Comments By Allison M.

I neither confirm nor deny that I may probably be acquainted with said franchise

Although it doesn't require a CDL, I got my first "trucking" job today! Get to drive an ex-military deuce and a half with a custom smoker for my job at a restaurant. I'm pretty excited about it! My manager told me to get in & we'll see how I handle it. He was pleased and said I did much better than most of the guys he's put in it that also work at the place. I'll be getting a few lessons in it by either him or the other driver and then I'll be catering or advertising and driving it around. Maybe both. It has no power steering/braking but is automatic transmission. I had a blast and am totally ecstatic right now! Any tips/tricks/advice for this? I'm a 17yo female, getting my CDL in the fall when I'm 18 (yes, I've put tons of thought into this). Already drive a truck & horse trailer now so I know about wide turns, stopping distance, space, lane usage, and mirrors mirrors mirrors. Anything else?

I'm going to (hopefully) be working with a staffing agency until September or October when I get my CDL. Right now I'm going to be getting a non-CDL job but the agency also has trucking jobs. I'm going to interview with them in the next week or so and I'll be asking how that works specifically with this agency, but does anyone know in general how a regular run of the mill temp agency goes about CDL jobs? Would they be construction and such, or??? And how would they work with insurance and all that fun legal stuff? Would it be worth it for me to stay with that agency as a new CDL holder, or would it be better to stick with a single local company to start out with (I will be 18 therefore intrastate only, and I have given it 2 years of thought, and I am most definitely getting it)? I realize there are a lot of things that can only be answered by the agency I'm working with, but any insight would be much appreciated

I've noticed that van lines (Mayflower, United, Atlas, etc.) always seem to have really nice trucks. Is there a reason why this is? Is it for company looks, or??? I love them!

Even though it's lowkey, still make sure you're doing your best with shifting and general truck treatment. Don't let yourself get into any bad habits and be very careful with the things you do. Sounds like they could tank any day now, be prepared and have a backup plan. If you went through schooling with them, I'd consider looking at other companies once you're without a trainer and paid back any obligations regarding training (contract, etc... Though it doesn't sound like they'd be a place that would enforce that).

I'm pretty sure you have to be over here for one year before you can drive, if I remember correctly. Would you be able to drive truck over in Russia? Is there a problem with that (sorry, I don't know much about the trucking scene over there or what it might be like)?

Well I believe you have to be 21 to get a CDL, so you may be waiting a little longer. Others may correct me on that but that's my understanding.

Have you considered getting a job as a UPS package handler in the meantime? I know UPS CDL drivers are one of the most coveted positions out there, but they usually only promote from within, and most of those drivers started as part-time package handlers. You would be in a great position to do that until you're 21 then apply to move up...

18 in PA for intrastate, can't touch freight from other states.

Considered it but I have a few things wrong with me physically that I wouldn't be able to do that as a constant job unfortunately. Have a chronic illness and though I can lift and move heavy stuff my body wouldn't hold up to it for more than a week of constant work of that nature :/

So are you in CDL school now? Are you planning on getting into the driving career field? What is the job that you'll be getting soon? Is it trucking related?

Sorry for peppering you with questions!

No it's fine! I'm actually still 17 and in high school but I'm hoping to get my CDL as soon as I can. Now it might be another year or 2 or 3 till I'm actually able to get it, I'm just looking for a regular part-time job now and I'll be getting a full-time job and possibly second job as soon as I graduate in June. I've wanted my CDL for quite some time now and I just love trucks, driving, trucking. Can't wait to get out there even if I have to move upstate a bit for a construction/dump job. Right now I'm taking in as much as I can while I still have the time :)

So my school requires me to do job shadows... Decided to interview one of my friends who is a CDL instructor and I may be able to shadow her sister for a day, who drives dump truck. I've started a list of questions that I think are pretty good and cover the basics (what's a typical day like, easiest/hardest, how you're seen as a female in the industry, favorite piece of advice received, etc.) but I'm wondering if there's anything really good that I might have missed/didn't think of or anything blatantly obvious that's overlooked. Also, over the next few weeks I'll be trying to get in touch with some CDL schools in my area while I still have time (I'll be getting a job soon and won't have ANY down time with school and work) so I'm doing it now just because. Anyway, I have an extensive list of questions (student:instructor:truck ratio, time spent driving in yard/on road, job placement, pass/fail rate, etc.) and I'm open to more suggestions there too.

Anyway, thanks in advance and thanks Brett for this site, I love it! It's already helped me so much!

Is there any way I can follow this more? As a few of you may know, I will be 18 next year and am still looking to get my CDL as soon as possible. Right now I'm just trying to find a regular job to pay for it, so I might not be going to school for another year or 2 or so. However, I'd still like to stay on top of this - if an opportunity would open up for me to get it, I'd like to know if I can go interstate. There's one thing about the bill that I'm unsure about and that's the proposed pilot program for drivers under 21. I haven't been able to find information on it or see if it's still being proposed.

About the bill itself... I'd like to see it regulated. If they're allowing under-21s to drive, they should be monitored or not allowed to run OTR until they've proven themselves safe. Stick to shorter regional loads for a few months. Heck, if there is a chance for me to get interstate clearance before I'm 21, I'd like to stay with a company close to home that runs through bordering states, NOT OTR, even though that's ultimately my goal. I do not consider myself an "idiot" at this age and yes I know so many people my age who are idiots. There's a stereotype here, it's just hard to weed through the stereotypical candidates to find a few that actually care enough to be safe drivers and put in the effort.