I've been thinking of getting my CDL license all summer... I put it off in the back of my mind during school... but now since I'm pretty much done, I am interested in it again...

I don't plan on taking any types of courses until the summer... but I want to get reading up on it and such. I spoke to a rep from SAGE at the college where I work and I can get a discount applied because I work there. Anyhow, I think in the end after everything it was like $3,900 to get my CDL. Thats with a 15 week course, 100 hour driving course, and CDL testing/license.

I really like driving, especially on long haul type stuff... I can't stand short haul or delivery type junk... could never do it. I was thinking of working for Wal*Mart for and do the long haul deliveries to their hubs (distribution centers)... I've ran into a few drivers that long haul for Wal*Mart and say it's not that bad of a job, and they are looking for more LH drivers.

I dunno... I've been contemplating it for sometime now.

 

If you like the long haul, you can make some serious money. The local/dayrun jobs are usually harder to get anyway. Most of those require quite a bit of experience to even get in. One of the guys I went to truck driving school with, just lost his job of 28 years and no retirement, was single, no kids. He put all his stuff in storage and drove non-stop. Last I knew he was making $78K/year. Now he literally drives almost everyday of the year.

When you are a rookie, you get the long haul jobs. And when they say "long" haul, they mean it. Most of the big companies only give you 4-6 days a month home with no more than 2 or 3 days together. Make sure you look at the companies you think you want to look for, don't just listen to the recruiters, talk to some of the drivers, and not the ones the recruiter offers you to talk to.

IMHO, just stay away from Swift and Schnieder, you'll be ok.

 

$3900!!!!!

WTF?

Just find someone with a rig you can take the driving part test in.

The written part here was easy...

I have a class E with air-brake endorsement. Cost me $35 (company reimbursed me) and they also paid me for my time taking it. I was not a truck driver for them but I used company vehicles. They wanted to be able to insure me on everything they owned in case I needed to drive anything.

I was permitted class A with air-brake and Haz-Mat but the guy I was going to haul fireworks for during the summer, that was going to lend me his truck to finish the driving portion. We could never get together on test day before my permit period ran out. Permit for that was also $35 and that included driving test if I could have gotten to take it.

 

For $3900, I dont know a whole lot about the industry, but I'd look in to it.... Would look into buying my own used tractor, it'll be really used for that, or use tha tfor a down payment onn a litle newer one, but it'd be a start. Find a freelance owner operator distribution center that will let you pull their trailers with your truck.

You would have the power to accept or decline any load you want. If you decline to many they'll quit calling and at first like anywhere you'd get the crap loads and crap hauls that no one else wanted..

 

Some trucking companies may require that you have taken a CDL driving course. If that is not that case and you have the means I would find someone that has a truck that you can practice driving in and just go to the DOT and take the test.

I got my CDL about 4 years ago and we had an old Mack truck that I used to take the driving test. The Mack was an automatic. If you can find a truck with an automatic to take the test in then you have one less thing to have problems with, ie. shifting, when taking the test.

 

Yea, but if he does that he will get a restriction put on his CDL and wont be able to drive a manual transmission. Which will basically mean he cant work at about 95% of the company's out there.

$3900 sounds awefully high, But with 100 hours of drive time its probably worth it.

Alot of that money will go to the fuel your burning while your being trained.



I cant stress this enough.... DO NOT JUST GO AND GET A CDL !

You will be almost comepletely un-hirable. Almost every single company needs you to have some sort of verifiable training or experience.

If you dont beleive me just call around. Insurance for an untested rookie is astronomically high. Most insurance companies wont even touch them.

You basically have to be trained at a recognized training facility, Be trained by a large company that trains their own drivers, or know some one who owns a trucking company that wants to hire you.

Having a CDL and knowing how to drive a truck are two very different things.

ROOKIE DRIVER.....




PROFESSIONAL DRIVER....



Oh, and theres two companies you need to avoid like the plague.

1. JB Hunt, The endless stream of gay jokes directed at you will cause you to slip into a deep depression every time you pull into a truck stop.
not to mention the fact that other J.B. Hunt drivers will keep trying to hook up with you

2. Swift, If theres a truck terminal in hell, Its run by swift. No respectable truck driver works there. They hire 1300 new drivers every month to replace the 1300 that quit last month. Its a freaking hell hole.

 

I didn't know that. It must depend on what state you are in though because I took my driving test with an automatic and I don't have a restriction on my CDL. We have 7 trucks and only one is an automatic. I drive a manual 90% of the time.

 

I was reading a truck driving magazine called SwitchinGears and they said that even though Spicer, Meritor, and Allison are making automatics, trucking companies are staying manual. Why? Better concentration on the road, and often better gas economy from an experienced driver, especially for long haul. They had like 10 pages on it... it was in the last issue.

 

The automatic Meritors suck. They are just manual trannies with a computer controlled clutch fork and gear selector. They're plaqued with problems.

3900.00 isn't that bad for what they are offering. You would be much better off getting the training than just "getting the CDL".

 

I got my CDL with United States Truck Driving School and paid 4k. I am with Podunk, don’t just go get your CDL. I been around trucks all my life and they made me feel dumb with some of the things I learned. If you are 100% sure you want to go over the road I would go with England, Swift or another company that will put you in the school for no out of pocket $$. They make you drive with them for like 2 years and help you pay for the school. It’s really not a bad deal if you ask me. But you got to be able to drive every day, all day long. I have always liked driving so it is no big thing for me. I can also tell you this, you might be able to pass the DMV test by yourself. But you will never be able to pass the walk around with out some series help. Plus the school will give you a heads up on all the little things that you will get when you take your test. Hell, my school had the complete skills driving course set up just like the DMV.
Here is a little test to see what you know.

http://www.roadwars.com/otc/gk/

 

Yeah, that's why I am considering it... I know of a lot of truck drivers that have told me this... they were like, "Yeah, we can teach you... surely you will get your CDL... but you won't know as much."

So with that said, it doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. I'll probably do it this summer.

 

So ya wanna be a big gear jammer, eh?

 

Ok, so just out of curiosity, if this guy were to just "Go get his CDL," exactly how hireable do you think he'd be? Or how hireable through a company like mentioned above that would pay for the CDL?



I've contemplated a career change as I'm unsure of where I'm headed with my current one. Considering the experience I had, I'd given it a thought. I used to have hazmat and explosives certifications as well.

 

A guy at work took night classes and got his Class A. He said it cost him $5K. He now does a run from PA to CT with a local company.

BTW alot of Truckers love the CAT engines and now Cat has a new auto trans to go with them. It is a good trans that basically came out of the Articulated dump trucks.

I also herd a rumor that with the new emissions some truck manufactures don't want to put Cat engines into their trucks because of the added cost. So, Cat might be partnering with, or buying International and using them exclusively.

 

When i was in the military i could get a waiver for teh CDL test and just get my commander to sign it.