I Got My Commercial Driver's License In 2 Weeks 

Thanks to KiwiCo for sponsoring this video. Use code AMBITION for 20% off your first Panda Crate subscription: kiwico.com/ambitionstrikes

Shout out to Idho CDL for letting him film, it's both cool to see and a nice window into what the CDL drivers have to go through for anyone who is curious or potentially interested in going through it.

Former Seabee Mechanic here. I was one of the first people in the Navy to get licenced on the MTVR Tractor when it first came to the fleet. I also was involved in the testing of the trucks before they were sent out for service. I am local to north Idaho, eastern WA if you have problems. They are complicated vehicles with lots of weird systems and proprietary parts. Happy to help if you run into issues!

Hi Rilley from a retired truck driver. The two abbreviations i used to use were PAL and LAP for connecting and disconnecting trailers. PAL Pin Air lines Landing gear (up) LAP Landing gear (down) Air lines (disconnected) Pull Pin. You NEVER want to disconnect a trailer before putting the landing gear down AND you NEVER want to move a trailer before having raised the landing gear. Have a nice day. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border

I used to work for one of the big freight shipping companies. Never got a CDL but definitely moved a lot of trailers around the yard and it is nerve wracking when you first start out. It gave me so much more respect for what those drivers do and what they have to go through just to get a trailer from A to B.

Ass a CDL holder, driving trks for almost 20 years, hauling fuel to Prudoe Bay Ak. on what is probably one of the most dangerous roads in North America. I still remember going to trk school and getting my first interation of my license as one of the most traumatic times of my life. 😂 Congratulations!

Congratulations! Welcome to the CDL A club. Taking the course and test in "less than perfect weather" was a great call. Expect the un expected , and be safe.

Bravo man. I remember that feeling the first time I hit the open road in a semi... Scared the pants off me.. You did well. Congrats on a new life skill.

I got my cdl it took 2.5 months in Wisconsin but that final test is very nerve wracking

As a commercial driver in my history and now a manager of commercial drivers. I'm finding this very interesting on the training now days, also laughing at your mistakes. but it's part of the learning process. I still can't get my driving mantra out of my head. "Properly mounted & secured. Not cracked, bent, or broken. Not leaking or leaning." This has stuck with me since Salt Lake City and my driving school.

That's the fastest class A CDL course I've ever seen. Not even remotely enough time. When I went to CDL school, it was a 6 week course. 6 weeks of drive time and classroom study. And after 20 years of driving, I know even that didn't touch all the situations I'd experienced. It's scary to know they are only training people for 7 days before turning them loose. Happy for you that you passed, dude. Please be careful out there and take your time. Your mirrors are your very best friend. Always be scanning them, even if no one is around. Little cars come out of nowhere. Never get complacent.

I'm currently in the process of obtaining my cdl. You have made this whole process feel so worthwhile, I want to thank you for taking the time to make this video. It has helped me build the confidence I needed to keep pressing on. Congrats!! Keep it between the ditches .

It's awesome to see you documenting your progress! I get to teach the class B, passenger, and school bus endorsements in Colorado for a local school district.

this might be helpful to you with clutch brake operation the clutch brake only contacts when the pedal is one inch from the floor so as long as you only toe the clutch pedal enough to disengage the clutch brake does not work

Wow Riley you never fail to amaze me all the things you can already do and then taking on more things to learn. Congratulations for passing that was a large commitment x

BRAVO! Well done. I suspect it is like any other "crash course" (sorry, bad adjective ...) you now begin to really hone your skills. You brought back memories of my ROP School Bus Driver's Course shifting without synchromesh, matching RPM's to speed, and accounting for the huge rear end behind the rear axle. Congratulations!

I remember getting my CDL. My two hardest things to learn was the pre-trip ( my instructor was a stickler for precise wording) and backing up. I had literally 15 minutes of training. That led to big issues. I ended up training myself in the yard of my first employer.

Congratulations on getting your semi licence. Viewing from Australia. I got my semi licence 50 years ago, when all you had to do was answer a few questions, drive around town, back a Strait line, and do a hill sart. All done in an hour.

When I went through truck driving school in Ohio we had to drive tractors with sleepers and 53-ft trailers. So from day one we were in 75-ft trucks. Get your double triple and tanker endorsement. You may not need it but it's always good to have.

We now you have learned what all truck drives had to learn. I remember my training for my class A CDL. But back then even though it was not a easy thing to do it was not as tough as it is today for new drives. Many of the laws has changed and more Federal and State laws are more stricter. Back when I did my test I had to do all the pre-trip inspections and that even included the service lines to the trailer. Then I had to do the straight line backing, right side doc backing, and then left side doc back, then serpentine backing, and then the parallel parking. I don't know if you had to do the serpentine backing or the parallel parking. But the one thing is leaning the responsibilities of being a truck driver. I'm retired from truck driving and I miss it I miss the open roads. But after 43 years I knew it was time to turn it over to the younger generation truckers. Good luck with your new toy.

It's funny watching this video because when I drove truck I had an Oregon class A license and I gave it up just before they came out with a CDL. So the truck I drove was a 1988 Peterbilt 4 axle tractor with a 53 foot 3 axle trailer with a gross weight of 98,000 lbs.. The tractor had a 3406B Cat motor with a 13 speed trans and your right you only use the clutch in first gear then in order to shift gear's you just match rpm's!

Once your done with school and those tests you be able to float the gears as long as you still hit the right RPM's. Definitely easier on your clutch life and simplies driving as well.

The longer that a trailer is ,the easier it is to back up because it responds slower to steering imputs . And one other piece of advice is to NEVER forget that you have a trailer on when you are making a turn. To do so will have you taking out a light pole or a stop sign. Have a nice day. Tom in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border

It's awesome to see a popular you tuber take a CDL course, thank you so much for showing how much of a mental strain driving a semi truck can be, and what is all involved with driving a semi truck, so many people out there figure we just drive and that driving is so easy, No it is not, it truly is a tough job with alot more involved than so many believe! Thank you Riley! Congratulations on getting your CDL!!🎉 best of luck in your future endeavors!

Congratulations Rilley. That is no easy task; a good friend of mine got his heavy truck license in New Zealand a year ago, and those things are much harder to drive than it looks from the outside. Did you consider doing the course in the better weather? Ice and snow must not have helped?

Its great to see you on your learning how to drive a truck...just shows what youve all got to go through....Glad you passed...Stay safe and god bless you all

My first CDL in 1963 was a one page written test with no driving. Oh, am now I am old, and still have my CDL and do drive Big trucks, but not often.

That was really fun to watch, congratulations, Riley! 🎉

Oh that brought back memories for me over here in the UK doing my HGV. I knew exactly how you felt with the nerves. Awesome upload guys. Wishing you all the best😎

Good job Riley! I Love how both you & Courtney consistently are learning new things! Oliver is still the star of the show! Love that your subscribers are growing since I have been subscribed while you had sleeper in truck🙏🙏🙏

Congratulations Riley 👏

Great stuff. Tempted to do my HGV license too (Heavy goods vehicle over here in UK). They recently changed the law to simplify it so that you can go straight to a articulated truck (semi trailer) directly. Straight to 44 tonnes..... Congratulations on your pass!!

As my WWII grandfather would say when I grinded the gears on my first car, "Hey grind me a pound while your at it"!!! Lol. You will be a pro in no time.

Congratulations Riley

Congratulations Riley👏👏🎉🎉

Great work Riley. Not easy. Definitely go easy in the big rigs with the mountains!

Sounds like I passed you on Thursday night late. Headed out Thursday morning from Phoenix to Portland, was through Boise around 11pm, then again yesterday at lunch time on the way back. Long, not so fun trip for me, and I was actually thinking about you guys while I was in Idaho. Congrats on your CDL Casey!

Congratulations. Now you get the chance to see regular drivers as they really are. Folks that decide to slow down on an uphill grade causing you to have to gear down or stop and get started again. People that do not understand, it takes you a lot longer to stop than a car and pull out in front of you. If you are driving a commercial truck, it is a big money sign to some people, watch out for scammers. If a rock kicks out from under your tire and hits someones windshield, not your fault. If a rock falls off of your load and hits a windshield, your fault. Follow all the tarp down rules and make sure your tractor and trailer are clean of anything loose that may fall off. Invest in a good dash cam. My number one tip for you is, going down a grade, never gear down up or down, if you skip a gear and end up out of gear, you are free wheeling. Depending on the grade, you could burn up your brakes before being able to stop and start again.

Bless your heart, so happy you getting a new truck driving skill under your belt .well done and so impressed with your family and friends being there

Awesome. So excited about whatever this must mean you’re cooking up for the future!

Hauling milk in a tanker into down town Dallas, Tx. will get you over any nervousness of driving in traffic. As a former maintenance dispatcher, most breakdowns that occur within the first 100 miles is because the pretrip was not preformed. Good job.

Bravo Zulu you truck driving dude! Looks like you're getting a newish Army bobtail?!?!

Congratulations on passing! Excited to see the adventures you take

I remember when I first learned to drive tractor trailers. Allot going on at once but eventually it becomes automatic, good old muscle memory. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Good for you, Riley....and cheerleaders Courtney & Oliver!!

Congrats riley on getting your CDL. Something you'll never regret. Driving OTR 48 states was my career until I was struck with diabetes and no longer eligible. Worse day of my life. Two things I'd like to metion. You said the one instructor told you about reading the signs. That means EVERY sign. The one you miss may be the one that tells you the bridge is out. Teach yourself to read EVERY sign. Its your saftey and life that this might affect. Secondly, use all the space you can when pulling forward to line up for a back up. Most drivers car or truck fail to pull far enough forward to line up properly and wind up making several attempts. Saw you do that in the video. I've pulled tankers, flatbeds, box, oversized and superloads. My best suggestion to you would be to go to your local truckstop sit at the counter and talk to your fellow drivers. At least when i was driving they were friendly and willing to help you learn. I learned more there than anywhere else except actually driving. Theyll tell you things about driving in bad weather, bad habits etc. I'd say they focus on saftey because those trucks are dangerous. Good luck, stay safe and be smart. Never do drugs of any type. There are drivers who do and may offer it. Dont accept ever. No load is ever worth it. I always despised the unprofessional driver who placed so many at risk with that crap. Im a bit older so this is old but I used to use this line all the time, drive right. I dont want to run into some mom driving a station wagon with four kids in the back on her way to drop the kids off at school. Mechanical failure happens (as you are familiar) so stay up on maintenance.

Congratulations Riley! I just celebrated the 20th anniversary of getting my CDL-A license. Since then I added the double/triple, tanker and HZAMAT endorsements to it.

Nice work! Congratulations 🎉

Congrats Riley,,,been there,done that,,,extremely nerve-racking,on to better things....👍👍👍👍

Congratulations will be curious to see the new pickup. Oliver is getting so big, that’s one happy baby Great video looks like you had fun but nervous.

A couple of thing that may help you. First when you are pushing the clutch in, when your HEEL it the FLOOR, stop, the clutch pedal throw is half way and that is far enough to shift when moving, Second, backing a trailer is where most of the accidents happen, the way trailer length effects backing is dependent on the bridge length, this is the distance between the king pin, and between the rear trailer trailers. The longer the bridge distance, the slower the trailer reacts to your inputs, the shorter the bridge distance the quicker the trailer reacts, a LOT of people have a harder time getting a short trailer to go where they want them to go because they over correct. I also strongly recommend the SMITH SYSTEM driving videos, they will help you learn what to see when driving a commercial sized vehicle.

One of the most important things to check which I haven't heard you mention is the wheel nuts - one of those come off and it kinda messes up your day and someone else's life if it bounces unfortunately....We in the UK have dayglo markers which face each other on either nut - you can tell then if they have moved...THEY DO over time. Tapping them with a bar also gives off a different sound. Its a great addition to your licence, opens your mind to the hard work truck drivers carry out, often at crazy times and distances. well done.

Congratulations on your class A! I’m curious why you needed it, where we live in Idaho you can register semis for personal use up to 56,000 lbs with air brakes and trailer. No cdl, cdl only needed if the use is intended for business or how DOT puts it “making money”. Just depends how you register and insure it! Technically you’re supposed to have not for hire on the side when registered personnel use but in our county that’s rarely checked.

Congratulations Riley! Add another notch onto your skillset belt!

Retired truck driver here, everyone has trouble backing at first and getting the gears right. If you do it long enough you'll get it and you won't even have to think about it. I always found backing the longer trailers was easier than the shorter one's.

Well done, Riley! Congrats!! Great to see Tyler again. Hope there are more projects the two of you tackle in the future.

In the UK we had "grandfathers rights" ( if you passed the driving test long enough ago, 1967 in my case) to drive rigid trucks, up to 7.5 tons. I was involved in a project about vehicle delivery/collection and they said "the best way to find outis to do it" and sent me to collect a 7.5 ton truck. It was the biggest thing I'd driven since (High) School!

If we floated the gears like that it was automatic failure. The clutch brake is pedal all the way to the floor to stop parts from moving when putting in gear from a stop. That should not affect shifting, you just need to push pedal far enough to disengage the clutch.

Congratulations! Now the hard part comes next lots.and lots. And lots of practice over and over again

Congratulations on completing your CDL! I took a contract course to get mine a few months ago and we share some of the same pain points - primarily, prior experience with manual transmissions in passenger vehicles complicating the process for commercial vehicles. Double clutching is one thing, but it takes a bit to get the clutch pedal depth and RPM just right to avoid engine braking and grinding gears. Great video, thank you for sharing!

Congratulations on your license!! I almost got got mine awhile back...but now it is to much work. Way to goo!😊

This is a great video. Really took me back to my CDL training days. Good luck looking for good videos of truck driving ahead

Congratulations! What a fun video!

I know what you went thru. I got my CDL-A 22 years ago. The training lasted for three weeks. We had to do our practice driving with two other students in the truck. Fortunately, they had sleeper berths. Memorizing the pretrip was the longest and hardest part. Enjoy your new truck!

I have my CDL because my business truck is used in commerce and pleasure. I learned many things that I apply when driving my diesel pusher.

I've been a commercial driver for 28 years.Myself and my coworkers have always said,they need to make the test harder.Well they stepped it up a bit atleast.The motorhomes and 5th wheels should all have to take some form of this.Im glad you showed some respect to truckers and the difficulty of driving around the stupidity of other drivers Congratulations Riley!

Welcome to CDL! I Got mine without any school. But I grow up around heavy equipment so had a life of experience already. Love you guys!!!!

This brought back 25 year old memories. Cheers!

Howdy Riley, I know you will get a ton of comments on here about what to do and what not to do. I used to be a truck driving instructor. At the school I taught at we always taught out students to use the clutch ALWAYS when shifting. Each time the gears "rub" when shifting it is causing wear on the gears and metal flake deposits to be in the oil, which then gets into all the other parts of the transmission. The last time I drove was back in the 80's, yup that was a while ago but I'm sure the manual transmissions haven't changed since then. Then a rebuilt trans was around 5 grand. Nowadays... I've got no idea but it's going to be expensive. Clutchs, on the other hand, are designed to be worn as that is their job in life as they act as the contact area between the engine and transmission. Where a lot of people get into trouble when double-clutching is they step on the clutch pedal too far down engaging the transmission's clutch brake. This clutch brake is used for stopping the transmission from spinning so you can engage first gear while at a stop. When double-clutching only depress the clutch pedal down far enough to disengage the engine from the transmission. Practice and you will "feel" where the disconnect and re-engagement is at on the clutch pedal. Another thing to look for is how fast you might be going in your gears at maximum governed RPM. I know there are differences but from what I have seen most main gears are about 5 mph. So, 1st = 5mph, 2nd = 10 mph, 3rd = 15 mph... or thereabouts. These are your shifting points at max rpm's. So, if you are coming down is speed from 15 to 10 you can grab 2nd gear at max rpm's when you hit 10. In double-clutching what you would do is at about 12 mph is step on the clutch and put the transmission into neutral, release the clutch, increase rpm's to max, step on the clutch and move the shift lever into 2nd gear at about 10+mph, release the clutch while holding the max rpms. Now "max" rpm's on the older engines was about 2100 rpm. On the newer engines it might be around 1700. Generally there is about a 500 rpm difference between main gears and about 250 rpm difference between split gears. I know this is a lot of info, but practice will make perfect. Your instructors have done well except for the part about not using the clutch and that is truly a personal preference and how deep your pockets are. Drive safe!

I'm glad you made it. Just always remember to constantly keep checking your mirrors and keeping an eye on all your gages while you're driving, cause it only takes a second to get into an accident that can be avoided. I've been driving class 8 for over 30 years and it is a very stressful job. Now you can call all them small vehicles out there, them darn 4 wheelers. Lol. Just relax and always pay attention to everything around you. It's hard, but you can do it. My wife would always laugh at me when she would pick me up after I got back in off the road and she wants me to drive. Not cool. Because I'd start trying to shift it into gear and it's a darn automatic and I'd stomp the floor because there's no clutch there. Lol. 4 million miles and I had enough. So it's your time now. Good luck and God bless.

Riley, you crack me up! One never knows what you are going to be trying to get done from one episode to the other!

Congratulations Riley, I have been a truck driver for over 25 years and have been a blast.

Congrats on passing your test. But WOW, just WOW, your trucks are just so antiquated. I'm in the UK and passed my HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) Class 1 test in 1989. The truck I used had a full syncro gearbox, I don't don't think I've ever driven a truck that had what we call a crash box, I have driven trucks without using the clutch, usually when the clutch hydraulic system has failed (I'm a mechanic), so have had to go out and rescue drivers that just can't do it. I'm not sure when they came out, but in the very early 2000's we had fully automatic trucks, they still had a clutch and synchronous gearbox, but it was robotised, so the computer changed gears, some trucks (Scania's) still had a clutch pedal, but that was purely for pulling away and reversing. In 2024 trucks are as luxurious as cars (have been for years), if not better, most, in fact I'd say all larger trucks have cruise control, and very few are manuals. We don't have long nose trucks, so the cabins are smaller, but some are still quite spacious. We also have disc brakes all round (including trailers), in fact the truck I passed my test in, in 1989 was one of the first to have disc brakes on the front axle, rear was still drum. Here's a new Scania ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Mciw2ibNL_4.html Personally I prefer the older, manual, and non computerised trucks, they are much easier to work on and don't have so many issues! PS Realise your not going to have the newest trucks to learn in, but that was like something from the eighties.

I got my CDL back in 1998 at Central Technology Center in Drumright OK. What a great college. It was a month long training where we had a lot of classroom training on air brakes and so on. Back then there was a lot to learn. But it wasn't until I became an airline pilot back in 2004 that I learned what the word "Mentally hard" was. Looking back now, getting my CDL was a piece of cake.

It's easy two day you only have gear shift . When I learned to drive had two transmission's . Learned to drive in the ore fields of southern Colorado.

Best thing i can recommend now is to go and drive agency for some supermarkets. The routes are never technical or too tight for time and it will get you plenty of seat time to drive home what youve learnt. Passing your test is only the first step to becoming a driver.

I got my CDL back in 92' and my commercial pilots license in 1994, I couldn't imagine having to go through all of that today

This was an awesome video! I always appreciated truck drivers, (all sizes), but now my appreciation reaches a new level. Thanks

From a retired truck driver. Good advice for any driver other than one who drives in the prairies. At the top of a hill or mountain, there is only one thing that a driver can change or control. That is the speed with which he/she starts down the hill. You cannot change the length of the hill. You cannot change the grade or steepness of the hill . You cannot change the weight or your load. And for all practical reality you cannot change the condition of your brakes . The number one goal is to minimize the application of the "foundation" brakes or "foot" brakes. Use your engine or "jake" brake to safely control speed gain. Once you let momentum build up too much it becomes a "monster" that you cannot control. You can NEVER go down a hill too slow. Be carefull of over application of the jake on slippery or icy roads as it can cause a jacknife. A cautious driver is safer than one who is overconfident . Remember what you CAN control and use it to your advantage Have a nice day Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border

Congratulations, Riley! That is so exciting! It is really cool that they let you video this experience. Can't wait to see the new pickup! Lol

I was a OTR driver for 7 years was a good experience. I still have my class A just in case I need to move vehicle. Don't miss the over the road lifestyle

Back in the day when I received my CDL, it was so much easier. That was in 1969 in Illinois. No training course, only on-the-job learning. That CDL allowed me the adventure of a lifetime. I drove semi-tractor trailer rigs for the next 20 years and got to see all 48 states and all major and minor cities throughout all 4 seasons and all weather types. I hauled mostly household goods with Mayflower but also hauled groceries, farm equipment, general commodities, and steel.

We called Pups (short trailer) 1/2 a day trailers in the LTL side of trucking.

Awesome video! I'm going to that exact school next week! Wish me luck.

Congratulations! You have added one more thing to your skill set. I am looking forward to how you use your new license.

See for some reason here in wv they want u to use a clutch every time crazy but most inspectors don’t care show them u can use clutch then shift how your comfy lol

Hi Riley congrats on the class 1. As another post had mentioned the SMITH SYSTEM is good advice for any driver. The van girls from NS have finally got rid of their propane toilet. Watch their last video, quite a storey. Tom in Canada in the Maritimes at the NB-NS border

Congratulations!!! Welcome to the club!

535K, not bad. I gave up my CDL when I retired, to much hassle now. When I took my test I had to push the female tester up into the truck by her rear (cabover). Nice job!

Riley, congs. on your CDL. Now back to the homestead for some more new update. Great video. ♥♥♥.

I'm doing my CDL training in Montreal, and it's a 5 month long training full time. I see huge difference between in both trainings. Like not using the clutch ? Did they explain you double clutching ? The pre trip inspection last 20 minutes here too ! Stay safe on the roads !

Easiest way to backup is to grab the steering wheel at its lowest point between your legs. If you want the trailer to go right, push your hand to the right, and left if you wanna go left.

18:20 for future reference when you're cranking the landing gear if you find The Sinner of the pain and shove in slightly you won't have that problem of walking back and and forth with the handle makes it a lot easier

I am so excited for you Riley. Congratulations, and let the fun begin!

Welcome to Boise. Hope you enjoyed your stay. Loved seeing you drive around. I knew most every location and you really were all over the place.

Great episode. Congrats Riley! 🎉

Nice work! I got my class A a year ago so I could legally pull a tag trailer with an excavator on it behind a 1 ton dump truck. Toughest parts of it were the pre trip and getting used to shifting the 13 speed Eaton. Looking forward to see what you do with yours.

CDL BIG High 🖐 Now need Flat and box trailer Pick up newer Bulldozer No more Shipping cost. Army 10 wheel truck I know you do not want move But Big truck and trailer you can move your self. well done

congratulations Riley

Congratulations on yoour Class A CDL. I retired in 2006 after 39 years in a truck, 48 states. The last 10 years I was an instructor for a vary large trucking company in Arizona. We didn't have to worry about snow very much. When a driver passed the school he was sent out on the road with a trainer for 6 weeks to learn how to delal with customers making making appointments on time. Again... Congratulations, well done...