Comments By Amanda D.

Believe me Daniel, I hear you.

I think some of the blame goes to the schools, companies and recruiters who promise the world. Someone like my husband who is a recent immigrant and concerned about his English and ability to get hired has jumped on that. He was in a semi-professional job in his home country and I think he has a bit of feeling that blue-collar work is automatically easy.

I was happy to hear about the one-year requirement because it would give him time to do The High Road program and get prepared. But he just talked to someone from CR England and he said that FL would let him get his CDL here now and then transfer it to NY.

He wants to begin school on March 9th. To complicate things, I'm up for a job in NYC and if I got it, I'd be starting mid-March.

I just wish he trusted me and the very thorough independent research I've done on this as much as he trusts the recruiters. I was against OTR but I'm absolutely NOT against LTL. I just want him to succeed.

Sorry this turned into a vent.

Thank you for the information Gary! We've been calling companies to try and confirm this is a requirement (hubby is really disappointed) and they keep sending us to the DMV and DOT. Ugh so hard trying to get answers! But I think hubby needs some time to prepare for CDL school in the first place (largest vehicle he's ever drove is a 17-passanger sprinter) but he seems to think CDL school is a piece of cake.

My husband is a new immigrant in the US and he's interested in getting his CDL. He's been a licensed driver in his home country for almost ten years but he just received his US DL last December. I've read something about a one-year requirement for the potential CDL driver to have had his non-commercial license for one year before he can obtain a CDL. Is that true across the board or does it vary by company/state? Thanks in advance.

Thank you for such great information! I'm a newbie here, but husband is considering getting his CDL. We're only interested in LTL. We're currently in FL but want to move to NYC (I lived there awhile ago and want to go back). Know anything of opportunities there?

Thanks for the clarification. I'm doing a lot of research on both linehaul and P&D. Linehaul might be a good option for husband since he's a natural night owl but I like P&D because I like having him at my side at night! Following 6 string's post closely, lots of great insight and advice there. Looked through his list of LTL companies and only found one job for rookies in NYC though...

Or would that be P&D vs linehaul? And they are both LTL?

Thanks so much Rob! I read 6 String's post and now I know the difference between LTL and P&D. That gives me something else to research.

My husband has recently expressed interest in the trucking industry. I know beyond nothing about trucking so I'm just trying to gather as much info as possible. He spoke to one representative and I think he might have been overselling things a bit. I really like this site because it's positive yet honest.

For one, how difficult is trucking school? Husband is not a native English speaker although his English is quite good. I think most schools require a written exam after the first week. How much preparation does he need to put into it before taking the course?

Would he be able to transfer his CDL to a different state? We currently live in FL and are thinking of moving to NY.

How do the loans for school work? My interpretation - the companies loan the money and he gets it back his first few months on the road. His interpretation - the companies give him the money and he gets to keep it on top of his starting salary.

(This is the biggie) How likely is it that he could get a short haul job or at least a dedicated route that would get him home on the weekends right out of the gate? We were long-distance for two years before our marriage and I have some health problems. I really don't want to have to sacrifice three out of four weeks of the month with him.

Realistically, what is the starting salary? The representative told him 60,000 for long-haul and 40,000 for short haul but my research indicates that the numbers are more like 37,000 for long-haul and 27,000 for short haul.

What else could he do with a CDL besides drive trucks? Could he drive tour buses for example (he was in tourism in his home country)? If he got sick of driving trucks, what other jobs could his experience translate into?

(This is more minor) During CDL, would I be able to see him? Or is it basically no contact for 4-6 weeks?

Thanks!