Get a CLP - Minnesota
These are the general requirements for obtaining a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the State of Minnesota.
Applying for a Minnesota CLP – you need to:
- Hold a valid Class D driver’s license.
- Provide citizenship documents that verify your ability to work in the U.S.
- Meet age requirements. You must be at least 18 years old to drive a commercial truck within many states; 21 years old to driver a commercial truck across state lines and into Canada
- Pass a physical administered by a medical professional certified to conduct DOT physicals (find one here)
- Pass the commercial driving knowledge tests outlined below
Studying for your Minnesota CLP
The Minnesota Commercial Driver’s Manual covers all of the federal and state-specific requirements you must know to obtain your Minnesota commercial learner’s permit. You need this permit to attend truck driving schools in Minnesota, and programs like Halvor’s paid CDL training program.
When you take your CLP, you’ll be tested in these areas:
- General Knowledge (traffic laws, etc.)
- Air Brake Usage
- Combination Vehicles (trucks with trailers)
When should I choose a CDL training program?
(Hint: While studying for your CLP!)
Trucking industry experts recommend applying to a federally-approved Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) program, like Halvor’s paid CDL training program, as soon as you start studying for your commercial learner’s permit.
This makes sense, since there can be several weeks between when you apply and when the next available class starts. This applies to virtually every truck driving school in Minnesota and neighboring states, so it helps to plan ahead.
Our Halvor recruiters are happy to answer your questions about Halvor’s paid CDL training, as well as any questions you have about a driving career with Halvor Lines. You can email them directly using the links on our recruiting page, or call 833.4.HALVOR.
Taking your CDL test
After you’ve passed your CLP and finished your CDL training, you’ll take a road test. Halvor’s CDL training program driving instructors will teach you what you need to know.
OTR training with experienced drivers
After earning your CDL with us, we’ll put you on the road with an experienced driver who will help you gain experience and confidence as a professional over-the-road driver. Halvor’s paid OTR Finishing Program sets you up for success as a solo or team driver — and it may inspire you to become a trainer yourself one day!
If you are entering our Finishing Program through our CDL training program, you’ll already have had some time behind the wheel with an instructor. So you can expect to be with a driver trainer about three weeks instead of five (the timeline we give to new drivers who haven’t been through our custom training program).
