Have you considered a career in the transportation industry? Before you drive a semi-trailer, tanker, or bus, you will need to earn your Commercial Driver’s License, also known as a CDL.
CDL drivers education and truck driving training programs will help prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience you will need to learn to drive a large commercial vehicle. After completion of a training program, you will be prepared to take the state licensing tests needed to qualify for your CDL.
This article will explore the requirements and steps to complete to get your CDL in Mississippi.
CDL Options in Mississippi
Endorsements are additional certifications to drive a variety of commercial vehicles that require specialized skills. For example, if you are hauling hazardous materials, driving a tank vehicle, or driving a school bus, you will be required to complete additional exams to qualify for these endorsements.[2]
6 Steps to Apply for a CDL Permit and License
According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver’s Manual, CDL applicants must complete the following steps to qualify and apply for a Commercial Driver’s License in the state.
- Step 1: Meet all eligibility requirements. The requirements to qualify for a CDL can vary from state to state. See the table below for basic eligibility requirements to qualify for a Commercial Driver’s License in the state of Mississippi:
| CDL Eligibility Requirements in Mississippi | |
| Age | To be authorized to drive commercial intrastate (within the state of Mississippi), you must be 17 years old. At age 21, you can qualify to drive interstate with a Mississippi issued CDL. |
| License | Applicants must hold a current and valid regular (Class R) driver’s license. |
| Medical and Physical | The state of Mississippi requires a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate confirming that the driver is physically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle. Mississippi allows applicants to electronically submit their Medical Certification to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety online or on your mobile phone. |
| Background Check | According to federal guidelines from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the state must perform a check of your complete driving record when you apply for a CDL to ensure that you have not been disqualified in another jurisdiction. |
- Step 2: Attend a commercial drivers education program. While not required, a CDL training course will teach you the knowledge and skills you will need and prepare you to successfully complete state CDL exams. Delta Technical College offers a 20-day CDL Training Course at our Horn Lake and Ridgeland, MS campuses.
- Step 3: Obtain your Mississippi Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). Before you can get your Mississippi commercial driver’s license, you will be required to hold a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) for a minimum of 14 days before you can take your skills test to obtain your full CDL. A CLP allows you to drive on public roads accompanied by a driver that holds a CDL.
- Step 4: Complete Required Knowledge Test. In Mississippi, commercial driver’s licensing is overseen by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS). Before you can hold a CDL, you must successfully complete a series of tests, including a general knowledge test, passenger transport test, air brakes test, combination vehicles test as well as exams in hazardous materials, tankers, and more. The Mississippi Professional Driver’s Manual can help you to prepare for each portion of the required tests.
- Step 5: Schedule Mississippi CDL skills test / road test at a local DPS office. To schedule your CDL road test with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety online, visit the Mississippi Department of Public Safety website here. According to the state manual, as part of your practical skills examination, you must complete the following:
- Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection: Tests whether you know if the vehicle is safe to drive.
- Basic Vehicle Control Skills: Tests your skill to control the vehicle, including straight line backing, parallel parking, and alley docking.
- On-Road Driving Test: Tests a variety of traffic situations, including turns, intersections, railroad crossings, lane changes, up and down grades, and more.
- Step 6: Complete and submit the Mississippi CDL driver’s application [6] with proper license and endorsement fees.
The following are the current Mississippi Department of Public Safety license fees found on the agency’s website:
| Mississippi Driver’s Services Fees | |
| Commercial (CDL) Original/Renewal Class D | $29.00 |
| CDL Application Fee | $25.00 |
| CDL Learner’s Permit – valid 6 months | $16.00 |
| CDL – 17 Years Old | $44.00 |
| CDL Restriction “U” – Farm Waiver | $9.00 |
| CDL S – School Bus | $26.00 |
| CDL Drivers License | $55.00 |
| CDL Endorsement | $5.00 |
| Haz Mat Endorsement | $5.00 |
| Tanker Endorsement | $5.00 |
| Doubles/Triples Endorsement | $5.00 |
| Passenger Endorsement | $5.00 |
| School Bus Endorsement (S) | $5.00 |
It’s important to note that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (the federal agency that regulates the trucking industry) allows Veterans of the U.S. armed forces that meet certain requirements to qualify to have a portion of the CDL licensing process waived. Military veterans should contact the Mississippi Department of Safety office about Veterans waiver programs.
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Commercial Driver Education in Mississippi
CDL classes and truck driving programs at Delta Technical College help students to prepare for the state CDL licensing tests in Mississippi through classroom theory and hands-on experience.
Instructors at Delta Tech come to the program with real experience in the transportation industry. Classroom training classes cover a variety of important procedures, skills and techniques you will need as a professional truck driver. Our truck driver training program will prepare you to successfully pass state permit and CDL license tests.
- The CDL Training Course is a 20-day course which focuses on the basic required skills to successfully complete the state’s CDL exam. You will study topics from the state’s Commercial Driver’s Manual as well as spend time on the driving range and on city roads practicing driving a commercial vehicle.
- Delta Tech’s Professional Truck Driving Program provides a more in-depth look at life on the road and provides you with the education to build a rewarding career in truck driving. During the 20-week program, instructors will help you become eligible for entry-level employment as a licensed CDL truck driver and qualify you for a variety of careers in the transportation industry.
To learn more about CDL and truck driving training at Delta Tech, fill out the form below to contact our Admissions Team.
SOURCES
[1] www.dps.state.ms.us/driver-services/new-drivers-license/commercial-operator-license-classes-a-b-c-d/
[2] http://www.dps.state.ms.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/CDL-Drivers-Manual.pdf
[3] https://www.ms.gov/dps/cdl_medcard/
[4] https://cms.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/states
[5] https://www.dps.state.ms.us/driver-services/new-drivers-license/ready-to-schedule-your-cdl-road-test/
[6] www.dps.state.ms.us/wp-content/uploads/17-and-older-Regular-Application.pdf
[7] https://www.dps.state.ms.us/driver-services/new-drivers-license/driver-services-fees/
[8] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/military-skills-test-waiver-program
