Truck Driving Schools in Hawaii

Regardless of their specialties and classifications, truck drivers are responsible for moving valuable goods and materials from one place to another. Their duties help foster trade and prosperity within and across borders.

For candidates in Hawaii looking to start a heavy truck driving career, the resources below should be enough to familiarize you with the process before you begin. They explore the steps you must pass before focusing on specific licensure requirements defined by state and federal regulations.

Further along, you will find viable alternatives to receiving strong truck driving training in the state before discovering the annual average salary for your prospective career.

How to Become a Truck Driver in Hawaii

The following steps are necessary to become a heavy truck driver in Hawaii.

Age Requirements

According to state laws, individuals wishing to become truck drivers in Hawaii must be at least 21 years old. They must submit a document proving their age and other documents showing proof of identity and Hawaii residency.

Becoming Familiar with Vehicle Classes

There are three classes of “heavy trucks” in Hawaii. These include the class A, B, C, and D categories.

Class A category refers to “combination” vehicles with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of more than 26,000 pounds. The towed vehicle must have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of over 10,000 pounds.

In Class B, the GCWR of the vehicle being towed cannot be more than 10,000 pounds.

Class B covers combination vehicles that are neither A nor B but can transport 16 or more passengers.

Enrolling in a Training Program

All aspiring truck drivers in Hawaii must pass CDL tests. Many choose to attend training programs to prepare for this.

Attending training programs is also important to acquire the necessary skills and enjoy direct job placement upon completion.

Instruction Permit & Knowledge Test

Before they can carry out their skills test and practice with actual trucks on the road, candidates are expected to pass a knowledge test and obtain an instruction permit.

They will also need to provide relevant documents at this point, such as the ones listed above.

Explore trades with similar paths:

• Learn to become a masonry worker in Hawaii

Licensure & Certification Requirements

After completing the steps above, candidates must take the final step to officially acquire their Hawaii commercial driver’s license: scheduling a road test, also known as a skills test.

This is the part where candidates get to show their actual driving skills. The skills test incurs a $50 fee.

Those who have successfully passed the vision, knowledge, and skills test will officially become professional truck drivers in the state.

Interested individuals should also be prepared to pay a $40 fee for their CDLs, valid for 8 years. Those who want additional endorsements (such as school bus and hazmat) should be prepared to pay $5 for each endorsement.

Top Truck Driver Schools in Hawaii

The programs below are some of the most prominent for aspiring truck drivers in Hawaii.

Explore truck driving schools in Hawaii by City:

• Truck driving schools in Honolulu

Salary & Career Outlook

Heavy truck drivers in Hawaii are classified according to their yearly earnings. The highest-paid category (the top 10%), the average earners in the middle, and the lowest-paid in the bottom 10%.

While the average earner takes home an annual salary of around $74,128, the highest-paid earns around $97,809 yearly, while the lowest-paid takes home around $56,180 on average at the end of each year.

Of course, location plays a key role in influencing these figures. For instance, Hilo and Honolulu are among the cities with the highest pay for truck drivers in Hawaii, with an average annual salary of $73,678 and $68,716, *** *** respectively.

Along with location, several other factors may influence the annual earnings of truck drivers in the state, helping them move, for example, from the lower end to the higher end. These include specialty, endorsements, employer, and experience, among others.