Non CDL Driving Jobs & Careers
Looking for a driving job that doesn’t require a CDL license?
While your options may be limited, you can still make a living driving without one. A CDL is only required if you are driving a Class A truck or a combination of vehicles with a gross weight of 26,001 pounds or more.
Here are a few non CDL driving jobs to try:
Company-Sponsored CDL Training
If you don’t have a CDL, but you intend on obtaining one, there are numerous trucking companies that offer sponsored training programs.
Some companies, like CR England, Werner and Schneider, have partnered with truck driving schools all over the country and can help you obtain your CDL license quickly.
The great thing about working with companies like this is that they will likely offer you a job once your training is complete.
Taxi Driver / Chauffeur / Uber
If you’re looking for jobs with no CDL required, a job as a chauffeur or taxi driver is a great option.
As a chauffeur or taxi driver, you’ll make a living transporting people around.
Depending on your location, this type of job can be very demanding, and your schedule may vary from week to week. Expect to work nights and weekends. With the rise in personal taxi services like Lyft and Uber, you can make serious money as an indepenent contractor.
While you won’t be required to have a CDL license, you will be required to have a chauffeur’s license.
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs are in high demand in major cities.
And with companies like Uber, you can earn money while driving without even having to obtain a chauffer’s license. Everyday drivers, like you, can earn a living transporting customers to their desired destination.
To get hired in this industry, you’ll need to pass a personal background check, have a clean driving record, and possess a valid driver’s license.
Delivery & Mover Driver
While it’s not quite as exciting as an OTR trucking job, working as a delivery or mover driver will allow you to drive for a living without having to obtain your CDL license.
In the moving industry, a CDL is often not required for smaller moves, but you’ll need a clean driving record to get hired. As an added bonus, you’ll get satisfaction in helping people get through one of the more stressful aspects of life: moving.
There are also career options in the delivery industry. Positions vary greatly and can be found in many industries, including the food industry. Pay will also vary greatly depending on your location and your employer.
Some delivery jobs will come with additional responsibilities. Lowe’s, for instance, offers non-CDL driving jobs, but you will be required to assist with the installation of merchandise and returns as well as unloading and checking appliances.
Aside from the food and home improvement industry, you may also find non-CDL delivery jobs in the grocery industry. Many supermarkets are now offering home delivery services that don’t require drivers to have a commercial driver’s license.
Peapod, a home grocery delivery service offered by Stop & Shop, is one example, and the company has many non-CDL openings available all across the Northeast.
Courier
Many Courier jobs don’t require a CDL. DHL offers van driving jobs that won’t require a commercial driver’s license.
These jobs involve the picking up and delivering of packages to customers. Couriers must be physically fit, and some companies will require drivers to be able to lift a certain amount of weight.
Keep in mind that your job will be to deliver the packages to the customers, so you will be doing more than just driving the vehicle from stop to stop.
Great customer service, punctuality and excellent driving skills are just a few of the many traits you’ll need to have in order to succeed as a courier.
Mail Carrier
Want a local driving job with government benefits?
Try the U.S. Postal Service. Jobs in this industry may be harder to get nowadays, but they offer an excellent starting salary and fantastic benefits.
If you’re interested in a career as a mail carrier, double-check the position to ensure that you will actually be driving a vehicle on the job. Some mail carriers do not drive vehicles to deliver mail, but rather walk from door to door on their route.
CDL Driver Assistant
Some companies will hire CDL driver assistants on a part-time basis. In this type of position, your primary responsibility would be to assist the CDL driver in loading, unloading and possibly delivering merchandise to customers.
Nestle Waters offers this type of position seasonally. In their case, the assistant acts as a point of contact between customers and the company.
Why You Should Consider Obtaining a CDL License?
There are numerous jobs available to you even without a CDL license, but obtaining one will open up even more opportunities.
With a CDL license, you can work as a company or independent driver, and have the opportunity to travel all over the country. Many of the non CDL jobs limit you to driving locally and sticking to a particular route.
As a trucker, your daily schedule and work in general will vary from one day (or week) to the next.
There are three types of CDL classifications:
- Class A license: This is the classification that most people are familiar with. A Class A license will give you the ability to drive any combination of vehicles with a combined weight of 26,001 pounds or more – provided the vehicle that is being towed is over 10,000 pounds.
- Class B license: This license will allow you to drive a single vehicle with a weight of 26,001 pounds or more, but cannot tow a vehicle in excess of 10,000 pounds. Common Class B CDL jobs include bus drivers, straight trucks and dump trucks.
- Class C license: This classification will allow you to drive any single or combination of vehicles that does not meet the Class A or Class B definition, but is not designed to transport 16 more passengers or placarded for the transport of hazardous materials.
To obtain your CDL license, you’ll need to take the CDL test. The training school you attend will teach you the necessary skills you need to operate a commercial vehicle and help prepare you for the test. You may also take a CDL practice test to ensure that you’re ready for the final exam.
If you’re looking for a driving job that doesn’t require a CDL license, you have plenty of options.
From chauffeuring to delivering goods, serving as a courier or acting as a CDL driver helper, you can still earn a living while driving out on the open road.
That being said, obtaining a CDL license will open the door to new job opportunities and the chance to travel across the country.
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