South Dakota Trucking Schools
There are many truck driving careers in South Dakota, allowing you to get started with just a CDL. Once you have your commercial license, you can begin checking out all of the employers who are hiring drivers.
In order to drive a truck that weighs over 26,000 pounds with a trailer weighing over 10,000 pounds in the state of South Dakota, you must first obtain a class A Commercial Driver’s License.
There are a few requirements and qualifications that applicants must meet in order to obtain a CDL in South Dakota. These requirements include:
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- You must be a minimum of sixteen years of age to qualify
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- You must provide one or more documents to verify citizenship and identification. These documents include but are not limited to birth certificates, state issued identification cards, passports, and drivers licenses
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- You must hold a valid drivers license in the state of South Dakota
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- You must obtain medical certification
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- If you plan on transporting materials across state borders, you must be at least 21 years of age according to the requirements put in place by the United States Department of Transportation in effort to regulate interstate cargo transportation
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- A general knowledge exam must be passed with a score of at least 80 percent
A skills test which includes a vehicle inspection, a control test, and a driving test must be passed using the class of vehicle the applicant is trying to obtain a license for. Additional endorsements are required in order to drive a truck pulling double or triple trailers, a truck that uses air brakes, school buses, or tanker trucks.
Additional endorsements are also required in order to transport hazardous materials as well as a background check done by the Transportation Security Administration.
You cannot obtain a CDL in South Dakota if:
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- You are not a resident.
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- You have a license that is suspended, revoked, cancelled, or disqualified
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- You owe more than a thousand dollars in child support
The fee for a commercial driver license of 25 dollars. A ten dollar fee is also charged for each endorsement to your commercial drivers license.
If you need assistance, South Dakota has many great trucking schools that will provide excellent training and education to give you the information and experience needed to pass the Commercial Drivers license written and driving tests.
Midwest Coast Transport
P. O. Box 5233
Sioux Falls, SD 57117
Southeast Technical Institute
2301 Career Place
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
Western Dakota Tech Institute
800 Mickelson Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57703