Minnesota Trucking Schools
Minnesota is home to some major companies and as a result, there are many truck driving careers in Minnesota. Whether you want to work in the metropolitan city of St. Paul or somewhere else, you will find plenty of employers who are eager to hire you.
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 requires each state to meet the same minimum standards for commercial driver licensing. You must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate any of the following commercial motor vehicles (CMV) in Minnesota.
Class A Commercial Driver’s Licenses(CDLs) allow drivers to operate combination vehicles with a combined gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds. These combination vehicles are ones with a vehicle towing another vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds. Drivers must be at least 18 years of age, in good health, and have valid Minnesota Driver’s Licenses to obtain an intrastate CDL. Minnesota requires drivers to be at least 21 years old to obtain an interstate CDL. They must also pass knowledge and skills tests.
Medical Exam:Drivers wanting class A CDLs must provide a Department of Transportation Physical Examination Form to the department of motor vehicles. A medical examiner determines if drivers have:
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- Lost feet, legs, hands, or arms
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- Damage to hands that prevents prehension and power grasping
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- Damage to arms, feet or legs that prevents normal operation of a motor vehicle
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- Other defects preventing normal operation of a motor vehicle
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- Diabetes controlled by insulin shots
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- Other conditions blocking normal operation of a motor vehicle
Minnesota denies CDLs to drivers with the above conditions. Drivers can still obtain a Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate to mitigate most of these circumstances.
Knowledge Test:Minnesota drivers wanting CDLs must pass one or more knowledge tests depending on the type of vehicles and what they will transport. Minnesota offers knowledge tests for:
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- air brakes
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- tankers
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- hazardous materials
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- passenger
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- passenger and bus
Skills Test: Drivers are required to prove their capabilities to drive safely in order to obtain a CDL. The Minnesota CDL skills tests consist of three parts:
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- Pre-trip Inspection
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- Basic Controls
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- Road Test
Drivers must pass all three parts or they will be denied CDLs. The pre-trip inspection portion demonstrates that drivers understand when their vehicles are safe to drive. The basic controls portion demonstrates that drivers understand the basic operations of their vehicles. The road test shows that drivers can operate their vehicles safely in traffic.
Required Documents: Minnesota drivers wanting CDLs should bring their drivers licenses, medical exam forms, and their social security cards to the DMV when applying for CDLs.
Alexandria Technical College
1601 Jefferson St.
Alexandria, MN 56308
Dakota County Tech College
1300 E. 45th St. County Road 42
Rosemount, MN 55068
Heavy Metal Truck Training
908 1st St.
Nowport, MN 55055
Lake Superior College
4971 Lightning Dr.
Hermantown, MN 55811
Minnesota West Community & Technical College
1314 North Hiawatha Ave.
Pipestone, MN 56164
Riverland Community College
1900 8th Ave. NW
Austin, MN 55912
Transportation Center for Excellence
2811 Highway 55 Suite B
Eagan, MN 55123
Winona Technical College
1250 Homer Rd.
Winona, MN 55987
