MOUNT VERNON – Passing the test on the first attempt, Andrew Workman, a Knox County Career Center senior, earned his Class A commercial driver’s license last week.
According to a press release, Workman, a senior in KCCC’s building trades program, is the first student to earn his Class A CDL since his instructor, Colby Clippinger, has taught at the school.
“I like driving vehicles and enjoy the flexibility I’ll have by acquiring my Class A CDL,” Workman said.
Workman followed in his dad’s footsteps, as his dad also has his Class A CDL.
“I want to keep farming,” he said. “We have 400 acres and 25 head of beef cattle. Getting my Class A CDL makes it easier for my family.”
A CDL is required to operate large, heavy or placarded hazardous material vehicles in the U.S. in commerce. The Class A CDL that Workman obtained allows him to operate any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the towed vehicle is heavier than 10,000 pounds. He can drive tractor-trailers, truck-and-trailer combinations, tanker vehicles, livestock carriers and flatbeds.
Workman, 18, a senior from Danville, took the in-person test at CDL of Northern Ohio in Norwalk. The three-section test included the Vehicle Inspection Test (Pre-trip), Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test (Maneuverability) and On-Road Driving Test.
Workman spent hours studying the Ohio Commercial Driver License Manual.
“I watched a lot of good videos, studied the manual and practiced the pre-trip routine with my grandpa,” he said. “We have our own semi-truck. I got a lot of repetition and practice prior to taking my tests.”
Workman got his Department of Transportation physical for his CDL and his official license from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. As Workman begins to look to the future using his Class A CDL, he took note of some good advice from a long-time trucker: Never get in a hurry and always pretend like your family is driving around you.
In addition to earning his Class A CDL, Workman is a member of KCCC’s National Technical Honor Society, Building Trades Elite and I Build Drug-Free.
“I would recommend going to CDL of Northern Ohio. The people were very friendly and it was a good experience for me,” Workman said.
