious to cater to a female trucker’s needs by helping with directions on the CB, radio checks, or fixing the truck in a break down. In fact, some female truckers can use the radio to simply ask a question and have had free meals when visiting truck stops.

Equal treatment

Many women truckers don’t feel they have been treated any differently than their male counterparts. However, some female truckers feel they receive too much attention. While other drivers may be overly helpful to female truckers, the truckers may not have extra time to chat while trying to get directions.

Harassment

When other drivers’ attention goes too far, it can constitute harassment. Every now and then, a female trucker may hear ignorant comments over the CB radio. Other drivers may find these jokes funny, even though they are disrespecting their female colleagues. Some male drivers are serious and even say nasty things to female drivers to put them in place. A mature female driver will respond by simply ignoring the disrespectful comments that come up every once in a while.

If you are looking to begin a career as a female truck driver, HDS Truck Driving Institute has trained thousands of CDL drivers. We are a fully accredited educational institution in Tucson. To learn more about beginning a career in trucking, give us a call at (877) 205-2141.

Obtaining your Arizona CDL will open up doors for many different career opportunities within the trucking industry. Whether you want to drive for a company or be your own boss, see the country or be home with your family each night, there are a wide variety of career opportunities only available to men and women who complete truck driving school in Tucson. To help you plan for the future, here’s a look at some of the top career opportunities as a truck driver.

Over-the-Road Truck Driver

OTR drivers transport goods and materials throughout the United States and are typically on the road for three or four weeks at a time. Experienced OTR truck drivers can make 60 cents or more per mile. If you want to make a great living and get paid to travel through the U.S., you may be interested in becoming an OTR driver.

Regional Truck Driver

Unlike OTR drivers, regional truck drivers haul freight within a few hundred miles of a specified area. For example, if you complete truck driving school in Tucson and want to stay in the Old Pueblo after graduation, your regional deliveries will take you to places like Phoenix, Yuma, and Southern California. Regional truck drivers can be out for two or three weeks at a time.

Local Truck Driver

If you would prefer to be home each night, you should pursue a career as a local truck driver in Tucson. Local drivers make deliveries throughout their home base and are often home nightly. In some cases you may be asked to make long-distance hauls, but even those should only keep you away from home for a few days at most.

There are also opportunities for Arizona CDL holders to become truck driver instructors, owner/operators, and more. If you want to learn about all of the career opportunities as a truck driver, contact HDS Truck Driving Institute. We are proud to be one of the very best truck driving schools in Arizona, and the premier CDL school in Tucson. Please call us at  877-205-2141 to learn more about our programs, admission requirements, and financial aid opportunities.

Spring weather may be great for gardens, but the wet conditions that flowers love will also cause over a million traffic collisions each year. If you’re a Tucson CDL driver, you need to know how to safely handle such situations during your time on the road. When it comes to rain, safety begins before you drive, as you take steps to ensure visibility.

Slow down

One of the biggest safety risks in driving through rain is hydroplaning, where the tires rise up on a film of water. Even as little as 1/12 inch of water on the road forces your tires to displace a gallon of water per second to maintain contact with the road. To ensure your truck doesn’t hydroplane, you should reduce your speed to correspond with the amount of water on the roadway. For example, even at speeds as low as 35 mph, brand new tires can still have difficulty maintaining contact with the roadway.

Leave room

Another way to avoid hydroplaning is by leaving plenty of room between your truck and the other drivers. Remember, others traveling won’t be as experienced with driving long distances in rainy conditions. To stay safe, increase the following distance between your truck and the vehicle in front of you. You should also start to slow down early to stop for an intersection, make a turn or adjust to other traffic conditions.

Respond to a skid

Even if you’re taking all the necessary steps to stay safe in the rain, you may experience a skid. If you feel the truck beginning to skid, the worse thing you can do is panic. Instead, continue looking and steering in the direction you want the truck to go. At the same time, don’t slam your brakes, as this will make it more difficult to regain control of the truck.

Since 1991, HDS Truck Institute has proudly served the Southern Arizona community. Call (877) 205-2141 to learn more about CDL training in Tucson. Our graduates are working for many of the nation’s top over-the-road carriers.

After completing truck-driving school in Tucson, the next step is taking the road test portion of your CDL exam. While you may be anxious about bumping a curb or forgetting to check your mirrors, not knowing what the examiner is looking for can be even more nerve-wracking. An effective way to ease any anxiety related to the test is by learning exactly what to expect on the big day.

Automatic failures

In order to pass the CDL road test, you need to know what constitutes automatic failure. While some of these may be obvious, like getting into a wreck or running a red light, other automatic failures aren’t so easy to detect. For example, smaller actions like hitting a curb, forgetting your turn signal, and failing to check your mirrors when changing lanes all result in automatic failure. When driving a truck, these little mistakes can result in very serious consequences, so it’s important to ensure they never happen.

Acceptable mistakes

Even after years of truck driving, minor mistakes do happen. In most situations, it’s not a serious safety hazard to grind a gear or taking an extra second to find the right RPM to get into gear. So long as you demonstrate sufficient proficiency in shifting, you won’t fail the road test with a few ground gears or missed shifts. If you make these minor mistakes on the test, just keep your composure, take your time, and find the right gear.

Non-driving considerations

Your demeanor during the test is actually a main factor guiding the examiner’s decision to license you. Trucking is a high-pressure occupation, as you spend the day dealing with heavy traffic, terrible weather, and impatient drivers. For this reason, you need to show the examiner that you can stay calm when faced with serious stress.

HDS Truck Driving Institute has been proudly training Tucson truck drivers since 1991. As a fully-accredited educational institution, we have trained thousands of students to pass their Commercial Driver License exam. To learn how we can help you become the kind of professional driver companies seek, please call (877) 205-2141.