A career as a truck driver in Florida can be fulfilling and full of adventures. To begin, interested individuals must be familiar with the essential steps and requirements before starting the process.
Doing so early will not only help make the entire process a lot more straightforward for you when you begin, but it will also make sure that you don’t have to waste time on unnecessary steps.
To that end, below, we have outlined a comprehensive guide containing everything you need to know to become a successful heavy truck driver in Florida, along with the state licensing requirements, general licensing requirements, top programs to consider, and the potential salary to look forward to.
How to Become a Truck Driver in Florida
Aspiring truck drivers in Florida will have to go through the following steps before they can start working professionally in the state:
Basic Requirements
As an aspiring truck driver in Florida, you’re expected to be at least 18 years old before you can start driving within the state. To drive between States, you are expected to be at least 21. Additionally, you should be prepared to pass a vision requirement test and a few other health and background tests, which we will discuss further below.
Enrolling in a Training Program
Training programs for aspiring truck drivers in Florida prepare students for the examination requirements, including the general knowledge test, air brakes, road tests, basic skills tests, and more.
Community colleges in the area tend to offer high-quality truck driver training programs, as do private training academies and driver mills put together by mega carriers in the state.
Commercial Learner’s Permit
Before acquiring their commercial driver’s license, aspiring truck drivers in Florida must have a commercial learner’s permit (CLP). A CLP allows prospective truck drivers to practice on public roads without having an actual CDL.
Like the CDL, however, obtaining a CLP comes with its own requirements. This includes having a regular Florida driver’s license, passing knowledge and vision tests, and providing proof of identity and residency.
Obtaining a commercial learner’s permit in Florida also comes with a fee.
CDL Test
To become an official truck driver in Florida, the goal is usually to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The specific exam requirements depend on the license in question.
For instance, a Class A license requires a general knowledge test, combination vehicle test, air brakes, pre-trip, basic skills test, and CDL road test.
A class B license requires all of these without the combination vehicle test. Class C licenses also do not require the combination vehicle test and only need an air brakes test where applicable.
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Top Truck Driving Schools in Florida
Below is our curated list of some of the best truck driving schools in Florida:
Pinellas Technical Education Center
At the Pinellas Technical Education Center, students receive high-quality training in a vocational college known as one of the best in the state. The school has a cozy campus and a fast-tracked training structure overseen by experts with years of experience in the field.
Notable Mentions
Other notable mentions for aspiring truck drivers in Florida include Roadmaster Drivers School in Tampa, South Florida College in Avon Park, Career Tech Institute in Lakeland, Career Path Training Corp in Saint Petersburg, Metropolitan Trucking and Technical Institute in Miami, Miami Lakes Educational Center in Miami Lakes, CDL Technical and Motorcycle Driving School in Hialeah Gardens and Sheridan Technical Center in Pembroke Pines.
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State Licensure and Certification Requirements
Following the above steps should be enough to obtain a commercial driver’s license in Florida, which is all you need to start practicing officially as a truck driver in the state.
It should be said, however, that obtaining a CDL in Florida has some costs involved, including an original or renewal license fee of $75 and an endorsement fee of $7 each. Those who have to retake the knowledge exam will also need to pay $10, while those who need to retake the skills exam will have to pay $20.
As for the medical requirements, candidates who apply for a Florida CDL must pass a vision and hearing test. They must also fulfill the blood pressure requirements, pass a urinalysis test, and pass a physical impairment test.
Salary and Job Outlook
Truck drivers in Florida earn an annual average salary of $97,024, 6% higher than the national average for other states. Truck drivers in the state who make the most tend to take home as high as $217,480 in annual salary, while those in the bottom 10% take home around $43,286.
Sorting strictly by experience, drivers with less than one year of experience in the state earn an average of $91,102 per year, while those with more than ten years of experience earn as high as $109,555.
Miami ($108,108), Fort Lauderdale ($107,661), Tampa ($99,667), Orlando ($99,063), and Jacksonville ($94,865) are the highest-paying cities for truck drivers in the state of Florida.
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